Validation of Methods for Rapid Design and Performance Prediction of Water Pumps

Tools for the design and evaluation of engine water pumps have been developed. These tools range from textbook calculations to 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics methods. The choice of the tools or the combination of tools used is usually dependent upon production timelines, rather than technical merit. Therefore, the strengths and weaknesses of each of the tools must be understood, and each tool must be validated for its specific purpose, then used appropriately to aid in the design or development of a water pump suitable for production. This study was carried out to evaluate three approaches: a proprietary Ricardo approach based on 1-dimensional analysis and correlations, a 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics approach, and a conventional prototype manufacture and test iteration approach. The analytical results were correlated to experimentally obtained pressure rise, mass flow rate, and impeller speed data. The methods are compared in terms of their technical accuracy and their abilities to assist in water pump design and development programs.