학술논문

An Improved Positive Displacement Pump Model Accounting for Suction Cavitation
Document Type
Article
Source
Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology; 20240101, Issue: Preprints p1-38, 38p
Subject
Language
ISSN
00949930; 15288978
Abstract
Positive displacement (PD) pumps are widely employed in industrial settings due to their inherent simplicity and reliability, serving a diverse range of applications from slurry transport to jet washing. Although their operational principles are straightforward, the fluid dynamics of the pumped medium exhibit non-trivial characteristics, including intricate transient phenomena. Consequently, a comprehensive fluid dynamic description, such as a three-dimensional RANS analysis, presents challenges due to its demanding computational requirements. While simpler analytical PD pump models are available, they often fail to adequately represent the primary system behaviors, particularly when dealing with cavitation. Motivated by these challenges, this study aims to develop a novel one-dimensional model for PD pumps, offering a representation of essential fluid phenomena without imposing significant computational burdens. After assessing the relative importance of the fluid dynamic behaviors that the model must capture, we construct a pump model based on a one-dimensional fluid description and solve it using a second-order in time and space MUSCL-TVD scheme. The model's validity is confirmed by its application to both single-chamber and three-chamber diaphragm PD pumps, which are instrumented for experimental validation. The results of the one-dimensional model exhibit strong agreement with physical experiments, both in controlled laboratory environments and field conditions. This success suggests a promising approach for industrial applications.