{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/128340"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/128340","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Modeling flow characteristics of a low specific-speed centrifugal pump with different volute shapes","abstract":"A centrifugal pump is typically designed for a specific operating condition. The pump's shape and size are fine-tuned so that it can produce a specified output pressure and flow rate at the maximum possible efficiency. When a pump begins operating off of its design flow rate, its efficiency drops. Pumping systems often involve dynamic demands. They may have a fluctuating flow rate demand throughout the day, or the system may evolve and change size over time. In these cases, pumps with a single operating point are inefficient and insufficient. This thesis assesses the effects of changing a pump's volute casing geometry on the volute's internal flow characteristics. All analysis is performed on a low-specific-speed, radial flow centrifugal pump. 2D flow models from literature and CFD are analyzed and compared to experimental data. With properly-chosen solution methods, a 2D CFD simulation is found to match well with experimental results. Efficiency estimates and life-cycle cost changes due to changing flow characteristics in the variable volute system are presented.","abstract_html":"A centrifugal pump is typically designed for a specific operating condition. The pump's shape and size are fine-tuned so that it can produce a specified output pressure and flow rate at the maximum possible efficiency. When a pump begins operating off of its design flow rate, its efficiency drops. Pumping systems often involve dynamic demands. They may have a fluctuating flow rate demand throughout the day, or the system may evolve and change size over time. In these cases, pumps with a single operating point are inefficient and insufficient. This thesis assesses the effects of changing a pump's volute casing geometry on the volute's internal flow characteristics. All analysis is performed on a low-specific-speed, radial flow centrifugal pump. 2D flow models from literature and CFD are analyzed and compared to experimental data. With properly-chosen solution methods, a 2D CFD simulation is found to match well with experimental results. Efficiency estimates and life-cycle cost changes due to changing flow characteristics in the variable volute system are presented.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wettermark, Susan Daly."],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Alexander Slocum."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019","date_published":"2019","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:01Z","subjects":["Mechanical Engineering."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/128340","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Alexander Slocum."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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Department of Mechanical Engineering."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wettermark, Susan Daly."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2020-11-03T20:31:46Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-11-03T20:31:46Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2019"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Mechanical Engineering."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/128340"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, June, 2019","Cataloged from the official PDF of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (page 39)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A centrifugal pump is typically designed for a specific operating condition. The pump's shape and size are fine-tuned so that it can produce a specified output pressure and flow rate at the maximum possible efficiency. When a pump begins operating off of its design flow rate, its efficiency drops. Pumping systems often involve dynamic demands. They may have a fluctuating flow rate demand throughout the day, or the system may evolve and change size over time. In these cases, pumps with a single operating point are inefficient and insufficient. This thesis assesses the effects of changing a pump's volute casing geometry on the volute's internal flow characteristics. All analysis is performed on a low-specific-speed, radial flow centrifugal pump. 2D flow models from literature and CFD are analyzed and compared to experimental data. With properly-chosen solution methods, a 2D CFD simulation is found to match well with experimental results. Efficiency estimates and life-cycle cost changes due to changing flow characteristics in the variable volute system are presented."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.B."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Modeling flow characteristics of a low specific-speed centrifugal pump with different volute shapes"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Alexander Slocum."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering"],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:creator":["Wettermark, Susan Daly."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2020-11-03T20:31:46Z"],"dc:date.available":["2020-11-03T20:31:46Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2019"],"dc:description":["This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, June, 2019","Cataloged from the official PDF of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (page 39)."],"dc:description.abstract":["A centrifugal pump is typically designed for a specific operating condition. The pump's shape and size are fine-tuned so that it can produce a specified output pressure and flow rate at the maximum possible efficiency. When a pump begins operating off of its design flow rate, its efficiency drops. Pumping systems often involve dynamic demands. They may have a fluctuating flow rate demand throughout the day, or the system may evolve and change size over time. In these cases, pumps with a single operating point are inefficient and insufficient. This thesis assesses the effects of changing a pump's volute casing geometry on the volute's internal flow characteristics. All analysis is performed on a low-specific-speed, radial flow centrifugal pump. 2D flow models from literature and CFD are analyzed and compared to experimental data. With properly-chosen solution methods, a 2D CFD simulation is found to match well with experimental results. Efficiency estimates and life-cycle cost changes due to changing flow characteristics in the variable volute system are presented."],"dc:description.degree":["S.B."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/128340"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:title":["Modeling flow characteristics of a low specific-speed centrifugal pump with different volute shapes"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:01Z"}