• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.349-359
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• 2011

An unsteady numerical analysis has been carried out to study the strong impeller volute interaction of a centrifugal pump with six backward swept blades shrouded impeller. The numerical analysis is done by solving the three-dimensional Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes codes with standard k-${\varepsilon}$ two-equations turbulence model and wall regions are modeled with a scalable log-law wall function. The flow within the impeller passage is very smooth and following the curvature of the blade in stream-wise direction. However, the analysis shows that there is a recirculation zone near the leading edge even at design point. When the flow is discharged into volute casing circumferentially from the impeller outlet, the high velocity flow is severely distorted and formed a spiraling vortex flow within the volute casing. A spatial and temporal wake flow core development is captured dynamically and shows how the wake core diffuses. Near volute tongue region, the impeller/volute tongue strong interaction is observed based on the periodically fluctuating pressure at outlet. The results of existing analysis also proved that the pressure fluctuation periodically is due to the position of impeller blade relative to tongue.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.843-852
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• 2016

The autorotative flight of maple seeds(Acer palmatum) is numerically simulated based on the 3D geometry and the motion parameters of real seeds. The nominal values of the motion parameters are 1.26 m/s for descent velocity, 133.6 rad/s (1,276 rpm) for spinning rate, $19.4^{\circ}$ for coning angle, and $-1.5^{\circ}$ for pitch angle. A compact leading-edge vortex (LEV) positioned at the inner span of the seed blade causes a large suction pressure on its leeward surface. The suction pressure peaks occur near the leading region of inner span sections. The flow pattern characterized by the prominent LEV and the values of aerodynamic force coefficients obtained in the present study are in good agreement with experimental data measured for a dynamically-scaled robot maple seeds. A spiraling vortex developed in the leeward region advances toward the seed tip and merges with the tip-passing flow, which is considered to be a mechanism of maintaining stable and attached LEV for the autorotating maple seeds.