Numerical Analysis of the Flow Topology and the Turbulent Dissipation Rate in a Peripheral Pump

This poster presents a numerical analysis of the flow topology and turbulent dissipation rate in a peripheral pump. The aim is to investigate the relationship between flow structures and mixing efficiency. The simulations were performed using OpenFOAM (v2306) on a fully hexahedral fluid domain and validated using vendor data. The k-omega SST turbulence model was applied, and transient simulations were performed to solve the time-dependent flow topology, including turbulent dissipation. The results show that the dissipation rate in the impeller channels is particularly high and correlates with the vortex structures identified by the Q criterion. Consequently, direct feeding into the impeller channels appears advantageous, as higher local turbulence promotes improved mixing. The study shows that peripheral pumps could serve as a replacement for reactors due to their strong turbulence generation if suitable feed inlets are integrated. In addition, the results provide new insights into the possible optimisation of pumps in terms of mixing behaviour and efficiency. AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the Berdelle-Hilge Foundation for its financial support. All simulations were performed on HPC nodes at the AHRP Rhineland-Palatinate.