Published on: 2026-09-22
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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Engineers of the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University conducted comprehensive field tests of an experimental sample of a free-vortex drainage pump (FVD) 160/20 of their own design. The test results confirmed that the unit’s efficiency (COP) is 62% — higher than that of Russian and foreign counterparts.
The development is being carried out with the support of the federal program “Priority-2030.”
As we have already written, engineers from SPbPU when creating a range of free-vortex pumps (FVP 50/20, FVP 100/20, FVP 160/20) they applied digital design and modeling technologies, and in the manufacture of the prototype SVN 160/20 used a combination of traditional and additive technologies. The capabilities of the research experimental-calculation complex of the Hydromechanical Engineering Laboratory of SPbPU made it possible to reduce the development time of new pumps to the stage of experimental research of the prototype from one and a half years to four months.
At the current stage, specialists conducted comprehensive tests of the prototype SVN 160/20 on the Hydromechanical Engineering Laboratory test bench. The energy characteristics of the pump were obtained and analyzed (the relationship between head, power, and efficiency versus flow rate), as well as cavitation characteristics, which describe resistance to local “boiling” of the liquid and the erosion it causes. Additionally, validation of the mathematical models developed and used during design was performed. The study showed that the discrepancy between calculation results and experimental data is within acceptable limits — less than 2% for all measured parameters. This indicates a high adequacy of the developed mathematical model. The confirmed efficiency value of the unit at nominal mode was 62%: this is higher than that of domestic (including Soviet) counterparts, whose average efficiency values are 54–57%, and also exceeds the figures for foreign pumps, which are 59–60%.
When we first compared the results of numerical modeling with the data from field tests, we were impressed by how well the calculated characteristics matched the experimental ones. Although this is not surprising, as months of meticulous work went into this. We studied a vast amount of information, conducted many preliminary calculations, iteratively refining the model. Therefore, it can be said that the reliability of the mathematical model is a natural result of a systematic scientific approach,” commented the project leader, research associate of the Hydromechanics Laboratory of the Higher School of Power Engineering of the Institute of Energy, Arsentiy Klyuev.
Based on the test results of the SVN 160/20 pump, engineers decided to adjust the geometry of the other pumps in the series.
Designers traditionally include a “safety margin” for head— in case the actual pump head is lower than the calculated one, which is usually part of the design methodology. We initially did the same, but the mathematical model proved to be so accurate that the safety margin was not needed. This is a significant result because it allows reconsideration of the entire design approach. Eliminating the excessive head margin enables reducing the diameter of the impeller and the size of the casing: the updated pumps will be lighter and more compact, yet still meet the technical specifications and maintain high energy efficiency. In addition, during testing, various configurations of sealing units were evaluated—the results of these studies will also be used in subsequent models,” explained Arsentiy Klyuev.
In the future plans of SPbPU specialists is conducting pump tests under conditions as close to real as possible, that is, when pumping viscous media with abrasive inclusions. The polytechnic experts will make the casing of one of the designed pumps transparent in order to assess the flow of the liquid inside the device not only quantitatively but also visually. The results obtained will allow scaling the pump series to other parameters, taking into account interchangeable elements of the flow parts.
For reference
Traditional centrifugal pumps in wastewater systems often fail due to clogs. An alternative is vortex pumps (VP), which operate more reliably when pumping viscous and abrasive-containing media, sewage, sludge, and other contaminated liquids. Until recently, the limiting factor was their lower efficiency compared to centrifugal pumps, as well as the lack of design methods for highly efficient flow parts due to the complexity of mathematical modeling of flows within them. Although in absolute terms the efficiency of centrifugal pumps is higher, life cycle economics change the overall balance of advantages. Since centrifugal pumps at stations are often selected with a power margin, replacing their flow parts from centrifugal to vortex type does not require upgrading to more powerful electric motors. At the same time, the system eliminates emergency downtime and repairs, making sewage treatment plants much more reliable and cost-effective in the long term.
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