Low Specific Speed Research Articles

Comparative Study on Turbulence Models of High-Speed Centrifugal Pump with Low Specific Speed

It is very important to use high-speed centrifugal pump with low specific instead of multi-stage high-pressure pump to reduce the volume of the whole marine reverse osmosis seawater desalination system. Based on the design model of high-speed centrifugal pump with low specific speed, we did a comparative study of 11 kinds of turbulence models with numerical simulation. Five methods (the convergent curves, calculation time step, characteristics curves, impeller fluid velocity and pressures, volute section surface streamline) are included to find the most suitable turbulence model. The results show that k-ε is the most suitable turbulence model to compare with design conditions and external characteristics, SST and RNG k-ε turbulence models appears more surface streamline details in the volute section.

Design of a Pelton Turbine for a Specific Site in Malawi

Malawi's poor electrification rate can be improved through the maximum utilization of available renewable energy resources. Malawi has several rivers which can be utilized for electricity generation. However, most rivers such as Lichenya are not utilized to its full capacity. This paper presents the theoretical designing of a pelton turbine for Lichenya River in Malawi for maximum generation of electricity. Hydropower plants can either be impoundment, diversion or pumped storage type. The turbine used for any type of plant depends on the available head and river flow rate. The hydraulic turbines are classified into impulse turbines and reaction turbines. Pelton turbine is under impulse turbines and are usually associated with very high head and low discharges with low specific speeds. Additionally, Pelton turbine is simple to manufacture, are relatively cheap, and have good efficiency and reliability. The river flow data for Lichenya River were collected from the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development in Malawi. The design flow of 3.2 m3/s for the river was determined form the data. The river is within the catchment area of 62.3 km2 and gross head of 304 m. The calculation of dimensions were carried out with the aid of EES software and spreadsheet. The designed turbine can generate 8067 kW of power with a turbine hydraulic efficiency of 95.4%. The detailed dimensions of the bucket, runner, penstock, and nozzle are presented. Therefore, this study can be the best guideline for further energy developments on Lichenya River in Malawi.

A study on flow loss mechanism in centrifugal compressors with low specific speed

A study on flow loss mechanism in centrifugal compressors with low specific speed

A study on small low specific speed centrifugal pumps Effects of volute shape on pump performances

A study on small low specific speed centrifugal pumps Effects of volute shape on pump performances

Experimental investigation of hysteresis on pump performance characteristics of a model pump-turbine with different guide vane openings

Hysteresis loops on the performance curves in the hump region of pump-turbines have been identified in previous studies, which significantly enlarged the unstable operational region, leading to unreasonable selections in the safety margin in the head. In order to understand the formation mechanism of the hysteresis characteristic, and its dependence on the guide vane opening, experiments on both the performance characteristics and the pressure fluctuations were carried out in a low specific speed (nq = 36.1 min−1) model pump-turbine. Hysteresis phenomena with three guide vane openings (13 mm, 19 mm and 25 mm) were confirmed. Analyses through the Euler theory indicate that all hysteresis characteristics are originated from combining effects from the decrease in the Euler head and the increase in the hydraulic loss. Detailed analysis reveals that the hydraulic loss contributes the most to the generation of the hysteresis characteristic. Based the analysis of pressure fluctuations, it is obtained that the high hydraulic loss is related to the low frequency pressure fluctuations, originating from different sources under different guide vane openings. At small guide vane openings, low frequency components (between 0.04 and 0.15 times rotational frequency) originate from rotating flow separation in the vaneless space, while at large guide vane openings, they result from complex vortices in the guide vanes. Furthermore, different initial operating conditions lead to different magnitudes of low frequency components, which in turn contribute to the hysteresis characteristic. The present study provides a sound criterion for the selection of the safety margin in the head, with respect to the hump characteristic of pump-turbines in engineering applications.

