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Procedia Engineering 39 (2012) 35 – 42

XIIIth International Scientific and Engineering Conference “HERVICON-2011”

Application of Small-Sized Low Speed Axial Stages in Well

Pumps for Water Supply
Alexander Gusaka, Olga Demchenkob, Igor Kaplunc, c*
a
Sumy State University, Department of Applied Fluid Mechanics, 2 Rimsky-Korsakov Str., Sumy 40007, Ukraine

Abstract

Considered a range of specific speed, which are rational for small-sized axial stages of submersible pumps for water
supply. Developed and tested a multi-stage submersible pump with axial stages and his head and power
characteristics are taken.

© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of

Sumy State University

Keywords: Submersible pump; small-sized axial stage; numerical simulation; efficiency.

1. Introduction

Recently the underground water rose from the wells, playing an increasing role in the water supply.
According to some estimates [1], in Ukraine, the total water supply from wells is about 30%, and in the
future, its share will only increase because of a number of reasons (cleanliness of the water, intake
arrangement convenience, economy of operation and so on).
In Ukraine, the main equipment for lifting water from wells is submersible pumps ECV type. These
pumps do not always meet the needs of today's consumers, and their exploitation is accompanied by a
number of problems [2, 3], among which are the short-term operation to repair; a low value of average
operating efficiency; increased wear and corrosion of parts; low maintainability, etc. To solve the

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +38-0542-687869; fax: +38-0542-335229.

E-mail address: kaplun@pgm.sumdu.edu.ua.

1877-7058 © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.07.005
36 Alexander Gusak et al. / Procedia Engineering 39 (2012) 35 – 42

described problems major manufacturers have programs to upgrade [4], affecting both the drive motor
and pump unit. Modernization of the pump unit in most cases carried out in three main areas: the use of
modern polymers in the radial bearings of the pump shaft to increase the mechanical efficiency and
service life; modernization of the seal of impeller and use of corrosion-resistant materials to improve
durability of the pump; improvement the hydraulic characteristics of the flow channel, aimed primarily at
enhancement the efficiency value [4]. These allow on the one hand significantly improve the quality
pumps ECV type and increase their service life, but on the other hand are only a temporary solution.

2. Problem statement

According to the European association of manufacturers of pumping equipment (Europump), pump

systems consume about 20% of the world's electricity [5]. It is also known [6] that, when buying a well
pump, buyer pays an average of only 5-8% of the total sum it will spend over the its lifetime, while costs
for electricity consumption of pump is about 80% of this sum. Obviously, in the context of ever
increasing energy prices more and more attention will be given to their efficient use of. Respectively, will
be nominated by the new requirements to the level of efficiency of submersible pumps.

Fig. 1. The fields of the operating parameters of submersible well pumps, domestic and foreign production for the conditional size
10 inches
 Alexander Gusak et al. / Procedia Engineering 39 (2012) 35 – 42 37

Also note that the standard series of submersible pumps, produced by domestic manufacturers, focuses
mainly on the exploitation of low discharge wells. At the same time, analysis of the products of foreign
manufacturers indicates a well-defined tendency to increase the pumps capacity while reducing their
diametric size (Fig. 1). This is probably due to a sharp increase in the cost of construction of wells with
increasing diameter (according to some reports in the cubic dependence [7]). Accordingly, to minimize
both capital and operating costs of water supply system for a given performance it must possess the
following qualities:
- has a minimum diameter of the well (to the best of local geological conditions, while ensuring the
required flow rate) to reduce the cost of drilling and construction;
- pump unit in the pumping station must have a maximum average operating efficiency to reduce
operating costs.
Emphasize, that the majority of European manufacturers of submersible pumps already have in the
composition of its production lines pumps with mixed-flow stages and high efficiency (Fig. 2), and its
reserves to further improve in most cases can be considered practically exhausted. Creating mixed-flow
machines able to compete with these pumps in most cases is problematic because it requires a significant
investment with no guarantee of obtaining a better result.
In such conditions it is seems rational to use developed at the Department of Applied Fluid Mechanics
of the Sumy State University (SSU), small-sized low-speed axial flow stages [6, 8, 9], which in this case
have several advantages. As is known, axial flow stages have a high value of hydraulic efficiency (at the
level of 87-90%) and there is reason to believe that this level of efficiency may be saved with reducing
the specific speed up to the level ns = 300. Also at high flow rates, they provide the most simple and
compact design, that is particularly important in limited conditions of well. It is also important that, when
axial impeller worn out in operation, axial force on it (which is one of the destructive factors for pumps
ECV type) is not increased but decreased, thus enhancing the service life of thrust unit, and avoid high
power consumption. But, apparently, the decisive advantage of axial stages for submersible pumps is that
they allow in 1.5 - 1.7 times increase flow rates compared to the centrifugal stages at constant radial
dimensions.

