Computational fluid dynamics for pump related designs

me flows in industrial pumps are oJten dzj?cult to assess due to the complex geometries involved, the interaction of stationary and rota6 ing parts and the complicated pbysits of turbulence in highly-swirling flow. Operators and manufacturers alike are turning to simulation techniques using computational fluid dynamics (CFD] software to gain this understanding and to give them a technological advantage. Nathalie
the complete experimental

Hamill, AEA Technology

studies. the flow throughout engineers can

plc

design which is beyond the scope of a pump, identify

By simulating With this

CFD presents a complete information,

picture of its operation. flow detachand more

areas where there is recirculation, ment or where cavitation importantly, establish

will occur,

their causes. This knowl-

edge can then be used to direct design improvements or operating implemented. strategies, which can in turn before they are can be way, the design be tested with the CFD model In this

Incomplete

understanding

of the flows

in in-

optimised prolonged the system.

to give reduced component

energy consumption, of blade erosion, of

dustrial pumps can result in non-optimal designs or inefficient operation, whilst improving performance requires a level of understanding of

lower head loss, minimisation

life and better flexibility

Figure

1. Pump sump geometry.

WORLD PUMPS JULY 1996

Copyright ca 1996, Elsevier Science Ltd. AH rights reserved. 0262 1762/96/$15.00

S
This article discusses the application of the CFX software to the modelling of the flow in a pump sump, a Francis turbine and a turbo-pump and illustrates the progress which has been achieved in the modelling of these flows. CFX 4 is a well-established CFD software used by over a thousand the features importance engineers world-wide. of of Amongst particular of CFX which are in the simulation

PECIAL

FEATURE

pump flows are the advanced turbulence models and the use of unstructured multi-block meshes for the complex geometries. A sliding-grid facility is also available, transient simulation of which move relative to rot or/stator combinations. which permits the flow through parts each other, such as

Pump sump
Figure Th<b pump sump forms an integral part of many pumping stations, providing additional storage in the system and thereby attenuating fluctuations in the incoming flowrates. The sump can also act as a collection point where several inflows may be combined prior to transfer to the required delivery points. CFD is a valuable tool for the design of such sumps, providing a clear understanding of the flow patterns everywhere in the chamber. Importantly, the CFD simulation also predicts the flow profiles in the suction pipe or pipes, and can identify any vortex formation which could result in reduced pumping efficiency and premature pump failure. In waste-water applications, CFD can identify recirculation zones and stagnation regions within the sump where unwanted solids deposition may occur, and multiphase simulations permit the prediction of the transport of solids through the device. The sump described here acts as a flow divider supplying water to three pumps (geometry courtesy of North West Water). The purpose of the CFX simulation is to investigate the effectiveness of additional flow-straightening vanes, located beneath each suction pipe, in reducing the formation of swirl in the pipes. The sump geometry is depicted in Figure 1, and consists of one half of a cylinder of internal diameter 17.3 m, with filled-in corners to reduce the formation of stagnant regions. Water enters through the inlet culvert and is diffused by a suspended baffle wall. The three suction pipes are separated by inter-pump benching, though in the present calculations, only two pumps are in operation (centre and one side). Whilst in practice the sump is used for waste water, this simulation assumes that the water is clean, and the possible deposition of sediments is investigated by locating any dead zones. Full multiphase simulations of 2. Pump sump streamline ribbons throughout the sump

particle sedimentation

have been performed using

the CFX 4 software but are not employed in the present investigation. The computational domain includes the suction pipes up to the inlet of the pumps where the boundary conditions assume that the incoming flow is equally split between the centre and one side pump. Two simulations firstly without the straightening with them. are performed, vanes, and then

The complexity and three-dimensionality of the flow is evident in Figure 2, in which a number of streamers follow the flow through the sump. Some of the flow is deflected at the entry by the suspended baffle, and recirculations form behind this blockage. An isosurface of the speed at 0.1 m/s is shown in Figure 3 and reveals a region of low velocity below the non-operating pump. From plots of

