Frequency Of Pressure Pulsation Research Articles

Blade redesign based on inverse design method for energy performance improvement and hydro-induced vibration suppression of a multi-stage centrifugal pump

As the urgency of the global energy crisis escalates and environmental protection standards become more stringent, the industrial sector is placing increased emphasis on enhancing energy efficiency and advancing vibration control technologies. Within this context, multi-stage centrifugal pumps (MSCPs), pivotal in energy systems, play a crucial role in influencing both system performance and environmental impact. This paper embarked on employing an inverse design method (IDM) to innovate the redesign of MSCP blades, introducing a steady-state index for characterizing the intensity of unsteady pressure fluctuations, thereby streamlining optimization costs. Optimization techniques utilizing an artificial neural network model and a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm were employed to achieve an optimal balance between maximizing energy efficiency and reducing hydro-induced vibrations. The optimized MSCP enhanced not only boosting performance but also a 2.75 % increase in weighted efficiency, significantly widening the high-efficiency operation zone. The improvement in vibration characteristics was manifested by an average reduction of more than 25 % in the amplitude of the primary frequency of pressure pulsations within the double volute, with a maximum reduction reaching 50.9 %. Furthermore, the research delved into the analysis of the internal energy dissipation mechanisms of MSCPs, drawing upon the entropy production theory and the enstrophy concept. This analysis reveals that energy dissipation in the mainstream zones is predominantly affected by shear enstrophy, whereas, in the wall regions, it is primarily governed by fluid velocity. The comprehensive performance enhancement of the optimized model is significantly credited to the refinement of the blade profile.

Vibration and Flow Characteristics of a 200 MW Kaplan Turbine Unit under Off-Cam Conditions

Kaplan turbine units can adjust their blades to achieve wider outputs without a significant loss of efficiency. The combination of guide vane angle (GVA) and blade angle (BA) is selected based on efficiency curves obtained from cam tests. However, the vibration characteristics are not considered in the test. The vibration and flow characteristics are complex with different combinations of guide vane and blade angles. Different cam relation selection principles lead to varying machine vibration and flow characteristics. In this research, the flow and vibration characteristics were obtained by means of field test and numerical simulation. Vibration, pressure pulsation, and other stability indicators have been extracted and investigated under off-cam conditions. The flow and variation rules of different indicators have been thoroughly researched. The findings suggest that the magnitude of vibration in the X direction surpassed that in the Y direction for the head cover, upper frame, and lower frame under 22 experimental conditions. The disparity between the head cover and upper frame in both directions was not significant, whereas a substantial contrast existed between the lower frame in the X and Y directions. The calculation results indicate that when the guide vane angle was small, vortices appeared near the high-pressure edge of the runner in the vaneless region and caused disorganized flow lines in the runner, and this complex vortex behavior led to multiple frequency components in the pressure pulsation frequency domain. The conclusions provide references for the designers of Kaplan turbine units and improves the operating safety of Kaplan turbine power stations.

Effect of liquid level monitor gas injection point size on information source amplitude-frequency characteristics

In order to analyse the effect of the injection point size of the CBM (Coalbed Methane) well level monitor on the amplitude and frequency of pressure pulsations in the wellhead manifold, numerical simulations and experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of different injection point sizes on the amplitude and frequency of pressure pulsations downstream of the sudden expansion structure. Using compressed air as the fluid and the size of the injection point as the variable, the amplitude and frequency of pressure pulsations at different locations downstream of the sudden expansion structure were tested. The results show that the pressure pulsation amplitude is affected by the size of the injection point, and the larger the injection point is, the larger the pressure pulsation amplitude is; the size of the injection point has less influence on the pressure pulsation frequency downstream of the protruding and expanding structure, and the pressure pulsation frequency at 0.5 m and 1 m downstream of the protruding and expanding structure is in the vicinity of 76 Hz. Therefore, the echo signal processing should be filtered around this frequency to obtain accurate liquid level echo signals, so as to improve the accuracy of liquid level monitoring and realise the efficient development of coalbed methane wells.

