Analysis of the influence of axial clearance on centrifugal pump vibration based on dimension chain

Due to the wide application of pumps on ships, the vibration and noise problems of pumps cannot be ignored. Moreover, there is obvious variability in the noise level of pumps manufactured from the same batch. These problems are related to the process dimensions of pump parts. In order to tackle these two challenges, a dynamic model was established to analyze the relationship between the vibration of centrifugal pumps and different axial clearances. Then a three-dimensional (3D) dimension chain model with axial clearance as the target was established. By analyzing the effect of different tolerances on axial clearance, we found that besides dimensional tolerances, geometric tolerances also have a significant impact. The accuracy of the tiny axial clearance dimensions can be guaranteed with high precision by optimizing the tolerances. The validity of the simulation and optimization was verified by field tests. The results showed that the vibration and noise were reduced, and the vibration of different pumps from the same batch was in good agreement.