Sediment erosion in low specific speed francis turbines: A case study on effects and causes

Hydraulic turbines experience severe operational and maintenance challenges when operated in sediment-laden water. The combined effect of erosive and abrasive wear in turbine components deteriorates their life and efficiency. The quantity and pattern of sediment erosion depends on the nature of the flow and the amount of hard minerals contained in water. Localized erosion patterns are observed mostly in guide vanes, runner blades and facing plates of Francis turbines due to different natures of fluid flow in those regions. Accelerating flow around the guide vanes and its shaft causes abrasive and erosive wear in its surface, which causes increase in the size of the clearance gap between the facing plates and the guide vanes. Flow leaving the clearance gap forms a vortex filament due to the leakage from high pressure side to the low-pressure side of the guide vane, which eventually strikes the rotating runner blades. This paper presents a case study of a power plant in India with low specific speed Francis turbines, which is severely affected by sediment erosion problems. A numerical analysis of the flow is conducted inside the turbine to study causes of various erosion patterns in the turbine components. The results from CFD are compared with the actual erosion in turbines. Erosion in guide vanes and runner blades are taken into consideration in this paper, due to the complex flow phenomena around these regions. It is found that the leakage flow through clearance gaps of guide vanes is the primary cause of erosion at the inlet of the runner blades. Furthermore, the effects of size and shape of quartz particles are studied which shows that erosion is directly proportional to these parameters.

Investigation of flow separation in a centrifugal pump impeller based on improved delayed detached eddy simulation method

The mechanism of flow separation in the impeller of a centrifugal pump with a low specific speed was explored by experimental, numerical, and theoretical methods. A novel delayed Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes/large eddy simulation hybrid algorithm combined with a rotation and curvature correction method was developed to calculate the inner flow field of the original pump for the large friction loss in the centrifugal impeller, high adverse pressure gradient, and large blade curvature. Boundary vorticity flux theory was introduced for internal flow diagnosis, and the relative velocity vector near the surface of the blade and the distribution of the dimensionless pressure coefficient was analyzed. The validity of the numerical method was verified, and the location of the backflow area and its flow features were determined. Finally, based on flow diagnosis, the geometric parameters influencing the flow state of the impeller were specifically adjusted to obtain a new design impeller. The results showed that the distribution of the boundary vorticity flux peak values, the skin friction streamline, and near-wall relative velocities improved significantly after the design change. In addition, the flow separation was delayed, the force applied on the blade was improved, the head under the part-load condition was improved, and the hydraulic efficiency was improved over the global flow ranges. It was demonstrated that the delayed Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes/large eddy simulation hybrid algorithm was capable to capture the separation flow in a centrifugal pump, and the boundary vorticity flux theory was suitable for the internal flow diagnosis of centrifugal pump.

Experimental Research on the Rotating Stall of a Pump Turbine in Pump Mode

The rotating stall is an unstable flow phenomenon of pump turbines in pump mode, which is of increasing concern to scientists and engineers working on pump turbines. However, at present, various studies are carried out based on CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulation, while directly measured data and experimental research on flow fields are seldom reported. By utilizing PIV (particle image velocimetry) measuring equipment, the flow field within the guide vane zone of a low specific speed pump turbine in pump mode was measured. By measuring and analyzing the transient flow field, the evolutionary process of the rotating stall within the guide vane passages was determined. We found that for all three tested guide vane openings, regardless of whether the positive slope appeared or not, a pre-stall operating point was found for each opening in the process of decreasing the flow rate. The analysis of the loss within the flow field indicated that the dissipation-induced loss increased greatly after the rotating stall appeared. The pump performance curves at the three guide vane openings showed an inflection at the pre-stall point. When the flow rate is larger than that of the pre-stall point, the head of the pump turbine dramatically increases as the flow rate decreases. However, when the flow rate is smaller than the pre-stall point, such increases noticeably slows down. The research results showed that whether the positive slope on the pump performance curve occurred or not, instability caused by the rotating stall should be of great concern.

