The high-speed rotation of impellers leads to strong rotor–stator interaction, which mainly causes the pressure pulsation of centrifugal pumps. An impeller with a bionic sinusoidal tubercle trailing edge (STTE) can reduce the intensity of the rotor–stator interaction and thus reduce the pressure pulsation of the centrifugal pump. In this study, three profiles of STTE were designed based on the pectoral fin structure of humpback whales of which the influence on the pressure pulsation of centrifugal pumps was studied via experiment and numerical simulation. Results show that a reasonable design of STTE can effectively eliminate the high-frequency pressure pulsation in the rotor–stator interaction region of the centrifugal pump. The use of STTE2 and STTE3 profiles affect the amplitude reduction of pressure pulsation at the blade passing frequency (f_BPF). Compared with the impeller without the STTE profile, the amplitudes of pressure pulsation with STTE2 and STTE3 profiles are decreased by 47.10% and 44.20% at the pump discharge, while the decrease, at the volute throat is 30.36% and 25.97%, respectively. Detailed flow structures inside the pump show that the STTE profile can inhibit the vortex generation at the blade trailing edge, and the local high-intensity pressure pulsation can be reasonably avoided. This study helps improve the pressure pulsation characteristic of centrifugal pumps and their operation stability.

Pressure pulsations may cause high-amplitude vibrations during the process of a centrifugal pump. The trailing edge shape of the blade has a critical influence on the pump’s pressure fluctuation and hydraulic characterization. In this paper, inspired by the humpback whale flipper, the authors research the impact of applying the sinusoidal tubercles to the blade suction side of the trailing edge. Numerical calculation and experiments are carried out to investigate the impact of the trailing edge shape on the pressure pulsations and performance of a centrifugal pump with low specific speed. Two designed impellers are tested, one is a sinusoidal tubercle trailing edge (STTE) impeller and the other is the original trailing edge (OTE) prototype. The detailed study indicates that the sinusoidal tubercle trailing edge (STTE) reduces pressure pulsation and enhances hydraulic performance. In the volute tongue region, the pressure pulsation amplitudes of STTE at f_BPF decrease significantly. The STTE impeller also effectively changes the vortex structure and intensity in the blade trailing edge area. This investigation will be of great benefit to the optimal design of pumps.