P09454 – The Volute

From Centrifugal Pump Design (pp 146 Tuzson 2000), the driving equations for the volute shape are

Q  360 
A
C t

and

Ct 2 D2
C t 
D2   D3  D2  360 

Where Q = flow rate

Ct2=Tangential Velocity at diffuser exit
D2=Diffuser O.D.
D3=Volute Throat centerline diameter
Θ=Angle

Based on industry design practices, this area is sized up 25% to account for friction and slip losses in the housing (Tuzson

pp146). Additionally, a clearance with the diffuser needs to be accounted for, which amounts to 5% of the diffuser ring’s

O.D.

For the sake of a more simple design, a constant volute depth “t” is assumed. Because of this, the equation for volute

cross-sectional area can be solved directly for the radius of the volute wall. Combining all design factors and terms yields

the following governing equation for the volute radius in terms of the angle θ:

 2 
Q D2   D3  D2  
 360  1.05D2
R  1.25 * 
720Ct 2 D2 t 2

This design gives a volute throat height of .88”. A pump discharge of 1 inch is desired, so after the volute throat a gradual

diffuser is incorporated into the design to bring the width to 1 inch.

Table 1: Sample of Excel Calculations used
Figure 1: Plot of Volute Points.
Figure 2: Solid model of final volute design.