Analysis of the Effects of Mixed-Flow Pump Inlet Structure on Pressure Pulsations and Energy Transport Characteristics

To investigate the influence of inlet structure optimization on pressure pulsation and energy transport characteristics in mixed-flow pumps, this study employed experimental and numerical calculation methods to analyze both original and optimized models. The SST-SAS turbulence model was selected for flow field computation. The experimental and numerical results showed that inlet optimization increased the head at the design condition by 1.52 m, improved the efficiency by 5.38%, and reduced the pressure pulsation amplitude by more than 90%. Analysis of energy transport term distribution characteristics within the pump revealed the mechanism behind pulsation intensity improvement: the pressure propulsion power distribution in the impeller became more stable, while the Lamb vector divergence dissipation regions and enstrophy dissipation regions substantially decreased, thereby increasing the proportion of pressure propulsion power contribution. The enhanced energy transport characteristics and improved flow field stability in the impeller region collectively optimized energy conversion performance within the impeller.