Fig. 2. Values of efficiency of submersible pumps for the conditional size of 10 inches
38 Alexander Gusak et al. / Procedia Engineering 39 (2012) 35 – 42

One of the key in this case is whether the rational range (in ns) of the axial flow channels (AFC) in
well pumps in competition with the centrifugal and the mixed-flow, as each of these types of stages has
its advantages and disadvantages, and their use should be based on careful analysis. The main restricting
criterion in this case can be accepted efficiency of axial flow stage compared to the best stages of
submersible pumps of manufacturing companies (for example Fig. 2).

3. Analysis of previous studies

Single-stage axial flow pumps are known for a long time and are widely used in practice. They have
relatively simple design and compact size with small mass when supplying large volumes of fluid.
Multistage axial flow pumps used in the turbopump feed units of liquid rocket engines [10]. For such
pumps are characterized by large rotational speeds, high values of specific work, harsh working
environment and increased demands on the cavitation resistance.
There are also attempts to use multi-stage axial flow pumps in the petroleum and mining industry for
pumping multiphase fluids [11, 12].

a) b)
Fig. 3. (a) performance of the axial well pump [13, 14]; (b) axial pump design for well diameter of 150 mm

Earliest known to us steps to create a multi-stage axial well pump have been taken in the 70's the last
century by Papier [13, 14]. Unfortunately, the author notes the poor quality of manufacture of the
prototype, which adversely affected its performance (Fig. 3), and not allowed to fully appreciate the
advantages of this type of pump.
 Alexander Gusak et al. / Procedia Engineering 39 (2012) 35 – 42 39

4. Basic results

In addition to defining the lower limit of the specific speed ns for small-sized axial stages necessary to
obtain information about the achievable level of parameters (pressure, efficiency, NPSH) for the most
commonly used conventional well sizes.
Accordingly, in the design stage has been chosen combination of parameters (Table 1), which
according to preliminary information [15] close to the limit, since it leads to growth hub-tip ratio and the
angle of the blades of the impeller, and has a negative effect on the level of efficiency that is accepted as
the primary limiting factor.
It was found that the method of designing small-size low-speed axial stages in literature is absent [6],
and the existing methods of axial pumps developed primarily for the range of ns = 700 ... 1000 and do not
provide acceptable accuracy beyond it [6]. In order to achieve acceptable results it requires the
introduction of experienced amplifying coefficients.

Table 1. Baseline data for the design

Speed of
Flow coefficient, Head coefficient, Conditional size of
Specific speed, ns rotation,
KQ=Q/(nÂD3) KH=H/(n2ÂD2) well, inches
rev/min

0,185 0,25 267 2910 10

Taking into account the difficulty arising from the single manufacture of small-sized axial stages, the
design was conducted with the active use of numerical simulation software package ANSYS CFX, the
university version of which is available to the SSU.
To correctly simulate the conditions of the intermediate stage of the pump, a multi-connected
computational domain was used, that consisted of an input element, three impellers and stator apparatus
and an output element. All the results were obtained for the intermediate of three stages. In order to save
computer resources, the geometric model used for simulation represents only a part of the total volume of
liquid.
Computational grid in the impeller (IMP) had about 0.8 million prismatic cells, in the stator apparatus
(SA) - 0.6 million cells. Before the study a verification of the mesh independence separately for each
element of the computational domain was carried out. The value of the variable Y + ranged from 10 to
100 units, which corresponds to the guidelines described in the user manual [16].
When calculating the energy and pressure characteristics the simulation of flow in the stage was
conducted in a range from 0.8 Qopt up to 1.2 Qopt. To simulate the turbulence has been used a standard k -
İ turbulence model with scalable near-wall functions.
According to the results of numerical simulation the small-sized axial stage was constructed and
tested, and also was produced and tested a multistage pump on its base (Fig. 5). Tests of small-sized axial
stage were carried out on the test rig, which basic scheme is shown in Figure 5. All energy parameters are
obtained at a rotation speed of the shaft equal to 2910 rev/min. The methods of the tests and determine the
performances H = f (Q), N = f (Q) were according to [17, 18].
The relatively small size and low power consumption of investigated stages, as well as the possibility
of influence of swirl at the inlet of the impeller intermediate stage on it performances do not provide
enough high-quality experimental data when working with single stage. Therefore were carried out
successive tests of assemblies that are composed respectively of three and two (intermediate dismantled)
stages. Performances of the dismantled stage were obtained as the difference between the performances of
40 Alexander Gusak et al. / Procedia Engineering 39 (2012) 35 – 42

