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This study adopts a multi-disciplinary optimization design method based on an approximation model to improve the comprehensive performance of axial-flow pump impellers and fully consider the interaction and mutual influences of the hydraulic and structural designs. The lightweight research on axial-flow pump impellers takes the blade mass and efficiency of the design condition as the objective functions and the head, efficiency, maximum stress value, and maximum deformation value under small flow condition as constraints. In the optimization process, the head of the design condition remains unchanged or varies in a small range. Results show that the mass of a single blade was reduced from 0.947 to 0.848 kg, reaching a decrease of 10.47%, and the efficiency of the design condition increased from 93.91% to 94.49%, with an increase rate of 0.61%. Accordingly, the optimization effect was evident. In addition, the error between the approximate model results and calculation results of each response was within 0.5%, except for the maximum stress value. This outcome shows that the accuracy of the approximate model was high, and the analysis result is reliable. The results provide guidance for the optimal design of axial-flow pump impellers.

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Since 2014, clade 2.3.4.4 has become the dominant epidemic branch of the Asian lineage H5 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) in southern and eastern China, while the H5N6 subtype is the most prevalent. We have shown earlier that lack of glycosylation at position 158 of the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein due to the T160A mutation is a key determinant of the dual receptor binding property of clade 2.3.4.4 H5NX subtypes. Our present study aims to explore other effects of this site among H5N6 viruses. Here we report that N-linked glycosylation at site 158 facilitated the assembly of virus-like particles and enhanced virus replication in A549, MDCK, and chicken embryonic fibroblast (CEF) cells. Consistently, the HA-glycosylated H5N6 virus induced higher levels of inflammatory factors and resulted in stronger pathogenicity in mice than the virus without glycosylation at site 158. However, H5N6 viruses without glycosylation at site 158 were more resistant to heat and bound host cells better than the HA-glycosylated viruses. H5N6 virus without glycosylation at this site triggered the host immune response mechanism to antagonize the viral infection, making viral pathogenicity milder and favoring virus spread. These findings highlight the importance of glycosylation at site 158 of HA for the pathogenicity of the H5N6 viruses.

By means of numerical simulation and experimental verification, this article investigates the hydraulic performance and pressure fluctuation of a tank-style axial-flow pump device. With orthogonal test, 16 schemes are designed concerning the different flow conditions of the inlet and outlet passages, and simulated calculations are done; then the non-steady numerical simulation of pressure fluctuation is carried out for the optimized pump device; a model test finally verifies the reliability of the simulated numerical values of the optimized scheme. The results show that using the orthogonal test, an optimized scheme of the inlet and outlet passages can be obtained; compared with the initial scheme, the optimized one reduces the hydraulic loss by 1.3 cm in the inlet passage and 7.96 cm in the outlet passage; numerical simulation witnesses the highest pump operating efficiency of 70.04%, efficiency of 66.82% with the design head of 1.36 m, and the corresponding flow of 34.31 m 3 /s; the model test verifies all the simulated values of the optimized scheme with the highest pump operating efficiency reaching 71.5% and the test efficiency arriving at about 64% when the design head is 1.36 m. Meanwhile, the highest pressure fluctuation appears at the entrance of the impeller; the main frequency of the impeller and guide vane pressure fluctuation is 5 Hz depending on the frequency of the blade. This study offers reference for similar pump station project.

The formation of an inlet vortex seriously restricts axial-flow pump device performance and poses a great threat to the safe and stable operation of the entire system. In this study, the change trends of an inlet vortex and its influence on an axial-flow pump are investigated numerically and experimentally in a vertical axial-flow pump device. Four groups of fixed vortex generators (VGs) are installed in front of the impeller to create stable vortices at the impeller inlet. The vortex influence on the performance of pump device is qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The vortex patterns at different positions and moments in the pump device are explored to reveal the vortex shape change trend in the impeller and the pressure fluctuation induced by the vortex. The reliability and accuracy of steady and unsteady numerical results are verified by external characteristics and pressure fluctuation experimental results. Results show that it is feasible to install VGs before the impeller inlet to generate stable vortices. The vortex disturbs the inlet flow fields of the impeller, resulting in significant reductions of the axial velocity weighted average angle and the axial velocity uniformity. The vortex increases the inlet passage hydraulic loss and reduces the impeller efficiency, while it only slightly affects the guide vane and outlet passage performance. The vortex causes a low-frequency pressure pulsation and interacts with the impeller. The closer the vortex is to the impeller inlet, the more significant the impeller influence on the vortex. The blade cuts off the vortex in the impeller; afterwards, the vortex follows the blade rotation, and its strength weakens.

The inlet flow conditions will directly affect impeller performance, which is of great concern to pump designers. In this study, based on two axial-flow pump devices, the influence of the evaluation criteria of inlet flow conditions and numerical grid scales on the accuracy of the simulation are investigated, the correctness of the numerical simulation are verified by experiments. The axial velocity distribution uniformity, axial velocity weighted average angle and hydraulic loss are calculated with three grid scales commonly used in engineering. The applicability of three turbulence models in engineering is verified. The influence of the uniformity of the axial velocity distribution on the impeller is quantitatively explored by installing a group of vortex generators. The results show that the simulation errors of the common formula of the axial velocity distribution uniformity for the elbow inlet passage and front-shaft tubular inlet passage are 16.3% and 14.6%, respectively; the modified formula limited the computational error to 0.2%, which reduced the axial velocity distribution uniformity dependence on the grid. The quantitative relationship between inlet flow conditions and pump performance was established, as the impeller efficiency decreased linearly with decreasing axial velocity distribution uniformity.