International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering

Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2013)

Effect of Impeller Blade Exit Angle on the Performance of

Centrifugal Pump
M.G.Patel1, A.V.Doshi2
1
MED, CKPCET, Surat, Gujarat, India
2
MED, SVNIT, Surat, Gujarat, India
Abstract--- Changing some geometric characteristic of the vol Volute
impeller in centrifugal pumps improves their performance. It is x Discharge nozzle inlet
known that blade exit angle plays very important role in the
performance of a centrifugal pump. To investigate effect of blade Greek latter
exit angle on the performance of centrifugal pump by means of
experiment is very expensive and lengthy process. Due to expensive  Blade angle
and lengthy process, it can be obtained by using mathematical
model. In the present study three pumps of different specific speeds ∆A Wetted Area
are taken for the investigation. Initially mathematical model τ Blade Blockage
presented by Gulich [1] is validated with manufacturer’s head-flow φ Flow Co efficient
curve and then it is used to investigate the effect of blade exit angle. Co efficient
It is seen that the Gulich [1] model is in very good agreement with
the manufacturer’s head-flow curve. Moreover the blade exit angle
has significant effect on the head and the efficiency of the I. INTRODUCTION
centrifugal pump. It is found from this investigation, both head and
efficiency of centrifugal pump increases with increasing in blade In recent years, centrifugal pump have been
exit angle. increasingly utilized for various purposes, such as
irrigation, water supply, steam power plants, oil
Keywords— Centrifugal pump, Blade exit angle, Head, refineries, air conditioning systems. Due to the vast
Efficiency, Performance
application it is very important that centrifugal pump
ABBREVIATION should work efficiently.
A Area There have been continuous efforts to improve the
AR Area Ratio performance of centrifugal pumps. There are still many
b Width unknown issues associated with increasing the efficiency
c Absolute velocity in these pumps, which need to be investigated. Some of
C Constant or Co efficient the key studies are based on the modification of pump
Cd Dissipation Coefficient geometry, especially impeller and diffuser. Since the
Dh Hydraulic Diameter impeller is an active part that adds energy to the fluid, its
g Gravitational Acceleration geometry plays a major role in the centrifugal pump
H Head or Head Loss performance. Any change in the impeller geometry
Lb Length of Blade would have an impact on the impeller inlet or exit
ns Specific speed velocity triangles, which may result in significant
Q Flow Rate performance change.The blade exit angle have very
u Impeller Rotational Velocity important role in the performance of the centrifugal
w Relative Velocity pump. In this study different blade angles are examined
to investigate its effect on the performance of the
Subscript centrifugal pump.
1 Inlet Checking of an effect of various blades exit angle
1q Inlet Throat experimentally is very expensive process. Therefore
2 Outlet analysis from mathematical modeling is selected which is
3 Volute Inlet very easy and cheap tool to investigate the effect of blade
av Average exit angles of centrifugal pump performance.
d Discharge Nozzle Several improvements in impeller performance have
f Friction been achieved by various researchers. Shojaeefard et al
fm Friction and Mixing [2] investigates fluid with different viscosity and
im Impeller different geometry on the performance of centrifugal
m Mean pump. The CFD simulations were used to investigate the
s Shock influence of the compressor geometry on the flow
t Theoretical pattern. Also the numerical data are compared with the
experimental results.

702
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2013)
Weng li[3] examined the effect the various blade Coefficient for losses in discharge nozzle is given as:
angles of the industrial oil pump by mathematical model.
The result obtained from mathematical model is
compared with experimental results. He found that the
blade exit angle have equal effect on head, shaft power
and efficiency. Moreover Weng li[4] examined the effect Co efficient for shock loss is given as:
of blade exit angle and viscosity as well as the roughness
on the performance of the centrifugal pump with the use
of CFD code. Shojaeefard et al.[5] investigates the effect
of impeller outlet angle for oil, experimentally and
numerically. They conclude that increasing of impeller C. Theoretical Head
outlet angle causes improvement in the performance. Theoretical head generated by centrifugal pump can be
Aoki et al [6] and Ohta et al [7],[8] experimentally calculated by using Euler’s equation. It I s given by:
studied the influences of the discharge angle on the
performance of a centrifugal pump when handling water
and viscous oils.

II. P REDICTION M ODEL III. RESULTS AND D ISCUSSION

In present study prediction model presented by Gulich Gulich [1] model is used to estimate the various losses
[1] is taken for the performance prediction. In Gulich [1] occur in the centrifugal pump. Different hydraulic losses
model various coefficients are given for different predicted by the Gulich [1] model are subtracted from the
component of the pump. Euler’s head in order to get predicted head. The
A. Hydraulic Losses in Impeller calculations were done using MATLAB programming. In
present study three centrifugal pumps with different
The co efficient for losses in the impeller is given as:
specific speed are taken for investigation such as specific
speed 28.91, 38.47 and 53.48. The geometrical
dimensions of the test pumps are given in TABLE 1. The
The Gulich [1] model considers the impeller losses, head predicted by the model is compared with the
which include the friction, mixing losses and shock manufacturer’s head-flow curve to validate it. After
losses. model has been validated, blade angle of the test pumps
The friction loss co efficient is given as: are changed in order to find its effect on their
performance. The results computed with the help of
Gulich [1] model are plotted on the graph for the further
analysis.
Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig.3 shows comparison of
The shock loss in the impeller is given as: manufacturer’s head-flow curve and head-flow curve
obtained from the Gulich [1] model. It has been seen
from the figures that the predicted head by Gulich [1]
model is in good agreement with the manufacturer head
for all pumps of various specific speeds. For all range of
B. Hydraulic Losses in the Volute specific speed Gulich [1] model predicts head with good
The co efficient for the volute loss is given as: and acceptable accuracy.
For investigation of the impeller blade exit angle effect
on the performance of the centrifugal pump various blade
exit angle are examined. For pump of specific speed
The volute loss co efficient consists of the co efficient 28.91, the designed blade angle is 35, so attempt has
for the losses by friction, shock, and in discharge nozzle. been made to check performance by varying blade angle
Co efficient for friction loss is given as: around 35.
For pump of specific speed 38.47 and 53.48 designed
blade angle is 23. Both pumps are investigated for the
blade exit angles 20, 30 and 40.

