Simulation of suction recirculation in double suction centrifugal pumps

Abstract

Part-load operation conditions of a centrifugal pump will impose potentially strenuous effects on the operation and reliability of the turbomachine in question due to the risk of suction recirculation. Suction recirculation in centrifugal pumps can be described as the flow reversal of the outer streamline in the impeller suction eye during operation at a reduced flow rate (with regards to the Best Efficiency Point) and can also cause damaging suction recirculation cavitation. Results presented in this paper concern interesting flow details of the suction recirculation phenomena and the visualization of the phenomena, as well as the simulation of overall pump differential head generation prediction for the considered pump geometry. The simulation data was found to be within acceptable ranges when compared with experimental results