Comparison of different models for determination of erosion wear in centrifugal pumps

Authors

Fabian Hankeln - Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machinery, University of Stuttgart
Stefan Riedelbauch - Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machinery, University of Stuttgart

Abstract

Due to long operating time, the efficiency of centrifugal pumps is decreasing gradually. A decreasing efficiency can be originated from different wearing processes, why a detailed knowledge of these processes and their influence can be advantageous for a smooth operating behavior. In this context the erosion induced by solid particles in a centrifugal pump is investigated with the help of computational fluid dynamics. The erosion wear is calculated with two different models. Furthermore, the location of erosion wear and the influence of using a one-way and fully coupled solid phase are investigated. The results show similar locations and distributions of the predicted erosion damage for both examined models. The variation of the particle concentration suggests the assumption that a one-way coupling leads to inaccurate results for high solid concentrations. At least the investigations show an approximated linear scaling of the erosion rate density with the particle concentration and the prevailing volume flow.