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Effects of Blade Number on the Centrifugal Pump Performance: A Review

  • Review-Mechanical Engineering
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Abstract

Improvement of centrifugal pump performance (i.e., head and flow rate) is the main goal for designers since it plays a significant role in most industrial fields. Low flow rate and pump head cause low productivity in the industry. Centrifugal pumps involve several parameters that influence their performance. Thus, modifying some of these parameters within a reasonable range is significant in the centrifugal pump design. The blade numbers are an essential design parameter for pumps, which heavily affects the pump's characteristics. This article reviews the effects of the blade number variation on the centrifugal pumps' performance and synthesizes the current study status. Three research approaches are summarized: analytical studies, numerical simulation, and experimental measurement research to demonstrate blade numbers' influence and characteristics. This article highlighted unsolved issues and implications for future research based on prior research findings. It is clarified that the performance of the centrifugal pump was significantly affected by the number of blades. With increasing blade numbers head, and efficiency would increase until specific values. The blade numbers have optimum values for pumping liquids at the best performance. The data gathered in this review article are expected to contribute a guideline and reference for future research of centrifugal pump performance. It can help the designers estimate the optimum blade numbers to obtain better performance at the best design point of the centrifugal pump.

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Abbreviations

b :

Blade thickness

b 2 :

Blade width

\(C_{{{\text{cond}}}}\) :

Condensation coefficient

\(C_{{{\text{vap}}}}\) :

Vaporization coefficient

\(C_{d}\) :

Cavitation when the head reduces to 3%.

\(C_{i}\) :

Critical value of the cavitation incipience

\(D_{1}\) :

Inlet diameter of the impeller

D si :

Inlet diameter of splitter

\(f_{{\text{b}}}\) :

Blade passing frequency

h :

Head loss in pump

I :

Liquid phase

k :

Turbulence kinetic energy

K :

Numerical constant

\(L_{i}\) :

Impeller pitch

\(\dot{m}_{{{\text{cond}}}}\) :

Condensation term

\(\dot{m}_{{{\text{vap}}}}\) :

Vaporization term

n :

Impeller rotating speed

\(q_{s}\) :

Volume flow of entrained air

Q :

Flow rate

\(r_{{{\text{nuc}}}}\) :

Nucleation site volume fraction

R :

Impeller radius

\(R_{{\text{B}}}\) :

Average radius of the bubble

\(R_{{\text{m}}}\) :

Maximum bubble radius

S :

Surface tension coefficient

t :

Blade metal thickness

\(U_{1}\) :

Inlet circumferential velocity

\(u_{2}\) :

Peripheral velocity

v :

Vapor phase

\(v_{m2}\) :

Average velocity at the impeller outlet

\(W_{e}\) :

Weber number

z :

Blade numbers

α :

Volume fraction

αs :

Deflection angle of splitter blades

\(\beta_{1}\) :

Blade inlet angle

\(\beta_{2}\) :

Blade outlet/exit angle

\(\beta_{{\text{m}}}\) :

Mean blade angle

Ɵ s :

Bias angle in a peripheral direction of splitter

\(\rho_{1}\) :

Liquid density

\(\uppsi\) :

Head coefficient

\(\Delta\uppsi _{h}\) :

Increment of \(\uppsi _{h}\) due to air admission

\(\sigma\) :

Cavitation parameter

\(\eta_{{\text{h}}}\) :

Hydraulic efficiency

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgment to "Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia for Fundamental Research Grant Scheme with Project Code FRGS/1/2020/TK0/USM/03/6. The authors would also like to thank Universiti Sains Malaysia and Al-Muthanna University for providing technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal, 14300, Seberang Perai Selatan, Penang, Malaysia

    Hayder Kareem Sakran, Mohd Sharizal Abdul Aziz & M. Z. Abdullah

  2. Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Muthanna University, Muthanna, Iraq

    Hayder Kareem Sakran

  3. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia

    C. Y. Khor

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  1. Hayder Kareem Sakran
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Correspondence to Mohd Sharizal Abdul Aziz.

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Sakran, H.K., Abdul Aziz, M.S., Abdullah, M.Z. et al. Effects of Blade Number on the Centrifugal Pump Performance: A Review. Arab J Sci Eng 47, 7945–7961 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-021-06545-z

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