The impact of modifying the blade trailing edge configuration on centrifugal pump performance: Entropy generation and fluid–structure interaction analysis

The configuration of the blade's trailing edge (TE) significantly impacts the operational efficiency of a centrifugal pump. Modifying its form is highly effective for enhancing the internal turbulent flow and fluctuating pressure. This work aims to numerically examine how the shape of the TE affects the flow and structural characteristics of a low-specific speed centrifugal pump. To elucidate the process behind the impact of TE on pump performance, six representative TEs, including original trailing edge (OTE), Bezier trailing edge (BTE), ellipse trailing edge (ETE), trimmed at the pressure side (TPS), trimmed at the suction side (TSS), and trimmed at both side (TBS) have been examined. An analysis is conducted to investigate the distribution of pressure pulsation, shaft power, and energy loss along the streamwise direction in the pump component. The entropy generation method illustrates the extent and spatial distribution of energy dissipation. A transient structural study is conducted on the impeller, examining various TEs. The findings indicate that TE considerably influences the centrifugal pump performance. A modification in TE has led to an increase in both head and pressure, and the impeller with the ETE would reach the highest efficiency of 81.79% with a 6.4% increase relative to the original model. In addition, the analysis covers structural behaviors, such as total deformation and equivalent stress.