these assemblies. It was assumed that in this case the influence of entry and exit of the experimental
apparatus is negligible. To eliminate the influence of hysteresis performances obtained at stage tests were
conducted on the maximum flow to zero and in the opposite direction.
Integral performances of the stage obtained by test rig and results of numerical simulation are shown
in Figure 6 a. All the following results refer to the intermediate stage. Analysis of performances shows
that the discrepancy between the results of numerical simulation and experiment on the pressure is about
3% with a predictable over-head at numerical simulation.

a) b)

Fig. 4. Examples of computational grids in the region (a) of the impeller, (b) stator apparatus

b) c)

Fig. 5. (a) impeller of the test stage, and (b) the layout of the test rig for stage of well pump: 1 - tank, 2 - valve, 3 - electric motor,
4 - auxiliary pump, 5 - valve, 6 –differential manometer, 7 - orifice plate, 8 - valve, 9 - differential manometer, 10 - an experimental
device, 11 – balance machine, 12 - valve, and (c) the test pump unit

As for efficiency, then from Figure 6 follows, that efficiency curve obtained in tests on the test rig
provides a more narrow range of operating, than that obtained by numerical simulation, while the
 Alexander Gusak et al. / Procedia Engineering 39 (2012) 35 – 42 41

maximum efficiency values are acceptaable discrepancy in a 4%. The most likely cause of thiis behavior of
the experimental curve of the efficieency are differences between the geometric model of the blade
systems used in the calculation, and acctually made, in particular shapes of leading and traiiling edges of
blades, the roughness of the flow channnels, etc.
In the analysis of flow patterns in thhe channels of studied stage obtained through numerical simulation,
it was found that even in optimal condditions they have a highly complex spatial character, changing the
flow parameters along the blade span is more sharp as compared to conventional axial flow w pumps, and
virtually none cylindrical sections of the blades does not work in the design conditions, which
w greatly
complicates the design and developmennt of the stages of this type.
Further decrease in ns (which is at a fixed speed of rotation and head coefficient is equivalent to
decreasing the flow coefficient) would be inappropriate, as would further increase the angles of the blade
of the impeller, internal angles of diffuser channels and increase in hydraulic losses, which would
inevitably reduce the value of stage effificiency [19, 20].
Figure 6 b shows the experimentaal and CFD performances of the pump. Despite thee unfavorable
combination of the head and flow coeefficients obtained efficiency of the pump, which is only slightly
lower efficiency pumps of firms listed in Figure 2.

ɚ) b)

Fig. 6. (a) performance of the stage, and (b) perfoormance of the pump

On the experimental pump performaance best efficiency mode is shifted to lower flow ratees, because of
certain peculiarities of making impellerrs. Analyzing the head characteristics of the pump, shoown in Figure
6 b can be noted that the discrepancy between
b the results of numerical simulation and expeeriment at the
optimum mode is no more than 3%, whhich is quite acceptable.
42 Alexander Gusak et al. / Procedia Engineering 39 (2012) 35 – 42

5. Conclusions

As a result of numerical simulation and testing stage and pump at test rigs were as follows:
- experimentally confirmed the possibility of using small-sized axial stages with low-speed (up to
ns = 267) in submersible pump with obtain acceptable values of the efficiency of stage (82%) and pump
(79%);
- designing of small-sized axial stages with an even lower ns equivalent reduction flow coefficient,
resulting in a further increase in the angles of the blade of the impeller, the diffusion of its channels and
hub-tip ratio, which has a negative impact on the efficiency of the stage, that’s why unreasonable;
- designing of small axial stages with higher ns promising, since it will increase the flow rate of well
pumps at constant radial size and a higher efficiency;
- test stage has a number of promising areas for further improvement of both the stage and the whole
pump on its base.

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