An Analysis of the Characteristics of Internal Flow Losses of Seawater Circulation Pumps in Nuclear Power Plants Based on the Entropy Production Theory

The seawater circulation pump represents the pump product with the largest flow rate within nuclear power plants. Its energy consumption accounts for a substantial portion of the energy consumed by nuclear power plants. To investigate the internal flow characteristics of the seawater circulation pump and optimize the performance while reducing energy consumption, taking the seawater circulation pump as the research object, the entropy production of each flow passage component of the pump under different flow conditions are analyzed by employing numerical simulation based on the entropy production theory. Additionally, the entropy production mechanisms of the impeller and volute are specifically analyzed. The results demonstrate that under different flow conditions, the impeller and volute are the main flow components contributing to entropy production losses for the entire pump. The leading and trailing edges of the blade and the shroud are the main locations where entropy production occurs in the impeller. Excessive attack angle and circulation are the main factors leading to entropy production. The throat area of the volute is the main entropy production area of the volute, and the secondary flow and vortex caused by flow separation are the main causes of entropy production.