Abstract
The development of energy saving determines the importance of improving the efficiency of equipment that uses most of the energy consumed. Pumping equipment is one of the most significant consumers of electrical energy. Thus, the drive of pumps (mainly centrifugal pumps) at some CHPPs consumes up to 10 % of the total energy produced at the plant [1]. In general, the total share of consumption of pumping equipment operated in industry, according to various estimates, is from 15 to 25 % of all generated electricity. In this paper, a new impeller configuration (with variable blade curvature) for double suction centrifugal pumps with higher efficiency was proposed. The head and efficiency of centrifugal pump with different vane grids were compared. The main conclusions are that the static pressure and relative velocity have increased in the modernised impeller, leading to an increase in hydraulic and overall efficiency, the kinetic energy of turbulence has less pulsation. the operating point of the pump has shifted. In spite of the fact that the average integral efficiency has increased in the modified pump, the operating point of the pump is shifted to the side of decreasing flow by 1.5%. The theory of the variable curvature vane system was verified by computational methods.