Maximum Efficiency for High Head Process Pumps – Optimizing Side Channel Pumps

Side channel pumps provide high pressure at relatively low flow rates. This comes along with a quite low specific speed and thus with the known disadvantage of a quite poor maximum efficiency. This paper describes the detailed analysis and optimization of a typical 1-stage side channel pump with an additional radial suction impeller by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. In a first step, the model was successively generated and it was obvious that it has to contain all details including suction impeller and main stage (both 360° models) as well as the pressure housing and all narrow gaps to provide useful simulation results. Numerical simulations were carried out in a stationary and transient way with scale resolving turbulence models to analyze the components in detail. Finally the CFD-simulations were validated with model tests. For the optimization process it was necessary to generate a reduced numerical model to analyze the effects of more than 300 geometry variations. The findings were then combined to establish the desired objectives. Finally the best combinations were validated again with the full numerical model. Those simulations predict a relative efficiency increase at best efficiency point (BEP) and part load >30% with respect to all given limitations like identical head curve, suction behavior and dimensions.