Influence of Velocity Curves Unevenness on the Centrifugal Pump Head

Abstract

A formula of the theoretical head, which gives the value of the impeller in terms of its geometrical parameters, is used to calculate the pump head at the stage of theoretical design. One of the main assumptions in this case is a strip theory, which does not take into consideration the unevenness of curves of the meridional and circumferential velocity components at the impeller outlet of a centrifugal pump. The article studies this influence. Describes a mathematical model for theoretical and numerical calculations. Shows the figures of the flow part under study and of the computational grid. For complete formalization of the problem the meshing models and boundary conditions are shown. As the boundary conditions, full pump-inlet head into the flow part and velocity at the outlet were used. Then, there are the graphs to compare the results of theoretical and numerical calculation and the error is shown. For comparison, a value of the theoretical head was multiplied by the efficiency, which was defined by computer simulation. A designing process of the flow part was iterative, so the comparison was carried out for all iterations. It should be noted that correction for the finite number of blades is also assumption. To determine a degree of the errors impact because of this correction, an average value of the circumferential component of the fluid velocity at the impeller outlet was calculated by two above methods followed by their comparison. It was shown that this impact is negligible, i.e. correction provides a sufficiently accurate value. In conclusion, the paper explains the possible reasons for inaccuracies in theoretical determination of the head, as well as the option to eliminate this inaccuracy, thereby reducing the time required for defining the basic parameters of the flow part. To illustrate the nature of fluid flow, for the last iteration are given the fields of the pressure distribution and the velocity vector in the equatorial section of the flow. All calculations were performed for both capacity values of the dual-mode pump.