Investigation of Pressure Pulsations and Flow Instabilities in a Centrifugal Pump at Part-load Conditions

Abstract

The flow instabilities and pressure pulsations can be generated during the pump's operation. However, it is even more serious under the part-load condition. Currently, the links between flow instabilities and pressure pulsations were still not fully understood. In the present study, the experimental investigation was performed on pressure pulsations by utilizing the dynamic pressure transducers and the internal unsteady flow structures were measured by PIV. The pressure pulsations were extracted at 6 different locations around the volute under different flow rates conditions ranging from 10% to 120% of the nominal flow rate. The study allowed relating the pressure pulsations and unsteady flow structures in a pump. It was noted that higher intensive broadband pressure pulsations can be found at the small flow rate together with the fully developed flow instabilities. This led to the preliminary conclusion that the broadband pressure pulsations are exclusively induced by the flow instabilities, especially the vortices in the flow passages of impeller.