Numerical and experimental investigations on the cavitation characteristics of a high-speed centrifugal pump with a splitter-blade inducer

A high-speed centrifugal pump with a splitter-blade inducer is investigated in this work. The flow with rotating cavitation is numerically simulated, external characteristics are subjected to experimental tests, and the internal flow is visualized. These procedures are conducted to obtain the pressure, velocity, and vapor volume fraction distribution in the inducer and the impeller of the centrifugal pump. Bubble occurrence, development, and collapse are also observed. The predicted H-Q and eta-Q curves agree with the experimental results of external characteristics. The calculated vapor volume fraction also agrees with the experimental results obtained from the visualization system. The mechanism of bubble evolution and the anti-cavitation performance of the high-speed centrifugal pump with a splitter-blade inducer are clearly elucidated.