Numerical calculation and optimization designs in engine cooling water pump

Abstract

The cavitation damage in the Engine cooling water pump (ECWP) is the key factor that shortens the lifespan of automobile cooling systems, and causes vibration and noise. To improve cavitation performance and external characteristics of ECWP, three optimized models were designed on the basis of WP7 diesel ECWP. The whole flow fields in three models and the prototype pump were numerically simulated, employing the time averaged Navier-Stokes equation, the standard k-e turbulent model and Zwart-Gerber-Belamri multiphase flow model by ANSYS-CFX software. Pressure distribution, turbulent kinetic energy distribution, bubble volume fraction distribution, external characteristics and cavitation performance of the prototype pump and optimized models were compared and analyzed. The results show that the external characteristics and cavitation performance of the optimized models are significantly better than that in the prototype pump. Through decreasing the inlet blade angle and wrap angle, extending the blade to inlets and extending a certain inclination in the blade, shock loss in blade inlet was reduced and so, the performance of pump will be improved. The flow condition at blade inlet will also be improved greatly, which in turn improves cavitation performance. When reducing the quantity of blades, the excretion coefficient will drop, flow area of blade inlet becomes bigger, but head has a little drop. And the pump optimized by reducing the quantity of blades has the optimal cavitation performance among three optimized models. With the decrease of impeller diameter, the absolute pressure in the critical cavitation point becomes bigger, the inlet bubble volume fraction at the same absolute pressure increases while cavitation performance gets worse. The obtained numerical results were compared with the experimental ones, and the outcome showed the same tendency between the two along with acceptable error.