SCIENCE CHINA

Technological Sciences
• ARTICLES • January 2010 Vol. 53 No.1: 24−27
doi: 10.1007/s11431-009-0424-6

High-efficiency design of a mixed-flow pump

KIM Jin-Hyuk1, AHN Hyung-Jin2 & KIM Kwang-Yong1*
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, 253, Yonghyun-Dong, Incheon, 402-751, Republic of Korea;
2
Industrial Machinery Division, Iljin Electric Co., Ltd, 5-5, Hwasu-Dong, Incheon, 401-020, Republic of Korea

Received September 3, 2009; accepted October 1, 2009

High-efficiency design of a mixed-flow pump has been carried out based on numerical analysis of a three-dimensional viscous
flow. For analysis, the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with a shear stress transport turbulence model were discre-
tized by finite-volume approximations. Structured grid system was constructed in the computational domain, which has O-type
grids near the blade surfaces and H/J-type grids in other regions. The numerical results were validated with experimental data
for the heads and hydraulic efficiencies at different flow coefficients. The hydraulic efficiency at the design flow coefficient
was evaluated with variation of the geometric variables, i.e., the area of the discharge and length of the vane in the diffuser.
The result has shown that the hydraulic efficiency of a mixed-flow pump at the design condition is improved by the modifica-
tion of the geometry.

mixed-flow pump, numerical analysis, impeller, vane diffuser, head, hydraulic efficiency

Citation: Kim J H, Ahn H J, Kim K Y. High-efficiency design of a mixed-flow pump. Sci China Tech Sci, 2010, 53: 24−27, doi: 10.1007/s11431-009-0424-6

1 Introduction Recently, efficiency of pumps becomes increasingly im-

portant for the applications to industrial pumps. Oh and Kim
Numerical analysis based on three-dimensional Rey- [5] performed design optimization of mixed-flow pump
nolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations has been impellers using mean streamline analysis. Zangeneh et al.
widely used for the flow analysis of turbomachinery with [6] used a three-dimensional inverse design method to op-
the aid of recent development of computing power. Appli- timize radial and mixed-flow pump impellers. Goto et al.
cation of this analysis has reduced the cost and the time for [7] reported on the suppression of meridional secondary
the design of pumps by reducing the number of experimen- flows on the blade suction surface of a mixed-flow pump
tal tests. impeller by controlling the blade pressure distribution using
Miner [1] reported on CFD analysis of the first-stage ro- an inverse design method.
tor and stator in a two-stage mixed-flow pump. Goto [2] In this work, three-dimensional RANS analysis is per-
reported on the methodology to design low specific speed formed to find the effects of two geometric variables related
diffusers having a good efficiency based on an inverse de- to the area of the discharge and length of the vane in the
sign method and CFD simulation. Gulich [3] performed diffuser on the efficiency of a mixed-flow pump.
analysis of three-dimensional flow for the design of pumps.
Tamaki et al. [4] have carried out the study of matching
between centrifugal impellers and diffusers. 2 Specifications

In this work, flow analysis for a mixed-flow pump for the

*Corresponding author (email: kykim@[Link]) irrigation and drainage has been carried out. The mixed-

© Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 [Link] [Link]
 KIM Jin-Hyuk, et al. Sci China Tech Sci January (2010) Vol.53 No.1 25

flow pump model has the specific speed, Ns=N Q0.5/H0.73= A structured grid system was constructed in the compu-
1099.1 at the best efficiency point (BEP). Figure 1 shows tational domain, which has O-type grids around the blade
the three-dimensional geometries of the impeller and dif- surfaces and H/J-type grids in other regions. All of them are
fuser of the mixed-flow pump and the main flow area on composed of hexahedral grid system as shown in Figure 2.
the meridional plane. The mass flow rate and total head at RANS equations were discretized using finite volume
the reference design are 568.15 m3/min and 8.92 m, re- approximations, and the shear stress transport (SST) turbu-
spectively. The major design specifications are listed in lence model (Menter et al. [8]) was used as a turbulence
Table 1. closure. In the SST model, a k-ω model was used in the
near-wall region, and a k-ε model was used beyond the wall
region. And, a blending function ensured a smooth transi-
3 Numerical analysis tion between the two models.

