In this study the impeller geometry of a double-suction pump ensuring the best
performances in terms of hydraulic efficiency and reluctance of cavitation is determined using
an optimization strategy
, which was driven by means of the modeFRONTIER optimization
platform. The different impeller shapes (designs) are modified according to the optimization
parameters and tested with a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, namely ANSYS
CFX. The simulations are performed using a decoupled approach, where only the impeller
domain region is numerically investigated for computational convenience. The flow losses in
the volute are estimated on the base of the velocity distribution at the impeller outlet. The best
designs are then validated considering the computationally more expensive full geometry CFD
model. The overall results show that the proposed approach is suitable for quick impeller shape
optimization.
