Improper impeller inlet conditions in centrifugal pumps is one of the causes for their lowered efficiency. Three nylon caps C1, C2 and C3 of different shapes were fabricated and fixed over the checknut of a centrifugal pump. The pump was tested and its performance with each cap was studied. It was seen that cap C3 performed the best. It improved the efficiency of pump by 2.0% and lowered its power requirement by 8.3%.
Cenrifungal pump, Pump efficiency pump characteristics curve
