Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Research on bubble trajectory and flow structure in helical-axial multiphase pump

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Hydrodynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The oil-gas two-phase hybrid transportation technology is one of the innovative technology directions for the exploitation and transportation of marginal and deep ocean oilfields. The helical-axial multiphase pump is a key equipment for oil and gas extraction. At this stage, most of the research on this kind of pump focuses on the improvement of the structure and conveying performance. However, because of insufficient understanding of the flow behavior and mechanism of bubbles, it is easy to cause the gas-liquid separation. In this paper, the numerical simulation and test are combined to explore the changes in the bubble trajectory and flow structure of the helical-axial multiphase pump. The results shown that when the speed is lower than 1 200 r/min, the bubble reaches the maximum volume at 1/2 of the midline of the impeller blade and it contact with the pressure surface, broken to the suction surface. When the rotation speed is higher than 1 450 r/min, the number of bubbles in the impeller increases and the size decreases. The backflow occurs in the tip clearance and strength increases continuously. The research results have important significance for the theoretical design and engineering application of the helical-axial multiphase pump.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Di L., He X., Lao X. Research status and development trend of helical-axial flow multiphase flow pump [J]. General Machinery, 2012, (10): 70–73(in Chinese).

  2. Li Q., Xue D., Li Z. et al. Experimental study and optimal design of helical-axial multiphase pump [J]. Journal of Engineering Thermophysics, 2004, 25(6): 962–964.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Li Q., Xue D., Zhu H. et al. Design and experimental study of helical-axial flow multiphase pump [J]. Journal of Engineering Thermophysics, 2005, 26(1): 84–87.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Li Q., Xue D. Study on phase separation process in vane multiphase pump [J]. Journal of the University of Petroleum, China: Edition of Natural Science, 1997, 21(3): 53–56.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Pang C., Yuan S. Geometric and dynamic characteristics of bubbles in cross flow [J]. Journal of Drainage and Irrigation Machinery Engineering, 2020, 38(10): 1023–1029.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Xie C., He A., Wang S. et al. Gas-liquid two phase flow pump inside bubble size and distribution of research [J]. Journal of Energy Research and Utilization, 2021, (3): 8–14(in Chinese).

  7. Shi G., Wang Z. Pressurization performance of impeller in different areas of multiphase mixed transport pump [J]. Journal of Drainage and irrigation Machinery Engineering, 2019, 37(1): 13–17.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Suh J., Kim J., Choi Y. et al. Development of numerical Eulerian-Eulerian models for simulating multiphase pumps [J]. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2018, 162: 588–601.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Zhang L. X., Cheng X. S., Tu H. et al. Measurement of two-phase velocities in bubble flows using laser Doppler velocimetry [J]. Journal of Hydrodynamics, 2022, 34(6): 1134–1144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhang L. X., Zhou Z. C., Shao X. M. Numerical investigation on the drag force of a single bubble and bubble swarm [J]. Journal of Hydrodynamics, 2020, 32(6): 1043–1049.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhao X. J., Zong Z., Jiang Y. C. et al Numerical simualation of micro-bubble drag reduction of an axisymmetric body using OpenFOAM [J]. Journal of Hydrodynamics, 2019, 31(5): 900–910.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Gruselle F., Steimes J., Hendrick P. Study of a two-phase flow pump and separator system [J]. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2011, 133(6): 062401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Verde W. M., Biazussi J. L., Sassim N. A. et al. Experimental study of gas-liquid two-phase flow patterns within centrifugal pumps impellers [J]. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 2017, 85: 37–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang D., Wu S., Shi W. et al. Application and verification of different turbulence models in simulation of tip leakage vortex of axial flow pump [J]. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 2013, 29(13): 46–53.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Shen S., Qian Z., Ji B. et al. Numerical investigation of tip flow dynamics and main flow characteristics with varying tip clearance widths for an axial-flow pump [J]. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part A Journal of Power and Energy, 2018, 233(4): 476–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Shi W., Li T., Zhang D. et al. Numerical simulation of tip clearance leakage vortex flow characteristic in axial flow pump [C]. 26th IAHR Symposium on Hydraulic Machinery and Systems, Beijing, China, 2012.

  17. Zhang W., Yu Z., Zhu B. Numerical study of pressure fluctuation in a gas-liquid two-phase mixed-flow pump [J]. Energies, 2017, 10(5): 634.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhang W., Yu Z., Li Y. Analysis of flow and phase interaction characteristics in a gas-liquid two-phase pump [J]. Oil and Gas Science and Technology, 2018, 73: 69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Liu Y., Lei T. Research on the shape characteristics and influencing factors of tip clearance leakage vortex of mixed-flow pump [C]. Development Strategy Seminar of Hydraulic Machinery and the 11th National Conference on Hydraulic Machinery and Systems, Beijing, China, 2018.

  20. Murakima K., Uchiyama T. Three-dimensional calculation of gas-water two-phase flow in centrifugal pump impeller based on a bubbly flow model [J]. Journal of Fluids Engineering, 1993, 115(4): 766–771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Zapata L. Rotational speed effects on ESP two-phase performance [D]. Master Thesis, Tulsa, USA: The University of Tulsa, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Zhu J., Zhang H. Mechanistic modeling and numerical simulation of in-situ gas void fraction inside ESP impeller [J]. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2016, 36: 144–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Shi Y., Zhu H., Zhang J. et al. Investigation of condition parameters in each stage of a three-stage helico-axial multiphase pump via numerical simulation [C]. The 27th International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference, San Francisco, USA, 2017.

  24. Shi Y., Zhu H., Zhang J. Experiment and numerical study of a new generation three-stage multiphase pump [J]. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2018, 169: 471–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2018M633651XB), the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu (Grant No. 20JR5RA456), the Outstanding Young Talents Funding Scheme of Gansu province (Grant No. 20JR10RA204) and the Hong liu Outstanding Young Talents Funding Scheme of Lanzhou University of Technology.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Energy and Power Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China

    Hui Quan, Chen-xi Sun, Kai Song, Ya-nan Li, Xiao-yi Liu & Xue-ling Yang

  2. College of Engineering, Nihon University, Koriyama, Fukushima, Japan

    Hui Quan

  3. Shenyang Shengtai Environmental Protection Technology Co. Ltd, Shenyang, 110122, China

    Liang Wang

Authors
  1. Hui Quan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chen-xi Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kai Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ya-nan Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xiao-yi Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Xue-ling Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Liang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hui Quan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval: This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51969014, 51609113).

Biography: Hui Quan (1984–), Male, Ph. D., Professor

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Quan, H., Sun, Cx., Song, K. et al. Research on bubble trajectory and flow structure in helical-axial multiphase pump. J Hydrodyn 35, 533–548 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42241-023-0031-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42241-023-0031-1

Key words

Search

Navigation