Research progress on hydraulic performance prediction method for large dredge pumps

Abstract

Abstract The dredge pump is the core equipment in a dredger, which is used to transport dense dredged soil excavated by the dredger. However, the slurry performance of a dredge pump is usually calculated via empirical formula based on the clean-water performance data obtained by numerical simulation or model test, and the conversion accuracy is difficult to evaluate. This paper focuses on reviewing the present technologies of slurry performance test as well as numerical simulation for centrifugal solid-liquid pump. Research progress on special instruments required for testing slurry parameters as well as numerical models for simulating dense solid-liquid flows was summarized. An example was presented to illustrate the scale effect and possible error source in performance conversion between model and prototype pump and then technical difficulties and future research directions in hydraulic performance prediction for dredge pump were put forward.