Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2025
The impact of modifying the blade trailing edge configuration on centrifugal pump performance: Entropy generation and fluid–structure interaction analysis
The configuration of the blade's trailing edge (TE) significantly impacts the operational efficiency of a centrifugal pump. Modifying its form is highly effective for enhancing the internal turbulent flow and fluctuating pressure. This work aims to numerically examine how the shape of the TE affects the flow and structural characteristics of a low-specific speed centrifugal pump. To elucidate the process behind the impact of TE on pump performance, six representative TEs, including original trailing edge (OTE), Bezier trailing edge (BTE), ellipse trailing edge (ETE), trimmed at the pressure side (TPS), trimmed at the suction side (TSS), and trimmed at both side (TBS) have been examined. An analysis is conducted to investigate the distribution of pressure pulsation, shaft power, and energy loss along the streamwise direction in the pump component. The entropy generation method illustrates the extent and spatial distribution of energy dissipation. A transient structural study is conducted on the impeller, examining various TEs. The findings indicate that TE considerably influences the centrifugal pump performance. A modification in TE has led to an increase in both head and pressure, and the impeller with the ETE would reach the highest efficiency of 81.79% with a 6.4% increase relative to the original model. In addition, the analysis covers structural behaviors, such as total deformation and equivalent stress.
SakranHKAbdul AzizMSAbdullahMZ, et al.Effects of blade number on the centrifugal pump performance: a review. Arab J Sci Eng2022; 47: 7945–7961.
2.
LiHChenYYangY, et al. CFD simulation of centrifugal pump with different impeller blade trailing edges. J Mar Sci Eng2023; 11: 1–35.
3.
SakranHKAbdul AzizMSKhorCY. Blade wrap angle impact on centrifugal pump performance: entropy generation and fluid–structure interaction analysis. C - Comput Model Eng Sci2024; 140: 109–137.
4.
SakranHKAbdul AzizMSKhorCY. Effect of blade number on the energy dissipation and centrifugal pump performance based on the entropy generation theory and fluid–structure interaction. Arab J Sci Eng2024; 49: 11031–11052.
5.
CuiBZhangCZhangY, et al.Influence of cutting angle of blade trailing edge on unsteady flow in a centrifugal pump under off-design conditions. Appl Sci2020; 10: 580.
6.
ZhuBTanLWangX, et al.Investigation on flow characteristics of pump-turbine runners with large blade lean. J Fluids Eng Trans ASME2018; 140: 1–9.
7.
GangipamulaRRanjanPPatilRS. Study of rotor–stator interaction phenomenon in a double-suction centrifugal pump with impeller vane trailing edge as a design parameter. Phys Fluids2022; 34. Epub ahead of print 2022. DOI: 10.1063/5.0105576.
8.
BinamaMSuWTCaiWH, et al.Blade trailing edge position influencing pump as turbine (PAT) pressure field under part-load conditions. Renew Energy2019; 136: 33–47.
9.
Al-QutubAMKhalifaAEAl-SulaimanFA. Exploring the effect of v-shaped cut at blade exit of a double volute centrifugal pump. J Press Vessel Technol Trans ASME2012; 134. Epub ahead of print 2012. DOI: 10.1115/1.4004798.
10.
GaoBZhangNLiZ, et al.Influence of the blade trailing edge profile on the performance and unsteady pressure pulsations in a low specific speed centrifugal pump. J Fluids Eng Trans ASME2016; 138: 1–10.
11.
LiBLiXJiaX, et al. The role of blade sinusoidal tubercle trailing edge in a centrifugal pump with low specific speed. Processes2019; 7. Epub ahead of print 2019. DOI: 10.3390/pr7090625.
12.
WardaHAHaddaraSAdamIG. Blade trailing edge profile effect on low specific speed centrifugal pump performance. 11th Int Conf Role Eng Towar A Better Environ Bridg Gap Acad Gov Ind Alexandria, Egypt.
13.
MansourMThéveninDParikhT. Influence of the shape of the impeller blade trailing edge on single and two-phase air–water flows in a centrifugal pump. In Proceedings of the 36th International Pump Users Symposium. Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, 2020.
14.
Detert Oude WemeDGJJVan Der SchootMSKruytNP, et al.Prediction of the effect of impeller trimming on the hydraulic performance of low specific-speed centrifugal pumps. J Fluids Eng2018; 140: 1–7.
15.
NiDYangMGaoB, et al.Numerical study on the effect of the diffuser blade trailing edge profile on flow instability in a nuclear reactor coolant pump. Nucl Eng Des2017; 322: 92–103.
16.
HuangBZengGQianB, et al.Pressure fluctuation reduction of a centrifugal pump by blade trailing edge modification. Processes2021; 9: 1408.
17.
ZhangNLiuXGaoB, et al.Effects of modifying the blade trailing edge profile on unsteady pressure pulsations and flow structures in a centrifugal pump. Int J Heat Fluid Flow2019; 75: 227–238.
SakranHKAbdul AzizMSKhorCY. Blade exit angle impact on centrifugal pump performance: entropy generation and fluid–structure interaction analysis. Arab J Sci Eng2024: 1–17.
20.
ZhangNYangMGaoB, et al.Investigation of rotor–stator interaction and flow unsteadiness in a low specific speed centrifugal pump. Stroj Vestnik/J Mech Eng2016; 62: 21–31.
21.
DingHGeFWangK, et al.Influence of blade trailing-edge filing on the transient characteristics of the centrifugal pump during startup. Processes2023; 11. Epub ahead of print 2023. DOI: 10.3390/pr11082420.
22.
