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Numerical and experimental investigations on the hydrodynamic radial force of single-channel pumps

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Abstract

In order to clarify the generation mechanism and characteristics of hydrodynamic radial force in single-channel pumps, the transient flow in three single-channel pumps was analyzed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The three pumps had the identical impeller but with a spiral volute (model 1), a circular volute (model 2), and a torus (model 3). Experiments on pump performance were performed and high frequency pressure sensors were mounted in the spiral volute to measure pressure distribution in the volute of model 1. It indicates that the numerical results are approximately consistent with the experimental results. The radial force is mainly caused by the pressure acting on the blade. The impeller radial force in model 1 was the largest while the model 3 was the smallest, as it is not affected by rotor stator interaction, and rotor stator interaction plays a vital role in the shock load of pumps. The radial forces of different rotational speed were analyzed and indicated that Reynolds number has little influence on the radial force coefficient CF. The dominant frequency of the radial force on the impeller is the rotational frequency of impeller for all rotational speeds. Moreover, the amplitude of the radial force fluctuations increased with increasing flow rate in model 2, but the change was not obvious with the increasing of flow rate in model 3, while at lower flow rate the largest amplitude of the radial force fluctuations was presented in models 1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong, China

    Linwei Tan & Weidong Shi

  2. Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China

    Weidong Shi, Desheng Zhang, Chuan Wang, Ling Zhou & Elemam Mahmoud

Authors
  1. Linwei Tan
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  2. Weidong Shi
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  3. Desheng Zhang
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  4. Chuan Wang
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  5. Ling Zhou
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  6. Elemam Mahmoud
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Weidong Shi.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Cheolung Cheong

Linwei Tan received master degree in Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology from Jiangsu University, China, in 2014. Now he is studying for his Ph.D. at Jiangsu University. His current research interest is the unsteady flow in centrifugal pumps.

Weidong Shi received Ph.D. degree from Jiangsu University, China, in 2006. He is a Professor at Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University. His current research interest is fluid machinery.

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Tan, L., Shi, W., Zhang, D. et al. Numerical and experimental investigations on the hydrodynamic radial force of single-channel pumps. J Mech Sci Technol 32, 4571–4581 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-018-0903-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-018-0903-4

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