Numerical Study of a Fuel Centrifugal Pump with Variable Impeller Width for Aero-engines

Abstract

AbstractAs typical pump with large flow rate and high reliability, centrifugal pumps in fuel system of aero-engines mostly regulate flow rate by flow bypass, which leads to low efficiency and large fuel temperature rise especially at low flow rate. An innovative fuel centrifugal pump with variable impeller width is a more effective way to regulate flow rate than flow bypass. To find external characteristics of the centrifugal pump with variable impeller width proposed in this paper, flow domain within the pump is simulated numerically and some primary performance parameters and their correlation are analyzed. Results show that flow rate of the pump can be regulated by variable impeller width and that efficiency for this scheme is higher than that for flow bypass. The higher outlet static pressure the pump runs at, the wider range of flow rates can be obtained with stronger nonlinear relationship between flow rate and impeller width.