Performance and pressure distribution changes in a centrifugal pump under two-phase flow

Abstract

Pump performance characteristics change drastically under two-phase flow conditions from those of single-phase flow. This is due to a change in flow characteristics in the impeller. Owing to a positive pressure gradient the air bubble moves more slowly than the water in the impeller channel, but in the suction surface region of the impeller inlet, where a negative pressure gradient prevails, the bubbles move more quickly than the water. Thus, in the space just after this region the distributions of the void fraction obtained are considerably higher and uneven. The change in the pressure distribution owing to air admission is also particularly evident in the inlet region of the impeller. These changes bring about an alteration of the whole flow pattern in the impeller and also cause a drop in pump performance. The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase flow in a centrifugal pump impeller are solved using a finite volume method to obtain the pressure, velocities and void fraction respectively. Good agreement is achieved when the predicted results are compared with those measured experimentally within the range of bubbly flow conditions.