Design Of Centrifugal Pumps Research Articles

Analysis of variable speed operating range of centrifugal pump with large flow and wide head variation

Abstract The advantages of variable speed centrifugal pump include its broad operating range, wide operating efficiency zone, high operational stability, and regulative characteristics of input power. When pump station has characteristics such as large flow rate changes, large pump head changes, the conventional fixed speed centrifugal pump cannot meet requirements of safe and stable operation under characteristic pump conditions. In order to ensure the safe and stable operation of the pump station within the operation range, the variable speed operation strategy of centrifugal pumps is adopted to enhance its wide amplitude adjustment capability and efficient operation. This paper uses an 8MW centrifugal pump with wide head range in China to analyze the factors that influence the operating range of pump unit in detail. The results indicate that the variable speed pump unit’s safe and effective operating range is determined by the cavitation margin, hump margin, speed range, and pump maximum input power. The hydraulic design can improve the hump safety margin and cavitation characteristics of the operating zone, and then expand the operating range of the pump unit. Meanwhile, increasing the static suction head, reducing the hump margin, controlling pump head amplitude, and appropriately increasing the maximum input power limit are the best ways to extend centrifugal pump’s operating range and improve its adjustable capability. The results can provide reference for parameter selection and hydraulic design of large variable centrifugal pump in the future.

Turbulent flow field in maglev centrifugal blood pumps of CH-VAD and HeartMate III: secondary flow and its effects on pump performance.

Secondary flow path is one of the crucial aspects during the design of centrifugal blood pumps. Small clearance size increases stress level and blood damage, while large clearance size can improve blood washout and reduce stress level. Nonetheless, large clearance also leads to strong secondary flows, causing further blood damage. Maglev blood pumps rely on magnetic force to achieve rotor suspension and allow more design freedom of clearance size. This study aims to characterize turbulent flow field and secondary flow as well as its effects on the primary flow and pump performance, in two representative commercial maglev blood pumps of CH-VAD and HeartMate III, which feature distinct designs of secondary flow path. The narrow and long secondary flow path of CH-VAD resulted in low secondary flow rates and low disturbance to the primary flow. The flow loss and blood damage potential of the CH-VAD mainly occurred at the secondary flow path, as well as the blade clearances. By contrast, the wide clearances in HeartMate III induced significant disturbance to the primary flow, resulting in large incidence angle, strong secondary flows and high flow loss. At higher flow rates, the incidence angle was even larger, causing larger separation, leading to a significant decrease of efficiency and steeper performance curve compared with CH-VAD. This study shows that maglev bearings do not guarantee good blood compatibility, and more attention should be paid to the influence of secondary flows on pump performance when designing centrifugal blood pumps.

Effect of baffles on internal flow characteristics of double-inhalation centrifugal pumps under low flow conditions

In order to investigate the impact of baffles in the inhalation chamber on the external characteristics and operational stability of a double inhalation centrifugal pump under low flow conditions, the flow field simulation software ANSYS CFX and the shear stress transport formulation were employed to numerically simulate the internal flow field of a double inhalation centrifugal pump with and without baffles. Two models were subjected to performance curve simulation and prediction, with the internal flow field, pressure pulsation, and impeller force of the two models being compared and analyzed under three small flow conditions of 0.6Qd (rated flow), 0.5Qd, and 0.4Qd. The velocity and vortex distribution inside the semi-spiral inhalation chamber, as well as their impact on the flow state in front of and inside the impeller, were analyzed. Research has demonstrated that the addition of baffles can enhance the pump head and efficiency in flow conditions of 0.5Qd–0.8Qd. However, there is a tendency for obstruction of flow in conditions below 0.5Qd. Baffles can reduce the amplitude of pressure pulsation within the impeller and the radial force exerted by the impeller as a whole. Consequently, the incorporation of baffles within the inhalation chamber during flow conditions of 0.5Qd–0.8Qd can enhance the operational efficacy of the pump. Nevertheless, within the flow range of <0.5Qd, the pump's performance will decline. This study serves as a foundation for the design of double inhalation centrifugal pumps with semi-spiral inhalation chambers.

