Influence of Blade Trailing-Edge Filing on the Transient Characteristics of the Centrifugal Pump during Startup

Abstract

During the startup process of a centrifugal pump, the vibration and noise problems caused by unsteady flow are the focus of attention, and pressure pulsation is one of the main reasons for this problem. In the current research, a special impeller with blade pressure side trimming was proposed to reduce the strong pressure pulsation phenomenon during the startup process of centrifugal pumps. This article uses numerical simulation methods to simulate three typical blade trailing edges: original trailing edge (OTE), pressure side long linear (LLPS), and pressure side short linear (SLPS), and verifies them with experimental results. The results indicate that although the head of the centrifugal pump after filing has been reduced, its efficiency has been improved to a certain extent. Thirteen monitoring points were set up near the impeller outlet circumference and volute tongue to analyze the changes in pressure pulsation, verifying that blade trimming has a significant inhibitory effect on pressure pulsation during the startup of centrifugal pumps. The average maximum pressure pulsation amplitude of all monitoring points decreased by 32.23%, and the maximum pressure pulsation amplitude decreased by 56%. Blade trimming can affect the internal flow field distribution of centrifugal pumps. By analyzing the static pressure distribution, velocity streamline distribution, and vorticity distribution at the middle interface of three different impellers during startup, it was verified that there is a close relationship between pressure pulsation and unsteady flow structure during startup. The final conclusion is that blade trimming has a significant inhibitory effect on the pressure pulsation of the centrifugal pump during startup, and the impeller outlet vorticity is significantly reduced. The scheme proposed in this study has far-reaching prospects in the design of low noise centrifugal pumps.