Research on Internal Flow and Pressure Fluctuation Characteristics of Centrifugal Pumps as Turbines with Different Blade Wrap Angles

The use of pumps as turbines has been gaining more and more attention in recent years. The present work mainly investigates the influence of blade wrap angle on the internal flow and pressure fluctuation characteristics of centrifugal pumps as turbines. Five different wrap angles (35°,45°, 55°, 65°, and 75°) for a forward-curved impeller were numerically analyzed under multiple operating conditions. The accuracy of numerical simulation was validated by experimental results. The results show that maximum efficiency is achieved with a blade wrap angle of 35°, and the highest efficiency flow point gradually decreases as the blade wrap angle increases. It is found by conducting entropy production theory analysis that the high-entropy production rate regions in PATs are concentrated in the volute tongue and impeller blade inlet regions, and that the entropy production rate at the impeller inlet region increases and then decreases as the blade wrap angle decreases. In addition, pressure pulsation was affected not only by dynamic and static interference but also by an irregular vortex around the impeller; its magnitude under Qt is higher than 0.8Qt for blade wrap angles of 55° and 75°. The primary frequency of pressure pulsation within the impeller is the axial frequency fn and its multiples, and the frequency with the largest amplitude is 3fn. The periodicity of vortices is closely related to the periodicity of pressure pulsation. And it is suggested that a PAT with a 35° blade wrap angle is advantageous for improving the stability of a turbine.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of a miniature simple pressure pulsation attenuator lined with porous polyurethane material

A miniature simple pressure pulsation attenuator (PPA) lined with porous polyurethane material is designed and a theorical model is established for analyzing the pressure pulsation attenuation performance of PPA. The effect of internal structural parameters of PPA and external operating conditions on attenuation performance is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Spectral intensity is used as a new method to evaluate the pressure pulsation attenuation, and other common index such as pressure pulsation rate and frequency spectrum are also compared in detail. The results show that spectral intensity can more accurately reflect the overall effect of pressure pulsation and the attenuation effect at a specific frequency. The present PPA is more suitable for low static pressure and can effectively eliminate low-frequency and high-frequency pressure pulsation. In addition, the diameter and number of pores can affect the pressure pulsation attenuation. Insertion loss of PPA exhibits multiple peaks, which are mainly influenced by liner length and liner material. Furthermore, the flow rate increases as the pulsation frequency increases for the piston pump based on frequency control, which can cause the pulsation attenuation performance to basically remain unchanged. The research offers valuable insights for the design, optimization, and analysis of PPA in seawater hydraulic system.

Vibration of Variable Speed Pump-Turbine in Turbine Operating Range: Simulation by CFD+FEM

Abstract Variable speed pumped-storage unit can operate efficiently and stably in wide range of power and head through the coordinated control of the rotational speed and guide vanes. The regulation in rotational speed brings about frequency and amplitude changes of pressure pulsations, which further influence the avoidance margin of vibration and the dynamic response of the runner. The vibration characteristics of the variable-speed pump-turbine need to be studied when it runs in the wider operating region. Selecting an actual pumped-storage unit as the subject and using the CFD+FEM coupled simulation method as a tool, we conducted three-dimensional pump-turbine vibration simulations and analyse the flow patterns, pressure pulsations, and runner vibration characteristics of several typical operating points in turbine mode. The study focused on the variation laws of pressure pulsations and dynamic stresses when rotational speed is regulated. Comparison with the results for the constant speed unit under the corresponding working conditions was conducted. It is shown that the variable speed operation can effectively avoid the severe vibration conditions that the constant speed unit encounters; the amplitudes of pressure pulsations and dynamic stresses of the runner are small at low rotational speed; in the condition of high speed, low head, and small load, the vibration is the most obvious. This study can provide a reference for the design and operation of variable speed pump-turbine.

