Experiment-based Comparison of Prediction Methods for Pump Head Degradation with Viscous and Power-law Fluids

P. Csizmadia, S. Till and D. L. Lukácsi

Abstract
Although several methods are known to calculate pump performance with highly viscous and non-Newtonian fluids, research has not yet determined all the key parameters of these predictions. It is unclear how these parameters depend on the pump geometry and the delivered fluid rheology, which can vary widely in the chemical industry. In our study, the performance curves of a radial centrifugal pump with a viscous Newtonian glycerol solution and a non-Newtonian power-law fluid were experimentally compared. The head degradation of the pump was also presumed with the ANSI/HI and the Ofuchi methods, which are evident and commonly used for viscous Newtonian fluids, but not for non-Newtonians. The required constants were estimated based on experimental data for both models, and the Ofuchi method was adapted to power-law fluid. Based on our results, the Ofuchi method proved to apply for head degradation prediction with the examined power-law fluid.

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Keywords
centrifugal pump, experiments, head degradation, performance curves, power-law fluid, viscous fluid