AEIJST May 2014 -Vol 2 Issue 5 ISSN - 2348- 6732

CFD Analysis of Centrifugal Pump Using Impeller Parameters

*P V Senthiil,
**V S Mirudhuneka
*Director/CE & Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Peters
University, Avadi, Chennai-54
**SAP Consultant, IBM India Ltd, DLF Complex, Porur, Chennai
Abstract
The impeller of a centrifugal pump is the most important component which
increases the kinetic energy of the incoming liquid. It consists of blades which aid in
increasing the velocity of the liquid and also a complex asymmetric component which
makes it difficult and expensive to modify and experiment physically. Computational
Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a tool which aids in conducting or simulating flow through a
pump virtually using computer software. An attempt has been made to improve the
performance of a typical centrifugal pump obtained from a leading pump
manufacturing company. Four parameters namely number of blades, blade inlet
angle, and outer diameter of impeller and trim profile of blades are identified to be
connected with the performance of the centrifugal pump. These four parameters are
set in three levels to form a L9 orthogonal array to design nine experiments by
Taguchi method. Based on the experiment details, the impeller is modeled using CAD
software. The modeled impellers are then analyzed using Solid works Flow
Simulation, a CFD software package. Discharge is obtained for these models and
optimization is performed by Taguchi method to obtain signal-noise ratio. The best
possible combination of parameters is determined and is implemented in an impeller
model and CFD analysis is carried out to verify the obtained results.
1. Introduction
Pumping systems are the single largest type of industrial end-user of motordriven electricity, accounting for 25% of industrial motor energy usage. Also,
pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the worlds demand for electric energy.
While pumps typically operate to serve various chemical process support
equipments such as chillers, cooling towers, material transfer, etc., pumping is
considered an individual process separate from the processes of the
aforementioned equipment. A pump is a device used to raise, compress, or transfer
fluids. The motors that power most pumps can be the focus of many best practices.
It is common to model the operation of pumps by using pump and system curves
[4, 5]. Pump curves offer the horsepower, head, and flow rate figures for a specific
pump at a constant rpm. System curves describe the capacity and head required
by a pump system Pumps are generally grouped into two broad categories, positive
displacement pumps and dynamic (centrifugal) pumps. Positive displacement
pumps use a mechanical means to vary the size (or move) of the fluid chamber to
cause the fluid to flow. Positive displacement pumps have a constant torque
characteristic, where centrifugal pumps are variable torque in nature. Centrifugal
pumps impart a momentum in the fluid by rotating impellers immersed in the fluid
the positive displacement pump is commonly used to feed chemicals into the water
or to move heavy suspension, such as sludge.
One type of positive displacement pump consists of a piston that moves in a
back and forth motion within a cylinder. It is used primarily to move material that
has large amounts of suspended material, such as sludges. Another type of positive
displacement pump used in the water industry is the diaphragm pump. This pump
1
www.aeph.in