The commercial code ANSYS-CFX 11.0 [9] was used for

present flow analysis in a mixed-flow pump. Blade profile 4 Results and discussion
creation, computational mesh generation, boundary condi-
tion definitions, flow analysis and post processing were 4.1 Validation of analysis results
performed by Blade-Gen, Turbo-Grid, CFX-Pre, CFX-
Solver, and CFX-Post, respectively. Prior to the step for analysis of a mixed-flow pump, in order
Steady-state simulations with water were performed. to determine the optimal number of grids, a preliminary grid
Adiabatic and hydraulically smooth walls with no slip con- dependency test with numbers of nodes ranging from
dition were considered at solid boundaries. Periodic 200000 to 800000 was carried out as shown Figure 3. As
boundaries were set at the blade passage interfaces. The the result, 600000 was selected as the optimum number of
total pressure at the inlet was set to 1.0 atm, and the design grids.
mass flow rate was set at the outlet. The stage method was The performance test was set up as in Figure 4. The static
used for interface condition between the rotating impeller pressure was measured at the outlet of the mixed-flow pump
and stationary diffuser. to determine the total head, and the dynamic pressure was
calculated by measuring the discharging mass flow rate.

Figure 2 Computational grids.

Figure 1 Shape of the mixed-flow pump.

Table 1 Design specifications

Design volume flow rate (m3/min) 568.15

Rotational speed (r/min) 238.0
Total head (m) 8.92
Tip clearance (mm) 1.0
Number of rotor blade (& stator blade) 5 (6)
Maximum diameter of impeller (mm) 1799.0
Figure 3 Grid dependency test results.
26 KIM Jin-Hyuk, et al. Sci China Tech Sci January (2010) Vol.53 No.1

4.2 Results of numerical analysis at the design point

The analysis of the internal flow field at the design point
indicated that some pressure losses occurred in the region of
the diffuser. Figure 6 shows the total pressure and static
pressure distributions at the mid-span. The total and static
pressures increased well in the section of the impeller, but
some pressure losses were found near the leading edge of
the diffuser.
Figure 7 shows the static pressure contours at mid- span
in the diffuser. A low static pressure region was found at the
trailing edge of each diffuser vane, which was probably due
to an undesirable flow structure and resulted in performance
loss of the pump.

Figure 4 Overview of the test setup. 4.3 Modification of the geometry

Effects of two geometric parameters, i.e., the straight vane
The rotating speed was measured by the optical sensor on length ratio (SVLR) and the diffusion area ratio (DAR), on
the shaft transferring power and the power was calculated by the efficiency (η) were tested in this work. It was assumed
the input power and the efficiency of the preliminarily tested that the geometry change affects the flow structure and the
motor. pressure loss near the trailing edge of the diffuser vane.
For the performance presentations, the flow coefficient, Figure 8 shows the straight vane length ratio and the diffu-
the head coefficient, and efficiency were defined as follows: sion area ratio, which are defined respectively as follows.
Q
φ= , (1) Straight vane length ratio=L2/L1, (4)
ND3
gH
ψ= , (2)
N 2 D2
ρ gHQ
η= , (3)
P
where Q, N, D, g, H, ρ and P indicate the volume flow rate,
rotating speed, diameter, acceleration of gravity, total head,
density and power, respectively.
Numerical results for the flow analysis were validated in
comparison with the experimental results as shown in Figure 5.
The predictions for the efficiency and head agreed well with
the results of the performance test.
Figure 6 Total pressure and static pressure distributions at mid-span.

Figure 5 Validation of the flow analysis. Figure 7 Total pressure and static pressure distributions at mid-span.
 KIM Jin-Hyuk, et al. Sci China Tech Sci January (2010) Vol.53 No.1 27

5 Conclusion

Numerical calculations have been performed for high-effi-

ciency design of a mixed-flow pump through three-dimen-
sional RANS analysis. The numerical results were validated
by comparison with experimental data. The analysis results
have shown that at the design condition there is a low static
pressure region near the trailing edge of each diffuser vane.
It is found that the efficiency of the mixed-flow pump is
sensitive to the straight vane length ratio and the diffusion
area ratio. With a parametric study, the optimum values of
these ratios for high-efficiency design have been found.

This work was supported by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology

Evaluation and Planning (ITEP) grant funded by the Ministry of Knowledge
Figure 8 Definitions of SVLR and DAR. Economy (Grant No. 10031771).

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