Numerical simulations of inviscid three-dimensional flows at single- and dual-pump intakes

Abstract

Three-dimensional inviscid solutions for pump-approach flow distributions within both a single-pump and a dual-pump sump model were developed. The single-pump sump model consisted of a rectangular pump bay with a vertical circular pipe located at the downstream end of the bay. The two-pump sump model consisted of a wider rectangular pump bay with two vertical circular pipes located at the downstream end of the bay. The equations of motions were solved in generalized curvilinear coordinates on a non-staggered grid. For the single-pump model, the simulations were carried out for two cases, cross-flow and no-cross-flow. The results are in good agreement with laboratory flow measurements obtained from a 1:10-scale model using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter. For the two-pump sump model, simulations were also carried out for two cases. In Case 1, an equal pumping discharge was delivered through the two pipes, and in Case 2 the total discharge was split in a 7-to-3 ratio between the two pipes. The results for the two cases were compared with a focus on the formation of free-surface and subsurface vortices surrounding the pumps.