AEIJST May 2014 -Vol 2 Issue 5 ISSN - 2348- 6732

operates the same way as the piston pump except that, in place of a piston that
moves in a cylinder, a flexible diaphragm moves back and forth in a closed area.
Centrifugal pumps
A centrifugal pump is a kinetic device. Liquid entering the pump receives kinetic
energy from the rotating impeller. The centrifugal action of the impeller accelerates
the liquid to a high velocity, transferring mechanical (rotational) energy to the
liquid. Centrifugal pumps impart a momentum in the fluid by rotating impellers
immersed in the fluid. The momentum produces an increase in pressure or flow at
the pump outlet. It converts driver energy to kinetic energy in a liquid by
accelerating it to the outer rim of a revolving device known as an impeller. The
faster the impeller revolves or the bigger the impeller, then the higher the velocity of
the liquid at the vane tip and the greater the energy imparted to the liquid [1].
The kinetic energy available to the fluid is used to accomplish work. In most
cases, the work consists of the liquid moving at some velocity through a system by
overcoming resistance to flow due to friction from pipes, and physical restrictions
from valves and other in-line devices, as well as elevation changes between the
liquid's starting location and final destination. When velocity is reduced due to
resistance encountered in the system, pressure increases. As resistance is
encountered, the liquid expends some of its energy in the form of heat, noise, and
vibration in overcoming that resistance. The result is that the available energy in
the liquid decreases as the distance from the pump increases. The actual energy
available for work at any point in a system is a combination of the available velocity
and pressure energy at that point.
The energy changes occur by virtue of two main parts of the pump, the
impeller and the volute or diffuser. The impeller is the rotating part that converts
driver energy into the kinetic energy. The volute or diffuser is the stationary part
that transforms the kinetic energy of the liquid into pressure energy. Centrifugal
pumps are prevalent for many different applications in the industrial and other
sectors. Nevertheless, their design and performance prediction process is still a
difficult task, mainly due to the great number of free geometric parameters
involved. On the other hand the significant cost and time of the trial-and-error
process by constructing and testing physical prototypes reduces the profit margins
of the pump manufacturers Although the actual flow patterns within a centrifugal
pump are three-dimensional and unsteady in varying degrees, it is fairly easy, on a
one-dimensional, steady-flow basis, to make the connection between the basic
energy transfer and performance relationships and the geometry or what is
commonly termed the hydraulic design (more properly the fluid dynamical
design) of impellers and stators or stationary passageways of these machines. In
fact, disciplined one-dimensional thinking and analysis enables one to deduce
pump operational characteristics (for example, power and head versus flow rate) at
both the optimum or design conditions and off-design conditions.
This enables the designer and the user to judge whether a pump and the
fluid system in which it is installed will operate smoothly or with instabilities. The
user should then be able to understand the offerings of a pump manufacturer, and
the designer should be able to provide a machine that optimally fits the users
requirements.
Open Impeller
An open impeller has its vanes exposed on the bottom side, a design that
allows the pump to move liquids that contain large solids. Open impellers are used
in propeller pumps in which the head is low (usually less than 20 feet) and the
2
www.aeph.in

AEIJST May 2014 -Vol 2 Issue 5 ISSN - 2348- 6732

volume of water pumped is high. The rate of flow can easily be set by adjusting the
clearance of the bottom of the impeller to the pump casing. The larger the clearance
is, the less will be pumped.
Semi-Open Impeller
This design contains many of the same characteristics of the open impeller.
The semi-open impeller has a shroud, or cover, on one side. It is used to pump
liquids that contain medium-size solids.
Closed Impeller
This is the impeller of choice in most pump designs and is used in cases
where the liquid being pumped has few solids since it will pump the liquid with less
wasted energy. With this design, there is a cover on both sides of the impeller with
the vanes completely enclosed. The eye of the impeller is surrounded by a skirt,
which fits into a recess in the pump casing and ensures that the water from the
discharge side of the impeller does not re-circulate back to the suction side.
The impeller is set in the centre of the pump casing. The skirt of the impeller
is surrounded by a wear ring to reduce problems which can seriously affect pump
performance and the life of the impeller. The pressure inside the volute of the pump
increases when the pump is operating. A zone of high pressure in the volute and
low pressure in the suction eye is set up. As the water jets from the high- to the
low-pressure area, the material of the volute and impeller will be worn away.
Abrasive material in the water can also contribute to the wear. The wear ring on the
impeller is designed to be a sacrificial element. It absorbs the wear, saving the
impeller from damage. A certain amount of water is re-circulated, causing energy to
be wasted, as water jets from the high- to the low-pressure side of the impeller
back to the suction eye. Normally the clearance can be adjusted to keep such
recirculation to a minimum. Centrifugal pumps can have more than one impeller,
often called stage. Each additional stage increases the head that the pump can
pump against. If one impeller will pump against 60 feet of head, two will pump
against approximately 120 feet, three against 180 feet, etc. The rate of the flow will
not be affected by additional impellers since that is dictated by the diameter of the
impeller. It will be no greater than what the first impeller can deliver [2].
Velocity triangles
A velocity triangle or a velocity diagram is a triangle representing the various
components of velocities of the working fluid in a turbo machine. Velocity triangles
may be drawn for both the inlet and outlet sections of any turbo machine.
The vector nature of velocity is utilized in the triangles, and the most basic form of
a velocity triangle consists of the tangential velocity, the absolute velocity and the
relative velocity of the fluid making up three sides of the triangle. Each of the three
vectors in the triangle of velocities has two properties namely magnitude and
direction. This means that there are a total of six components
Optimization
Optimization is the selection of a best element with regard to some criteria
from some set of available alternatives. In the simplest case, an optimization
problem consists of maximizing or minimizing a real function by systematically
choosing input values from within an allowed set and computing the value of the
function. The generalization of optimization theory and techniques to other
formulations comprises a large area of applied mathematics. More generally,
optimization includes finding "best available" values of some objective function
3
www.aeph.in

