The investigation of the cavitation processes in the radial labyrinth pump

Abstract The paper concerns the analysis of the cavitation processes in the flow passages of the radial labyrinth pump. The object of the analysis contains the active (moving) and the passive (stationary) discs with straight channels trajectory and semi-circular cross-section. The conversion of the mechanical energy into hydraulic based on the exchange of the momentum between the liquid remaining in the moving and the stationary areas of the discs as well as on the centrifugal increase of the moment of momentum. The analysis of the cavitation processes was realized by the experimental research and the numerical simulation. In the article, the comparison of the cavitation characteristics was carried out. The numerical simulation had given similar results to the experimental one, the process of the cavitation was visualized. Furthermore, numerical investigations helped to describe the cavitation development. The results of the numerical research such as the distributions of the velocity, pressure and vapor volume fraction in the passages were presented. At first, cavitation starts on the back side and on the top of the wall between channels of the active disc. Further, the cavitation areas are growing along the axis of the channels. Eventually, they separation was observed and vortices of the vapour-gas mixture in the middle of the channels were formed. This phenomenon is so-called super cavitation vortices.