Patent ID: 6431831
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: F04D

Abstract:
A centrifugal pump for pumping a slurry containing a solids fluid mixture, comprising:a shell having a central axis including: a front wall and a spaced back wall; a generally continuous outer side wall extending between the front wall and the rear wall; a discharge nozzle disposed tangentially with respect to the side wall; a suction inlet defined in the front wall about the axis for allowing the slurry to enter the shell; an impeller rotatably supported within the shell about the central axis, the impeller including: a plurality of vanes, each vane having an inlet angle and an exit angle; wherein the vane inlet angles provide a substantially shock-free entry for the solids fluid mixture entering the impeller; and wherein the vane inlet angle is further defined by the equation: inlet angle=artan&it;CmlUlâ€ƒwhere: Cm1 is the estimated meridional velocity of the solids; U1 is the tangential velocity of the inlet edge of a vane.