The Optimal Hydraulic Design of Centrifugal Impeller Using Genetic Algorithm with BVF

Abstract

Derived from idea of combining the advantages of two-dimensional hydraulic design theory, genetic algorithm, and boundary vorticity flux diagnosis, an optimal hydraulic design method of centrifugal pump impeller was developed. Given design parameters, the desired optimal centrifugal impeller can be obtained after several iterations by this method. Another 5 impellers with the same parameters were also designed by using single arc, double arcs, triple arcs, logarithmic spiral, and linear-variable angle spiral as blade profiles to make comparisons. Using Reynolds averaged N-S equations with a RNGk-εtwo-equation turbulence model and log-law wall function to solve 3D turbulent flow field in the flow channel between blades of 6 designed impellers by CFD code FLUENT, the investigation on velocity distributions, pressure distributions, boundary vorticity flux distributions on blade surfaces, and hydraulic performance of impellers was presented and the comparisons of impellers by different design methods were demonstrated. The results showed that the hydraulic performance of impeller designed by this method is much better than the other 5 impellers under design operation condition with almost the same head, higher efficiency, and lower rotating torque, which implied less hydraulic loss and energy consumption.