Experiment and numerical simulation of cavitation performance for a double suction centrifugal pump

The energy and cavitation performances of a double suction centrifugal pump are tested on a standard experiment rig. The influence of condensation coefficient of the mass transport cavitation model on numerical simulation is analyzed by using the RNG k-e turbulence model and the mass transport cavitation model. As a result, the condensation coefficient mostly regulates the cavity length in the impeller. According to the calculation result, the value of condensation coefficient is modified. The calculated variation of pump head and efficiency with pump inlet pressure decrease agrees well with the experimental data. The results demonstrate that the numerical model and method can accurately predict the cavitation flows in a double suction centrifugal pump. The flow field analysis indicates that the cavitation firstly appears at suction side of blade near the leading edge and then extend to the outlet of impeller with the further reduction of pump inlet pressure. Due to the influence of asymmetric volute structure, the vapor distribution in different flow passages is not uniform.