Centrifugal pump lab

The centrifugal pump lab, created under the direction of Prof. Olivier Léonard, is currently installed in the Applied Thermodynamics Lab (LaboThAp, B49) and is used as a didactic tool in the courses MECA0528 -"Fluid machinery in the process industry" and MECA0529 - "Hydraulic turbomachinery". It allows to establish, at different rotation speeds,

• the head-flow rate characteristic;
• the power and efficiency characteristics;
• the required net positive suction head (NPSH_r) characteristic.

The pump operates in a closed circuit, drawing water from and discharging it to a closed tank with free air surface, against over a valve. The most important components of the setup are

• a differential pressure measurement over the pump;
• a flow rate measurement in the discharge line;
• variable frequency feeding of the the motor, allowing to change the rotation speed;
• a combined torque / rotation speed measurement on the shaft; 
• a vacuum pump to regulate the air pressure in the reservoir; 
• an absolute pressure measurement in the suction line;
• a transparent pump casing and part of the suction pipe.