Control of Pump Performance with Attaching Flaps on Blade Trailing Edges

Abstract

An innovative method of changing a centrifugal low specific speed pump performance and pressure fluctuation by applying outlet flaps to impeller exit has been investigated. The outlet blade edge section corresponds to the trailing edge of wing on the circular-cascade, which dominates the pump performance and pressure fluctuation. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the entire impeller and volute casing and an experimental investigation are conducted. The pressure fluctuation and the vibration of the shaft are measured simultaneously. Kurtosis is applied as a dimensionless parameter with which the unevenness of velocity distribution at impeller outlet is indicated. The influence of the flaps on the pressure fluctuation is explained by the kurtosis. This paper presents a theoretical method of predicting the pump performance related to the attachment of a flap at impeller outlet.