Numerical investigation of turbulent flow coherent structures in annular jet pumps using the LES method

Abstract

Annular jet pumps that are used in hydraulic machinery have a very simple structure but very complex internal flow fields. Large eddy simulations were used to study the coherent structures in the turbulent flows in annular jet pumps with various area ratios, m. The distribution, movement and evolution of the coherent structure in the annular jet pumps are described based on vorticity, pressure and Q criteria. All the criteria demonstrate that the vortexes are mainly distributed in the recirculation region and in the mixing and the boundary layers, which have large velocity gradients. The various characteristics of the coherent structures are shown by the different criteria with the vorticity criterion describing the distribution, movement and evolution of the vortexes, the pressure criterion describing the movement and the Q criterion describing the vortex movement and evolution. The vorticity variation in the spanwise direction is larger than the variation in the streamwise direction; however, the streamwise vortex is the main mechanism driving the entrainment of the secondary flow and the mixing. The annular jet pump with m=3.33 had a higher vortex shedding frequency (about 1000 Hz) than that with m=1.72 (313–417 Hz). The azimuthal instability is the main reason for the generation of the streamwise vortex from the spanwise vortex. The vortex structures in the recirculation region are very strong, but small and disordered with no periodic vortex rings.