Positive displacement turbine - A novel solution to the pressure differential control valve failure problem and energy utilization

Micro hydro turbines are getting renewed research interest in recovering unused energy from systems like water supply pipelines, sewage treatment and transportation plants, chemical and oil refineries, etc. and making them energy efficient for sustainable development. The present work dealt with this aspect wherein the unused energy of the hot water transportation pipelines, which was earlier throttled by pressure differential control valve (PDCV), was harvested and used elsewhere. A special class of multi-purpose micro hydro turbine known as the positive displacement turbine was developed for the present application which involved very low flow rates with high heads and very low specific speeds and to replace the PDCV which was frequently failing due to cavitation causing loss of energy. A framework was developed for designing such turbines and predicting their performance using CFD. The reasons for the occurrence of cavitation and flow pulsations were also examined and remedial measures were incorporated for their elimination. At the rated condition during experimental study, the base design generated 7.31 kW power with an overall efficiency of 67.7%. The socio-economic analysis was also carried out which concluded that the PDT will aid in energy conservation and reduction in CO2 emissions.

The Role of Blade Sinusoidal Tubercle Trailing Edge in a Centrifugal Pump with Low Specific Speed

Pressure pulsations may cause high-amplitude vibrations during the process of a centrifugal pump. The trailing edge shape of the blade has a critical influence on the pump’s pressure fluctuation and hydraulic characterization. In this paper, inspired by the humpback whale flipper, the authors research the impact of applying the sinusoidal tubercles to the blade suction side of the trailing edge. Numerical calculation and experiments are carried out to investigate the impact of the trailing edge shape on the pressure pulsations and performance of a centrifugal pump with low specific speed. Two designed impellers are tested, one is a sinusoidal tubercle trailing edge (STTE) impeller and the other is the original trailing edge (OTE) prototype. The detailed study indicates that the sinusoidal tubercle trailing edge (STTE) reduces pressure pulsation and enhances hydraulic performance. In the volute tongue region, the pressure pulsation amplitudes of STTE at fBPF decrease significantly. The STTE impeller also effectively changes the vortex structure and intensity in the blade trailing edge area. This investigation will be of great benefit to the optimal design of pumps.

Investigation of hydraulic losses in a centrifugal pump with low specific speed

Investigation of hydraulic losses in a centrifugal pump with low specific speed

Effect of suction chamber baffles on pressure fluctuations in a low specific speed centrifugal pump

In order to study the effect of suction chamber baffles on hydraulic performance and unsteady characteristics in a low specific speed centrifugal pump, a model pump was design with enlarging flow mothed and four schemes of suction baffle, including no baffle (scheme 0), only one baffle in the suction (scheme 1), two baffles (scheme 2) and three baffles in the suction (scheme 3), were considered. Commercial code FLUENT was applied to simulate the flow of the pump. RNG k-ε turbulence model was adopted to handle with the turbulent flows in the pump. The sliding mesh technique was applied to take into account the impeller-volute interaction. Based on the simulation results, the hydraulic performance and pressure fluctuations were obtained and analyzed in detail. The head value of no baffle in the suction (scheme 0) is lower than that with baffles in the suction (scheme 1, scheme 2, scheme 3) at each condition point. Hump point in scheme 0 is at φ= 0.00596 (1.2 times Qo). The hump point in scheme 1, scheme 2, scheme 3 is at 0.8Qo, 1.0Qo, 1.0Qo, respectively. The ε value of scheme 1 is the smallest and that of scheme 0 is the largest in the four schemes. Six wave troughs are observed clearly at each monitoring point as the impeller rotates in a circle. Each time the impeller is turned 10 degrees, there are six obvious troughs around the impeller. With the rotation of the impeller, peak value of pressure fluctuations at blade passing frequency (BPF) is gradually decrease. At low flow (ϕ= 0.002383), the main frequency of pressure fluctuation at P36 and P1 under scheme 0, scheme 2 and scheme 3 is 295 Hz, which is corresponding to BPF. The pressure fluctuation levels are decreased by –2.72 %, –2.13 %, and –2.21 % respectively when the number of baffle in the suction is one, two, three, respectively. And decrease rate of pressure fluctuation (∆Cp) on scheme 1 is maximum. It indicates that Adding baffles to the suction chamber is beneficial to reduce the amplitude of pressure pulsation at BPF in the volute. The best number of baffles in the suction is one. Based on scheme 1 simulation results, the prototype was manufactured and the performance experiments were carried out. A good agreement of the head and efficiency between numerical results and experimental results are observed.