Study on the characteristics of fluid exciting force on impeller of high-speed centrifugal pump under the condition of poiseuille inflow

Abstract The paper adopted the turbulence model of Wall-Model Large Eddy Simulation with improved algebraic form (WMLES S-Omega) to carry out the study on the fluid exciting force on impeller of high-speed centrifugal pump under the conditions of Poiseuille inflow and uniform inflow. The external characteristics and the vibration displacement of the shaft of high-speed centrifugal pump are tested. The results indicated that it is the high matching that the test and numerical external data of high-speed centrifugal pump under the condition of Poiseuille inflow. The test results of vibration displacement of shaft match the fluid exciting force better in terms of waveform and phase difference under the condition of Poiseuille inflow. The contribution degree of force and torque from the shroud inner surface in the X and Y direction is 76.3%, 80.7%, 79.5% and 85% of the resultant force and torque, and its force from the inner and outer surfaces of shroud and hub in the Z direction is 94.3%, and its torque from blades’ surfaces in the Z direction is 98.3%. The study results can provide some theoretical support for the research of fluid exciting force and hydraulic optimization design of centrifugal pump.

Design, construction and testing of the prototype cryogenic circulation centrifugal pump for the high energy photon source

A cryogenic circulation pump (CCP) with the small flow rate and low heat leakage, which is thekeyequipment of the cooling system for the cryogenic permanent magnet undulator (CPMU)and synchrotron monochromator in High Energy Photon Source(HEPS), is developed according to the design parameters and operation experiences. The mechanic structure of the CCP including a motor at room temperature, an impeller and a volute in the cryogenic environment is designed, and numerical simulation on the rotating shaft and internal flows are performed to predict the mechanical and hydrodynamic performances of the pump. Meanwhile, the experimental investigation of the CCP is carried out in the liquid nitrogen (LN2) cryogenic system, and the hydrodynamic performances of the CCP are verified experimentally. The results are shown that the calculated performances of the CCP are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results, which indicates that the numerical calculation model of the CCP is more effective. Moreover, the deviations of pressure drop and efficiency between the calculation and measurement are analyzed in this paper.

Characterization of the flow through a centrifugal pump under different inflow conditions based on OpenFOAM and sparsity-promoting dynamic mode decomposition

This paper examines the flow characteristics within a centrifugal pump under different inflow conditions using the detached-delayed eddy simulation method. It can be observed that the pressure fluctuations on the outlet tube gradually decrease with increasing distance and tend to stabilize due to viscous dissipation of the fluid and strong nonlinearity. In contrast, the flow system exhibits greater complexity and instability when operating at low flow velocity than at high flow velocity. In order to gain further insight into the flow characteristics, the sparsity-promoting dynamic mode decomposition algorithm is employed to explore the spatiotemporal evolution and coupling relationships of the flow field within a centrifugal pump under different operating conditions. This enables the identification of the flow structures that play a decisive role in the complex turbulent fields under consideration in flow analysis and reconstruction, while maintaining a balance between data utilization and fidelity. The findings of this study are anticipated to serve as a valuable reference for the research and design of centrifugal pumps.

Research on Fault Detection and Automatic Diagnosis Technology of Water Hammer in Centrifugal Pump

