Effect of Radial Height of Helical Static Blade on the Cavitation Performance of Inducer

Abstract

Cavitation is a major concern in liquid rocket engine turbopumps, and as an effective measure to improve cavitation quality, an inducer with helical static blades has attracted attention in recent years. In order to study the effect of the radial height of helical static blades on the cavitation performance of the inducer, CFD methods based on the Reynolds-averaged N-S equation, the standard k-ε turbulent model, and the Schnerr and Sauer cavitation model are employed to analyze the cavitation flow characteristics of a certain inducer with different helical static blades. The results show that with the increase in radial height, the backflow in the flow field is enhanced. Affected by this situation, the head is improved, the efficiency is reduced, and the low-pressure zone on the suction surface at entrance is enlarged. The helical static blade can delay the channel blocking of cavitation by providing an extra channel for the extension of bubbles. However, the effectiveness is restricted because the cavitation area enlarges with the radial height of the helical static blade. Although the effect of radial height on the head and the cavitation performance is opposite, there is an optimal radial height from 0.05 to 0.125 that improves both at the same time.