Numerical investigation of the effects of splitter blade deflection on the pressure pulsation in a low specific speed centrifugal pump

A combination of experimental and numerical simulation was carried out to analyze the influences of the splitter blade deflection on the performance and pressure fluctuation in low specific speed pumps with and without splitter blades under different flow rates. Performance experiments and particle image velocimetry (PIV) tests were performed to verify the results of the numerical calculation. Several monitoring points were placed in the calculation model pump to collect the pressure fluctuation signals, which were processed by Fast Fourier Transform to obtain the frequency results for further analysis. In addition, turbulence intensity and relative velocity distribution were also analyzed in the regions of the impeller and volute. The results showed that compared with a prototype without a splitter blade and the splitter blade schemes, the maximum pressure pulsation amplitudes are the lowest at different monitoring points of the model pump when the splitter blade deflects to the suction side of the main blade. The variation of pressure pulsation amplitude in this scheme is relatively stable with the change of flow rates compared with other schemes. Furthermore, the impeller scheme with an appropriate deflection of the splitter blade has the lowest turbulence intensity and optimal relative velocity distribution in the main flow passage. Therefore, this paper proposes a reference scheme of the impeller with the splitter blade to effectively decrease the predominate pressure pulsation amplitude.

Near-Wall Flow Characteristics of a Centrifugal Impeller with Low Specific Speed

In order to study the near-wall region flow characteristics in a low-specific-speed centrifugal impeller, based on ANSYS-CFX 15.0 software, Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) methods and renormalization group (RNG) k-ɛ turbulence model were used to simulate the whole flow field of a low specific speed centrifugal pump with five blades under different flow rates. Simulation results of external characteristics of the pump were in good agreement with experimental results. Profiles were set on the pressure side and suction side of impeller blades at the distances of 0.5 mm and 2 mm, respectively, to study the distributions of flow characteristics near the wall region of five groups of blades. The results show that the near-wall region flow characteristics of five groups of blades were similar, but the static pressure, relative velocity, cross flow velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy of profiles on the pressure side were quite different to those on the suction sides, and these characteristics also changed with the alternation of flow rate. As the flow rate was 13 m3/h or 20 m3/h, within the radius range of 40 to 50 mm, there was an extent of negative relative velocity of the profiles on the pressure side, and a counter-current happened not on the suction side, but on the pressure side in the low specific speed centrifugal impeller. The flow characteristics of profiles at the distances of 0.5 mm and 2 mm also showed a small difference.

Influence of the guide vanes design on stress parameters of Francis-99 turbine

The frequencies with predominant amplitudes in low specific speed Francis turbines are related to rotor-stator interaction and they are calculated on the basis of the runner rotational speed and the number of guide vanes and runner blades. Pressure pulsations in the blade channels can be a reason for noise and vibration in the turbine above allowed level. High pressure pulsations can be caused by certain combination of runner blades and guide vanes number and/or resonance with one of the runner’s natural frequencies. The stress parameters of the Francis-99 turbine guide vanes and their modifications are analysed in this paper. The main aim is to determine the impact of the geometry modification (thinner for increased efficiency) of the guide vanes on the Francis turbine stresses by performing numerical simulations. The original Francis-99 turbine guide vane geometry and three modifications consisting of new guide vane shapes are being considered. The numerical investigation of the flow field is based on the k-ω SST turbulence model with ‘frozen rotor’ approach selected, constituting a quasi-steady state analysis, without taking into account the physical rotation of the runner to obtain Rotor-Stator Interaction (RSI). Pressure distribution on one guide vane determined by a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation of the turbine is coupled to a Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation in order to analyse the stresses. The results from the one-way fluid-structure interaction analysis give the stresses distribution and deformations of the guide vanes. Moreover, modal-acoustics analysis is conducted to obtain the natural frequencies of the guide vanes in water and comparison is made with the calculated vortex shedding frequencies to estimate the risk of resonance.

