Energy Performance and Flow Patterns of a Mixed-Flow Pump with Different Tip Clearance Sizes

Yabin Liu, Lei Tan, Yue Hao and Yun Xu
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Yabin Liu: State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Lei Tan: State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Yue Hao: State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Yun Xu: State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Tip clearance between blade end and shroud is inevitable in pump operation and of great importance on pump energy performance and pressure fluctuation. As the tip clearance size increases, the head and efficiency of the mixed flow pump drop accordingly. The simulation results show that the development of a leakage vortex is observed as the tip clearance increases, and the trajectory of this leakage vortex remains in the same direction along the blade suction side for different tip clearances. With the increase in tip clearance size, the intensity of the leakage vortex is enhanced, and the separation between the main leakage vortex and the secondary leakage vortex is also strengthened. The leakage separation angle near the blade tip remains at the same value of 10° for different tip clearance sizes. As for the spectrum analysis, the maximum amplitudes of pressure fluctuations dramatically increase in the impeller when the tip clearance increases from 0.0 mm to 1.0 mm, and the dominant frequencies go from 145 Hz to 184 Hz due to the considerable leakage flow.

Keywords: mixed-flow pump; tip clearance; pressure fluctuation; vortex (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: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (32)

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