Procedia Engineering 31 (2012) 170 175

1877-7058 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.01.1008
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
International Conference on Advances in Computational Modeling and Simulation
Analysis on Internal Solid-liquid Two-phase Flow in the
Impellers of Sewage Pump
Li Wei
a*
, Weidong Shi, Xiaoping Jiang, Bin Chen, Yanlan Wu
a
Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and technology, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

Abstract
In order to achieve the high passing capacity, high efficiency and non-overload performance of a sewage pump, the
type of WQS120-60-45 sewage pump is selected as an example to be researched. The theory analyses and numerical
simulation were conducted on the internal two-phase flow of the pump. The distribution of the solid particles in
impeller is observed, and the influence of impeller outlet angle on pump efficiency and the ability of solid particles
passing through is analyzed. The results showed that the solid particles concentrated on pressure surface of impeller.
When impeller outlet angle was higher, local medium energy lost seriously. With the angle decreasing, the blade was
more suitable for the flow of the solid particles, which has improved the impeller wearing and increased efficiency.
This study can provide a certain reference for optimization design of sewage pump impeller.


2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Kunming
University of Science and Technology

Keywords: Sewage pump; Impeller; Solid-liquid two-phase flow; Outlet angle
1. Introduction
With the development of national economy of China, the market demand of the sewage pump is
increasing, the requirements of the safety and reliability of operation is growing, the performance of the
pump also puts forward higher request. However, most of the reported works are about the study of the
experimental research, the design method, the numerical simulation, and the geometric parameter
optimization design of small flow and low head non-overload diving sewage pump [1-3]. To increase the

Corresponding author. Tel: +86-13775554729;
Email address: lwjiangda@ujs.rdu.cn
171 Li Wei et al. / Procedia Engineering 31 (2012) 170 175
sewage pump passing capacity, researchers always use the design of wider flow passageway, which
causes the efficient point moving to the big flow, it is easily to be overload and burning out motor at low
specific speed, and always affects the efficiency of pumps [4]. In this paper the sewage pump WQS120-
60-45 have been presented to research on. The theory analyses and numerical simulation have been
conducted on the internal two-phase flow of the sewage pump, to observe the distribution of the solid
particles in impellers and also analyze the influence of impeller outlet angles on pump efficiency and the
ability of solid particles passing through. It has provided the reference for high efficiency and non-
overload design of the sewage pump impeller to meet the requirements.
2. Internal flow theory analysis
Internal flow of the centrifugal pump impellers are made up of low velocity wakes zone and free
viscosity jets zone [5-7]. Figure 1 shows that the flow near the boundary layer has generated backflow
and stall because of the flow in impellers passageway getting the work from the blade no uniform by the
action of adverse pressure gradient. The wider wakes areas that are close to the front shroud of impellers
and suction surface are, the thinner the shear layer between jets and wakes is, and the velocity gradient
between them is bigger. For the sewage pumps it should consider the effecting of stratified fluid and
stratified solid. The speed of the particles is excessive or not enough, which will cause additional
centrifugal and Coriolis forces. The slow speed particles have a tendency to move to the suction side, and
the fast particles tend to move to the pressure side. But then layered effect is related to the velocity of the
suction side and pressure side, that also is related to the blade loading, so to reduce the layered effect must
reduce the blade loading. To enable the high passing capacity the number of sewage pump blade is less,
which increases the blade loading. In order to reduce the effect of layer, it should extend the flow
passageway that reduces the blade loading at unit length. So less blade number and large blade wrap
angle need using the small blade exit angle
2
.

Real flow
I
d
e
a
l

v
e
l
o
c
i
t
y

p
r
o
f
i
l
e
Blade suction side
Jet
Blade pressure side
Wake

Fig. 1 Wakes-jets in pump
For a real flow field, solid particles tend to centre on the pressure surface of the impellers. Experiments
show that the velocity of large quality particles is Several times higher than the velocity of flow at the
impeller entrance, and the difference is more outstanding when the quality is larger. Furthermore, large
quality of solid particles has big motion curvature, but small solid have small curvature, which is shown
in figure 2. So blade exit angle in the design of sewage pumps is smaller than that of the clean water
pump. This can reduce the strike of solid to the blade, reduce wear and improve efficiency. It agrees with
the theoretical analysis conclusion.
172 Li Wei et al. / Procedia Engineering 31 (2012) 170 175


1
s
=1.3 t/m
3
d
s
=8.mm u=15 2
s
=2.65 t/m
3
d
s
=8.mm u=15

s
densityd
s
-diameter of particleu- blade wrap angle
Fig.2 The movement of different mass particles in the impeller
3. Basic equation
The Liquid relative motion equation is
v
fs
f f f f f
t
f
f
c
f
w p w r z g
d
w d

