Minimum flow rate of centrifugal pump
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What percentage of the rated flow rate can the minimum flow rate be when a centrifugal pump is in operation? The minimum flow rate mentioned here is the flow rate that can be achieved without damaging the pump.
First, based on the inlet specific speed and the maximum outer diameter of the impeller along with the outlet pipe diameter, the corrected flow coefficient is determined; multiplying this value gives the percentage of the minimum continuous stable flow rate. The value to be calculated is estimated to be around 20%.
Flow rate and head should be considered comprehensively. The performance curves provided by the water pump manufacturers might help to illustrate this.
It is generally between 25% and 30%; too low a flow rate can cause vibration and noise, and may lead to damage to the pump.