RESEARCH ARTICLE | SEPTEMBER 23 2016

Impeller design of a single blade hydrodynamic pump 

Branislav Knížat; Zoltán Csuka; Maroš Hyriak

AIP Conf. Proc. 1768, 020034 (2016)

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4963056

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 Impeller design of a single blade hydrodynamic pump
Branislav Knížat1, a), Zoltán Csuka1, b) and Maroš Hyriak2, c)
1
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Energy Machinery,
Námestie slobody 17, 812 31 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
2
PraktikPump, Jesenského 63, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovak Republic.
a)
Corresponding author: branislav.knizat@stuba.sk
b)
zoltan.csuka@stuba.sk
c)
maros.hyriak@praktikpump.sk

Abstract. The paper deals with a design of a single blade impeller. The blade is screw-shaped with a wrap angle greater
than 360°. Such a type of a pump is especially appropriate for pumping of liquids containing solid particles. There are
known some applications, when living organisms as for example fishes without any lesion were pumped with a screw
single blade pump. In the paper are presented the results of the research of two impellers with different blade geometry
and working in the same pump casing. The characteristic curves of both impellers were calculated by using methods of
CFD. Steel models of designed impellers were tested in the laboratory of hydraulic machinery. Experimentally obtained

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characteristics are compared with calculated ones.

INTRODUCTION
The single blade hydrodynamic pump is used especially for pumping of contaminated liquids containing foreign
solid particles. The important advantage of this pump is that the size of the particles which can pass through is
relatively large. Other advantages are a relatively high efficiency and a considerable resistance against the damage.
The typical scopes of its applications are the food and chemical industries. The main disadvantages follow from the
nonsymmetrical blade and impeller shape and thus from the nonsymmetrical pressure load initiating the radial thrust
on the shaft and bearings during the revolution [2]. The pump parameters are considerably sensitive on the shape
and length of the blade. The influence of the blade shape on the power parameters of the pump is analyzed in the
paper. Diagonal and semi open impellers are considered. A volute is used as a diffuser. The shape of the blade is
defined as a ruled surface. The blade was optimized by using CFD methods and modified so that the requested
parameters (position of the BEP, large size of passed particles) could be met.

IMPELLER GEOMETRY
The geometry of the blade is given by a ruled surface wrapped around the impeller hub. The blade is relatively
long because the wrap angle is more than 360°. In the Fig. 1 is pictured the meridional cut through the blade. The
cutting plane has a position ij and it is containing the axis of rotation z. The cut has the form of a straight line AB
having the slope į.
The straight line 1-2 represents the projection of the mean streamline and the points “S” are lying on it. The point
A is lying on the shroud and the point B is lying on the hub of the impeller.
The spatial shape of the mean streamline is defined by the general relations:
z f1 M (1)
rz f 2 M (2)
G f3 M (3)

The Meeting of Departments of Fluid Mechanics and Thermomechanics (35MDFMT)

AIP Conf. Proc. 1768, 020034-1–020034-8; doi: 10.1063/1.4963056
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1426-6/$30.00

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 Another approach of description of ruled surfaces is presented for example in [3]. The meaning of the parameters
in the equations (1) to (3) is evident from the Fig. 1.

FIGURE 1. Meridional cut of a blade

Design parameters of the investigated pump for clean water were the flow rate Qn=11 l/s and specific energy
Yn=105 J/kg at revolutions n=2900 min-1. Two impellers (denoted A and B) of the diameter D2=138 mm were
designed to meet these parameters. Their geometry given by the course of z, rz and į as functions of ij is presented in
the Fig. 2.
During the design process, the parameters of the pump were found out to be considerably sensitive on the blade
shape. The blade was shaped by applying own software code which allows inserting of different forms of the
functions (1) to (3).
The course of rz, and z according to equation (1) and (2) is identical for both impellers as it follows from the
Fig. 2. The impellers differ only in the course of the angle į.

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FIGURE 2. Blade geometry

The course of the mean streamline of both impellers is pictured in the Fig. 3. The wrap angle is extremely big
(486°) compared to conventional hydrodynamic pumps. It leads to very low blade angles (less than 10°). The input
blade angle ȕ1=8.2° and the output blade angle ȕ2=8.7° is the same for both impellers.
Due to small blade angles, the course of specific energy of single blade screw pumps is usually steep and stabile
which may be considered as an advantage. The impeller A is pictured in the Fig. 4 as a 3D model. This model was a
basis for the space meshing in the CFD software Fluent. It is also apparent from the Fig. 4 that the solid particles of
a relatively big size can pass through the impeller channel. The blade is defined as a ruled surface and so it can be
made of a steel plate. The real impeller is pictured in the Fig. 5. The manufacturing procedures were combined from
welding and cutting.
The thickness of the blade was 4 mm. The blade is welded to the tapered hub as can be seen in the Fig. 5.

