Measuring swirl at a model scale of 1:1 for vertically submersible pumps

Abstract

Intakes of large pump stations are often designed with the aid of hydraulic modeling. The approach flow to pumps is tested for adverse hydraulic phenomena, such as pre-swirl, velocity variations and vortices. Most commonly, the limits for these phenomena are taken from the ANSI/HI 9.8-2012 standard - Rotodynamic Pumps for Pump Intake Design. The standard, however, does not explain how real pumps respond to swirl, uneven velocity distribution or vortices. The present joined study between Deltares and Xylem aims to bridge this gap. At the Deltares pump sump test facility, two identical pump compartments were built according to the ANSI/HI 9.8-2012 standard. In one of the compartments, a submersible, vertical column pump (Flygt PL7020) was installed, while a 1:1 scale model of that pump was installed in the other compartment. This arrangement allowed measurements of both pump performance (pump head and input power as a function of flow rate) and the model parameters (pre-rotation and vortex occurrence) for nearly identical approach flow conditions. By varying the geometry of the approach channels, the asymmetry of the flow was varied to produce various degrees of pre-swirl including values in excess of the commonly accepted limit of 5 degrees. This paper describes the measurement setup, the results of the measurements with the model pump and the measurement plan for the prototype pump.