AEIJST May 2014 -Vol 2 Issue 5 ISSN - 2348- 6732

given a defined domain, including a variety of different types of objective functions
and different types of domains.
2. Taguchi method of optimization
Taguchi method is a scientifically disciplined mechanism for evaluating and
implementing improvements in products, processes, materials, equipment, and
facilities. These improvements are aimed at improving the desired characteristics
and simultaneously reducing the number of defects by studying the key variables
controlling the process and optimizing the procedures or design to yield the best
results.
The method is applicable over a wide range of engineering fields that include
processes that manufacture raw materials, sub systems, products for professional
and consumer markets. In fact, the method can be applied to any process be it
engineering fabrication, computer-aided-design, banking and service sectors etc.
Taguchi method is useful for 'tuning' a given process for 'best' results.
Every experimenter has to plan and conduct experiments to obtain enough
and relevant data so that he can infer the science behind the observed
phenomenon. [3]
(i) Trial and error approach
It performs a series of experiments each of which gives some understanding.
This requires making measurements after every experiment so that analysis of
observed data will allow him to decide what to do next - "Which parameters should
be varied and by how much". Many a times such series does not progress much as
negative results may discourage or will not allow a selection of parameters which
ought to be changed in the next experiment. Therefore, such experimentation
usually ends well before the number of experiments reaches a double digit! The
data is insufficient to draw any significant conclusions and the main problem (of
understanding the science) still remains unsolved.
(ii) Design of experiments
A well planned set of experiments, in which all parameters of interest are
varied over a specified range, is a much better approach to obtain systematic data.
Mathematically speaking, such a complete set of experiments ought to give desired
results. Usually the number of experiments and resources (materials and time)
required are prohibitively large. Often the experimenter decides to perform a subset
of the complete set of experiments to save on time and money! However, it does not
easily lend itself to understanding of science behind the phenomenon. The analysis
is not very easy (though it may be easy for the mathematician/statistician) and
thus effects of various parameters on the observed data are not readily apparent. In
many cases, particularly those in which some optimization is required, the method
does not point to the BEST settings of parameters. A classic example illustrating
the drawback of design of experiments is found in the planning of a world cup
event, say football [1].
(iii)Taguchi method
Dr. Taguchi of Nippon Telephones and Telegraph Company, Japan has
developed a method based on ORTHOGONAL ARRAY experiments which gives
much reduced variance for the experiment with optimum settings of control
parameters. Thus the marriage of Design of Experiments with optimization of
control parameters to obtain BEST results is achieved in the Taguchi Method.

4
www.aeph.in

AEIJST May 2014 -Vol 2 Issue 5 ISSN - 2348- 6732

"Orthogonal Arrays" (OA) provide a set of well balanced (minimum)
experiments and Dr. Taguchi's Signal-to-Noise ratios (S/N), which are log functions
of desired output, serve as objective functions for optimization, help in data
analysis and prediction of optimum results.
Centrifugal pump testing
In todays competitive industrial world, the physical testing of various pump
models is a laborious process. The trial and error method is time consuming and
has many disadvantages. In some instances of the trial and error method, it is
impossible to run several experiments all at once. Several different tests have to be
conducted to find the best result. When we arrive at the conclusion, a lot of time
might be wasted.
Trial and error wastes a large quantity of test materials for prolonged tests.
In some cases, it will be unable to reuse old test subjects. Blind testing to receive a
test result can be risky to an organization and for the test subjects involved. Some
of the experiments pay off and result in a groundbreaking breakthrough that can
help the entire organization. On the other hand it can also lead to terrible blunders
resulting in the downfall of the organization
CAD and CFD analysis are useful tools that can boost an organizations
profit and reduce a considerable time that is usually lost in physical testing. CAD
aids in constructing the geometrical profile on a computer and CFD analysis
provides the necessary virtual simulation without using any physical effort.
Benefits of CFD
The primary benefits of using CFD are
Enhanced Understanding: CFD creates a virtual prototype of the physical,
chemical and thermal characteristics of a system. Visualization of the predicted
behaviour of the virtual prototype can provide insight into the design, which may
be impossible to observe otherwise. This is particularly useful in gaining
understanding into systems that are difficult to prototype or obtain detailed
internal measurements.
CFD can be used to test "what if" questions quickly even before physical
prototyping or testing can be conducted. By changing the input variables to the
numerical model, predictions on the system performance can be obtained for any
range of operating conditions to facilitate optimization of the design[6].
Shorter Lead Times: Fast accurate analysis and a thorough understanding of
the design leads to shorter design cycles. CFD can be used for compressing the
development cycle while managing technical risk. CFD is most effectively applied
to:
Design evaluation
Optimization
Problem solving in existing equipment
Performance evaluation
Scale-up evaluation

