Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


ucin1342544389.pdf (1.55 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Inverse Design of Two-Dimensional Centrifugal Pump Impeller Blades using Inviscid Analysis and OpenFOAM

Champhekar, Omkar G.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1342544389

Abstract Details

2012, MS, University of Cincinnati, Engineering and Applied Science: Mechanical Engineering.
Inverse design of centrifugal pump impeller blades is a widely used technique for designing pump blades. In a typical Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, the geometry (flow domain) is prescribed, and the governing equations are solved over the flow domain, subject to appropriate boundary conditions. In the inverse design technique, the geometry is unknown, while the desired flow field characteristics on the geometry (blades of pump impeller) are prescribed. Starting with an initial guess for the blade shape, the final shape of the blades is obtained iteratively. The present work uses OpenFOAM, an open source CFD software, which solves the governing equations using a finite-volume method (FVM) for the inverse design of two-dimensional centrifugal pump impeller blades. A CFD analysis using FVM requires mesh to be of good quality. Since the pump blade has high curvature, careful consideration has to be given while generating the mesh. The present work explains the geometry generation and meshing of the geometry, to obtain a good quality mesh in the Gambit software. The inverse design technique in the present study is based on assumption of a potential flow field. In the potential flow analysis of pumps, the circulation generated by a pump is an unknown. This unknown appears in a boundary condition downstream of the blade. An iterative method has been implemented in OpenFOAM for calculating the circulation. The circulation value calculated using OpenFOAM compares well with analytical value of circulation generated for the test case of an impeller with logarithmic spiral blades. A grid-independence study shows that, as the grid is refined, the value of the circulation generated by the pump impeller approaches the analytical value. Inverse design is an iterative process, which is carried out till a converged blade shape is obtained, while satisfying the prescribed flow characteristics. For every new shape generated during iteration, the geometry creation and grid generation are automated using a Journal file in Gambit. The mesh is then imported in OpenFOAM. Inverse design of a pump blade requires specification of swirl distribution along the blade. To accommodate this swirl distribution in the boundary condition on the blade, the OpenFOAM code is modified. The iterative process has been automated, and linked with Gambit, using a Linux shell script. The implementation of the present inverse design process in OpenFOAM is verified for a two-dimensional case. The swirl distribution generated on the blade is calculated by analyzing potential flow in a blade-to-blade channel for an assumed blade shape. This swirl distribution is then imposed on a flat blade, and the inverse design iterations are carried out, till a converged blade shape is obtained. This inverse design blade shape matches closely with the assumed shape of the blade. The method is further used to redesign a blade which has non-zero incident flow at the leading edge. The inverse design method redesigns the blade such that the flow is tangential to the blade at leading edge. Following chapters explain the implementation of inverse design method using Gambit and OpenFOAM
Urmila Ghia, PhD (Committee Chair)
Shaaban Abdallah, PhD (Committee Member)
Kirti Ghia, PhD (Committee Member)
Milind Jog, PhD (Committee Member)
97 p.
Mechanical Engineering
inverse design; centrifugal pump; openfoam; potential flow; ; ;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Champhekar, O. G. (2012). Inverse Design of Two-Dimensional Centrifugal Pump Impeller Blades using Inviscid Analysis and OpenFOAM [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1342544389

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Champhekar, Omkar. Inverse Design of Two-Dimensional Centrifugal Pump Impeller Blades using Inviscid Analysis and OpenFOAM. 2012. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1342544389.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Champhekar, Omkar. "Inverse Design of Two-Dimensional Centrifugal Pump Impeller Blades using Inviscid Analysis and OpenFOAM." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1342544389

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1342544389
8,855
© 2012, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.