Centrifugal pumps are important equipment in industrial production, and their safe and reliable operation is of great significance to water supply and industrial safety. During the use of centrifugal pumps, faults such as bearing damage, blade wear, shaft imbalance, shaft misalignment and water hammer often occur. Among them, although water hammer faults occur at a low frequency, they are difficult to monitor and pose significant risks to valve and pipeline interfaces. This article analyzes the causes, mechanisms and phenomena of water hammer faults in centrifugal pumps, designs a monitoring method to effectively monitor the vibration signal of the centrifugal pumps, extracts vibration characteristics to determine and record water hammer events, designs monitoring and diagnostic models for the edge layer and server side, and establishes an experimental verification testing system. The test results show that, under the conditions of simulating water hammer faults, after high-pass filtering of the collected vibration data, the kurtosis index, pulse index and margin index all exceed twice the threshold, and both sensors emit water hammer alarms. The designed data acquisition method can capture water hammer signals in a timely manner, and the analysis model can automatically identify water hammer faults based on existing fault knowledge and rules. This fully demonstrates the scientific and effective nature of the proposed centrifugal pump fault monitoring method and system, which is of great significance for ensuring the safe operation and improving the design of centrifugal pumps.

Numerical study of the effect of geometrical parameters of straight impellers on the flow and hemolysis performance of centrifugal blood pumps

Red blood cells are destroyed when the shear stress in the blood pump exceeds a threshold, which in turn triggers hemolysis in the patient. The impeller design of centrifugal blood pumps significantly influences the hydraulic characteristics and hemolytic properties of these devices. Based on this premise, the present study employs a multiphase flow approach to numerically simulate centrifugal blood pumps, investigating the performance of pumps with varying numbers of blades and blade deflection angles. This analysis encompassed the examination of flow field characteristics, hydraulic performance, and hemolytic potential. Numerical results indicated that the concentration of red blood cells and elevated shear stresses primarily occurred at the impeller and volute tongue, which drastically increased the risk of hemolysis in these areas. It was found that increasing the number of blades within a certain range enhanced the hydraulic performance of the pump but also raised the potential for hemolysis. Moreover, augmenting the blade deflection angle could improve the hemolytic performance, particularly in pumps with a higher number of blades. The findings from this study can provide valuable insights for the structural improvement and performance enhancement of centrifugal blood pumps.

Influence of Impeller Structure Parameters on the Hydraulic Performance and Casting Molding of Spiral Centrifugal Pumps

In order to study the influence of impeller structural parameters on the hydraulic performance and casting moulding of spiral centrifugal pumps, this paper selects a double vane spiral centrifugal pump with a specific rotation number of 170 as the research object. The Plackett–Burman experimental design is used to screen the influencing factors, and the results show that the vane thickness and the impeller outlet width are the significant influencing factors. Based on this result, five different scenarios were set for these two key parameters, numerical calculations were carried out using numerical simulation software for each of the five flow ratio cases, and casting simulations were carried out for the model of each scenario using AnyCasting6.0 to analyze the influence of these two factors on the hydraulic performance and casting forming of the spiral centrifugal pump. It was found that in terms of vane thickness, a moderate increase in vane thickness improved the hydraulic performance at small flow rates, but an excessive increase at large flow rates led to a decrease in efficiency and an increase in the probability of casting defects. In terms of impeller outlet width, increasing the outlet width caused the design point to be shifted, leading to a decrease in efficiency at small flow rates, but an increase in efficiency when the design flow rate was higher. At the same time, increasing the outlet width makes casting defects more likely to occur at the blade and back cover joint than on the blade surface. The study in this paper clarifies the significant effects of these two parameters on the performance and casting quality of spiral centrifugal pumps, and provides guidance for the optimal design of spiral centrifugal pumps.

A Graphical Approach to Visualize and Interpret Biochemically Coupled Biomechanical Models.

