Optimization of Blades and Impellers for Electric Vehicle Centrifugal Pumps via Numerical Analysis

Abstract

Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, efforts for environmental protection have gained prominence worldwide. Accordingly, electric vehicles have become increasingly relevant. Thus, improving the performance of the water pump, a key component of cooling systems in electric vehicles, is crucial. Electric vehicles operate on batteries and motors, making their cooling systems remarkably complex. Efficient operation of the water pump is directly related to the stable performance of electric vehicles and is therefore critical. This study conducted numerical analyses using Ansys Fluent to evaluate water pump performance by varying key parameters, namely, number of blades and outer diameter of the impeller. When the number of blades was changed to 7, 9, 11, and 13, the efficiency, head, and thrust tended to increase. In particular, for blade counts greater than 11, the fluid flow was found to stabilize with negligible effect on pump performance. When the outer diameter of the impeller was 70, 69, 68, and 67 mm, although efficiency decreased, the head and thrust tended to increase. Based on these comprehensive results, a structure was proposed for the shape of the optimized water pump. The development of efficient and stable water pumps is expected to contribute to the performance improvement of electric vehicles.