Computation and experimental results of wear in a slurry pump impeller

Using a computer program to obtain the internal $ow in a pump impeller, the trajectories of solid particles were found and used to predict the regions of wear within the pump. In order to assess the validity of this prediction method tests were undertaken to obtain the erosion-prone areas of the pump by observing the erosion of layers of paint on the pump impeller. There was good agreement but the level of erosion was underestimated by the predictions. The calculation method and the use of paint to obtain wear patterns were both promising methods. Maximum wear in this case was near the leading edge on the pressure side and on the back shroud in the eye of the impeller. NOTATION projected area of a particle drag coefficient particle diameter restitution coefficient function coefficient of dynamic friction body force due to buoyancy drag force due to relative motion between the particle and the water particle mass number of blades of the impeller radial coordinate particle Reynolds number time defined by equations (3a) and (3b) particle velocity water velocity units of volume removed by wear particle position distance from the bottom of the suction pipe normalized by the pipe diameter axial coordinate Greek symbols