The reflux hole has a large effect on the performance of self-priming centrifugal pumps. In order to study the effects of the reflux hole on the performance and transient flow characteristics of the self-priming centrifugal pump, four different areas of the reflux hole inside an external mixed self-priming pump were proposed. The 3D transient flow was numerically simulated under different operating conditions for the investigated pump. The differential pressure, reflux quantity and transient flow characteristics near the reflux hole were analysed, and then the effects of the reflux hole area on the pressure fluctuation characteristics and performance of the pump were further researched. The results show that the differential pressure and reflux quantity is zero around the best-efficiency point. The vorticity magnitude near the exit of the reflux hole is significant, and the unsymmetrical flow structures represent periodic motion over time in the cross-section. The pressure fluctuation intensities of monitoring points P2-P5 upstream of the reflux hole were generally larger than others and decreased with a decrease in reflux hole area. With a decrease of the reflux hole area, the performance of the pump improved to some extent.
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