Hydraulic performance prediction and optimization of an engine cooling water pump using computational fluid dynamic analysis

Abstract

In current research, the hydraulic performance prediction and optimization of an engine cooling water pump was conducted by computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis. Through CFD simulation, the pump head, shaft power and efficiency for the original pump at volume flow rate 25 L/min and impeller rotating speed 4231 r/min were 3.87 m, 66.7 W and 23.09% respectively. For improving hydraulic performance, an optimization study was carried out. After optimization, four potential optimized designs were put forward. The efficiency of the optimized design No.1 for engine cooling water pump was nearly 6% higher than that of the original pump model; and the head of the optimized design No.2 for engine cooling water pump was 9% higher than that of the original pump model. Under the condition of maintaining the pump head and considering comprehensive improvement effect, the optimized design No.3 was considered as the best design and selected as the test case for validating the optimum design. The hydraulic performance predictions for this optimum engine cooling water pump agreed well with experimental data at design condition with relative discrepancies of 2.9% and 5.5% for the pump head and pump efficiency, respectively. It proved that performance prediction calculation model and the automatic optimization model were effective. This research work can provide theoretical basis for the design, development and optimization of engine cooling water pump.