Numerical Simulation of Unsteady Cavitation at the Tongue of a Centrifugal Pump

Abstract

Abstract The flow separation at the tongue of the centrifugal pump will cause a sharp reduction of local pressure, thus inducing the cavitation phenomenon, which hurts the stable operation of the pump. This article focuses on the centrifugal pump as the research object. The Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) method based on the SST turbulence model was employed to numerically simulate the cavitation at the tongue of the centrifugal pump. The typical characteristics and unsteady changes of cavitation were observed and studied, and the pressure at the tongue position was monitored for flow rates of 1.36 Q 0 and 1.54 Q 0. The results show that, in the cloud cavitation stage, the area of the cavitation bubble presents periodic changes, the main frequency of the cavitation area pulsation is twice the axial frequency, the periodic shedding of the cavitation bubble is caused by the attached vortex (re-entrant jet) and the pressure gradient, and the wall attached vortex will periodically shed and break. The high intensity vortices generated by flow separation at the tongue will change periodically with the rotation of the blade. With the increase of inlet flow, the pressure pulsation at the tongue increases, and the shedding and collapse of the cavitation bubble will enhance the pressure pulsation.