Centrifugal Pump design and analysis - CFD using SolidWorks

Abstract

In this Project, Creating a 3D model of a Centrifugal pump, run a baseline flow simulation where inlet flow takes place and then perform a parametric study for different velocities. Showing the Performance diagram and Obtain the relationship between Pressure ratio and mass flow rate and explaining the results.

Geometry of Centrifugal Pump

3D model of centrifugal pump is created using Solidworks.

Isometric view;

Parameters for Baseline Simulation

Internal analysis

Fluid: Water

Laminar and turbulent type of flow

Boundary Condition at Inlet - 1 bar [Pressure]

Boundary Condition at Outlet - 10 m/s

Local Region Averaging

Procedure

• Create a 3D Model in Solidworks CAD Software.
• Modify the Components in the Components Control.
• The Computational Domain is created.
• The Rotating Region is selected and the speed is set to 1000 rpm.
• The Inlet Boundary Condition is set as Environmental Pressure of 1 bar.
• The Outlet Boundary Condition is the Exit Velocity of 15 m/s.
• The Surface Goal is set in the Inlet and the Outlet faces.
• Then the Mesh is created for the model and the Automatic mesh level is set into 3 and Advanced Chanel refinement is selected.
• Run the Simulation and the cut plots are created for the Pressure and Velocity and get the values for the goals.

Results-Grid Dependency test

For this test, I have set the input variables as output velocity and the values are 10 m/s, 15 m/s, 20 m/s, 25 m/s, 30 m/s. The Level of mesh is set as 3. The number of Iteration for the solver is set as 500 in the calculation control option. The mesh is refined to advanced channel refinement.

Outputs

Inlet pressure remains the same for all the cases but the outlet pressure varies. When the flow rate at the outlet is high the pressure reduces at outlet which results in the decrease in the pressure ratio.

At 10 m/s

Velocity Plot;

Pressure Trajectory;

Velocity Trajectory;

At 15 m/s

Velocity Plot;

Pressure Trajectory;

Velocity Trajectory;

At 20 m/s

Velocity Plot;

Pressure Trajectory;

Velocity Trajectory;

At 25 m/s

Velocity Plot;

Pressure Trajectory;

Velocity Trajectory;

At 30 m/s

Velocity Plot;

Pressure Trajectory;

Velocity Trajectory;

Graphs

Pressure Ratio;

Pressure Ratio Graph;

Mass-Flow Rate; [Kg/s]

Mass-Flow Rate Graph;

Relationship between Pressure ratio and Mass-Flow rate;

Graph of Pressure Ratio and Mass-Flow rate;

Observation and Conclusion

1. From the First plot we can see that initially, the velocity is less so the mass flow rate is less when the velocity increases the mass flow rate increases.
2. From the Second plot, we can see that the pressure ratio is high for low velocity and pressure ratio starts to decrease when the velocity increases.
3. From the graphs, I can figure out that due to performance failure of the laptop the pressure ratio curve varied but later on it showed study decrease in pressure ratio.
4. Velocity plots have proper indication of outflow velocity as assigned.Show in the plots above.
5. A pump does not create pressure it only creates flow. Pressure is a measurement of the resistance to flow
6. It is evident from other similar studies pressure ratio decrease as the velocity at outlet increase but in my case, the pressure ratio varied due to technical failure of my laptop which did not perform accurately as expected.

References

Google and Skill-Lync Projects page.