Inverse design of a centrifugal pump on the meridional plane using ball-spine algorithm

This study developed an inverse design algorithm called Ball-Spine Algorithm (BSA) as a quasi-3D method and applied it to the meridional plane of a centrifugal pump impeller in an effort to improve its performance. In this method, numerical analyses of viscous flow field in the passage between two blades were coupled with BSA to modify the corresponding hub and shroud geometries. Here, full 3D Navier-Stokes equations were solved on a thin plane of flow instead of solving inviscid, quasi-3D flow equations on the meridional plane. To demonstrate the validity of the present work, the performance of a centrifugal pump was numerically investigated first and then, it was compared with available experimental data. After defining a target pressure distribution on the hub and shroud surfaces of the flow passage, a new impeller geometry was then obtained in accordance with the modified pressure distribution. The results indicated a good rate of convergence and desirable stability of BSA in the design of rotating flow passages with incompressible, viscous flows. Overall, the proposed design method gave rise to the following major improvements: an increase in static pressure along the streamline, a 5% increase in the pump total head, and delay in the onset of flow cavitation inside the impeller. (C) 2020 Sharif University of Technology. All rights reserved.