Analysis of Tip Clearance Effect on the Transportation Characteristics of a Multiphase Rotodynamic Pump Based on the Non-Uniform Bubble Model

The multiphase rotodynamic pump is widely used in petroleum and gas exploitation, and blade tip clearance may cause flow instability and performance deterioration. In the present work, the influence of tip clearance on the transportation characteristic in a multiphase rotodynamic pump is investigated based on the non-uniform bubble model, in which the bubbles’ coalescence and break-up are considered. The influence mechanism of tip clearance on the energy performance is revealed. The results show that the leakage flow rate increases linearly with the increase in tip clearance, but variation in pump energy performance shows the opposite trend. In addition, a larger tip clearance results in a sharply decreased pressure increment in the impeller, while in the guide vane, the increment is raised slightly. For the 0 mm tip clearance condition, a positive vortex (relative to the impeller rotation direction) is observed in the impeller passage. However, the opposite leakage vortex is also found in the region near the tip clearance when the tip clearance is considered, and the vortex strength increases for a larger tip clearance.