Effect of Blade Trailing Edge Geometry on the Performance of a Centrifugal Pump: A Numerical Study

This study presents a numerical investigation into the influence of the blade trailing edge profile on the hydraulic performance of a centrifugal pump. The primary objective is to compare two distinct trailing edge geometries: a flat (blunt) edge and an elliptical (rounded) edge. A pump with a design head of 54.18 m, a flow rate of 310 m³/h, and a rotational speed of 1450 rpm is fully designed, including its inducer, impeller, and volute, using CFturbo software. The computational domain is meshed using TCFD, with refined meshing applied to sharp edges and boundaries. Steady-state, three-dimensional, incompressible Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are solved with the SST k-ω turbulence model to simulate the flow field. The numerical results, including pressure and velocity contours, are analyzed to evaluate the pump's head and efficiency for both blade designs. The findings indicate that the elliptical trailing edge profile leads to a 3.2% increase in head and a 3.0% increase in efficiency compared to the flat profile. This performance enhancement is attributed to a more favorable pressure distribution and reduced flow separation at the blade exit. The study confirms that optimizing the trailing edge geometry is a viable strategy for improving centrifugal pump performance.