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 FIGURE 3. Wrap angle of the blade

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FIGURE 4. 3D model of the impeller A

FIGURE 5. Steel model of the impeller

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 PARAMETERS OF CFD SIMULATION
As a very powerful tool for the optimization of the impeller geometry the CFD methods were used. This is due to
the fact that classical design methods valid for ordinary impellers cannot be here directly applied [6]. The CFD
calculation was performed with parameters as follows (see also [1]): unstructured mesh, Menter SST turbulence
model, steady-state calculation. All boundary conditions remained constant in time during the calculation. The
steady-state calculation is an essential simplification of the pump flow, but it gives reliable results for the purposes
of a hydraulic design. The calculation mesh of designed single blade screw pump was created on the base of the 3D
model of the internal volume. The mesh was generated by the software ANSYS Meshing. General criteria for the
mesh generation were applied in order to achieve a numerical accuracy. Total number of elements of the numerical
model of the pump was 19.2 millions (impeller – 15.2 millions; spiral casing – 2.1 millions; suction pipe – 1.9
millions). In the mesh occurred 5.2 millions tetrahedral elements; 13.9 millions three prism elements; and 2.1
millions pyramid elements.
The calculation domain including the impeller, spiral casing, input conduit and output conduit is pictured in the
Fig. 6.

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FIGURE 6. Scheme of the pump with the inlet and outlet parts

The Menter SST (shear stress transport) model of turbulence was chosen for the simulation. This model
effectively combines robustness and accuracy of the k-Ȧ model in regions close to the wall with the model k-İ
working better in a free stream away from the wall. These improvements make the SST model more accurate and
reliable compared with the standard k-Ȧ model.
The CFD calculations served for estimating of pump power curves. The specific energy Y, torque M and
hydraulic efficiency Ș were evaluated for each flow rate Q. All calculations were steady-state, it means that they
were carried out at certain position of the impeller. In order to eliminate inaccurateness following from this approach
the calculations were done for three different positions of the impeller (0°, 120°, 240°) and the final power curve
was evaluated as a mean value of partial results.

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 COMPARISON OF CALCULATED AND MEASURED PUMP CURVES
Two blade shapes were tested during the design process. Thus two impellers with different blades were
manufactured. Both have the same form of meridional cut – according to the Fig. 2. The shape best able to satisfy
the requested parameters was chosen for the further research. Both impellers were tested in the same pump body,
including the spiral casing.
The measurement was carried out in the Laboratory of hydraulic machinery in the Faculty of Mechanical
Engineering. The testing facility is depicted in the Fig. 7. Measured parameters were the input and output pressure,
flow rate, torque and revolutions. Evaluated quantities were the specific energy, input power and efficiency. The
flow rate was measured by the ultrasound flowmeter in order to reduce the losses in the testing circuit.

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FIGURE 7. Measured pump and the testing facility

FIGURE 8. Impeller A: Measured and calculated pump curves

The Figure 8 shows the comparison of calculated and measured power curves of the impeller A. The curve of
specific energy Y is a steep and stabile line. The curve predicted by the CFD simulation has the same slope as the
measured one, but it is shifted down. The difference between the calculated and measured specific energy is about
20 J/kg for the same flow rate. The predicted efficiency is higher than the measured one. The difference is about 3%.

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 FIGURE 9. Impeller B: Measured and calculated pump curves

The parameters of the impeller B are presented in the Fig. 9. It can be seen a very good coincidence between
measured and calculated values of the specific energy. The position of the measured best efficiency point is shifted
to the lower flow rate. The curve of the specific energy is also steep and stabile as it is in a case of the impeller A.

TABLE 1. Comparison of positions of the best efficiency points

Q [l/s] Y [J/kg] Ș [%] Q [l/s] Y [J/kg] Ș [%]
CFD simulation Measurement
Impeller A 11.0 98.0 62.0 11.0 120.0 59.0
Impeller B 10.0 101.0 63.0 10.0 101.0 58.0

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FIGURE 10. Calculated velocity field of the impeller A

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FIGURE 11. Calculated total pressure field of the impeller A

From the comparison of power curves of both impellers follow that their efficiencies are not significantly
different. The specific energy curve of the impeller B is slightly shifted below the curve of the impeller A. It was
proven by both simulation and experiment.
The Table 1 contains an overview of attained parameters of both impellers in the best efficiency point. Since the
difference in the geometry of both impellers is not meaningful it can be argued that the pump parameters are
considerably sensitive on the blade shape. One of the reasons for this is the fact that a single blade impeller is
involved. One blade must be relatively long with a big wrap angle and this leads to relatively small input (ȕ1) and
output (ȕ2) angles. So a relatively small change of both angles may have a significant impact on some pump
properties as for example specific energy, torque or suction ability.
The efficiency of the pump model is influenced by the welded spiral casing containing sharp corners. It can be
expected that a real pump made by casting will reach a greater efficiency.
The calculated velocity field of the impeller A is presented in the Fig. 10. It is clear from the figure that the flow
in the impeller is highly non-symmetrical. It is also proven by the Fig. 11 where the field of the total pressure is
pictured. The asymmetry of flow is a source of additional dynamic phenomena loading the shaft of the single blade
pump [4], [5].

CONCLUSION
The influence of the blade shape on the parameters of the single blade hydrodynamic pump is presented in the
article. The investigation of the pump properties was carried out experimentally with a support of CFD methods.
The accuracy of applied steady-state calculations is satisfactory for the process of design of a single blade pump,
because the coincidence between measured and calculated power curves is very good.
It is shown that the position of the best efficiency point is sensitive on the blade shape. It is then necessary to
form the blade more carefully than in a case of a classical multi-blade pump. The impeller blades presented in the
paper were made as ruled surfaces. The definition of the blade as a ruled surface is despite its mathematical
simplicity convenient, because the achieved efficiencies are sufficiently high. The impeller diameter was 138 mm

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and the attained efficiencies were at the level 59%. It also follows from the calculations that the pump flow is non-
symmetrical and it may cause increased dynamical load of the shaft.
Achieved results form an appropriate basis for the design of single bladed pump impellers.

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