A CFD code with 2-D cascade model was developed to predict the cavitation behavior around the impeller blades of impeller in a centrifugal pump. The governing equations are the two-phase Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations in a homogeneous form in which both liquid and vapor phases are treated as incompressible fluid. To close the model, a standard k-ε turbulence model is introduced. And the mass transfer rates between liquid and vapor phases are implemented as well. The validations are carried out by comparing with reference data in impeller of a centrifugal pump impeller. The cavitation characteristics of current centrifugal pumps is tested at an ondesign point (V=8 m/s) and two off-design points (V=20 m/s and V=30 m/s), respectively. The criteria of cavitation and flow instability around blades are presented. The results show that the current centrifugal pump can safely operate without cavitation at on-design point. Also, the simulation shows cavitation develops inhomogeneously among the blades at off-design points. Moreover, the effects of additional blades in the impeller are studied as well. From the numerical results, it is expected that a half-length blade is the optimum configuration as additional blades in cavitation point of view.

A CFD code was developed to investigate the inception of cavitation around impeller blades of centrifugal fuel pump using two dimensional cascade modeling. With the verification test for numerical validity of the developed code, the prediction of the onset of cavitation was made for the configuration of a newly designed KHP fuel pump. The calculation results show impeller design was free of cavitation if the pump operates within the operational temperature and rotational speed range. However, the cavitation would be relatively easy to occur at off design region of fuel pump where the rotational speed is higher than design limit. Specially, the onset of cavitation is sensitively dependent on the increase in fuel temperature while the decrease in temperature will reduce the possibility of cavitation inception in the pump.