A Numerical Investigation into the PAT Hydrodynamic Response to Impeller Rotational Speed Variation

Maxime Binama, Kan Kan, Hui-Xiang Chen, Yuan Zheng, Da-Qing Zhou, Wen-Tao Su, Xin-Feng Ge and Janvier Ndayizigiye
Additional contact information
Maxime Binama: College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Kan Kan: College of Energy and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Hui-Xiang Chen: College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Yuan Zheng: College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Da-Qing Zhou: College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Wen-Tao Su: College of Petroleum Engineering, Liaoning Shihua University, Fushun 113001, China
Xin-Feng Ge: College of Energy and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Janvier Ndayizigiye: College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 14, 1-22

Abstract: The utilization of pump as turbines (PATs) within water distribution systems for energy regulation and hydroelectricity generation purposes has increasingly attracted the energy field players’ attention. However, its power production efficiency still faces difficulties due to PAT’s lack of flow control ability in such dynamic systems. This has eventually led to the introduction of the so-called “variable operating strategy” or VOS, where the impeller rotational speed may be controlled to satisfy the system-required flow conditions. Taking from these grounds, this study numerically investigates PAT eventual flow structures formation mechanism, especially when subjected to varying impeller rotational speed. CFD-backed numerical simulations were conducted on PAT flow under four operating conditions (1.00 Q BEP , 0.82 Q BEP , 0.74 Q BEP , and 0.55 Q BEP ), considering five impeller rotational speeds (110 rpm, 130 rpm, 150 rpm, 170 rpm, and 190 rpm). Study results have shown that both PAT’s flow and pressure fields deteriorate with the machine influx decrease, where the impeller rotational speed increase is found to alleviate PAT pressure pulsation levels under high-flow operating conditions, while it worsens them under part-load conditions. This study’s results add value to a thorough understanding of PAT flow dynamics, which, in a long run, contributes to the solution of the so-far existent technical issues.

Keywords: flow dynamics; numerical simulation; pressure pulsation; pump as turbine; rotational speed (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/14/7998/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/14/7998/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:14:p:7998-:d:596223

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().