Theoretical and experimental study of the blade to blade flow through a centrifugal pump

The proposed paper concerns the study of the blade to blade now through a centrifugal pump. This pump has a specific speed nsq = 32 and consists of an impeller and a spiral casing. The design of the pump is realised with the help of the " HELIOX " dimensioning and performance analysis software, developed at the LEMFI. The pump has a semi-opened impeller and transparent front shroud and is manufactured out by the MORET pump company. The calculation of the 2D blade to blade flow is based on a panel method associated with a conformal mapping of a circular cascade into a plane cascade. The second part of this publication is devoted to the experimental study carried out on this same pump at the LEMFI. The experimental results presented in subcavitating and cavitating regimes cover the azimuthal evolution of the blade to blade static pressure. The comparison between the theoretical model and the experimental results is quite satisfactory, except in the very low flow rate cases notably for the sensor n degrees l located at the leading edge of the blade.