Mechanism Analysis of Controlling Axial Clearance Leakage Flow in Liquid-Ring Vacuum Pump by Plasma Actuation with Different Layouts

  • GUO Guangqiang ,
  • FENG Yijiang ,
  • ZHANG Renhui ,
  • CHEN Xuebing ,
  • JIANG Lijie ,
  • LI Rui’an
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  • 1. College of Energy and Power Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Fluid Machinery and Systems of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730050, China

Online published: 2025-07-04

Supported by

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 52269021), the Red Willow Excellent Youth Project of Lanzhou University of Technology, and the Central Government Guides Local Science and Technology Development Fund Projects (23ZYQA0320).

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025

Abstract

To address the complex spatiotemporal characteristics of impeller axial clearance leakage flow in a liquid-ring vacuum pump, plasma actuation with radial centripetal, circumferential reverse, and counter discharge layout types was designed to control the leakage flow. The regulation effects and interference mechanisms of plasma actuation on clearance leakage flow were explored. The results show that under plasma flow control of the three layout types, the vacuum degree of the pump changes not obviously, but the shaft power is reduced and the efficiency is improved to a certain extent. Among them, the circumferential reverse has a more obvious control effect on the hydraulic performance of the pump and has more advantages in controlling the medium- and high-intensity leakage flow in the compression zone, while the radial centripetal has a more effective control effect on the low-intensity leakage flow in the transition zone. All three layout types of plasma actuation can effectively weaken the medium-intensity leakage flow near the beginning of the compression zone, but their suppression effect on the high-intensity leakage flow near the end of the compression zone is weak. Due to the weak leakage in the transition region, the plasma actuation induced airflow and low-intensity leakage flow are coupled with each other, which will further aggravate the complexity and variability of the flow in the clearance. For unsteady clearance leakage flow, the circumferential reverse has a more stable control effect. About the control of medium-intensity leakage flow, the radial centripetal plasma actuation effect is better than the circumferential reverse. The research results can provide theoretical and methodological references for the performance optimization of liquid-ring vacuum pumps.

Cite this article

GUO Guangqiang , FENG Yijiang , ZHANG Renhui , CHEN Xuebing , JIANG Lijie , LI Rui’an . Mechanism Analysis of Controlling Axial Clearance Leakage Flow in Liquid-Ring Vacuum Pump by Plasma Actuation with Different Layouts[J]. Journal of Thermal Science, 2025 , 34(4) : 1257 -1270 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-025-2180-8

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