Combined operating process of torque flow pump

Abstract

Due to a simple design and hydraulic passage that is the least susceptible to clogging, torque flow pumps (TFP) of Turo type are the most common pumps used for pumping various hydraulic mixtures. These pumps are referred to vortex pumps, operation of which is accompanied by energy loss and vortex formation resulting in low economic efficiency. Since the TFP is a vortex hydraulic machine, the ratio of the fluid velocity in the free pump passage to the impeller rotational speed ωfluid/ω is an indicator of the TFP efficiency. The higher the value of ωfluid, the more efficient the pump is. The mechanism of the energy transfer in the TFP is caused by both blade and vortex operating process, or a combined operating process. The efficiency of the pump can be improved by increasing the portion of blade operating process. The aim of the study is to improve the efficiency of the TFP of Turo type by modifying the impeller design, to obtain a basic equation of the TFP with a new impeller which has several extended blades, and to study the influence of the impeller geometry on the pump performance experimentally. The study was carried out by analytical and experimental methods. The equation describing the head dependence on the hydraulic passage dimensions of the pump with a new impeller was obtained analytically. This equation can be used to clarify the methodological recommendations for designing the pump. The energy balance in the TFP was analyzed. During the testing on a test rig, the characteristics of the pump were obtained, which confirmed the advantages of using the modified impeller with extended blades resulting in increase of the portion of the blade operating process.