Energy performance and pressure fluctuation in multi-stage centrifugal pump with floating impellers under various axial oscillation frequencies

A novel multi-stage centrifugal pump with floating impellers is gaining traction in energy systems because it easily links stages in series for varying high head requirements. However, the axial oscillation frequency of the floating impeller introduces uncertainties in the pump's energy performance and pressure fluctuation. To address these issues, a comprehensive analysis of multi-stage centrifugal pumps was conducted, utilizing a computational fluid dynamics simulation method that incorporats dynamic mesh and multiple reference frame techniques, validated through three experimental trials. The findings show that average head coefficient and average efficiency are not significantly affected by the axial oscillation of impeller, but that pressure fluctuations, efficiency, and head coefficient all show periodic variations that are connected to the frequency of impeller oscillation. The amplitude of variations in the head coefficient and efficiency could increase by as much as 112.3 % and 172.4%, respectively, under the influence of impeller oscillations, thereby heightening the instability of pump operation. Trigonometric functions for the energy performance during impeller oscillations are proposed to facilitate rapid assessment of pump stability. This study offers valuable insights into the unsteady characteristics of novel multistage centrifugal pumps and serves as a reference for further understanding their dynamic behavior.