Effects of Floor Splitter Height on the Effectiveness of Swirl Angle Reduction in Pump Intake

Abstract

Floor splitter has been implemented in many applications involving submersible pumps with sump intake and proven to be effective in correcting the adverse flow at the pump intake entrance. However, further study on the influence of its dimensions on the effectiveness of vorticity reduction should be carried out to get the optimal design. In this study, three floor splitters with different heights were installed under a bell-shaped pump intake and their effectiveness in reducing swirl angle in the intake pipe were evaluated using a swirl meter. Three different inflow conditions were introduced to assess the floor splitter performance in various sump geometries. Results showed that the biggest reduction in swirl angle was displayed by the floor splitter with the greatest height. In the case where inflow condition was set by a diverging wall, all floor splitters produced least reduction in swirl angle due to the existence of induced surface vortex and the fact that floor splitter performed at its bestwith the existence of sub-surface vortex.