Pressure Pulsation Analysis of 2D NACA66 Airfoil Based on Pulsation Tracking Network

Abstract The NACA66 airfoil is used extensively in the design of turbine runners and as a core component, the airfoil plays a vital role in the operation of the turbine. In order to investigate the details of the effect of the NACA66 airfoil on pressure pulsation, this paper investigates and analyses the NACA66 airfoil with a work angle of 14°. This study combines computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with pulsation tracking network (PTN) technology to numerically simulate the NACA66 airfoil. The simulation results show that the dominant pressure pulsation frequencies in the computational domain are mainly 100hz, 3500hz, and 6900hz, and the pressure pulsation amplitude varies for different dominant frequencies. When the dominant frequency is 100hz and 3500hz, the pressure pulsation amplitude continues to decrease from the inlet to the outlet of the calculation domain, but a small increase in pressure pulsation amplitude occurs at the trailing edge of the airfoil. When the dominant frequency is 6900hz, the pressure pulsation amplitude decreases from the inlet to the outlet of the calculation domain and increases sharply below the airfoil, which is greater than the pulsation amplitude in the surrounding area. This paper reveals the dominant frequency of the NACA66 airfoil disturbance based on PTN technology and the variation of the pressure pulsation amplitude at different dominant frequencies. The content of this study can help to explore more deeply the pressure pulsation problem generated by airfoil winding and provide ideas for solving the pressure pulsation engineering problem.

Experimental study on the coupled flow field and thrust characteristics of tail cavity and jet

During the launch process of underwater vehicles, a tail cavity is formed at the bottom, which plays a crucial role in the engine ignition stage. The flow state within this tail cavity significantly impacts the engine's operational efficiency. Moreover, the evolution of the tail cavity and jet coupling, along with hydrodynamic characteristics, influences the motion attitude of the vehicle. This article delves into the effects of initial tail cavity length, Froude number, and pressure ratio on cavity morphology and hydrodynamic characteristics, utilizing water tunnel experiments to explore these dynamics at the vehicle's bottom. The experimental findings suggest that while the length of the initial tail cavity influences the jet's coupling mode, it does not significantly affect the cavity's ultimate morphological evolution. A larger initial cavity scale correlates with a lower initial pressure peak following nozzle activation; similarly, an increase in the Froude number leads to a decrease in the initial pressure peak. When the cavity morphology remains intact, the pressure pulsation amplitude and frequency are relatively low. In contrast, partially broken cavities and pulsating foam cavities differ in morphological structure and peak internal pressure oscillations, though their pressure pulsation frequencies are similar. During the initial phase of nozzle activation, the thrust produced by the nozzle plays a more significant role than the bottom thrust. Notably, in the initial phase of nozzle activation, the nozzle-generated thrust is more influential than the bottom thrust. The thrust pulsations from pulsating foam cavities are especially strong, with peak values surpassing the initial peak thrust. These insights offer a new insight on the dynamic behavior of underwater vehicles, crucial for refining engine startup strategies.

Experimental and theory study on a stacked piezoelectric energy harvester for pressure pulsation in water hydraulic system

A novel stacked piezoelectric energy harvester is proposed to solve the sustainable power supply problem of wireless sensors in water hydraulic system, and two energy conversion models are established. The effects of connection modes and pressure pulsation parameters on the energy harvesting performance are studied. The results show that the model without considering the influence of electric field is more consistent with the experimental results. There is an optimal resistance to obtain the maximum average power, and the optimum resistance in series connection is n2 times of that in parallel connection when the number of piezoelectric ceramic disks is n. The root mean square voltage increases with the pressure pulsation amplitude, and the average power are proportional to the square of pulsation amplitude. The ability of the energy harvester is significantly improved as the pressure pulsation frequency increases from 40 Hz to 80 Hz, but the theoretical results exhibit some errors at low frequency due to the inaccuracy of replacing measured pressure with sinusoidal waveform. Using the pressure pulsation with multiple frequency components as input can improve the accuracy of model. This paper provides new ideas for the design of stacked piezoelectric energy harvester in water hydraulic system.

