Influence of blade tip cutting on the flow loss characteristics of side channel pump

Abstract

A comprehensive analysis of flow loss mechanisms in a side channel pump is put forth in this research. First, the correlation between the cutting angle and loss characteristics in each flow passage of the side channel pump is investigated. Second, the exact regions of the internal loss distributions in the flow passages of the pump are analyzed. Finally, the relationship between the dissipation effect and enstrophy is ascertained among the cutting angles. Generally, the flow loss steadily rises with the increase in cutting angle from 10° to 20° in the impeller. However, at 30°, the losses experience a substantial decrease and then increase thereafter. Meanwhile, the loss gradient in the side channel rises linearly with the increase in cutting angle from 10° to 40°. Cutting angles of 20°, 30°, and 40° revealed the minimum value of energy loss at the outer radius of the impeller compared to the original model. In the side channel passage, all cutting angles revealed a fairly lower magnitude of flow losses than in the original model. Noticeably, the dissipation effect and enstrophy share common resemblances, with a concentration of high enstrophy regions observed in plane 1. The impeller passage portrayed a higher dominancy of the enstrophy region, which nevertheless weakens to a minimum in the side channel for all the cutting angles. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into optimizing the design and performance of side channel pumps.