GhoraniMMSotoude HaghighiMHMalekiA, et al.A numerical study on mechanisms of energy dissipation in a pump as turbine (PAT) using entropy generation theory. Renew Energy2020; 162: 1036–1053.
23.
MalekiAGhoraniMMHaghighiMHS, et al.Numerical study on the effect of viscosity on a multistage pump running in reverse mode. Renew Energy2020; 150: 234–254.
24.
YangSSKongFYChenH, et al.Effects of blade wrap angle influencing a pump as turbine. J Fluids Eng Trans ASME2012; 134: –8.
25.
WuDRenYMouJ, et al.Unsteady flow and structural behaviors of centrifugal pump under cavitation conditions. Chin J Mech Eng (Engl Ed)2019; 32: 17.
26.
ZhangHMengFCaoL, et al.The influence of a pumping chamber on hydraulic losses in a mixed-flow pump. Processes2022; 10. Epub ahead of print 2022. DOI: 10.3390/pr10020407.
27.
ChengXLiTWangP. Study on the influence of blade outlet cutting on hydraulic noise of centrifugal pump with low specific speed. Adv Mech Eng2020; 12: 1–12.
28.
DengSSLiGDGuanJF, et al.Numerical study of cavitation in centrifugal pump conveying different liquid materials. Results Phys2019; 12: 1834–1839.
29.
PeiJOsmanMKWangW, et al.Unsteady flow characteristics and cavitation prediction in the double-suction centrifugal pump using a novel approach. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part A J Power Energy2020; 234: 283–299.
30.
LiDWangHQinY, et al.Numerical simulation of hysteresis characteristic in the hump region of a pump-turbine model. Renew Energy2018; 115: 433–447.
31.
LiDQinYZuoZ, et al. Numerical simulation on pump transient characteristic in a model pump turbine. J Fluids Eng2019; 141: 111101.
32.
HouHZhangYLiZ. A numerical research on energy loss evaluation in a centrifugal pump system based on local entropy production method. Therm Sci2017; 21: 1287–1299.
33.
BaiLZhouLHanC, et al. Numerical study of pressure fluctuation and unsteady flow in a centrifugal pump. Processes2019; 7. Epub ahead of print 2019. DOI: 10.3390/pr7060354.
34.
HuangHLiuHWangY, et al.Stress–strain and modal analysis on rotor of marine centrifugal pump based on fluid–structure interaction. Trans Chin Soc Agric Eng2014; 30: 98–105.
35.
Al-ObaidiAR. Monitoring the performance of centrifugal pump under single-phase and cavitation condition: a CFD analysis of the number of impeller blades. J Appl Fluid Mech2019; 12: 445–459.
36.
KaranthKVSharmaNY. Numerical analysis on the effect of varying number of diffuser vanes on impeller–diffuser flow interaction in a centrifugal fan. World J Model Simul2009; 5: 63–71.
37.
SakranHKAbdul AzizMSAbdullahMZ, et al. Impacts of impeller blade number on centrifugal pump performance under critical cavitation conditions. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part E J Process Mech Eng. Epub ahead of print 10 September2024. DOI: 10.1177/09544089241278219.
38.
FengJJJBenraF-KKDohmenHJ. Numerical investigation on pressure fluctuations for different configurations of vaned diffuser pumps. Int J Rotating Mach. Epub ahead of print2007. DOI: 10.1155/2007/34752.
39.
YuanSPeiJYuanJ. Numerical investigation on fluid structure interaction considering rotor deformation for a centrifugal pump. Chin J Mech Eng (Engl Ed)2011; 24: 539–545.
40.
WangYLiWHeT, et al. The effect of solid particle size and concentrations on internal flow and external characteristics of the dense fine particles solid–liquid two-phase centrifugal pump under low flow condition. AIP Adv2021; 11. Epub ahead of print 2021. DOI: 10.1063/5.0054275.
41.
LiuHXuHWuX, et al.Effect of fluid–structure interaction on internal and external characteristics of centrifugal pump. Nongye Gongcheng Xuebao/Trans Chin Soc Agric Eng2012; 28: 82–87.
42.
ZhouBYuanJFuY, et al.Investigation of dynamic stress of rotor in residual heat removal pumps based on fluid–structure interaction. Adv Mech Eng2016; 8: 1–12.
43.
ZhouBYuanJLuJ, et al.Investigation on transient behavior of residual heat removal pumps in 1000 MW nuclear power plant using a 1D-3D coupling methodology during start-up period. Ann Nucl Energy2017; 110: 560–569.
44.
LiJMengDQiaoX. Numerical investigation of flow field and energy loss in a centrifugal pump as turbine. Shock Vib2020; 2020: 1–12.
45.
GuanHJiangWYangJ, et al.Energy loss analysis of the double-suction centrifugal pump under different flow rates based on entropy production theory. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part C J Mech Eng Sci2020; 234: 4009–4023.
46.
GuYPeiJYuanS, et al.Clocking effect of vaned diffuser on hydraulic performance of high-power pump by using the numerical flow loss visualization method. Energy2019; 170: 986–997.
47.
HassanAFASchatzMVogtDM. Performance and losses analysis for radial turbine featuring a multi-channel casing design. J Turbomach2021; 143: 021003.
48.
ZhangNGaoBLiZ, et al.Unsteady flow structure and its evolution in a low specific speed centrifugal pump measured by PIV. Exp Therm Fluid Sci2018; 97: 133–144.
49.
LiuHLLiuDXWangY, et al.Application of modified k-ω model to predicting cavitating flow in centrifugal pump. Water Sci Eng2013; 6: 331–339.
50.
HuangPAppiahDChenK, et al. Energy dissipation mechanism of a centrifugal pump with entropy generation theory. AIP Adv2021; 11: 045208.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
