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Numerical investigations on cavitating flows with thermodynamic effects in a diffuser-type centrifugal pump

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Abstract

A cavitation model with thermodynamic effects for cavitating flows in a diffuser-type centrifugal pump is developed based on the bubble two-phase flow model. The proposed cavitation model includes mass, momentum, and energy transportations according to the thermodynamic mechanism of cavitation. Numerical simulations are conducted inside the entire passage of the centrifugal pump by using the proposed cavitation model and the renormalization group-based k-ɛ turbulent model coupled with the energy transportation equation. By using the commercial computational fluid dynamics software FLUENT 6.3, we have shown that the predicted performance characteristics of the pump, as well as the pressure, vapor, and density distributions in the impeller, agree well with that calculated by the full cavitation model. Simulation results show that cavitation initially occurs slightly behind the inlet of the blade suction surface, i.e., the area with maximum vapor concentration and minimum pressure. The predicted temperature field shows that the reduction in temperature restrains the growth of cavitating bubbles. Therefore, the thermodynamic effect should be treated as a necessary factor in cavitation models. Comparison results validate the efficiency and accuracy of the numerical technique in simulating cavitation flows in centrifugal pumps.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Xue-lin Tang, Li-yuan Bian, Fu-jun Wang, Xiao-qin Li & Man Hao

Authors
  1. Xue-lin Tang
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  2. Li-yuan Bian
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  3. Fu-jun Wang
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  4. Xiao-qin Li
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  5. Man Hao
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Correspondence to Xue-lin Tang.

Additional information

Tang Xue-lin received the Bachelor’s Degree in fluid engineering from Lanzhou University of Technology in 1992, the Master Degree in fluid engineering from Yanshan University in 1995 and the Ph.D. degree of engineering in fluid machinery from Tsinghua University in 2003, in China. Currently, he is a professor in College of Water Conservancy & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, China. His research interests include the theory, design and single/two-phase CFD in fluid machinery and fluid engineering.

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Tang, Xl., Bian, Ly., Wang, Fj. et al. Numerical investigations on cavitating flows with thermodynamic effects in a diffuser-type centrifugal pump. J Mech Sci Technol 27, 1655–1664 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-0413-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-0413-3

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