The pumping tank or pump-box needs to be constructed for the
CFD program. One of the beauties of CFD is that scale-up is
not required, since you input the actual geometries. Here is an
example of a Pumper Stage as a cylindrical vertical tank and
its terminology. The shape of the tank can be virtually
anything, including square tanks, commonly found in older SX plants.
Description of a CFD model for a
SX pumper box
Some of the more important nomenclature
Click any figure for a larger and better view
These two figures show a straight bladed turbine, which is
the easiest pumper to model. Any design of pumper can be
modeled, for example a 6-bladed pumper with curved blades like
the Lightnin R320 or the Philadelphia Mixers CBT-6. There is
no literature data on these impellers. They must be determined. This
could be done in small scale experimental studies with actual
fluids, or as here with a CFD study. The design of the pumper
blades is required, or they can be invented on the fly!
