Original Paper Design Optimization of Mixed-flow Pump in a Fixed Meridional Shape

In this paper, design optimization for mixed-flow pump impellers and diffusers has been studied using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code and DOE (design of experiments). We also discussed how to improve the performance of the mixed-flow pump by designing the impeller and diffuser. Geometric design variables were defined by the vane plane development, which indicates the blade-angle distributions and length of the impeller and diffusers. The vane plane development was controlled using the blade-angle in a fixed meridional shape. First, the design optimization of the defined impeller geometric variables was achieved, and then the flow characteristics were analyzed in the point of incidence angle at the diffuser leading edge for the optimized impeller. Next, design optimizations of the defined diffuser shape variables were performed. The importance of the geometric design variables was analyzed using 2k factorial designs, and the design optimization of the geometric variables was determined using the response surface method (RSM). The objective functions were defined as the total head and the total efficiency at the design flow rate. Based on the comparison of CFD results between the optimized pump and base design models, the reason for the performance improvement was discussed