The last decade has seen the emergence of progressively more complex mechanobiological models, often coupling biochemical and biomechanical components. The complexity of these models makes interpretation difficult, and although computational tools can solve model equations, there is considerable potential value in a simple method to explore the interplay between different model components. Pump and system performance curves, long utilized in centrifugal pump selection and design, inspire the development of a graphical technique to depict visually the performance of biochemically-coupled mechanical models. Our approach is based on a biochemical performance curve (analogous to the classical pump curve) and a biomechanical performance curve (analogous to the system curve). Upon construction of the two curves, their intersection, or lack thereof, describes the coupled model's equilibrium state(s). One can also observe graphically how an applied perturbation shifts one or both curves, and thus how the other component will respond, without rerunning the full model. While the upfront cost of generating the performance curve graphic varies with the efficiency of the model components, the easily interpretable visual depiction of what would otherwise be nonintuitive model behavior is valuable. Herein, we outline how performance curves can be constructed and interpreted for biochemically-coupled biomechanical models and apply the technique to two independent models in the cardiovascular space. The performance curve approach can illustrate and help identify weaknesses in model construction, inform user-applied perturbations and fitting procedures to generate intended behaviors, and improve the efficiency of the model generation and application process.

Study on Impeller Optimization and Operation Method of Variable Speed Centrifugal Pump with Large Flow and Wide Head Variation

The benefits of variable speed centrifugal pumps include high stability, a broad operating range, and adjustable input power. In water distribution systems, the pump units are increasingly using variable speed technology. The energy-saving features and operational stability of the pump station are directly impacted by the hydraulic performance and the operation strategy. In this study, CFD numerical analysis and model tests were adopted to design and evaluate the hydraulic performance of the variable speed centrifugal pump with large flow and wide head variation in Liyuzhou Pump Station. Under the premise of ensuring the wide head variation, the optimized centrifugal pump met the requirements of hump margin and efficiency in the high head zone and the cavitation margin in the low head zone. The test results demonstrated that the operational range of the variable speed centrifugal pump was successfully widened by reasonable hydraulic parameters selection and impeller optimization. The safe and efficient operational range of the variable speed unit was determined by means of taking the performance requirements of the pump’s maximum input shaft power, cavitation characteristics and pressure fluctuation into consideration. The scientific and reasonable operational path to meet the various operation needs was also investigated and determined for the pump station’s actual operation needs. A high efficiency, safe operation, and a simplified control logic were achieved by using the operational path, which makes it a reasonable potential guide for hydraulic design and operational optimization of variable speed centrifugal pumps with large flow and wide head range.

The influence of ring clearance on the performance of a double-suction centrifugal pump

Due to the complex structure of a double-suction pump's suction chamber, the flow in the pump's cavity is often ignored in numerical simulations because of difficulties in structured hexahedral meshing. However, the wear ring clearance interlinking the pump chamber leads the fluid at the impeller inlet directly to the impeller area. This significantly impacts the pump's internal flow field, so the influence of the clearance on the internal flow of a double-suction pump cannot be ignored. This paper develops four three-dimensional double-suction pump models with different wear ring clearances to investigate their influence on pump performance, and structured hexahedral meshes were used for all the computational domains. The clearances varied from 0.2 to 0.5 mm in 0.1 mm increments. The influences of the clearance on the energy loss, external characteristics, and internal flow field distribution of the pump were simulated via a verified computational fluid dynamics method. The results show that the wear ring leakage decreases with the flow rate and increases with wear ring clearance. The increase in backflow leads to an internal flow disorder inside the impeller, resulting in a decreased head and efficiency. Energy loss is mainly caused by increasing the turbulence entropy production with an increasing wear ring clearance. Also, the low-pressure region in the pump cavity expands to the volute with increasing clearance, and the impeller outlet pressure decreases. This study's research on wear ring clearance provides a reference for the design and application of double-suction centrifugal pumps.

Research and application of wide and efficient hydraulic design in centrifugal pump

Through the analysis of the wide and efficient mechanism of centrifugal pump, this paper finds that the shape of the blade inlet angle to the outlet angle distribution line of the centrifugal pump impeller within the blade wrapping angle is the key factor determining the width and efficiency. Two sets of blade thickening laws are adopted, namely the equal thickness type and the NACA1933 air-foil. Tests have shown that the hill-type is superior Linear scheme, NACA1933 air-foil blades are superior to equal-thickness blades. The hill-type solution achieves the performance indicators of wide and efficient centrifugal pumps. Firstly, the angle distribution line of the inlet angle to the outlet angle of the pump is designed, and the calculus equation is applied to solve the conformal transformation line in the square grid, so as to produce a wide and efficient centrifugal pump impeller profile. The design method is applied to different specific speed centrifugal pumps, and the test results show that this method achieves the purpose of wide and efficient centrifugal pump, reaches the international advanced level, and provides a new method for the hydraulic design of centrifugal pump.

