Centrifugal Pump

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This invention relates to a centrifugal pump with a semi-open impeller, in which specially designed macroscopic grooves are provided on the inner face of the front shroud above the impeller blades. These grooves (either radial or circumferential and millimeters in size) enhance the mixing and transportation of gas-liquid two-phase flows by promoting secondary flows and vortices, thereby significantly delaying gas accumulation, improving phase mixing, and increasing pump efficiency, especially at higher gas content.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Industrial pumping processes involving gas-liquid mixtures, such as in the chemical, petroleum, and food-processing industries
• Cooling and heat transfer systems where two-phase flows are present, such as in nuclear and geothermal power plants
• Medical treatment equipment that needs to handle multiphase flows
• Paper manufacturing where air-water mixtures are often pumped
• Wastewater treatment facilities with aerated fluids or multiphase sludge transport
• Enhanced pumping solutions in any application where gas pockets typically cause pump surging or blockage

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Improved efficiency and stability in transporting two-phase (gas-liquid) flows compared to prior art centrifugal pumps, especially at higher gas volume fractions
• Reduced risk of gas accumulation and pump surging or breakdown, leading to more reliable operation
• No need for additional mechanical components (such as external inducers), simplifying design and maintenance
• Enhanced mixing due to strong secondary flows and vortices created by the grooves, resulting in smaller and more uniformly dispersed bubbles
• Flexible groove design (various number, width, depth, and cross-sections) to adapt to specific application needs
• Potential for retrofitting into existing pump designs, as the innovation can be integrated into conventional pumps with minimal modification

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to a centrifugal pump (1) with semi-open impeller (2) having a back plate (3), a number of blades (4) provided onto the back plate (3), and a front shroud (5, 7) arranged upstream of the impeller (2) at a defined distance above the blades (4), wherein onto the face of the front shroud (5, 6) directed towards the blades (4) a number of macroscopic grooves (5, 7) is provided for improved mixing and transport of gas-liquid two-phase flows.