Title: Numerical simulation of unsteady flow in a multistage centrifugal pump using sliding mesh technique

Authors: Si Huang, A.A. Mohamad, K. Nandakumar, Z.Y. Ruan, D.K. Sang

Addresses: School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China. ' Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada. ' Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. ' School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China. ' School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China

Abstract: In this work, three-dimensional, unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations with standard k-ϵ turbulence models are solved by employing sliding mesh technique within an entire stage of a multistage diffuser pump to investigate transient flow field and pressure fluctuations due to the interaction between impeller and diffuser vanes. Sliding mesh calculation is carried out as the impeller zones slide (i.e., rotate) relative to diffuser zone along the grid interface in discrete time steps. The complicated time-periodic and spatial-periodic characteristics as well as rotor–stator interaction phenomena inside the pump stage are simulated and analysed to understand dynamic variation of the interior flow field and interference and finally to aim at optimal design.

Keywords: multistage centrifugal pumps; sliding mesh; 3D flow field; numerical simulation; unsteady flow; turbulence modelling; transient flow field; pressure fluctuations; impellers; diffuser vanes; computational fluid dynamics; CFD.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2010.034454

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2010 Vol.10 No.4, pp.239 - 245

Published online: 04 Aug 2010 *

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