Numerical Simulation of the Two-Dimensional Unsteady Interaction of a Centrifugal Impeller with its Volute Casing by Vortex Method.

An accurate numerical analysis of the flows associated with impeller-volute configurations in turbomachinery can be extremely helpful in optimizing the performance of centrifugal turbomachinery. In the present study, without introducing the periodicity of the blade-to-blade stream, the two dimensional unsteady features of the flows through a centrifugal impeller rotating in a volute casing of a pump are directly simulated by using an advanced vortex method. Results are presented in the form of the flow pattern of discrete vortices, volocity vector, theoretical head coefficient of impeller and the unsteady hydraulic radial force on impeller. Some of the results are compared with experimental data and the agreement is found to be good.