Numerical Experiments on Solid Handling Pump

Solid handling pumps are used in managing sewage and other solid materials that could flow along with the water or any other fluid. The design of solid handling pump components is also deviating significantly from clear water pump components. The flow passages need to be maintained to allow solid particles of specified sizes smoothly without any obstruction. This aspect of different design from conventional design causes performance deterioration of the pump. The laboratory testing of the solid handling pumps is normally carried out with clear water and a judgment is used based on experience about the deterioration in performance caused by solid particles (size and number of particles). The actual performance measurement with varying particle sizes and its cluster density is very rarely available. A case of solid handling pump is taken up for detail investigation using numerical approach. The preliminary analysis has been carried out with solid handling impeller with clear water as medium of flow. The solid particles are then injected with different sizes and number of solid. Both Eulerian and Langrangian multiphase flow (MPF) approach have been used to study the hydraulic performance deterioration and particle trajectory in the working pump. The paper describes the approaches used and discusses the results considering generally accepted behavior of solid handing pumps.