CFD Simulation of Pressure, Temperature and Rotational Speed Influence on the Cavitation in Centrifugal Pump Impeller
Main Article Content
Abstract
The impeller is a critical rotating part of a centrifugal pump where the energy transfer to the fluid takes place. The complex nature of the fluid flow inside the impeller can give rise to cavitation which is highly undesirable. Design and operating conditions in the impeller influence the extent of cavitation. The effect of the outlet pressure, temperature and rotational speed of the impeller was studied using ANSYS CFX Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The impeller geometry was meshed with high-quality hexahedral meshes and the y + values around the blade surface are less than 2. The k - omega turbulence model was used along with the ZGB model of cavitation. The effects of the variable parameters on the cavitation volume and the head developed were extensively studied. The numerical trends are similar to those presented in the literature. By carefully controlling the outlet pressure, the effects of increased temperature can be mitigated. Thus, it is possible to operate a centrifugal pump at higher working fluid temperatures by operating the pressure above 275 kPa.
Article Details
Issue
Section
Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, with the work two years after publication simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).