Due to increasing demands in performance, the design of pumps has become a high-tech activity, requiring advanced analysis and design tools. For this purpose, Nijhuis Pompen BV has developed its own design software, called TurboPro. In combination with flow simulation software (CFD), the capability has been established to provide customers with optimized products, performing as predicted.
Jaap Arnold, Director R&D at Nijhuis Pompen
BV, applied experience obtained in the aeronautical
industry to systemize and computerize
pump design. “We integrated design procedures
with our 3D CAD system, calibrated
parameters using our vast design experience,
and verified results by experiment and CFD
software,” Arnold says. “Because Norit Nijhuis
develops pumps to customers’ specifications,
these software tools enable us to optimize
performance characteristics during the design
phase.”
Examples of such customized pumps recently
developed by Norit Nijhuis are large propeller
pumps, with impeller diameters in excess
of 3 meters, pumping large capacities of
water almost continuously. ”The effectiveness
and efficiency of these pumps are of
vital importance,” Arnold says. “The operational
range had to be maximized and the
power demand minimized. This required
extensive synthesis and analysis in an integrated
computerized environment. For these
projects, verification of performance by scale
model tests was also a requirement, and
measured results compared favorably with
computer predictions. The accuracy of the
results suggests that our high-tech software
is up to par, and will enable us to develop a
wide range of high efficiency pumping stations
in the near future.
The demand for customizing pumps for a
specific application is growing, as not only
the economics of the pump, but also the economics
of the total system in which the pump
is integrated is taken into consideration. An
example is the recently developed pump for
the Norit beer membrane filter. Here space
and volume requirements played an important
role, thus an integrated, compact pump
unit was developed by Norit Nijhuis.
Compactness was important to reduce floor
space, and a low volume to reduce the
amount of costly chemicals required during
rinsing. “This design could be performed rapidly
and effectively using our design software,
and in this case delivery time of the project
was also a challenge,” Arnold says. “We are
now ready for the development of the next
generation of improved and customized
products.”