Abstract
The article presents the results of an experimental study of the influence of the number of blades on the pressure-energy characteristics of a multistage centrifugal pump. A vertical submersible multistage centrifugal pump was tested, in which impellers with a different number of blades (6, 7 and 8 blades) were varied. The wheels were manufactured using the latest rapid prototyping technology through SLA printing on high strength polymer resin. The operating speed of the pump was varied at 1450, 2050 and 2850 revolutions per minute (rpm). The effect of different numbers of impeller blades on the performance of a centrifugal pump was investigated on three parameters: pump head (H), hydraulic power and efficiency (η). As a result of the experiments, the dominant influence of the speed on the performance of the centrifugal pump was revealed. It was also found that all pump performance characteristics are generally sensitive to changes in rotational speed, and not to changes in the number of blades. As a result of the research, it was revealed that the flow rate during pump operation plays a key role in head, power and efficiency indicators. The conducted research allowed to conclude that the number of blades does not have a significant impact on the performance of a centrifugal pump.