Abstract
In this study, the objective of the optimization of a double-suction pump is the maximization of its hydraulic efficiency. The optimization is performed, by means of the modeFRONTIER optimization platform, in steps. At first, by means of a DOE (Design of Experiments) strategy, the design space is explored, using a parameterized CAD representation of the pump. Suitable metamodels (surrogates or Response Surfaces), which represent an economical alternative to the more expensive 3D CFD model, are built and tested. Among different metamodels, the evolutionary design, radial basis function and the stepwise regression models seem to be the most promising ones. Finally, the stepwise regression model, trained on a set of 200 designs and constructed with only five the most influential input design parameters, was chosen as a potentially applicable metamodel.
Highlights
Centrifugal pumps are widely used in industrial applications
Nowadays, modified geometries are compared by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) systems
A tetrahedralbased, unstructured mesh of the impeller was automatically created in ANSYS ICEM, which provided the generation of 15 prism layers near the walls
Summary
Double-suction ( called: doubleentry) centrifugal pumps allow transportation of greater flow rates than single-entry pumps [1] because they are less prone to cavitation problems (smaller NPSHR). Another advantage is counter-balancing of axial hydraulic forces due to double-entry design [1]. Hydraulic turbomachines are designed by performing modifications of a nearlysuitable and experimentally validated baseline geometry. After the (large) initial effort is performed to include the design creation in an optimization loop, the human interaction is reduced and a lot of variants can be tested, which in turn allows a designer to understand the effect of the design variables on the objective (e.g., pump efficiency) much better. Due to importance of centrifugal pumps in industrial applications, as well as of pump-turbines, many recent studies
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