Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The cavitation behavior with short length blades in centrifugal pump

  • Published:
Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A CFD code with 2-D cascade model was developed to predict the cavitation behavior around the impeller blades of impeller in a centrifugal pump. The governing equations are the two-phase Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations in a homogeneous form in which both liquid and vapor phases are treated as incompressible fluid. To close the model, a standard k-ɛ turbulence model is introduced. And the mass transfer rates between liquid and vapor phases are implemented as well. The validations are carried out by comparing with reference data in impeller of a centrifugal pump impeller. The cavitation characteristics of current centrifugal pumps is tested at an ondesign point (V=8 m/s) and two off-design points (V=20 m/s and V=30 m/s), respectively. The criteria of cavitation and flow instability around blades are presented. The results show that the current centrifugal pump can safely operate without cavitation at on-design point. Also, the simulation shows cavitation develops inhomogeneously among the blades at off-design points. Moreover, the effects of additional blades in the impeller are studied as well. From the numerical results, it is expected that a half-length blade is the optimum configuration as additional blades in cavitation point of view.

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. D. Croba and J. L. Kueny, Numerical Calculation of 2D, Unsteady Flow in Centrifugal Pumps: Impeller and Volute Interaction, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 22(6) (1996) 467–481.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. J. S. Anagnostopoulos, Numerical Calculation of the Flow in a Centrifugal Pump Impeller Using Cartesian Grid, Proceedings of the 2nd WSEAS Int. Conference on Applied and Theoretical Mechanics, Venice, Italy (2006) 124–129.

  3. K. W. Cheah, T. S. Lee, S. H. Winoto and Z. M. Zhao, Numerical Flow Simulation in a Centrifugal Pump at Design and Off-Design Conditions, International Journal of Rotating Machinery, 2007 (2007) 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. F. Joussellin, Y. Courtot, O. Coutier-Delgosha and J. L. Reboud, Cavitating Inducer Instabilities: Experimental Analysis and 2D Numerical Simulation of Unsteady Flow in Blade Cascade, 4th International Symposium on Cavitation, Pasadena, CA, USA (2001).

  5. Y. Iga, M. Nohmi, A. Goto, B. R. Shin and T. Ikohagi, Numerical Analysis of Unstable Phenomena of Cavitation in Cascade with Finite Blade Numbers, Proc. 9th International Symp. on Transport Phenomena and Dynamics of Rotating Machinery, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (2002) 1–6.

  6. R. Fortes-Patella et al., A Numerical Model to Predict Unsteady Cavitating Flow Behaviour in Inducer Blade Cascades, Journal of Fluid Engineering, 129(2) (2007) 128–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. O. Coutier-Delgosha, R. Fortes-Patella, J. L. Reboud, M. Hofmann and B. Stoffel, Experimental and Numerical Studies in a Centrifugal Pump With Two-Dimensional Curved Blades in Cavitating Condition, Journal of Fluids Engineering, 125(6) (2003) 970–978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. I. Senocak and W. Shyy, A pressure-based method for turbulent cavitating flow computations, J. Comput. Phys., 176(2) (2002) 363–383.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. C. Lee and D. Byun, Cavitation Flow Analysis of Axisymmetric Bodies Moving in the Water, International Conference of Computational Science and Its Applications — ICCSA, Glasgow, UK (2006) 537–545.

  10. O. Coutier-Delgosha, J. L. Reboud and G. Albano, Numerical Simulation of the Unsteady Cavitating Behaviour of an Inducer Blade Cascade, Proc. ASME Fluids Engineering Summer Conference, Boston Massachusetts, USA (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  11. K. Okita, Y. Matsumoto and K. Kamijo, Numerical Analysis for Unsteady Cavitating Flow in a Pump Inducer, 5th International Symposium on Cavitation, Osaka, Japan (2003).

  12. K. Majidi, Numerical Study of Unsteady Flow in a Centrifugal Pump, Journal of Turbomachinery, 127(2) (2005) 363–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hiroki Ugajin, Masafumi Kawai, Kohei Okita, Takashi Ohta, Takeo Kajishima, Masataka Nakano and Hiroshi Tomaru, Numerical Analysis of the Unsteady Cavitating Flow in a 2D Cascade and a 3D Inducer, 43 rd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (2007) 5053–5063.

  14. F. C. Visser, J. J. H. Brouwers and J. B. Jonker, Fluid Flow in Rotating Low-Specific-Speed Centrifugal Pump Impeller Passages, Fluid Dynamics Research, 24 (1999) 275–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. O. Coutier-Delgosha, J. L. Reboud, N. Hakimi and C. Hirsch, Numerical simulation of cavitating flow in 2D and 3D inducer geometries, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 48(2) (2005) 135–167.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. R. F. Kunz et al., A preconditioned Navier-Stokes method for two-phase flows with application to cavitation prediction, Computers & Fluids, 29(8) (2000) 849–875.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. I. Senocak, Computational methodology for the simulation of turbulent cavitating flows, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Florida (2002).

  18. R. Fortes-Patella et al., Numerical Model to Predict Unsteady Cavitating Flow Behavior in Inducer Blade Cascades, Journal of Fluids Engineering, 129(2) (2007) 128–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. D. Wilcox, Turbulence modeling for CFD, DCW Industries, Inc, La Canada, CA (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  20. S. Patankar, Numerical heat transfer and fluid flow, Taylor & Francis, Kentucky, USA (1980).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace Information Engineering, Konkuk University, 1 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, Korea

    Quangnha Thai & Changjin Lee

Authors
  1. Quangnha Thai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Changjin Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Changjin Lee.

Additional information

This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Won-Gu Joo

Quangnha Thai received his B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT, Vietnam) and Ecole nationale superieure de mecanique et d’aerotechnique (ENSMA, France) in 2007. He is pursuing his M.S. in Aerospace Information Engineering from Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests are in the area of computational fluid dynamics of two-phase flow and flow instability of rocket liquids.

Changjin Lee received his B.S. and M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1983 and 1985. He then went on to receive his Ph.D. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1992. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the department of Aerospace Engineering at Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests are in the area of combustion instabilities of hybrid, liquid rocket and jet propulsions.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thai, Q., Lee, C. The cavitation behavior with short length blades in centrifugal pump. J Mech Sci Technol 24, 2007–2016 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-010-0705-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-010-0705-9

Keyword

Search

Navigation