Effect of Speed on the Performance Characteristics of a Centrifugal Slurry Pump

The performance characteristics of a centrifugal slurry pump has been evaluated at three rotational speeds with water as well as solid-liquid mixtures of two materials to establish the applicability of affinity relations to these pumps. Measurements have shown that the standard affinity relations are applicable to these pumps under special conditions only. The relations for head and capacity are found to be applicable only at low solid concentrations, whereas application of affinity relation for input power gives significant errors, both with water and slurry, for substantial changes in the pump speed.