Blade erosion influence on hydraulic performance of the "SHF" centrifugal pump : experimental determination on the EPOCA test loop

The blade erosion influence on hydraulic performance for a standard design centrifugal pump (pump named "SHF"). was eyperimentally, determined by tests oil the EPOCA loop in Chatou. The eroded blades, all identical and manufactured by, numerical milling, are supposed to represent a wear by cavitation erosion. Hydraulic performance without cavitation (head, shaft power and efficiency versus flow rate) and with cavitation (NPSH3 % curves and cavitation developments visualization) are recorded for the new runner and then for three increasingly weared runners : soft wear, deep wear and deep wear with a cut in the leading edge. The performance evolution is evident, taken into account experimental uncertainties. For the "SHF" geometry, the head between the unweared and the weared runner is lowered by, about 2 % and the power by 9 %. The NPSH3 % is only moderately affected by the wear