Analysis of the effect of hydrophobic properties of surfaces in the flow part of centrifugal pumps on their operational performance

Abstract

The results of experimental studies focused on evaluating the effect of different conditions of wetting of functional surfaces in flow parts of centrifugal pumps (specifically, impellers) used in heat- and watersupply systems on their operational performance are presented. The conditions of interaction of the pumped medium with the impeller surfaces were altered through hydrophobization of functional surfaces that was implemented using the techniques developed at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute and the Brno University of Technology. It is demonstrated that this hydrophobization produced a considerable positive effect and raised the efficiency of pump units based on centrifugal KM pumps of three different form factors produced by ZAO Pompa (Shchelkovo) and a K centrifugal pump produced by Sigma. The efficiency was increased by 2–6% depending on the pump model. The results of experimental studies of the effect of hydrophobization of the surface of a canonical plate-type domain with a working medium flowing longitudinally along it in a hydrodynamic bed (Moscow Power Engineering Institute) are detailed. Two flat plates with a length of 250 mm and a width of 252 mm were studied. The surfaces of these plates had different roughness values, since one of the plates was polished prior to hydrophobization. Different wetting conditions, which were monitored by measuring the contact angle with a KRUSS MobileDrop goniometer, were established after hydrophobization. The obtained experimental data showed that the surface friction of the modified plate with a higher initial roughness (unpolished plate) was reduced by as much as 23%. This result agrees completely with the Cassie hypothesis.