Analysis of the influence of a stator type modification on the performance of a pump with a hole impeller

Abstract The article presents the results of numerical analyses and experimental research of the influence of various types of stators on a liquid flow through a centrifugal pump with a hole impeller. It is a continuation of authors research of cooperation pump stators with alternative types of impellers which work in ultra low specific speed. Hole impellers have become a significant alternative to classical ones in a range of extremely low specific speed n q <10. The aim of the research is to verify the quality as well as quantity of computer modeling results, and to estimate accuracy by examining the impact of a grid and a turbulence model with which the numerical simulations reflect the actual flow.Knowledge concerning construction of hydraulic elements of centrifugal pumps working in the range of parameters corresponding specific speed (n q <10) is insufficient. The outlet elements were tested in various configurations of constructional features. The complexity of the construction of the stator can significantly affect the manufacturing costs of pump unit.

Development of a One-Dimensional Model for the Prediction of Leakage Flows in Rotating Cavities Under Non-Uniform Tangential Pressure Distribution

Regenerative pumps are characterized by a low specific speed that place them between rotary positive displacement pumps and purely radial centrifugal pumps. They are interesting for many industrial applications since, for a given flow rate and a specified head, they allow for a reduced size and can operate at a lower rotational speed with respect to purely radial pumps. The complexity of the flow within regenerative machines makes the theoretical performance estimation a challenging task. The prediction of the leakage flow rate between the rotating and the static disks has the greatest impact on the prediction of global performance. All the classical approaches to the disk clearance problem assume that there is no relevant circumferential pressure gradient. In the present case, the flow develops along the tangential direction and the pressure gradient is intrinsically non-zero. The aim of the present work is to develop a reliable approach for the prediction of leakage flows in regenerative pumps. A preliminary numerical simulation on a virtual model of a regenerative pump where the disk clearance is part of the control volume has been performed for three different clearance aspect ratios. The outcome of that campaign allowed the authors to determine the behavior of the flow in the cavity and choose correctly the baseline hypotheses for a mathematical-physical method for the prediction of leakage flows. The method assumes that the flow inside of the disk clearance is two-dimensional and can be decomposed into several stream-tubes. Energy balance is performed for each tube, thus generating a system that can be solved numerically. The new methodology was tuned using data obtained from the numerical simulation. After that, the methodology was integrated into an existing one-dimensional code called DART (developed at the University of Florence in cooperation with Pierburg Pump Technology Italy S.p.A.) and the new algorithm was verified using available numerical and experimental data. It is here demonstrated that an appropriate calibration of the leakage flow model allows for an improved reliability of the one-dimensional code.