Pressure Pulsation Analysis of Oscillating Water Column Rotor Eccentricity Based on the Pulsation Tracking Network Method

An oscillating water column (OWC) is typical of axial rotor turbines, which are used to convert ocean wave energy into electrical energy. This device impacts downstream pressure pulsations when its rotor becomes eccentric. This study compared the details of pressure pulsations downstream of eccentric and non-eccentric rotors under three operating conditions: low flow A, high-efficiency flow B, and high flow C. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations based on the pulsation tracking network (PTN) method were used for the OWC device to compare the experimental results. The results indicate downstream pressure pulsations were mostly dominated by the blade frequency in non-eccentric low-flow cases. In the other eccentric operating conditions, downstream pressure pulsations were mainly dominated by the 2-, 3.6-, 6-, and 7-times rotation frequencies and the 0.5-times blade frequency. The phase change of downstream pressure pulsations in eccentric and non-eccentric conditions is consistent with the flow direction. The phase change is relatively uniform and steady before eccentricity and becomes turbulent after eccentricity, which affects its steadiness. In this study, the OWC device did not significantly change with or without rotor eccentricity at a 1-time blade frequency intensity; however, at a 1-time rotation frequency, the OWC device showed a significant increase in the pressure pulsation amplitude after rotor eccentricity. The study of the dominant frequency, amplitude, and phase of pressure pulsations in OWC devices with eccentric rotors can help prevent excessive pressure pulsations that can lead to incidents.

Bending and torsional coupling study of rolling-piston compressor valves

In this paper, a model of a rolling compressor valve with one end fixed horizontally is presented and simulated using the flow-solid coupling (FSI) method for rolling rotor type compressors. Optimisation of the diagonally cut section can effectively reduce the pressure pulsation of the compressor. The results show that the valve blade generates coupled vibrations of bending and torsion, and the slant-cut structure improves the frequency of pressure pulsations, increases the stability of the compressor valve blade, optimises the compressor structure and reduces the pressure pulsations of the compressor.

Research on the flow-induced vibration characteristics based on heat–fluid–structure coupling in natural gas loop

To research the flow-induced vibration characteristics of the natural gas loop, unsteady numerical simulation is carried out on the loop calculation model under different ambient temperatures and different flow rates, and the influence of different flow rates on the dynamic characteristics of the flow field and its induced vibration characteristics is obtained. The results show that the inherent frequency of the natural gas loop increases slightly under the action of heat–fluid–solid coupling. The maximum equivalent stress of the loop increases with the increase in ambient temperature under low flow conditions, but it is almost constant under high flow conditions. The smaller the cross-sectional area of the loop pipeline inlet, the greater the pressure, and the more significant the pressure gradient along the flow direction. The pressure pulsation of monitoring points in the pipeline under different flow rates presents different rules, and the pulsation amplitude of pipes with different diameters is different, among which the amplitude of the pipe with a diameter of 250 mm is the largest and that of the pipe with a diameter of 150 mm is the smallest. The pressure pulsation signals are concentrated in the low-frequency band of 0–10 Hz, and the range of the band decreases with the increase in the flow rate. The vibration frequency of the loop structure is close to the fluid pressure pulsation frequency and the inherent frequency under the action of heat–fluid–solid coupling, which causes a resonance of about 2 Hz.