703
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2013)
TABLE 1
Dimensions of the Centrifugal Pump.

Ns 28.91 Ns 38.47 Ns 53.48

Rotational Speed 2900 rpm 2900 rpm 2900 rpm
Suction diameter 100 mm 100 mm 100 mm
Discharge
100 mm 100 mm 63.5 mm
diameter
Impeller
Inlet diameter 82.5 mm 93.2 mm 109 mm
Outlet diameter 168 mm 158.2 mm 140.8 mm
Inlet vane angle 22 19 19
Outlet vane angle 35 23 23
Inlet passage
44 mm 45 mm 65 mm
width
Outlet passage
15.5 mm 21.2 mm 26.5 mm
width
Vane number 6 6 6
Volute
Throat diameter 70 mm 70 mm 85 mm Fig.2 Comparison of head-flow characteristic of 38.47 specific
Radius at tongue speed centrifugal pump.
(from impeller
90 mm 75 mm 75 mm
centre )

Fig.3 Comparison of head-flow characteristic of 53.48 specific

speed centrifugal pump.

From the Fig. 4, Fig.5 and Fig.6 it is clear that

according to the prediction of Gulich [1] model, the
impeller blade exit angle other than designed blade exit
Fig.1 Comparison of head-flow characteristic of 28.91 specific
speed centrifugal pump.
angle have significant effect on the performance of the
centrifugal pump. In all case, blade exit angle other than
that designed, head increases with increase in blade exit
angle.

704
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2013)
Fig.7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 shows comparison of
efficiency obtained from Gulich [1] model at various
blade exit angles. It is seen form all graphs that blade exit
have significant effect for all range of specific speed. For
all centrifugal pumps Gulich [1] model predicts that the
efficiency is increases with increase in impeller blade
exit angles.

Fig.6 Head-flow characteristic of 53.48 specific speed pump at

various blade exit angles

Fig. 4 Head-flow characteristic of 28.91 specific speed pump at

various blade exit angles

Fig. 7 Efficiency-flow curve of 28.91 specific speed pump at various

blade exit angles

Fig. 5 Head-flow characteristic of 38.47 specific speed pump at

various blade exit angles

Fig. 8 Efficiency-flow curve of 38.47 specific speed pump at various

blade exit angles

705
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2013)
 The blade exit angle has significant and equal effect
on the head and the efficiency.
 With the increase in blade exit angle the
performance of the centrifugal pump is increases.
 There may be some inaccuracy due to the
complication of the geometrical dimensions. This
could be removed by investigating with numerical
analysis by CFD code.
REFERENCES
[1 ] J. F. Gulich, 2007. Centrifugal Pumps,3rd ed, Berlin,
Germany:Springer.
[2 ] M.H. Shojaeefard , M. Tahani, M.B. Ehghaghi, M.A. Fallahian,
M. Beglari, 2012. “ numerical study of the effect of some
geometric characteristic of a centrifugal pump impeller that
pumps viscous fluid,” in Proc C & F’ 60, p.61-70.
[3 ] W.G. Li, “Blade exit angle effects on the performance of
Fig. 9 Efficiency-flow curve of 53.48 specific speed pump at various industrial oil pump”
blade exit angles
[4 ] W.G. Li, 2011. “Effect of exit blade angle, viscosity and
Form all these graphs it is also found that performance roughness in centrifugal pumps investigated by CFD computation,
“Task Quarterly’ 15, No 1, p. 109.
of centrifugal pump based on Gulich [1] model at the
[5 ] M. H. Shojaee Fard, F. A. Boyaghchi, 2007. “studies on the
higher value of blade exit angle than the designed blade influence of various blade outlet angles in a centrifugal pump
exit angle predicts more efficiency and head, moreover when handling viscous fluid,” American Journal of Applied
lesser value of blade exit angle than the designed blade Science’ 4, p. 718-724.
exit angle also predicts more head and efficiency. [6 ] Aoki, K., H. Ohta, and Y. Nakayama 1987. “Study on centrifugal
pump for high viscosity liquids (the 1st report, effect of impeller
output angle and number of blades on the pump performance of
IV. CONCLUSIONS closed type impellers)”. Proc. of the School of Engineering, Tokai
Investigation of effect of impeller blade exit angle on University’ 27(2), p.151-158.
the performance of the centrifugal pump has been done in [7 ] Ohta, H., and K. Aoki 1990. “Study on centrifugal pump for high-
viscosity liquids (effect of impeller output angle on the pump
this study. Head and efficiency have been found with the
performance)”, Proc. of the School of Engineering, Tokai
use of hydraulic loss model presented by Gulich [1]. University 30(1), p. 175-183.
From light of above discussion following conclusions can [8 ] Ohta, H. and K. Aoki 1996. “Effect of impeller angle on
be drawn: performance and internal flow of centrifugal pump for high-
viscosity liquids”, Proc. of the School of Engineering, Tokai
University 36(1), p.159-168.

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