A new design way for cylindrical blades with adjustable inlet blade angles

A new approach for cylindrical blade design is presented in this article. Authors of this article analyzed the main reasons which are responsible for the low efficiency of untwisted blades and found out that the shock losses along the blade leading edge are much higher than those of twisted blades. Furthermore, based on the analysis, this article proposed a new design approach that is different from the traditional one. This new approach can reduce hydraulic losses at blade leading edge and improve performance and efficiency of cylindrical blades. In the traditional design process, to draw blade projection in plan view, an incidence at intersection of blade leading edge and inner streamline on the meridional section is selected for calculating blade inlet angle accurately. Because the incidence and the blade inlet angle at the intersection of blade leading edge and outer streamline are formed automatically, the blade inlet angles at this point are not suitable for oncoming flow direction, generating noticeable shock losses at this place. In the new design program, blade inlet angles at both intersection points formed by blade leading edge and the outer, inner streamlines are accurately calculated. This makes the shock losses generated by blade leading edge be minimized. Moreover, in conventional design, the projection of blade pressure side into plan view consists of only one plane curve. In the new design way, projection of blade surface in plan view is composed of two curves joined smoothly and continuously. Two impellers with fundamentally identical geometrical parameters were designed and manufactured, and the only difference is that their cylindrical blades were calculated and configured by applying a traditional design method or a the new approach. Test findings from an open loop indicate that in a wide load range from 0.8 to 1.2 times design flow rate, both head and efficiency of the new pump were raised. Over the operating range, efficiency of the new pump increased by 0.5% to 2.7%. Particularly, for higher flow rate, pump performance was improved significantly, and the increase of efficiency at pump design point arrived at 2.7%. The results suggest that the new approach presented in this article offers an effective and useful means to improve performance of low specific speed pumps.

Energy Balance and Local Unsteady Loss Analysis of Flows in a Low Specific Speed Model Pump-Turbine in the Positive Slope Region on the Pump Performance Curve

The positive slope on the pump performance curve of pump-turbines suggests potential operational instabilities in pump mode. Previous research has indicated that the increase of the hydraulic loss caused by sudden changes of flow patterns in pump-turbines is responsible for the positive slope, however its detailed flow mechanism is still unclear. A low specific speed model pump-turbine was numerically investigated against experiments in the present study, by applying unsteady RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations) simulations with a v2-f turbulence model. The mechanism of occurrence of the positive slope on the pump performance curve was discussed regarding the energy balance, as this region appears when the value of ∂ P u ∂ Q is larger than the critical value P u Q . An unsteady local loss analysis, derived from the energy equation, was conducted to illustrate the contribution of local flow patterns to the loss in corresponding hydraulic components. The variation of the kinetic energy of the mean flow was taken into account for the first time so that this method can be applied to highly time dependent flow patterns, e.g., a rotating stall in the present study. The investigations on the flow patterns revealed that some guide vane channels stalled with a larger discharge coefficient than the positive slope region. Several guide vane channels near the stalled channels were stalling with minor decrease of the discharge coefficient, leading to sudden increases of the input power and the loss. When the discharge coefficient slightly decreased in further, the pump-turbine operated into the positive slope region, and the rotating stall with 3 stall cells appeared, proven by the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) and cross-phase analysis on the pressure fluctuations.

Numerical Loss Investigation of a Small Scale, Low Specific Speed Supercritical CO2 Radial Inflow Turbine

Radial inflow turbines, characterized by a low specific speed, are a candidate architecture for the supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle at small scale, i.e., less than 5 MW. Prior cycle studies have identified the importance of turbine efficiency to cycle performance; hence, well-designed turbines are key in realizing this new cycle. With operation at high Reynolds numbers, and small scales, the relative importance of loss mechanisms in supercritical CO2 turbines is not known. This paper presents a numerical loss investigation of a 300 kW low specific speed radial inflow turbine operating on supercritical CO2. A combination of steady-state and transient calculations is used to determine the source of loss within the turbine stage. Losses are compared with preliminary design approaches, and geometric variations to address high loss regions of stator and rotor are trialed. Analysis shows stage losses to be dominated by endwall viscous losses in the stator. These losses are more significant than predicted using gas turbine derived preliminary design methods. A reduction in stator–rotor interspace and modification of the blade profile showed a significant improvement in stage efficiency. An investigation into rotor blading shows favorable performance gains through the inclusion of splitter blades. Through these, and other modifications, a stage efficiency of 81% is possible, with an improvement of 7.5 points over the baseline design.