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Innovation and Development of Pump Technologies in Our Country 2015-12-22 With the rapid advancement of technology, changes in the manufacturing industry are also occurring continuously. Working in isolation is highly detrimental to the development of any industry, let alone the manufacturing sector that relies on technological progress. It is understood that the production capacity of China’s pump industry has improved significantly in recent years, but attention must still be paid to technology and innovation for future market development. Prospects for the Development of Pump Technology 1. Pay attention to identifying and developing pumps for new applications Pumps are general-purpose machinery with a wide range of applications, and new uses for pumps continue to emerge. Examples include: heart pumps, water jet propulsion pumps, computer cooling pumps, air conditioning pumps, heat transfer oil pumps, oil-gas mixing pumps, flue gas desulfurization pumps, oil platform injection pumps, etc. There may still be areas where pumps should be used but aren’t, and new fields for pump application will continue to emerge, which requires us to pay attention to identifying them and strive to develop them. 2. Conduct experimental research by combining advanced technologies such as CFD and PIV with practical applications. The superiority of new technologies like CFD is undeniable; currently, all universities have the necessary software for performing calculations, and over 50% of graduate students’ research projects involve these technologies. A new technology takes time to mature; for now, it should be used as a supplementary tool to address practical engineering problems, in conjunction with traditional design methods. Also, it is necessary to integrate practical considerations as much as possible; otherwise, it will be difficult to achieve maturity and improvement. At the beginning, do not choose overly complex problems; for example, choosing to calculate something from the inlet to the outlet of a single pump, or from the water intake tank to the water outlet tank of an entire pumping station, can result in calculations that are difficult to interpret. Areas such as the worn parts of slurry pumps and the vortex regions in the inlet flow channels are well suited for study using CFD and PIV techniques. Also, some large pump manufacturers should cooperate with qualified universities to carry out research in this area. 3. Emphasize the research and development of key technologies and key products. To improve the technical level of pumps, it is necessary to address key technical issues. For example: research on the wear mechanism of slurry pumps; study of the hydraulic models of high-efficiency inclined-flow pumps; research on simplifying the structure of self-priming pumps to improve their efficiency; research and development of high-efficiency, high-flow, high-head pump systems for mine drainage and oil transfer that are easy to maintain; research and development of new types of marine pumps; research and development of large-scale flue gas desulfurization pumps as well as high-temperature, high-pressure pumps for coal liquefaction; research on improving the reliability of shielded pumps and magnetic drive pumps; research and development of new types of metering pumps (diaphragm pumps); research on improving the efficiency of certain types of flow pumps, etc. 4. Foster a commitment to quality, and place emphasis on standardization and universality. In some pump manufacturers in our country, when a customer orders the design of a specific pump, it takes a year to produce it; upon review, it turns out that each pump is unique, which naturally leads to high manufacturing costs. Innovation and development in pump technology achieved through composite technologies. Looking at the evolution of pump technology, many advancements have been the result of the use of composite technologies. For example: (1) The combination of a centrifugal impeller and a vortex impeller results in a centrifugal vortex self-priming pump. (2) The jet nozzle is combined with a centrifugal pump to form a centrifugal jet self-priming pump. (3) The combination of the water pump impeller and the turbine runner forms a turbopump. (4) A combination of a centrifugal pump and a piston diaphragm pump forms a powerful self-priming pump. (5) The combination of the inducer wheel and the centrifugal wheel improves the cavitation resistance of the pump. (6) The combination of a double-suction impeller and a single-suction impeller can address the issues of cavitation and axial force balance. (7) A combination of long and short blades is used to address inlet blockage and outlet diffusion issues in the impeller. (8) The short blades are positioned toward the back of the long blades, which helps prevent axial vortices and flow separation at the outlet. (9) A long-shaft submersible pump (dual-wheel submersible pump) with a low-head impeller at the lower section for liquid lifting and a high-head impeller at the upper section for pressurization, which addresses the problems of difficult manufacturing and unreliable operation of long-shaft submersible pumps. (10) Installing the rotating and stationary rings of the mechanical seal at the rear sealing ring of the final impeller creates an axial force balance mechanism; the pressure difference before and behind the impeller is used to balance the axial force. If the wear problem of the rotating and stationary rings can be resolved, the economic benefits will be significant. (11) By placing the working principle of the balance disc at the rear cover of the impeller, two gaps – radial and axial – are created, allowing the axial force to be automatically balanced in a manner similar to that of a balance disc. When the axial force is high, the impeller moves in the direction of the inlet, the axial clearance increases, the pressure behind the impeller decreases, and the impeller moves backward. The same is true in reverse (see Figure 5). (12) Paste-type filler seal: This type of seal was first used by the American company Cheston and is also sold in our country. It is a paste composed of graphite, fibers, tetrafluoroethylene, silicone, etc., and can be injected (replenished) using an injection gun during use. It is said that it works well in some cases. Although it cannot be used on all pumps at the moment, this approach is highly valuable and holds promise as a breakthrough in sealing technology. (13) The impeller of the slurry pump features twisted blades, which may reduce wear by adapting to the flow conditions and improve efficiency. There are countless successful examples of the use of composite technologies. To make effective use of them, one needs a broad range of knowledge and the willingness to innovate.