Abstract
In this study, the effects of volute area distribution on the performance of a centrifugal pump were numerically studied using a commercial CFD code. To reduce the shutoff head, maintaining head and efficiency at a design flow rate, the flat head-capacity characteristic curves in which the head varies only slightly with capacity from shutoff to design capacity are frequently required. In order to control the shutoff head of a pump, several volute cross-sectional area distributions were proposed as a main parameter with the same impeller geometry The calculation results show that the slope of the performance characteristic curve of the centrifugal pump can be controlled by modifying the area distribution from volute tongue to volute outlet with fixed volute outlet area and also varied volute outlet area.