Study on pressure fluctuation characteristics of the mixed-flow pump with the tandem misaligned blade structure

Abstract As supporting equipment for deep-sea oil and gas resource exploitation, how to improve the transmission performance and stability of the impeller of the mixed-flow pump (MFP) has become a key technical problem. This paper focuses on studying the impeller blade of the MFP. Based on the blade optimization technology, four different tandem misaligned blade (TMB) angle schemes of α =0°,15°,45°,75° are proposed. The SST k-ω turbulence model is used to simulate the different blade angles under the pure liquid condition. The pressure pulsation of the MFP and the blade load distribution are studied. This result show that the TMB structure increases the pressure fluctuation inside the MFP. The pressure coefficient inside the impeller exhibits a more consistent pattern at an angle of α =45° compared to other angles, and the internal flow field of the MFP exhibits most stable. From this analysis of blade load distribution, TMBs have a greater effect on the pressure surface of the front blade of the MFP. When α =15°, the best pressurization performance of the MFP. This study may serve as a benchmark for subsequent iterations of optimizing the MFP’s model and hydraulic design.