Effect of Blade Trimming Length on the Performance of Marine Centrifugal Pump

To study the hydrodynamic characteristics of blade trimming length in centrifugal pumps, Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) with nonlinear eddy viscosity was utilized to conduct unsteady calculations on the centrifugal pump. A comprehensive examination of the fluid dynamic properties of the centrifugal pump, including external features, flow conditions, and pressure fluctuations, was carried out. By applying the theory of entropy production, the areas of high energy loss within the centrifugal pump were identified, and the correlations between local entropy production, energy loss, and unsteady flow in different areas with varying blade trimming lengths were analyzed. The results indicate that with the increase in blade trimming length, under rated flow conditions, the head decreases by 1.8%, 3.2%, and 5.7% for different blade trimming lengths, respectively, compared to normal impellers. Similarly, the efficiency decreases by 0.5%, 0.8%, and 1.0% for different blade trimming lengths, respectively. Similar trends were observed under other working conditions as well. As the degree of blade trimming increases, the irreversible losses after the failure of the centrifugal pump also increase significantly, indicating that the flow inside the centrifugal pump becomes disorder. Blade trimming leads to a disorderly fluid flow inside the centrifugal pump, causing an increase in the radial force during operation, which in turn leads to an increase in vibration amplitude and affects its operational stability. Blade trimming failure has a significant impact on the frequency and amplitude of pressure pulsation, resulting in abnormal pressure pulsation and abnormal vibration of the centrifugal pump. Therefore, early warning and diagnosis of blade trimming can be achieved through pressure pulsation monitoring.

Study on Unsteady Flow Characteristics of Cooling Water Pump for Nuclear Power Plant Equipment under Low Flow Rate Conditions

During the operation of cooling water pumps, it is necessary to operate them under conditions of low flow rate. In order to improve the unstable performance of the cooling water pump under low flow rate conditions. Taking the cooling water pump as the research object, the internal flow and pressure pulsation characteristics of the cooling water pump under 0.4Q to 0.6Q conditions were investigated, and the influence of different operating conditions on the performance and vibration of the cooling water pump was analyzed. The ANSYS CFX 2022 software and the SST k-ω turbulence model were used to perform a three-dimensional numerical simulation of the cooling water pump. After analyzing the simulation results, the velocity and pressure cloud and streamline diagram within the semi-spiral suction casing and impeller were obtained. The internal flow state of the cooling water pump was then analyzed in detail under low flow rate conditions. At the same time, a series of monitoring points were set up within the impeller, and the pressure pulsation within the impeller was analyzed using the frequency domain diagram and the radial force polar coordinate diagram. The results show that at flow rates between 0.4Q and 0.6Q, a certain amount of vortex has been generated in the suction casing, which affects the flow state when entering the impeller. Furthermore, significant vortices have been generated in the middle and back part of the blade and mainly concentrated in the pump cover of the mid-open pump. At the same time, when in low flow rate conditions, the primary frequency of pressure pulsation is mainly the axial frequency, with three times the axial frequency and blade frequency following. The amplitude of the pressure surface (PS) of the blade is greater than that of the suction surface (SS) and increases as the flow rate decreases. The internal radial force corresponds with the result of pressure pulsation and exhibits a certain pattern. This study outlines the coolant pump’s internal flow and pressure pulsation characteristics under low-flow conditions. It proposes a solution to stabilize the cooling water pump at low flow rates and provides theoretical guidance for optimizing its design.

Vibration characteristics and strength analysis of two-stage variable-pitch axial-flow fan based on fluid-solid coupling method

The adjustment of the rotor blade installation angle of the two-stage variable-pitch axial-flow fan affects the surface pressure characteristics, which in turn affects the vibration characteristics of the rotor blade. In this paper, the finite element model of two-stage variable-pitch axial-flow fan is first established, and then the modal analysis of blades with aerodynamic and centrifugal loads is presented. The resonance of the blade is analyzed based on the pressure pulsation frequency domain characteristics. Finally, the equivalent stress distribution under variable blade installation angles is explored. Simulation results regarding the natural frequency show that the installation angle of the moving blade has a minimal impact on the natural frequency. In contrast, the centrifugal force load significantly affects the natural frequency of the moving blade. To ensure safety, we maintain a frequency margin of over 24 % to avoid the risk of resonance. Strength analysis results indicate that the maximum equivalent stress on the first-stage and second-stage rotor blades decreases by 43.14 MPa and 45.28 MPa, respectively. This reduction is attributed to a certain centrifugal load and a slight offset in aerodynamic loading. This research can provide guidance for the vibration control and safety research of two-stage variable-pitch axial-flow fan.

