Investigation on the Influence of Flow Passage Structure on the Performance of Bionic Pumps

Abstract

The flapping hydrofoil bionic pump drives the hydrofoil to make simple harmonic motion and completes one-way water pumping in the flow passage. As a new pump device that can realize ultra-low head water delivery, the flapping hydrofoil device can effectively enrich the drainage methods of plain rivers and improve water delivery efficiency, and the passage structure is the key factor of ultra-low head devices. In this paper, the two-dimensional flow passage models are established, and the flapping of the airfoil is realized by using the dynamic grid technology. Based on the continuity equation, k-ε turbulence model, and Reynolds time-averaged equation, the flapping hydrofoil device is simulated by transient calculation. The hydraulic performance characteristics of various passages with different widths, such as square passages, micro-arc passages, and convergent–divergent passages, are calculated and simulated. The results show that, under the fixed motion parameters, the narrower the passage width, the higher the outlet velocity, lift, and efficiency of the device, the lower the flow rate. The contraction–expansion pipe can effectively improve the efficiency and flow rate of the device, and, before the wake is stable, the longer the contraction section the better the lifting effect. However, the micro-arc pipeline will affect the formation of a double-row anti-Karman vortex street, resulting in greater energy loss and in its hydraulic performance being inferior to that of the square passage.