Numerical Prediction of Suction Performance and Axial Thrust of a Centrifugal Pump by Cavitation Simulation with Multi-Process Model

YAMADA Akihisa, INO Takeshi, TSUDA Shin-ichi, WATANABE Satoshi, TAKAMINE Taiki

doi:10.11458/tsj.52.2_83

<p>The development of prediction methods for cavitation flow is an important research topic since the cavitation causes several severe problems in real applications. Multi-Process (MP) model we employ in the present study is a homogeneous model with four equations that can take account of main elementary processes in cavitation using the moment method for a size distribution function of cavitation bubbles. Therefore, it is expected to improve the prediction accuracy compared to typical one-equation models generally applied for hydraulic machines with acceptable computational costs. In this paper, unsteady RANS simulation using MP model as well as a typical one-equation model was carried out on the final stage model of multi-stage centrifugal pump and the results are compared between two models as well as with experiments. As a result, the present simulation using MP model was found to qualitatively simulate the degradation of pump suction performance and the change in axial thrust force under cavitation as similar to the other homogeneous model; Thrust forces acting on the impeller and the balance drum decreases with the degradation of the head. In comparison with visualization experiments, both the models predicted cavity growth qualitatively well, although the distribution of void fraction showed significant differences.</p>

Numerical Prediction of Suction Performance and Axial Thrust of a Centrifugal Pump by Cavitation Simulation with Multi-Process Model

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