Influence of hydrophibization of impellers of centrifugal pumps on their operating characteristics

This work presents experimental estimation results of changing of basic operation characteristics of a group of centrifugal pumps covering a range of values of dimensionless power-speed coefficient n_s from 33 to 330 after hydrophobization of their impellers' surfaces. Hydrophobization of functional surfaces of impellers in all experiments was performed by formation of structures of organic covers by technology of MPEI NRU, which provides increasing of limiting wetting angle of surfaces to 120° and greater. Results of experimental researches of the influence of hydrophobization of impeller surfaces for high-speed pump (n_s = 330) on its characteristics is presented for the first time. Positive effect of applying hydrophobization technology to impeller surfaces in all the considered range of power-speed coefficient was generalized and estimated. It was shown that hydrophobization of impeller surfaces of centrifugal pumps provides increment to their efficiency factors within an acceptable operation range from 0.5 to 7.5%. Empiric function defining dependencies of efficiency factor increment of pump on relative supply and power-speed coefficient are suggested. Possibilities and estimation of extending acceptable operation range of a pump depending on powerspeed coefficient as a result of impeller surface hydrophobization are shown. Experimental data of comparative cavitation tests of high-speed pumps before and after hydrophobization of their impeller surfaces are generalized for the first time for considered range of power-speed coefficient values. The influence of power-speed coefficient on changing of critical net pump suction head (critical positive suction pressure) is shown. Based on existing knowledge on pumps, an attempt to validate experimentally obtained lows of changing of power and anticavitation features of centrifugal pumps after hydrophobization of their impeller surfaces is made.