Numerical analysis of internal flow characteristics and energy consumption assessment in full flow field of multi-stage centrifugal pump considering clearance flow

Abstract

In this paper, a seven-stage high pressure centrifugal pump for water injection was taken as the research object. The steady state full flow field was numerically simulated by unstructured grid and Renormalization Group (RNG) k- ε turbulence model, and the results were verified by experiment. The flow characteristics of each flow passage component in the centrifugal pump under rated flow condition were analyzed, and the influence of wear-ring clearance flow on the full flow field was studied. The entropy production theory was applied to compare the distribution law of full flow field with and without wear-ring clearance at rated flow. The range and magnitude of the main energy loss in the pump were quantitatively analyzed. The results show that the guide vane area has the highest entropy production, which is the main energy loss part of the centrifugal pump. The existence of wear-ring clearance increases the entropy production of full flow field and has an adverse effect. The impeller wear-ring clearance has a greater influence on the full flow field than the guide vane wear-ring clearance.