Research on Efficiency Improvement Technology of Wide Range Centrifugal Pump Based on Genetic Algorithm and Internal Flow Loss Diagnosis

• Published in: Water (Basel) Vol. 16; no. 23; p. 3402
• Main Authors: Liu, Zhenbo, Ji, Leilei, Pu, Wei, Li, Wei, Yang, Qiaoyue, Zhang, Xing, Yang, Yang, Shi, Weidong, Tian, Fei, Jiang, Sen, Agarwal, Ramesh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.12.2024
• Subjects: Centrifugal pumps; Comparative analysis; Computer simulation; Computer-generated environments; Design and construction; Design of experiments; Efficiency; Genetic algorithms; Hydraulics; Machinery; Mathematical optimization; Optimization algorithms; Technology application; Testing; Turbulence models; China
• ISSN: 2073-4441; 2073-4441
• DOI: 10.3390/w16233402

Wide-flow centrifugal pumps are widely used in marine, petrochemical, and thermal power plants because of their good hydraulic performance. To enhance the hydraulic performance of wide-flow centrifugal pumps and thereby reduce energy consumption, in this study, an automatic optimization system for rotating machinery based on genetic algorithms was employed. Initially, a detailed description of the centrifugal pump model and the optimization system was provided. Subsequently, sensitivity analysis of key parameters was conducted through design of experiments (DOEs), identifying the primary factors influencing the pump performance. This research demonstrated that the blade wrap angle, as well as the leading and trailing vane exit angles of the front and back shrouds, are crucial factors affecting the performance of the centrifugal pump, with the blade wrap angle exerting a particularly significant impact on pump efficiency, contributing up to 83.6%. After optimization, the pump’s head increased by 1.29%, and the efficiency improved by 2.96%. The flow field of the optimized pump was significantly improved, with enhanced fluidity, achieving higher head and efficiency at a lower torque. Additionally, the pumping performance was augmented with an enhanced diffuser capacity in the pump volute, leading to increased exit pressure energy, while the turbulent kinetic energy and entropy production losses were significantly reduced. Under various operating conditions, the entropy production losses at the pump walls were all decreased, and the total mechanical energy within the impeller showed an increasing trend from the inlet to the outlet, resulting in lower energy consumption. In this paper, a reference is provided for further enhancing the hydraulic performance of centrifugal pumps in the future.