A + V + =
1
2
2
e e
In witch,
t
f
f
d w d represents inertia force, z g
f
is mass force, r
f
2
e is the centrifugal force by
transport motion,
f f
w e is the Coriolis force, p V is the pressure gradient force,
f
w A the is viscous
force, ) 1 (
v fs
c f is the liquid power relative to the solid.
The solid relative motion equation is
s
sf
s s
R
s
s s f s
t
f
t
s
s
c
f
p w e
R
w
r z g w w
d
d
c
d
w d
+ V + + = + e e 2 ) (
2
2

In witch,
t s s
d w d

is the inertia force,

t f s f
d w w d c ) ( is the additional mass force, z g
s
is the
mass force, r
s
2
e is the centrifugal force by transport motion, R e w R
s
2
is the centrifugal force by
curve motion of solid phase,
s s
w e is the coriolis force, p V is the pressure gradient force,
s sf
c f is
the liquid power relative to the solid [8].
The relative motion can be assumed for stable and ax symmetric potential flow, and if the additional
mass force caused by the acceleration (the solid adding to flow around) is neglected, the integral of solid-
fluid equations and the overlying can be written as
c
g
u w
r
P
Z c
i
i
f
s i
wi
=

+ +
_
=
)
2
(
2 2

The basic equations of sewage pumps is
) (
1
) (
1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 f u f u
w
s u s u
w
t
v u v u
g
c
v u v u
g
c
H

+ =
4. Numerical simulations
4.1. Pump model
All researches in this paper are taken out on the WQS120-60-45 sewage pump; the aim is to simulate
the internal solid-liquid two-phase flow. Its main operation parameters are presented as: flow rate
Q=120m3/h, head H=60m, rotational speed n=1470r/min, specific speed ns=45. Comparative analysis of
the two blade outlet angles is conducted between 2=10and 2=20, the geometrical design of the 3D
simulated pump are shown in figure 3.
173 Li Wei et al. / Procedia Engineering 31 (2012) 170 175


a
2
=10 b
2
=20
Fig.3 Three-dimensional impeller diagrams of different blade outlet angle
4.2. Computational model and methods
The two-phase flow simulation applies mixture model. Mixture model uses the slip velocity that
allows different speed between the two phases. There are some control equations to solve that include
mixed-phase continuity equation, mixed-phase momentum and energy equation volume fraction equation
of the second phase, and also include algebraic expression of relative velocity.
The inlet uses the direction of the speed; the outlet uses the way of free outflow; the wall applies
standard law of wall. K-c model is used to solve the turbulent kinetic energy calculation. The phase of
solid particles in the calculation is silicon-solid; the diamond is 0.15mm; the volume concentration is
assumed for 10%.
4.3. Computational results and analysis
The important evaluation levels of the design of two-phase pump are the solid particles` distributions
in the flow passage components, especially in the impellers. In figure 4, the computational calculation
results show that the distributions of the solid particles among the impellers. The phenomenon can be
seen from figure 4 that the solid particles centre on pressure surface of impellers. When the blade outlet
angle became larger, solid particles beat with pressure surface of blade in impellers outlet. It wears blade
outlet and changes the streamline distribution of the impellers outlet. This causes local energy
consumptions of the medium, and the pump efficiency will descend. Analysis results agree with the actual
action of the pump. The design of sewage pump is fitter for solid particles passing through when blade
exit angle decreases, which improves impeller wear than big angle.
Figure 5 presents the distribution of the static pressure in the impeller at design point for changing the
blade outlet angle. It can be seen that the static pressure of the pressure surface is obvious higher than the
suction surface at the same radius. The minimum pressure is obtained at the suction surface of the blade
inlet which is in accordance with the impeller cavitations of the position in the common situation.
Because the fluid does not flow along the flow surface and then produce stall, there is pressure gradient in
the flow suction side, where the pressure become minimum and is easily to produce cavitations. By
comparative analysis, the static pressure gradient of Fig.5 (b) is big in spiral case, and has obvious high
zones in the helix of spiral case.

174 Li Wei et al. / Procedia Engineering 31 (2012) 170 175

a
2
=10 b
2
=20
Fig.4 The solid particles distribution in impeller

a
2
=10 b
2
=20
Fig.5 Distribution of static pressure
5. Conclusions
Consider the influence of the Stratified solid, blade exit angle in the design of sewage pumps is smaller
than the one of clean water pump. This can reduce the strike of solid to the blade, reduce wear and
improve efficiency.
Numerical simulation results show that the solid particles centre on the pressure surface of impellers.
When the blade outlet angle is bigger, this causes local energy consumptions of medium seriously.
Analysis results agree with the actual action of the pump. The design of sewage pump is fitter for solid
particles passing through when blade exit angle decreases, which improve impeller wear and the
efficiency.
Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation Project of Jiangsu Province
(No.BK2011505),the Scientific and Technological Innovation team Project of College in Jiangsu
Province (No.[2009]10), the Natural Science Foundation Project of College in Jiangsu Province
(No.09KJD570001), the Graduate Innovation Project of Jiangsu Province (No.CX09B_196Z) and is
gratefully appreciated.
175 Li Wei et al. / Procedia Engineering 31 (2012) 170 175
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