Radial Thrust in Centrifugal Pumps with a Single-Vane Impellers

Abstract

Experiments on radial thrust in centrifugal pumps with a single-vane impeller are carried out. Three impellers with different subtended angles of vane and two delivery casings, i.e., volute casing and circular one, are designed. In the experiments the effect of the subtended angle of vane and that of the geometry of a delivery casing on radial thrust are examined. An analysis is also made to calculate the radial force acting on a single-vane impeller. From the present analysis and experiments, the following results are obtained. (1) It is confirmed that the radial thrust consists of the force caused by a delivery casing and that caused by an impeller itself. (2) The magnitude of the radial thrust in the case of the circular casing is less than that in the case of the volute casing. (3) The effect of the subtended angle of vane on radial thrust is small.