GAS TURBINE LAB VIRTUAL SEMINAR 

DATE:                         Thursday, 5 May 2022

TIME:                          4:00pm

SPEAKER:                  Hilary Johnson, PhD Student, MIT Mechanical Engineering

TOPIC:                         Adaptive Hydraulics for Improved Centrifugal Pump Efficiency

ABSTRACT:

Centrifugal pumps are used ubiquitously for fluid transport in industrial and municipal system. Globally, pumps consume hundreds of billions of kilowatt hours of electricity each year. Many pumping applications require operation over a broad range of pressures and flow rates, however traditional centrifugal pumps with fixed geometry are limited in their ability to adjust, resulting in significant energy losses. This research challenged the assumption that volute geometry must be static and showed that by enabling a variable volute volume, greater efficiency can be obtained over a wider operating region. 

This talk presents the design and characterization of a controllable, precision, variable volute mechanism that can expand or contract to adapt to fluctuating operating conditions. Experiments support the theory-based hypothesis that adjusting the pump volume shifts the best efficiency point (BEP) creating a best efficiency range (BER). Deterministic design tools are presented, with demonstrated hydrodynamic, structural, and mechanical scalability, to enable future implementation of the variable volute technology in a variety of pump sizes for different applications. A case study is shared to demonstrate energy savings opportunities and contextualize a new operating space methodology connecting pressure and flow performance parameters with control parameters such as variable speed and variable volute.

BIOGRAPHY:
Hilary Johnson is completing her PhD in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT advised by Prof. Alex Slocum. Her research integrates precision machine design and turbomachinery principles to improve operating range and efficiency for centrifugal pumps and pumping systems