Approach to 3D Unsteady CFD Analysis of a Single-Blade Pump

Abstract

Single-blade centrifugal pumps are hydraulic machines used in many industrial areas. A unique screw shaped blade enables liquids containing solids and fibrous matters to be pumped. Owing to good pump hydraulic properties on the one hand and unfavourable impeller mechanical properties on the other have single-blade pumps become recently more interesting for researchers regarding the CFD simulations. In this case a conventional CFD approach for multi-blade pumps cannot be applied due to the lack of symmetry of the single-blade impeller. Possible approaches to the CFD simulation of a single-blade impeller in the Ansys Fluent and the Ansys CFX are compared in this paper. A comparison of two CFD meshing tools showed substantial element number decrease of the whole CFD model. This paper presents also the laboratory experiment results of the investigated single-blade pump. The paper describes a new approach to the single-blade CFD simulation through Ansys Fluent which is faster and more user-friendly then the conventional approach.