Peng Wu

Bio: Peng Wu is an academic researcher from Zhejiang University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Impeller & Centrifugal pump. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 32 publications receiving 295 citations.

Optimization Research of Parallel Pump System for Improving Energy Efficiency

Abstract: In applications where demand on a water supply system changes frequently and widely, the operating conditions of pumps always deviate from the design conditions, and this error leads to poor efficiency and reliability. For energy saving and longer service life, a parallel pump system was supplied, with the valves and rotational speed controls approximating the system’s operating conditions closer to the designed conditions for different consumer loads. The developed optimization model employs a genetic algorithm (GA) aiming at the pumps’ maximum efficiency. A theoretical solution based on the Lagrange multiples method was proved. Experiments on two identical pumps were carried out. The presented model gives optimal input data for the pumps’ rotational speed and valve positions. The results show that control valves are especially helpful for improvement of a single pump’s efficiency and reliability. However, in the system of parallel pumps, throttling losses in the valves caused a significant decli...

Experimental and numerical study of transient flow in a centrifugal pump during startup

Abstract: Transient characteristics and flows in a centrifugal pump during its starting period were experimentally and numerically investigated. The two-dimensional particle image velocimetry technique was used to capture transient flow evolutions in the pump’s diffuser. A new dynamic slip region method that combines the dynamic mesh method with the non-conformal grid boundaries is proposed to resolve the transient flows caused by the started impeller. Numerical self-coupling was realized by establishing a circulation pipe system along with the pump model equivalent to the experimental pump system. Numerical and experimental results agree well in both explicit characteristics and internal transient flow structures, confirming the validity of the proposed method. Analysis of the instantaneous flow in the impellers indicates that for the early stage of the startup, the transient vortex evolution between blades is the main reason for the transient head coefficient being lower than the steady state value. The reversed flow at the blade inlet is a less important reason for this effect. In later stages, the weakening of the intensity of the spatial vortex visible on S2m and the main flow stream are the main reasons for the explicit performance slowly rebounding to the steady value.

Computational Fluid Dynamics-Based Pump Redesign to Improve Efficiency and Decrease Unsteady Radial Forces

Abstract: In this study, a double volute centrifugal pump with relative low efficiency and high vibration is redesigned to improve the efficiency and reduce the unsteady radial forces with the aid of unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The concept of entropy generation rate is applied to evaluate the magnitude and distribution of the loss generation in pumps and it is proved to be a useful technique for loss identification and subsequent redesign process. The local Euler head distribution (LEHD) can represent the energy growth from the blade leading edge (LE) to its trailing edge (TE) on constant span stream surface in a viscous flow field, and the LEHD is proposed to evaluate the flow field on constant span stream surfaces from hub to shroud. To investigate the unsteady internal flow of the centrifugal pump, the unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations (URANS) are solved with realizable k-epsilon turbulence model using the CFD code FLUENT. The impeller is redesigned with the same outlet diameter as the baseline pump. A two-step-form LEHD is recommended to suppress flow separation and secondary flow encountered in the baseline impeller in order to improve the efficiency. The splitter blades are added to improve the hydraulic performance and to reduce unsteady radial forces. The original double volute is substituted by a newly designed single volute one. The hydraulic efficiency of the centrifugal pump based on redesigned impeller with splitter blades and newly designed single volute is about 89.2%, a 3.2% higher than the baseline pump. The pressure fluctuation in the volute is significantly reduced, and the mean and maximum values of unsteady radial force are only 30% and 26.5% of the values for the baseline pump.

Effect of Trailing-Edge Modification of a Mixed-Flow Pump

Abstract: Modern pumps are designed to guarantee a sufficiently large operating range or to satisfy the performance requirements relative to more than one operating point. This study applies trailing-edge (TE) modification method based on TE rounding in the suction surface to widen the operating range of a mixed-flow pump. The effects of TE modification on the performance and internal flow of the mixed-flow pump are investigated through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Local Euler head distribution is introduced to reveal the pattern of energy growth along the blade-aligned (BA) streamwise location. A pump model with TE modification is tested, and numerical results agree well with experimental data. The results show that TE modification significantly improves pump efficiency in the high flow rate region by more than 10%. The best pattern of normalized local Euler head distribution (NLEHD) is a convex curve of nearly constant growth rate. The overall heads are also improved, and the flow near the exit of the impeller exhibits better uniformity. This finding demonstrates that a small change in the TE of the impeller can influence flow structure in most areas of impeller channels and that the local Euler head distribution is closely related to pump efficiency. TE modification can effectively improve the performance of the mixed-flow pump with high flow rate.

Lost in optimisation of water distribution systems? A literature review of system operation

Abstract: Optimisation of the operation of water distribution systems has been an active research field for almost half a century. It has focused mainly on optimal pump operation to minimise pumping costs and optimal water quality management to ensure that standards at customer nodes are met. This paper provides a systematic review by bringing together over two hundred publications from the past three decades, which are relevant to operational optimisation of water distribution systems, particularly optimal pump operation, valve control and system operation for water quality purposes of both urban drinking and regional multiquality water distribution systems. Uniquely, it also contains substantial and thorough information for over one hundred publications in a tabular form, which lists optimisation models inclusive of objectives, constraints, decision variables, solution methodologies used and other details. Research challenges in terms of simulation models, optimisation model formulation, selection of optimisation method and postprocessing needs have also been identified. A review of operational optimisation of water distribution systems is provided.Future challenges were identified, despite the large body of existing literature.Universally agreed formulation of an operational optimisation problem is needed.Algorithm performance for a particular problem requires improved understanding.A method for selecting only one solution for a real system needs to be developed.

Role of blade rotational angle on energy performance and pressure fluctuation of a mixed-flow pump

Abstract: The role of blade rotational angle in the energy performance and pressure fluctuation of a mixed-flow pump is investigated through an experimental measurement and numerical simulation. The mixed-fl...