Search Results (5)

A pump-turbine may generate high-amplitude hydraulic excitations during operation, wherein the flow-induced response of the spiral case and concrete is a key factor affecting the stable and safe operation of the unit. The preloading spiral case can enhance the combined bearing capacity of the entire structure, yet there is still limited research on the impact of the preloading pressure on the hydrodynamic response. In this study, the pressure fluctuation characteristics and dynamic behaviors of preloading a steel spiral case and concrete under different preloading pressures at rated operating conditions are analyzed based on fluid–structure interaction theory and contact model. The results show that the dominant frequency of pressure fluctuations in the spiral case is 15 $f_n$, which is influenced by the rotor–stator interaction with a runner rotation of short and long blades. Under preloading pressures of 0.5, 0.7, and 1 times the maximum static head, higher preloading pressures reduce the contact regions, leading to uneven deformation and stress distributions with a near-positive linear correlation. The maximum deformation of the PSSC can reach 2.6 mm, and the stress is within the allowable range. The preloading pressure has little effect on the dominant frequency of the dynamic behaviors in the spiral case (15 $f_n$), but both the maximum and amplitudes of deformation and stress increase with higher preloading pressure. The high-amplitude regions of deformation and stress along the axial direction are located near the nose vane, with maximum values of 0.003 mm and 0.082 MPa, respectively. The contact of concrete is at risk of stress concentrations and cracking under high preloading pressure. The results can provide references for optimizing the structural design and the selection of preloading pressure, which improves operation reliability. Full article

A spiral axial-flow blade pump (SABP) is an indispensable device in the closed gathering and transporting technology of oil and natural gas exploitation; it can not only transport a gas–liquid mixture with a high gas content, but also transport a gas–liquid–solid mixture containing a small amount of sand. However, due to the large vortices that often appear in the flow channel of the SABP, cavitation is induced extremely easily. This paper presents a numeric calculation of the cavitation performance of an SABP to reveal the law governing the impact of cavitation on its internal flow. The impact of tip clearance with different sizes on the dynamic and static head of the SABP was analyzed, and the change rules of the absolute velocity, relative velocity, and dynamic and static head were revealed under different cavitation stages, too. Full article

A spiral axial-flow blade pump (SABP), as the core piece of equipment in the oil and natural gas closed-gathering and transportation process, can not only transport gas–liquid mixtures with a high gas content, but can also transport gas–liquid–solid mixtures containing small amounts of sand. However, due to the complexity of the distribution of transport media groups and the uncertainty of internal flow processes, large vortices often appear in the passage of the pumps, and the existence of vortices can easily induce the occurrence of pump cavitations. In the present work, a self-developed SABP was taken as the research object, and the cavitation performance of the SABP was numerically calculated. The pressure load variation under different tip clearances and different cavitation stages was analyzed, and the characteristics of the axial and radial forces were also analyzed in detail. Full article

During the operation of cooling water pumps, it is necessary to operate them under conditions of low flow rate. In order to improve the unstable performance of the cooling water pump under low flow rate conditions. Taking the cooling water pump as the research object, the internal flow and pressure pulsation characteristics of the cooling water pump under 0.4Q to 0.6Q conditions were investigated, and the influence of different operating conditions on the performance and vibration of the cooling water pump was analyzed. The ANSYS CFX 2022 software and the SST k-ω turbulence model were used to perform a three-dimensional numerical simulation of the cooling water pump. After analyzing the simulation results, the velocity and pressure cloud and streamline diagram within the semi-spiral suction casing and impeller were obtained. The internal flow state of the cooling water pump was then analyzed in detail under low flow rate conditions. At the same time, a series of monitoring points were set up within the impeller, and the pressure pulsation within the impeller was analyzed using the frequency domain diagram and the radial force polar coordinate diagram. The results show that at flow rates between 0.4Q and 0.6Q, a certain amount of vortex has been generated in the suction casing, which affects the flow state when entering the impeller. Furthermore, significant vortices have been generated in the middle and back part of the blade and mainly concentrated in the pump cover of the mid-open pump. At the same time, when in low flow rate conditions, the primary frequency of pressure pulsation is mainly the axial frequency, with three times the axial frequency and blade frequency following. The amplitude of the pressure surface (PS) of the blade is greater than that of the suction surface (SS) and increases as the flow rate decreases. The internal radial force corresponds with the result of pressure pulsation and exhibits a certain pattern. This study outlines the coolant pump’s internal flow and pressure pulsation characteristics under low-flow conditions. It proposes a solution to stabilize the cooling water pump at low flow rates and provides theoretical guidance for optimizing its design. Full article

The turbulence dissipation will cause the increment of energy loss in the multiphase pump and deteriorate the pump performance. In order to research the turbulence dissipation rate distribution characteristics in the pressurized unit of the multiphase pump, the spiral axial flow type multiphase pump is researched numerically in the present study. This research is focused on the turbulence dissipation rate distribution characteristics in the directions of inlet to outlet, hub to rim, and in the circumferential direction of the rotating impeller blades. Numerical simulation based on the RANS (Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations) and the k-ω SST (Shear Stress Transport) turbulence model has been carried out. The numerical method is verified by comparing the numerical results with the experimental data. Results show that the regions of the large turbulence dissipation rate are mainly at the inlet and outlet of the rotating impeller and static impeller, while it is almost zero from the inlet to the middle of outlet in the suction surface and pressure surface of the first-stage rotating impeller blades. The turbulence dissipation rate is increased gradually from the hub to the rim of the inlet section of the first-stage rotating impeller, while it is decreased firstly and then increased on the middle and outlet sections. The turbulence dissipation rate distributes unevenly in the circumferential direction on the outlet section. The maximum value of the turbulence dissipation rate occurs at 0.9 times of the rated flow rate, while the minimum value at 1.5 times of the rated flow rate. Four turning points in the turbulence dissipation rate distribution that are the same as the number of impeller blades occur at 0.5 times the blade height at 0.9 times the rated flow rate condition. The turbulence dissipation rate distribution characteristics in the pressurized unit of the multiphase pump have been studied carefully in this paper, and the research results have an important significance for improving the performance of the multiphase pump theoretically. Full article