Numerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self-priming performance of a prototype self-priming pump

Abstract To investigate the impact of installation height on the self-priming performance of a self-priming pump, this study established a circulating pipeline system incorporating the self-priming pump, a water tank, and other components. Clear water was placed in the lower part of the water tank a...

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Main Authors: Ying-Yu Ji, Shao-Han Zheng, Yu-Liang Zhang, Kai-Yuan Zhang, Zu-Chao Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01282-x
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author Ying-Yu Ji
Shao-Han Zheng
Yu-Liang Zhang
Kai-Yuan Zhang
Zu-Chao Zhu
author_facet Ying-Yu Ji
Shao-Han Zheng
Yu-Liang Zhang
Kai-Yuan Zhang
Zu-Chao Zhu
author_sort Ying-Yu Ji
collection DOAJ
description Abstract To investigate the impact of installation height on the self-priming performance of a self-priming pump, this study established a circulating pipeline system incorporating the self-priming pump, a water tank, and other components. Clear water was placed in the lower part of the water tank and air in the upper part. The user-defined function (UDF) was employed to simulate the speed increase upon pump startup and subsequent constant-speed operation. Based on the Volume of Fluid (VOF) multiphase flow model, numerical simulations of the complete self-priming process were conducted for two different installation heights, focusing on gas-liquid two-phase flow. Additionally, vortex identification methods and entropy production theory were utilized to analyze the internal unsteady flow characteristics. The study revealed that as the installation height increases from 0.5 to 1.0 m, the self-priming time significantly prolongs by 6.260s, representing an 82% relative increase. During the oscillatory air discharge phase, the gas volume fraction within the volute remains consistently lower than that inside the impeller chamber. Throughout the self-priming process, the regions of significant hydraulic loss are primarily located at the outer edge of the impeller and the impeller inlet. This study is of great significance because it not only complements the understanding of how installation height affects pump performance but also provides practical guidance for optimizing the design and operational parameters of pumps, thereby improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption in real-world applications.
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spelling doaj-art-1908e84c9715445aa0c145e23f9eafd02025-08-20T03:10:14ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115111910.1038/s41598-025-01282-xNumerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self-priming performance of a prototype self-priming pumpYing-Yu Ji0Shao-Han Zheng1Yu-Liang Zhang2Kai-Yuan Zhang3Zu-Chao Zhu4College of Mechanical Engineering, Quzhou UniversityCollege of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University of TechnologyCollege of Mechanical Engineering, Quzhou UniversitySchool of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan University of TechnologySchool of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech UniversityAbstract To investigate the impact of installation height on the self-priming performance of a self-priming pump, this study established a circulating pipeline system incorporating the self-priming pump, a water tank, and other components. Clear water was placed in the lower part of the water tank and air in the upper part. The user-defined function (UDF) was employed to simulate the speed increase upon pump startup and subsequent constant-speed operation. Based on the Volume of Fluid (VOF) multiphase flow model, numerical simulations of the complete self-priming process were conducted for two different installation heights, focusing on gas-liquid two-phase flow. Additionally, vortex identification methods and entropy production theory were utilized to analyze the internal unsteady flow characteristics. The study revealed that as the installation height increases from 0.5 to 1.0 m, the self-priming time significantly prolongs by 6.260s, representing an 82% relative increase. During the oscillatory air discharge phase, the gas volume fraction within the volute remains consistently lower than that inside the impeller chamber. Throughout the self-priming process, the regions of significant hydraulic loss are primarily located at the outer edge of the impeller and the impeller inlet. This study is of great significance because it not only complements the understanding of how installation height affects pump performance but also provides practical guidance for optimizing the design and operational parameters of pumps, thereby improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption in real-world applications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01282-xSelf-priming pumpCirculatory systemGas-liquid two-phase flowSelf-priming timeInstallation height
spellingShingle Ying-Yu Ji
Shao-Han Zheng
Yu-Liang Zhang
Kai-Yuan Zhang
Zu-Chao Zhu
Numerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self-priming performance of a prototype self-priming pump
Scientific Reports
Self-priming pump
Circulatory system
Gas-liquid two-phase flow
Self-priming time
Installation height
title Numerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self-priming performance of a prototype self-priming pump
title_full Numerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self-priming performance of a prototype self-priming pump
title_fullStr Numerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self-priming performance of a prototype self-priming pump
title_full_unstemmed Numerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self-priming performance of a prototype self-priming pump
title_short Numerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self-priming performance of a prototype self-priming pump
title_sort numerical simulation of the effect of installation height on self priming performance of a prototype self priming pump
topic Self-priming pump
Circulatory system
Gas-liquid two-phase flow
Self-priming time
Installation height
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01282-x
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