Unsteady Flow Structure on a Centrifugal Pump: Experimental and Numerical Approaches

Both experimental and numerical studies of the unsteady pressure field inside a centrifugal pump have been carried out. The unsteady patterns found for the pressure fluctuations are compared and a further and more detailed flow study from the numerical model developed will be presented in this paper. Measurements were carried out with pressure transducers installed on the volute shroud. At the same time, the unsteady pressure field inside the volute of a centrifugal pump has been numerically modelled using a finite volume commercial code and the dynamic variables obtained have been compared with the experimental data available. In particular, the amplitude of the fluctuating pressure field in the shroud side wall of the volute at the blade passing frequency is successfully captured by the model for a wide range of operating flow rates. Once the developed numerical model has shown its capability in describing the unsteady patterns experimentally measured, an explanation for such patterns is searched. Moreover, the possibilities of the numerical model can be extended to other sections (besides the shroud wall of the volute), which can provide plausible explanations for the dynamic interaction effects between the flow at the impeller exit and the volute tongue at different axial positions. The results of the numerical simulation are focused in the blade passing frequency in order to study the relative effect of the two main phenomena occurring at that frequency for a given position: the blade passing in front of the tongue and the wakes of the blades.