Effect of impeller and scroll spacing on flow characteristics of electrical submersible pump

Flow in a centrifugal electrical submersible pump is simulated. The purpose of this study is to find the effect of changing the axial distance between impeller and scroll on pump’s operation. Flow in the impeller and scroll is simulated with the Fluent software. Finite volume method with SST k-ω turbulance model is used for numerical solution. In order to evaluate the simulation results, values of head, power and efficiency are calculated at the design conditions and are compared to the experimental results. Simulations are then performed with different impeller to scroll axial distances. The results show that by increasing the distance between impeller and scroll, each of the three properties, head, power and efficiency will decrease. Increasing the distance between impeller and scroll from 0.5 to 5.0 mm, head, power and efficiency will drop by 33%, 18% and 20% respectively. Also, effect of changing the axial distance between impeller and scroll on vortices created in the fluid passing through the impeller and the axial force imposed on the impeller are calculated.