The KSB Group has developed aspecial impeller for its Movitec multistage high-pressure pumps. This newimpeller significantly improves these pumps’ suction characteristics (NPSHvalue).

It proves its worthparticularly in applications with critical inlet conditions (e.g. boiler feedapplications) as well as applications in which the pump is required to take inwater from low-lying tanks or at higher temperatures. Under these conditions, apressure drop in the intake area may cause cavitation to occur in the firstpump stage. This can result in excessive wear of pump parts or motor bearings aswell as a reduced service life of the pump due to damaged parts and anunbalanced hydraulic system.

The new impeller is offeredas an alternative to the standard product. When developing the new impeller,KSB’s design engineers went to great lengths to ensure it can be used with anumber of Movitec variants without necessitating modifications to the outerpump casing.

The new impeller features amodified inlet diameter, vanes allowing a slightly diagonal throughflow and anewly designed stage casing, all of which serve to substantially improve thepump’s NPSH curve.

The multistage centrifugal pumps from the Movitecrange are designed for handling fluids such as water, coolants, condensate andmineral oils. They are ideal for a wide variety of applications ranging fromindustrial boiler feed installations in steam circuits, recirculation andfire-fighting systems, cooling water circuits and washing plants to pressureboosting in general process applications.