Transient characteristic analysis of ultra-low specific-speed centrifugal pumps during startup period under shut-off condition

Abstract: In order to explore the characteristics of the ultra-low specific-speed centrifugal pump during startup period under shut-off condition, an ultra-low specific-speed centrifugal pump with the specific-speed of 25 was chosen as the research object. Unsteady numerical calculation under shut-off condition and transient condition was conducted for the ultra-low specific-speed centrifugal pump. The accuracy of numerical simulation was verified by experimental contrast. Based on the numerical results, the influence of different starting acceleration on the transient impact head, the difference between steady state and transient impact head, and the internal flow field were analyzed. The results showed that: The variation tendency of performance curve on shut-off condition under steady state condition was similar with the experiment, and along with the increase of rotational speed, the head under shut-off condition increased gradually. When the start was completed, the transient head was 8.32%, 6.13% and 4.19% higher than the steady state head, respectively, at 3 different starting accelerations, which indicated that the valve head change during the startup process had a significant transient effect. There was a significantly higher impact head at the end of startup processes with 3 different start accelerations, and with the increase of start acceleration, the impact head was also increased. With the rotation of the impeller acting fluid, the static pressure increased gradually with the increase of the radius. In addition to the impeller flow close to the tongue, the pressure distribution in the other channels was uniform, and the pressure gradient of the tongue was larger, which indicated that the volute tongue structure had an important influence on the distribution of the static pressure in the pump. With the increase of rotation speed, the static pressure increased gradually, and the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the pump increased gradually. When the time was 0.4 s, a high pressure concentration area occurred at impeller outlet near the blade pressure surface, and along with the increase of rotation speed, the high pressure concentration area gradually disappeared. The pump pressure distribution gradually grew uniform with pump pressure increasing. At the same speed, static pressure distribution, absolute speed streamline, and relative speed streamline shaft section of inlet pipe during stable process were different from the distribution during transient startup process. The differences were narrow with the increase of rotational speed. At the same speed, the development of inside transient flow field during transient startup process generally lagged after stable condition. At the same speed, static pressure of steady state and startup period under shut-off condition was obviously different. At the beginning of startup period, the static pressure distribution difference was the maximum, and with the increase of speed, the static pressure distribution difference gradually decreased. The relative velocity of steady state and startup period under shut-off condition was obviously different. At the beginning of the startup process, the difference of the streamline distribution of relative velocity was the biggest; with the increase of rotating speed, the difference of pump flow field decreased gradually. The relative velocity of inlet pipe in the process of steady state was larger than that in the process of startup, and the ranges of vortex region and vortex number were greater than the transient process at the same time. Based on the above results, it was found that with the decrease of starting acceleration, the transient effect was weakened. The research results provide the reference for the further study of the characteristics of transient process of the ultra-low specific-speed centrifugal pump.