Study on the Transient Characteristics of Pump During the Starting Process With Assisted Valve

Abstract

Among the various transient operations, the startup process of a centrifugal pump brings attention to a number of practical issues. A representative application of the startup process is the underwater launch, which requires transient high pressure and high flowrate during a very short time. Due to the rotational inertia of the pump and motor, the dynamic response of the pump is slow, so the rotational speed cannot reach the design point rapidly. To get a high response of the starting process, a throttle valve is installed in the downstream of the pump. The valve keeps closed before the rotational speed of the pump reaches a certain point. It is important to investigate the transient behavior of pump during such transient operations. In this paper, experiment and numerical simulation are implemented to study the external transient hydrodynamic performance and the internal flow of the pump during the transient process. Different operating schemes of the pump and valve are designed to find the best coordinated modes. The contents and conclusions of the current work can provide references for the performance prediction, design optimization and fluid control of the pump and valve during the transient process.