Numerical Simulation of Pressure Pulsation in a Two-stage Double-suction Centrifugal Pump for Ophthalmic Medical Centers

In ophthalmic medical centers (OMCs), a major challenge with vibration control is that while the preference for sophisticated diagnostic equipment is very low vibration, centralized cooling systems demand high-capacity pumping power. To reconcile these conflicting needs, in this study, we targeted the hydraulic source of pipeline vibration—the two-stage double-suction centrifugal pump (TDCP). We performed a full-field unsteady simulation based on the Scale Adaptive Simulation (SAS) model for mapping pressure pulsation evolution. Results show a typical double peak type of distribution at the tongues of the transition channel and volute. A critical multi-stage interaction effect is identified: partial load operation (۰.۶Qn) triggers a massive recirculation vortex in the transition channel. This structure generates a high-amplitude, low-frequency (approx. ۲۵ Hz) signal distinct from the blade passing frequency (fBPF), creating a resonance risk for long-distance piping. Conversely, pulsations in the second-stage volute are dominated by rotor–stator interaction (RSI) and scale monotonically with flow rate. We conclude that restricting TDCP operation to near-design conditions (۱.۰Qn) is the most effective strategy for dampening excitation, offering a theoretical basis for low-vibration hospital infrastructure.

کلیدواژه ها:

Centrifugal pump ، Pressure pulsation ، Numerical simulation ، Impeller ، Transition flow channel