Cross influence of rotational speed and flow rate on pressure pulsation and hydraulic noise of an axial-flow pump

Axial-flow pumps may experience significant pressure pulsation and high hydraulic noise when deviating from design conditions, and this article investigates the cross influence of rotational speed and flow rate on inlet pressure pulsation and hydraulic noise of an axial-flow pump based on coherence theory through physical model experiments. The energy amplitude of pressure pulsation is directly proportional to rotational speed and inversely proportional to flow rate, as rotational speed increases, the energy distribution of the blade passage frequency (fBPF) within different frequency bands of pressure pulsation improves. Pressure pulsation and the overall natural frequency of the pump device work together to define the primary and secondary frequencies of the sound pressure level, as rotational speed increases, these frequencies eventually move toward 2fBPF, and the coherence coefficient at frequencies of fBPF and 2fBPF is above 0.9. To reduce hydraulic noise, both pressure pulsation and natural frequency should be given sufficient attention.

Analysis of pressure pulsation and energy characteristics of guide vane for axial flow pump based on Hilbert-Huang transform considering impeller-guide vane interaction.

In order to explore the characteristics of pressure pulsation signals and energy distribution of water flow at the guide vane considering impeller-guide vane interaction. The numerical simulation of the vertical axial flow pump device's steady and unsteady three-dimensional flow fields was carried out. The Hilbert-Huang method was used to conduct empirical mode decomposition decomposition and Hilbert spectrum analysis of pressure pulsation signal at each monitoring point in the inlet and outlet regions of the guide vane. The results show: Under the condition of 0.3Qbep, the internal pressure of the guide vane is obviously affected by the impeller, and there are large block-shaped vortex structures in the guide vane. Under the operating conditions of 1.0Qbep and 1.2Qbep, the size of the pressure area in the guide vane is basically not affected by the impeller, and the vortex structures in the guide vane are concentrated near the outlet of the guide vanes, and there are long strip-shaped vortex structures at the edge of the guide vane. The size and number of vortex structures decrease with the increase in flow rate. The pressure pulsation signal at the inlet of the guide vane is affected by the rotation of the impeller and exhibits good periodicity, with the main frequency centered around 146 Hz, and the energy ratio of the main frequency is up to 97.7%. There are low-frequency signals below 100 Hz and high-frequency signals fluctuating around 146 Hz in all three flow conditions. When the flow rate increases, the fluctuation amplitude of the high-frequency signal increases. The flow rate has a significant impact on the water flow at the outlet of the guide vane. At 0.3Qbep, its frequency is distributed in the range of 0-500 Hz, mainly concentrated in the area below 400 Hz. At 1.0Qbep, the frequency of pressure pulsation is distributed below 250 Hz after the guiding function of the guide vane. At 1.2Qbep, the water flow is mainly controlled by the rotation of the impeller, and after the energy recovery of the guide vane, its main frequency is still concentrated around 150 Hz, which is 337.2% and 268.5% of 0.3Qbep and 1.0Qbep. Under the working condition of 0.3Qbep, the proportion of intrinsic mode function energy corresponding to the dominant frequency at the center of the guide vane inlet is as high as 95.9%, and the proportion of intrinsic mode function energy corresponding to the dominant frequency at the shroud side and hub side of the guide vane is rather low. If the flow rate rises from 0.3Qbep to 1.2Qbep, the proportion of intrinsic mode function energy increases by more than 42%. Under the working conditions of 0.3Qbep and 1.0Qbep, the main frequency of pressure pulsation signal of water flow at the guide vane outlet is less affected by the impeller and the corresponding energy proportion is low. Under the working condition of 1.2Qbep, the main frequency of pressure pulsation signal is 4 times the rotational frequency and the corresponding energy proportion is higher than 60%.

