Flow Characteristics in the Volute and Tongue Region of a Centrifugal Pump

A centrifugal process pump was tested at two rotational speeds and five flow rates. Nine piezometer taps around the volute were used to measure time averaged pressure profiles and streak photography was used to visualize the flow patterns near the volute tongue. Flow patterns for four different instantaneous impeller orientations (blade positions) were studied. Nondimensionalized results were independent of rotational speed. At 100% capacity the volute pressures were uniform within 15%. At off-design condition, however, the pressure near the tongue varied by as much as 28% from the average. At 100% capacity the streamlines were smooth and well behaved. At low flow rates the tongue stagnation point moved between the impeller and tongue and a separation zone appeared in the discharge. The instantaneous position of the impeller was seen to affect the streamlines primarily near the impeller, although at high flow rates the separation zone was also seen to depend on the impeller position.