Computational Analysis of Cavitation-Induced Vibrational Effects in Centrifugal Pumps

Lim, Hui Jia (2025) Computational Analysis of Cavitation-Induced Vibrational Effects in Centrifugal Pumps. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

This study investigated cavitation-induced vibrational effects in centrifugal pumps using advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) was employed to resolve turbulent structures, while the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method was used to simulate vapor-liquid interactions during cavitation. The simulations showed that cavitation consistently initiated near the leading edge of the impeller blades, leading to pressure oscillations and fluctuating torque that contributed to performance losses and structural risks. Quantitative analysis revealed a peak vapor volume fraction of 0.00119 and a stabilized torque of approximately 1836Cm during the quasi-steady cavitating state. To mitigate cavitation effects, a Response Surface Optimization (RSO) study was conducted on 55 impeller design variants. Three optimal configurations achieved similar performance outputs, including a head rise of 76.745 m, vapor volume of 0.0012313m³, and pressure drop of 254,300 Pa, indicating a performance plateau within the design space. Among these, the most efficient design featured fewer vanes and smaller blade angles, offering advantages in manufacturability and maintenance. This study contributed a validated CFD-LES-VOF framework combined with surrogate-based optimization for diagnosing and improving cavitation performance, providing practical guidance for the development of more durable and efficient centrifugal pump designs.