进口含气率对离心泵失速工况流动特性的影响

    Influence of inlet gas volume fraction on the flow characteristics of centrifugal pump under stall conditions

    • 摘要: 失速工况下,气液两相流离心泵的内部流动极为复杂。为探究不同进口含气率对离心泵失速工况流动特性的影响,该研究基于欧拉-欧拉非均相流模型和SST k-w湍流模型,分析了进口含气率对离心泵性能的影响规律。纯水条件下,基于性能曲线和内部流动特性分析可知,0.70倍设计流量(0.70Qd)和0.65Qd是失速发展阶段的典型工况,流场的周向均匀性存在不同程度的破坏。2个典型失速工况下,随着进口含气率的增加,泵的性能下降但下降幅度相比设计工况和深度失速工况小,气相主要附着在叶片压力侧前缘附近且附着面积逐渐增大,失速流道压力侧前缘的相对速度角增大,流动方向整体向吸力侧偏移,使得吸力侧前缘冲角减小,抑制了吸力侧前缘分离涡和中间位置漩涡的融合,进而抑制了失速的发生。引入流量变异系数(coefficient of variance,CV)定量分析流场的周向均匀性,随着流场改善,CV值逐渐减小,当模型泵处于失速初生点时,CV值为1.38%~3.69%。少量气体加入使得失速发展阶段离心泵性能下降幅度减小且抑制失速发生。研究结果可为拓宽离心泵的高效区和提高安全稳定运行提供参考。

       

      Abstract: Rotating stalls are one of the most unstable flow behaviors in centrifugal pumps under low flow conditions. Energy conversion instability, pressure pulsation surge, vibration, and noise intensification often occur in centrifugal pumps under stall conditions, even leading to the fatigue failure of blades in severe cases. The efficient and stable system of centrifugal pumps can then depend on the stall. Alternatively, the gas medium can dominate the performance of the centrifugal pump. Especially, there is the more complex internal flow of the gas-liquid two-phase flow in a centrifugal pump under stall conditions. This study aims to clarify the influence of different inlet gas volume fractions (IGVF) values on the flow characteristics of centrifugal pumps under stall conditions. Euler-Euler inhomogeneous flow and SST turbulence models were also utilized, in terms of external characteristics, internal flow field, gas distribution, and flow monitoring. The performance curve and internal flow characteristics analysis were finally carried out under pure water conditions. The results show that the internal flow field of the impeller appeared alternately stall conditions at 0.70Qd and 0.65Qd (Qd is the design flow rate) in the stall development stage. There was a more serious stall degree at 0.65Qd. The pump performance decreased under both typical stall conditions, as the IGVF value increased. But there was a smaller decrease in the amplitude, compared with the design and deep stall condition. Furthermore, gas was primarily adhered near the leading edge of the impeller blades on the pressure side. The adhered area gradually increased with the increase of IGVF value. There was also an increase in the relative velocity angle at the leading edge of the stall channel on the pressure side. The flow direction of the liquid phase was close to the suction side as a whole. As such, there was a decrease in the attack angle near the leading edge of the suction side. Furthermore, there was the inhibited fusion of the separation vortex near the leading edge and the vortex in the middle position of the suction side. The stall was finally inhibited. The stall flow field was disrupted when the IGVF value was 2% at 0.70Qd. But the stall flow field fully disappeared, when the IGVF value was 2% at 0.65Qd. The circumferential uniformity of the flow field was quantitatively analyzed to introduce the coefficient of variation (CV) of the flow rate between the channels. The CV value of the flow rate between channels decreased gradually, as the flow field improved. Once the CV value was greater than 3.69%, the centrifugal pump was in the stall stage. The stall then disappeared, when the CV value was less than 1.38 %. When the model pump was at the inception point of stall, the CV value was in the range of 1.38%~3.69%. A small amount of gas resulted in a smaller decrease in centrifugal pump performance during stall development, thus inhibiting the occurrence of stall. The circumferential uniformity of the flow field was quantitatively analyzed to clarify the influence of IGVF value on the performance and flow characteristics of centrifugal pumps under stall conditions. The finding can also provide a strong reference to explore the performance balance of gas and centrifugal pumps under stall conditions and the relationship between stall and cavitation, in order to improve the safe and stable operation in the high-efficiency region of centrifugal pumps.

       

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