Three-dimensional numerical simulation of hydrodynamic characteristics in the inlet system in pumping station

Abstract

【Objective】 Hydrodynamics in the inlet system of the pumping station plays a pivotal role in its operation. This paper investigates the variation in flow characteristic in a modified pumping station using numerical simulation. 【Method】 We used the Fluent software, assuming water flow was incompressible and turbulent. The turbulence was modelled by the RNG k-ε model. The discretized equation was solved by the SIMPLEC algorithm. The flow velocity, rotation angle and streamline distribution of flow field at different sections in the original and the modified pumping stations were compared. 【Result】 The hydrodynamic characteristic in the renovation plan in the modified pumping station was smaller than those in the renovation plan in the original pumping station. Compared to the convention pumping station, the modified one reduced the standard deviation of the inlet pool flow rate by 6%-64%, the standard deviation of the inlet pipe flow rate by 41%-96%, the average flow rate rotation angle by 60%-73%, the standard deviation of the flow rate rotation angle by 59%-72%. The distribution of water flow patterns in the modified pumping station was more uniform, and the inlet condition was also significantly improved. 【Conclusion】 The modification improved the uniformity of the flow velocity distribution in the inlet system of the pump station, thereby improving the stability of the flow pattern. These combined to significantly reduce the potential cavitation damage to the pumping station.

Keywords

• pumping station
• intake-system
• simulation
• flow field analysis
• flow state improvement