Study on the Influence of Inducer Structure Change on Pump Cavitation Characteristics

Zhengwei Wang, Wei Song, Xuanyi Lin, Yun Zhao and Yonggang Lu ()
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Zhengwei Wang: State Key Laboratory of Hydro-Science and Engineering, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Wei Song: State Key Laboratory of Hydro-Science and Engineering, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Xuanyi Lin: State Key Laboratory of Hydro-Science and Engineering, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Yun Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Hydro-Science and Engineering, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Yonggang Lu: State Key Laboratory of Hydro-Science and Engineering, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: Given that cryogenic pumps on liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers are prone to cavitation under complex operating conditions, this paper examines the inducer of an LNG centrifugal pump to uncover how the inducer geometry affects both the cavitation behavior and internal flow-induced excitation at −163 °C. Through detailed numerical simulations, we evaluate the cavitation performance and flow excitation characteristics across a range of inducer designs, systematically varying the blade count, inlet and outlet angles, and blade wrap angle. Our results show that reducing the number of blades, together with properly optimized inlet/outlet and wrap angles, significantly enhances the cavitation resistance. These findings provide a solid theoretical basis and practical guidance for the engineering optimization of LNG ship pumps.

Keywords: LNG marine pump; inducer; centrifugal pump; cavitation characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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