Vibration and flow characteristics near cavitation occurrence in mixed-flow pump

Cavitation phenomena in a mixed-flow pump are studied using computational fluid dynamics and experiment. Steady-state and transient analyses are conducted using three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with a turbulence kinetic energy-specific rate of dissipation (k-ω)-based shear stress transport turbulence model and the homogeneous cavitation model. To observe the pressure fluctuation, five points are monitored during computation. In experiment, a three-axis accelerometer is used for cavitation detection and the vibration characteristics are analyzed. When cavitation occurs, the pressure and vibration magnitudes fluctuate considerably near the blade passing frequency. (paper)