Influence of tip clearance on internal energy loss characteristics of axial flow pumps under different operating conditions

Axial flow pumps possess a unique structure where there must be clearances between the impeller and the piping wall, usually not exceeding 0.1% of the impeller diameter. Despite the small size of the clearance, the internal micro-vortex structures have a non-negligible impact on the main flow field of the impeller. Under the action of the pressure difference between the suction and pressure surfaces of blades, some fluids form high-energy jets in the tip clearance area, known as tip leakage vortices (TLVs). TLV interacts with the flow of the main flow field, exerting a significant impact on the internal flow state, energy loss, and hydraulic performance of the pump. To identify the influence of TLVs on the internal flow field and energy loss of axial flow pumps, this work uses a modified partially averaged Navier–Stokes (PANS) model to perform full flow field numerical calculations for a certain axial flow pump and conducts a comparative analysis of the internal flow field energy dissipation, unsteady vortex structures, energy loss, and other characteristics under three different tip clearances: 0.2 mm (0.05%D), 0.6 mm (0.15%D), and 1.0 mm (0.25%D) based on the energy transport theory. The results indicate that at optimal operating conditions, the internal energy distribution of the fluid in each flow passage is uniform, and the energy loss is primarily caused by axial backflow in the tip area; under critical rotating stall conditions, clearance size affects the distribution state of enstrophy in the guide vane flow passage, leading to average enstrophy being highest at the rim area and the most uneven distribution of enstrophy, inducing larger energy loss in the impeller; during deep stall conditions, the unevenness of internal energy distribution is stronger than that under critical stall conditions, but the overall energy loss within the impeller flow area is lower than that under critical stall conditions, while energy unevenness is mitigated as the tip clearance size increases.