Investigation of the hydrodynamic characteristics of an axial flow pump system under special utilization conditions

In actual operation, axial flow pump stations are often used for various special purposes to meet changing needs. However, because the hydrodynamic characteristics of axial flow pump systems are still unclear when used for special purposes, there are many risks when pump systems are used for special purposes. To explore the hydrodynamic characteristics of an axial flow pump system under special utilization conditions, a high-precision full-feature test bench for an axial flow pump system is established in this paper. For the first time, an energy characteristics experiment and a pressure fluctuation measurement for a pump are carried out for a large axial flow pump system model under zero head, reverse pump and reverse power generation conditions. Then, ANSYS CFX software is used to solve the continuous equation and Reynolds average Navier–Stokes equation, combined with the SST k–ω turbulence model, and the characteristic curve and internal flow field of the pump system under special conditions are obtained. Finally, the numerical simulation results are compared with the experimental results. The results show that the velocity gradient distribution in the pump is uniform under the near zero head condition (NZHC), and there is no obvious flow collision and reflux phenomenon in the pump. Compared with the designed condition (DC), the peak-to-peak value (PPV) of pressure pulsation at the inlet of the impeller decreased by 67.16%, and the PPV at the outlet of the impeller decreased by 8.14% at H = 0 m. The maximum value of the main frequency amplitude (MFA) in the impeller area appears at the impeller inlet. Under reverse pump conditions (RPC), the phenomenon of unstable flow in the pump system is obvious, and a large range of recirculation zones appears in the nonworking face of the blade. Compared with the DC, the PPV of the impeller inlet at the optimal point of RPC increased by 122.61%, and the impeller outlet PPV increased by 11.37%. The maximum value of MFA in the impeller area appears at the impeller inlet. Under the reverse power generation condition (RPGC), no obvious flow separation was found in the nonworking face of the impeller. Compared to the DC, the PPV of the impeller inlet at the optimal point of the RPGC increased by 65.34%, and the PPV of the impeller outlet increased by 206.40%.