The Vortex Characteristics and Anti-Vortex Mechanism in a Lateral Agricultural Irrigation Pump Station with a Symmetrical Inlet-Distributed Method

Symmetric lateral inlet pumping stations are commonly utilized for water lifting in agricultural multi-crop irrigation districts, but they often share non-ideal flow patterns, which can easily cause pump vibration and sediment deposition. In this paper, a symmetrical lateral pumping station in an irrigation district is taken as the research object, and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) technology is used to study it. The model test used a model scale ratio of λ L = 1:18. Results: By comparing the CFD data and test data, the average relative error for the left station is found to be 3.213%, while that for the right station is 5.107%, indicating that the numerical simulation method is reliable. Six different rectification measures are proposed, the cross sectional flow pattern of the pumping station is observed, and the longitudinal profile of axial velocity distribution in the sump is analyzed. The velocity-weighted average angle and hydraulic loss of each case study are also analyzed. The flow operates smoothly in case study 7. The vortex in the approach channel disappears when the columns and bottom sill are finally installed. Compared to the original case study, the velocity-weighted average angle at the 5# station in case study 7 increased by 14%, and it increased by 13.9% at station #9. The flow became more stable, and hydraulic losses were minimized. The simulated hydraulic loss in case study 7 decreased by 14.2%. These findings can serve as a reference for similar pump station projects.