Mechanical Excitation of Large-scale Sprinkler Based on PWM Technology

In order to improve the life of a variable displacement sprinkler irrigation machine, this paper establishes a finite element analysis model to analyze its mechanical excitation law. First of all, in the process of model selection, this paper selects the first span of variable sprinkler as the mechanical excitation analysis model based on the actual operation. Then, in the analysis and setting, the terrain difference is ignored, and the pressure values on the main water transmission pipeline of the first span are equal. Finally, the simulation experiment shows that the amplitude of mechanical excitation is positively correlated with the frequency and amplitude of pressure pulsation, and it is mainly when the valve is closed that caused by the pressure pulsation. It provides research support and direction reference for further weakening mechanical excitation.

Effect of wave disturbance on the fluid dynamics of the pump turbine in a seawater pumped storage hydroplant

Compared with conventional pumped-storage hydroplants, seawater pumped-storage hydroplants are constructed in a complex marine environment. The wave disturbance may affect the safety operation of the pump turbine in the seawater pumped hydroplant via affecting the level of the free water surface. To explore the effect of wave disturbance on the operation of the pump turbine in a seawater pumped-storage hydroplant, assuming that the wave disturbance follows a sine function, on the basis of Airy’s micro-amplitude wave theory and the comprehensive characteristic curve of a pump turbine, we use sliding grid technology and the SST k–ω turbulence model to simulate the dynamics of fluid in a full-flow channel. In this study, the unsteady flow field, Q-criterion vorticity, relative pressure pulsation amplitude, and frequency of pressure pulsation are analyzed to determine the internal flow field and pressure pulsation under different wave disturbance conditions and operating loads. The results show that both the pressure pulsation in the pump turbine and its frequency domain are affected by the wave disturbance. In addition, the turbulent flow with a large flow rate tends to produce higher relative pressure pulsation under wave disturbance. Due to the large flow rate and strong static and dynamic interference in the vaneless area, the relative amplitude of the pressure pulsation is significantly affected by wave disturbance. Furthermore, the low-frequency pressure pulsation of the draft tube is superimposed with the wave disturbance frequency.

Numerical Study of the Internal Fluid Dynamics of Draft Tube in Seawater Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant

Pumped storage hydropower plants are renewable energy systems that are effective in saving energy and solving electricity peak-on shortage. Seawater pumped storage hydropower plants are a novel type of pumped storage hydropower plant specifically supplying electric power for ocean islands with the support of solar energy and wind energy. Compared with traditional pumped storage hydropower plants that are constructed on the mainland, seawater pumped storage hydropower plants should take the influence of the complex marine environment, such as extreme waves and winds, into consideration. Taking the characteristics of waves near islands in the East China Sea as an example, we explored the transient hydraulic characteristics in the draft tube of a pump turbine under wave disturbance using a sliding grid interface and the detached eddy simulation (DES) turbulence model. By analyzing the characteristics of unsteady flow in the draft tube, the vortex characteristics under the Q criterion, the frequency characteristics of the pressure pulsation, the evolution law of the internal fluid, and the propagation law of the pressure pulsation were explored. For the situation without wave disturbance, an obvious eccentric vortex in the straight cone section of the draft tube was observed in the case where the opening of the guide vane was small. With the increase in the opening of the guide vane, the eccentric vortex gradually dissipated. For the situation with wave disturbance, the main frequency of the draft tube equaled the frequency of the wave disturbance, the maximum pressure pulsation at the selected monitoring points increased 5 to 15 times, and the superposition of the wave pressure pulsation signals and the draft tube pressure pulsation produced more low-frequency, high-amplitude pressure pulsation signals. Even though the pressure pulsation frequency spectrum varied a lot, the frequency domain of the pressure pulsation without wave disturbance still existed. In addition, the wave disturbance merely varied with the pressure of the draft tube. The influence of wave disturbance on the pressure distribution in the draft tube was relatively small. The results can provide a reference for the operation of seawater pumped storage hydropower plants.