CAVITATION IN CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS

Abstract

Design, operation and refurbishment of centrifugal pumps are strongly related to cavitation flow phenomena, which may occur in either the rotating runner-impeller or the stationary parts of the centrifugal pumps. The numerical simulation (ANSYS CFX software Release 12) can be use to detect the cavitation in centrifugal pump. The total pressure at inflow boundary is reduced in small increment to meet the beginning cavitation.

            The CFD results computed by ANSYS CFX software can be shown that the formation bubble form in a lower pressure area which caused by high velocity fluid. Inception cavitation occurs on the blade surface where the leading edge meets the tip. For lower NPSH values the cavitation zones move from leading to trailing edge. The drop in the head-NPSH curve begins when the cavity length is reached the maximum chord length of the blade. The computational grid was generated by SFX-Turbogrid with H-Grid through the blade and flow passage