An Experimental Study of Rotor-Filter Pump Performance

The performance of a rotor-filter pump has been studied experimentally. To develop an understanding of pump performance, and in particular to discern the mechanism of hydraulic pulsing, flow visualization in the rotor, vibration analyses of the pump, frequency analysis of the pump hydraulic pressure pulsation, and analyses of flow characteristics for different pick-up tubes in combination with different impellers and cover plates were conducted. The frequencies of the pump’s hydraulic pulsation is shown to be a function of the number of pick-up arms and the motor speed. The pump vibration and its pulsation amplitude were reduced by increasing the number of pick-up arms or by adding a radial impeller. These actions increased the lowest frequency of pulsation and decreased the chance of excitation of the pump system parts.