Optimization of a Centrifugal Pump Used as a Turbine Impeller By Means of an Orthogonal Test Approach

A prototype centrifugal pump with a specific speed of 110 is used to investigate and optimize the performances of a turbine for power generation. Particular attention is given to the design of the internal impeller. The internal flow field is simulated in the framework of a commercial computational fluid dynamics software (ANSYS). Four geometrical parameters of the impeller are considered, i.e., the inlet diameter, the inlet width, the blade number, and the blade angle. The optimization is carried out on the basis of a three-level approach relying on an orthogonal test method. The results of the numerical simulations show good agreement with the experimental tests under different flow conditions. In accordance with the L-9( )(3(4)) design table, the head and efficiency under the rated flow rate of the nine designed schemes are calculated and processed with the method of range analysis to obtain an optimized model.