Open Access

ARTICLE

Numerical Simulation and Entropy Production Analysis of Centrifugal Pump with Various Viscosity

Zhenjiang Zhao¹, Lei Jiang¹, Ling Bai^2,*, Bo Pan³, Ling Zhou^1,*

1 National Research Center of Pumps, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
2 School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
3 Shandong Xinchuan Mining Equipment Co., Ltd., Jining, 272300, China

* Corresponding Authors: Ling Bai. Email: ; Ling Zhou. Email:

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2024, 141(2), 1111-1136. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2024.055399

Received 26 June 2024; Accepted 29 August 2024; Issue published 27 September 2024

Abstract

The fluid’s viscosity significantly affects the performance of a centrifugal pump. The entropy production method and leakage are employed to analyze the performance changes under various viscosities by numerical simulation and validated by experiments. The results showed that increasing viscosity reduces both the pump head and efficiency. In addition, the optimal operating point shifts to the left. Leakage is influenced by vortex distribution in the front chamber and boundary layer thickness in wear-ring clearance, leading to an initial increase and subsequent decrease in leakage with increasing viscosity. The total entropy production inside the pump rises with increasing viscosity. The different mechanisms dominate under varying conditions: Turbulent dissipation dominates at low viscosity. Under high-viscosity conditions, energy loss is primarily caused by direct dissipation and wall entropy production . This study provides a deeper and more objective understanding of the energy characteristics of centrifugal pumps handling fluids of various viscosity, potentially aiding in optimizing pump design and improving energy conversion efficiency.

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Keywords

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