Abstract：A population balance model has been incorporated with the mixture multiphase model based on Fluent code to simulate the twophase flow with saltout behaviors in a centrifugal pump at three different operating conditions.The computational results of particle size distribution generally consist with the experimental ones,which proves the feasibility of the numerical metheds. It is found that the particle mean diameter reduces gradually from the pressure side to the suction side in a single flow passage. Aggregation of largesize particles near the pressure side gets remarkable with the increase of flow rate.In the volute,the smallest average particle size appears in the middle flow passage. Near the inner wall, average particle size is relatively large. Largest average particle size emerges at the corner of the wall far away from the impeller. Furthermore, the difference of class fraction distributions between particles of various sizes is obvious under the influence of the mass transfer and microscopic particle behaviors. The class fraction of largesize particles increases gradually from blade inlet to the blade outlet, but for the middle and small size particles, distribution trend is just the opposite.
2010, Vol. 31 