5
www.aeph.in

AEIJST May 2014 -Vol 2 Issue 5 ISSN - 2348- 6732

3. Problem definition
An impeller of a 5 hp centrifugal pump is studied to predict the pressure,
velocity distributions and efficiency by altering certain key parameters in the
impeller. Initially the standard impeller was modelled by CATIA V5 and analyzed
using Flow Simulation software to identify the deviation of CFD results from the
standard practical value. The impeller is then studied by modifying certain
parameters.
Design of experiments
The techniques for laying out experiments when multiple factors are
involved, has been known for a long time and is popularly known as the Factorial
design of experiments. This method helps the researcher to determine the possible
combinations of factors and to identify the best combination. However in industrial
settings it is extremely costly to run a number of experiments to test all
combinations [7]. The Taguchi approach developed rules to carry out experiments,
which further simplified and standardized the design of the experiment, along with
minimizing the number of factor combinations that would be required to test for
the factor.
Orthogonal arrays
The Taguchi design of experiment makes use of Orthogonal Arrays (OA) to
help design the experiment. By combining the orthogonal Latin squares in a unique
manner Taguchi prepared a set of common OAs to be used for a number of
experimental situations. In this work, four independent variables namely blade
number, inlet blade angle, outer diameter of impeller and trim profile having three
6
www.aeph.in

AEIJST May 2014 -Vol 2 Issue 5 ISSN - 2348- 6732

factor level values are considered. By using the Taguchi method, L9 orthogonal
array is selected and the experiments are designed to conduct the experiments
virtually using computer software.
Experiments
In Solid works Flow Simulation software, results are obtained in the Goal
Plot dialog box. All added goals together with their current values are listed at the
top part of the box, as well as the current progress towards completion given as a
percentage. The progress value is only an estimate and generally (but not
necessarily) increases with time.

Conclusion
In this work, an impeller model of a centrifugal pump was created using CATIA V5
software from the data provided by a leading pump manufacturer and then
analyzed in Solidworks Flow Simulation software. The relative error percentage was
determined to find the deviation of the CFD results from the actual standard
results. An attempt was made to improve the performance of the impeller by
modifying certain key parameters like blade number, outer diameter of impeller,
inlet blade angle and trim profile. The experiments were designed based on L9
orthogonal array with three levels of four parameters. The experiment models were
constructed using CATIA V5 software and the models were analyzed in Solidworks
Flow Simulation, CFD software. The results obtained from the experiments showed
a reasonable increase in volume flow rate output. The results obtained were
optimized by Taguchi method to identify a suitable combination of parameters.
Another model was constructed in CATIA V5 software based on the best
7
www.aeph.in

AEIJST May 2014 -Vol 2 Issue 5 ISSN - 2348- 6732

combination of optimized parameters. The model was then analyzed virtually to
validate the results obtained by optimization and they showed good conformity.
References
[1] Khalid.S.Rababa (2011), The Effect of Blades number and Shape on the
Operating characteristics of Groundwater Centrifugal Pumps, European Journal
of scientific research, vol 2, No.6, pp 243-251.
[2] Ll Gang Wen (2011), inverse design of impeller blade of centrifugal Pump with
a singularity method, Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
vol 9, No. 6, pp 119-128.
[3] BPMA, The European System Guide, First Edition 2011.
[4] Jacobsen Brix Christian, The Centrifugal Pump, Grundfos, First Edition.
[5] Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Pumps and Pumping System, First edition 2002.
[6] Toru Shigemitsu, Fukitomi Junichiro, Kensuke Kaji and Wada Takashi (2012),
Unsteady Internal Flow Conditions of Mini Centrifugal Pump with Splitter Blades,
Proceedings of 4th Asian Joint workshop on Thermophysics and Fluid Science.
[7] Subramaniam.L and Sendilvelan.S, (2012), Modal Analysis of a Centrifugal
Pump Impeller, International journal of engineering, Science and technology, vol 9,
No, 2, pp 5-14.

8
www.aeph.in