MODIFICATION OF THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP IMPELLER USING CAD

Currently, during the design of hydraulic machines, specialized software is widely used. The work presents an overview of modern programs that use a system of automated design of centrifugal pumps. The modern approach to the design of centrifugal pumps is based on the joint solution of direct and inverse problems of the theory of the working process in hydraulic machines. The purpose of the work is to develop the impeller of a centrifugal sectional pump with the following parameters: a liquid volume of 6 m3 per hour and a pressure of 140 m. The pump is used to supply crude oil to the recuperators of the small distillation unit SDU-20 of the oil refinery. In the sectional pump, it is possible to compose packages of impellers of various designs. The lack of publicly available geometric dimensions of the impeller of a centrifugal sectional pump for the required parameters makes it difficult to choose an effective mode of operation. Therefore, the task of designing and researching the impellers of the VNS type pump using CAD in the ANSYS CFD software environment is relevant. The work uses the free academic version of ANSYS CFD. The work presents a description of the main stages of design and research of a centrifugal pump. The geometric dimensions and kinematic parameters of the pump were analyzed and selected according to the jet classical theory and calculation results in the Vista CPD program. The overall efficiency of the pump at the preliminary design stage reaches 50 %. At the second stage, the direct task of computer 3D modeling in the Ansys CFX software environment is solved. Determination of the hydrodynamic and energy characteristics of the pump is carried out. The paper presents the results of a numerical study of three variants of the pump impeller, which are used to predict the mode of efficient operation of a centrifugal pump.

A Human-Centric Design Method for Industrial Centrifugal Pump Based on Digital Twin

The worldwide demand for customized centrifugal pumps in numerous industries is intensifying steadily, posing significant challenges to the traditional design model characterized by extended design cycles, numerous errors, and elevated development costs. To address these issues, this paper introduces an intelligent collaborative design methodology for industrial centrifugal pumps grounded in digital twin (DT) technology. The methodology aims to handle the diversified types and intricate design requirements of industrial pumps and is specifically tailored to predict pump performance through a detailed multi-physics model. This model encapsulates various physical processes, including fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and structural mechanics, and incorporates the designer’s professional knowledge and experience to support enhanced decision-making. Furthermore, the application of intelligent parametric models has facilitated the interconnected design of pump components. This advancement has led to significant improvements such as shortening production cycles, reducing errors and costs, and enhancing design efficiency and quality. Consequently, the paper demonstrates that adopting this intelligent collaborative design approach can greatly benefit the industrial centrifugal pump sector by meeting the growing customization demands with increased efficiency and precision. These findings underscore the potential of DT technology in revolutionizing traditional pump design methodologies, advancing the intelligent progression of industrial centrifugal pump design and manufacturing, and satisfying the expanding demands of the global manufacturing industry.

Design optimization of a domestic centrifugal pump using Taguchi Method

This study focuses on optimizing the design of a domestic centrifugal pump through the Taguchi method, aiming to enhance its performance. Experimental data on pump performance, including total head, efficiency, and suction specific speed, were collected and analyzed. The effects of three design parameters—impeller diameter, blade angle, and volute tongue angle—were investigated using ANOVA. The analysis revealed that impeller diameter had the most significant influence on pump performance, followed by volute tongue angle and blade angle. Optimal performance was achieved with a 55 mm impeller diameter, 25° blade angle, and 20° volute tongue angle. These findings provide valuable insights for engineers seeking to improve centrifugal pump performance, highlighting the importance of impeller diameter in particular. By optimizing design parameters, significant enhancements in pump performance can be achieved, leading to more efficient and effective domestic centrifugal pumps.

