Viscous flow simulations through multi-lobe progressive cavity pumps

Abstract

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of multi-lobe progressive cavity (PC) pumps are limited in the literature due to the geometric complexity of the pump, which places numerous restrictions on the grid generation process. The present study attempts to alleviate such restrictions by developing a detailed numerical procedure for the numerical simulations of multi-lobe progressive cavity pumps. The profile equations for the multi-lobe configuration at any section at each instant of rotation are presented. A structured grid generation method is developed to generate mesh files required for CFD simulations of multi-lobe PC pumps. Results from the present procedure are validated against single-lobe PC pump numerical results available in the literature. Finally, a numerical parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of the number of lobes, the stator pitch, the circular fillet and clearance on the volumetric efficiency of PC pumps with viscous oils.