Figure 3. Pump sump

isosurface

of speed of 0.01 m/s

WORLD PUMPS JULY 1996

Francis turbine
The Francis reaction for the generation basic design consists or distributor turbine is commonly used

of hydroelectric

power. The

of an annular inlet passage guide vanes impart

within which

swirl to the flow before it enters the rotor. The rotor is comprised of a number of shaped blades, to the roof and of the on the depend body. The details the ends of which are attached the skirt of the rotor design of Francis operating particular turbines conditions

and application, volumes

but in all cases the rotor and distributor are both completely is simulated assumed caused rotating Figure 4. Pressures on suction surface of blades. filled with water. In this study, a fourteen-blade

Francis turbine It is

for CKD in the Czech Republic. variations distributor when

that at the inlet plane of the turbine in the flow profiles passages viewed can from be the a by the

any circumferential neglected.

Therefore,

frame of the turbine, the flow does not to perform simulation passages the using a computational it is also with the

vary with time and it is sufficient steady-state turbine blade of be

grid rotating with the turbine. Since each of the is identical, flow with this type an assessment degree of sedimentation can be made as to the that is likely to occur. necessary to simulate only one such passage. The interaction turbine sliding can distributor investigated a transient is will the in

The results of the calculation show that the overall flow at the top of the sump is not affected by the flow straighteners, whilst within the pipes the flow straighteners reduce the amount of swirl in the central pipe and slightly increase it in the side pipe.

grid simulation. of distributor

However, since typically and rotor passages increasing

the number different, computing terms suction Figures pressure pressure occurs overall

more than one pair of passages significantly cost. are presented pressure of the of normalised surfaces surface

have to be simulated,

The results of the simulation of plots and pressure

on the blades, the

4 and 5 respectively. on the suction

As expected,

is lower than of the flow An the blade

that on the pressure

surface, and an increase in edge of the blades. through

is visible where stagnation at the leading drop in pressure

passage is evident, and is caused by acceleration of the water as the cross-sectional blade passage decreases The predicted surface pressures area of the in the flow direction. and wall shear numeri-

stresses on the blades can be integrated

cally by the software to give the forces and moments acting on the blades. These data can then be used to determine the power output of the turbine, and hence its efficiency, used as input for stress analysis The surface pressure distribution predicting the onset of cavitation. and can be

of the blades. is also useful in

Figure

5. Pressures

on pressure

surface

of blades.

agl

WORLD

PUMPS

JULY

1996

PECIAL

FEATURE

rlgure

0. rressure

on turDo-pump

surrace.

Turbo-pump
This case considers the flow through a turbo-

Conclusions
CID has been shown to be a practical tool for the design of the pump sump. Once the numerical model is created, parameters such as inlet and pump flow rates, size and location of baffles, and the water depth in the sump can all be modified with the minimum of effort, thereby increasing productivity when investigating design or operating condition changes. The model will help the user to evaluate possible modifications to the geometry which would enhance the uniformity of flow in the suction pipes. In the simulation of machinery such as the Francis turbine and the turbo-pump, CFD can provide detailed information which would be impractical or impossible to obtain experimentally. As with the pump sump, the effect on performance of changes in design or operating parameters can be investigated easily, and a more complete understanding of the functioning of the device can be obtained. ?? Contact: Gillian Rowe, CFX Marketing Manager, AEA Technology plc, 8.19 Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 ORA, UK. Tel: +44 1235 432956; Fax: + 44 1235 432989.

pump designed by ITRI in Taiwan. The device comprises a rotor with 6 blades revolving at 3.500 r-pm followed by a 7-blade stator. The unequal number of rotor and stator blades prevent beating in the pump, and dictate that the full 360 geometry be simulated. The working fluid is water, which enters the rotor without swirl at an axial velocity of 3 m/s. To simulate the rotor/stator interaction, the model uses the sliding-grid approach in which the solution domain is divided into two unmatched regions: one region covers the rotor, the other the stator, and the two slide relative to each other as the rotor revolves. The grid for this case was created using CDL CAD-oriented pres processor with input data based on CAD geometry AutoCAD imported software. in IGES format from the

Figure 6 shows the pressure distribution on the surface of the pump. The simulation shows that the pump suffers from flow separation in the suction part of the blade passage, which will reduce its efficiency.

WORLD

PUMPS

JULY

1996