Numerical investigation of liquid flow in two-, three- and four-stage centrifugal pumps

In this study, a liquid flow in two-, three- and four-stage centrifugal pumps was numerical investigated. The continuity and Navier-Stokes equations with the k-ε turbulence model and standard wall functions were used by means of the ANSYS-CFX code. To enhance the design of the multistage pump, the impacts of the number of impeller blades, diffuser return vanes and the number of stages on the performances of a multistage centrifugal pump were analyzed. The results obtained demonstrate that the selected parameters affect the pump head, brake horsepower and efficiency in a strong yet different manner. To validate the model developed, the results of the numerical simulations were compared with the experimental results from the pump manufacturer.