Low-Cost Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling For Pump Stations

By Franz Jacobsen

Avoid pump station failures, protect the environment, and save money through computer simulation.

There are freely available open source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software packages, such as OpenFOAM (OPEN Field Operation And Manipulation), that have been used for many years and produce results that compare favorably with commercial packages. In this article the CFD simulation of a pump station will be compared with a physical prototype model. The comparison of results includes swirl angle and other flow phenomena, with excellent correlation. Some of these techniques used to aid post-processing and engineering analysis will be presented.

Why Use Modeling For New And Existing Pump Stations?
For most pump stations, standard guidelines suffice. For complex applications — new or refits — there are cost-effective CFD modeling tools available that result in:

• minimized maintenance costs
• minimized commissioning time
• minimized pump station failures and possible effluent discharge into the environment.