Influence of operating parameters on interphase forces in a spiral-vane-type multiphase pump

To explore the gas–liquid interaction processes in a spiral-vane-type multiphase pump, the influence of the operating parameters on the interaction forces between the two flow phases was studied. The results show that the gas–liquid interaction forces in the impeller domain of the spiral-vane-type pump are significantly stronger than those in the diffuser domain. Specifically, the drag is four orders of magnitude greater than the lift and the virtual-mass force, and the turbulent dispersion force is the smallest. The inlet gas volume fraction (IGVF) of the multiphase pump was found to have little effect on the drag near the hub, and the effect is greater near the shroud. Increasing the IGVF was found to increase the proportions of lift and virtual-mass force in the multiphase pump to varying degrees, while the turbulent dispersion force remained almost unaffected. The influence of the rotational speed on the gas–liquid interphase forces in the multiphase pump mainly occurs in the impeller domain, and the specific performance of each force varies greatly with the axial position.