Reduction of Entrained Vortices in Submersible Pump Suction Lines Using Numerical Simulations

Virgel M. Arocena, Binoe E. Abuan, Joseph Gerard T. Reyes, Paul L. Rodgers and Louis Angelo M. Danao
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Virgel M. Arocena: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
Binoe E. Abuan: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
Joseph Gerard T. Reyes: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
Paul L. Rodgers: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
Louis Angelo M. Danao: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-20

Abstract: Pump intake structure design is one area where physical models still remain as the only acceptable method that can provide reliable engineering results. Ensuring the amount of turbulence, entrained air vortices, and swirl are kept within acceptable limits requires site-specific, expensive, and time-consuming physical model studies. This study aims to investigate the viability of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) as an alternative tool for pump intake design thus reducing the need for extensive physical experiments. In this study, a transient multiphase simulation of a 530 mm wide rectangular intake sump housing a 116 m 3 /h pump is presented. The flow conditions, vortex formation and inlet swirl are compared to an existing 1:10 reduced scaled physical model test. For the baseline test, the predicted surface and submerged vortices agreed well with those observed in the physical model. Both the physical model test and the numerical model showed that the initial geometry of the pump sump is unacceptable as per ANSI/HI 9.8 criteria. Strong type 2 to type 3 submerged vortices were observed at the floor of the pump and behind the pump. Consequently, numerical simulations of proposed sump design modification are further investigated. Two CFD models with different fillet-splitter designs are evaluated and compared based on the vortex formation and swirl. In the study, it was seen that a trident-shaped splitter design was able to prevent flow separation and vortex suppression as compared to a cross-baffle design based on ANSI/HI 9.8. CFD results for the cross-baffle design showed that backwall and floor vortices were still present and additional turbulence was observed due to the cross-flow caused by the geometry. Conversely, CFD results for the trident-shaped fillet-splitter design showed stable flow and minimized the floor and wall vortices previously observed in the first two models.

Keywords: intake structures; physical hydraulic model; free surface flow; free surface vortices; vertical pump; CFD (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: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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