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP ROTOR NUT

A centrifugal pump rotor is proposed with the impeller mounted on the shaft using two nuts of fixed interacting reciprocal conical surfaces. The scientific work relates to the field of pump engineering, namely, to one of the methods of locking the rotor nut used in the design of centrifugal pumps, various self-locking devices of mechanisms and structural elements of fasteners that prevent self-unscrewing. The self-locking nut includes a nut, a solid crown with an inner conical surface interacting with the annular groove of the nut itself and with an annular conical groove on the outer surface and, moreover, on one side of the annular groove of the nut itself with a conical outer surface, and the inner conical surface of solid crown is conjugated with the outer conical surface of the nut itself. The inner conical surfaces of the solid crown are connected to the outer ones – the nut with tension.

Influence of Blade Trailing-Edge Filing on the Transient Characteristics of the Centrifugal Pump during Startup

During the startup process of a centrifugal pump, the vibration and noise problems caused by unsteady flow are the focus of attention, and pressure pulsation is one of the main reasons for this problem. In the current research, a special impeller with blade pressure side trimming was proposed to reduce the strong pressure pulsation phenomenon during the startup process of centrifugal pumps. This article uses numerical simulation methods to simulate three typical blade trailing edges: original trailing edge (OTE), pressure side long linear (LLPS), and pressure side short linear (SLPS), and verifies them with experimental results. The results indicate that although the head of the centrifugal pump after filing has been reduced, its efficiency has been improved to a certain extent. Thirteen monitoring points were set up near the impeller outlet circumference and volute tongue to analyze the changes in pressure pulsation, verifying that blade trimming has a significant inhibitory effect on pressure pulsation during the startup of centrifugal pumps. The average maximum pressure pulsation amplitude of all monitoring points decreased by 32.23%, and the maximum pressure pulsation amplitude decreased by 56%. Blade trimming can affect the internal flow field distribution of centrifugal pumps. By analyzing the static pressure distribution, velocity streamline distribution, and vorticity distribution at the middle interface of three different impellers during startup, it was verified that there is a close relationship between pressure pulsation and unsteady flow structure during startup. The final conclusion is that blade trimming has a significant inhibitory effect on the pressure pulsation of the centrifugal pump during startup, and the impeller outlet vorticity is significantly reduced. The scheme proposed in this study has far-reaching prospects in the design of low noise centrifugal pumps.

Design and performance analysis of ORC centrifugal pumps

Design and performance analysis of ORC centrifugal pumps

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Flow Characteristics in a Fluid Self-Lubricating Centrifugal Pump with R134a Refrigerant

With the rapid development of information technology, researchers have paid attention to the pump-driven two-phase cooling loop technology for data centers, which imposes requirements on the efficiency and size of the pump. A fluid self-lubricating centrifugal pump with R134a refrigerant was developed to reach a higher rotation speed and oil-free system, resulting in a more diminutive size. Due to the high rotation speed and refrigerant pressure approaching saturated vapor pressure, the internal flow characteristics and cavitating characteristics are critical and complex. This paper focuses on the prototype’s head and cavitation performance based on experimental and numerical data. The experiments indicated that the head coefficient of the pump under design conditions is 0.9881, and the pump’s critical cavitation number and breakdown number are 0.551 and 0.412, respectively. The numerical results can predict the head and cavitation with deviations less than 2.6%. To study changing patterns in flow characteristics under the different operating conditions in the refrigerant centrifugal pump, the numerical model based on a modified Sauer-Schnerr cavitation model was built to analyze the distributions of pressure, temperature, relative velocity, and bubble volume across every hydraulic component and different degrees of cavitation, and proposed the influence of the thermal effect on refrigerant cavitating. The cavitating flow characteristics were obtained with the aim of providing guidance for the hydraulic design of a refrigerant centrifugal pump.