Performance improvement of a high-speed aero-fuel centrifugal pump through active inlet injector

Abstract

This paper presents a high-speed aero-fuel centrifugal pump with an active inlet injector for an aero-engine aiming at regulating the internal flow field and improving overall hydraulic performance. Unlike most of the existing centrifugal pumps for aero-engines, an injector is designed and integrated with the pump to accomplish the active flow control. Firstly, by employing the energy equation in the pump, reasonable geometrical parameters of the injector are calculated. Then, a validation study is conducted with three known turbulence models, showing that simulations with the RNG κ- ε turbulence model can accurately predict the head and efficiency of the experimental pump. Finally, simulation results with the determined turbulence model are discussed. The results show that the static pressure is uniformly distributed inside the impeller, the volute and the injector. The flow field is significantly ameliorated by improving the pressure inside the suction pipe and controlling the flow direction via the injector. Furthermore, the head and efficiency of the designed pump with an active inlet injector are improved compared to the one without an injector.