Carver Pump cuts design time, increases design efficiency and product line using 3D Inverse Design

Carver Pump has been one of the world’s leading centrifugal pump manufactures companies since 1938, they used a 3D Inverse Design method to optimize their high pressure pump range.

Carver Pump has stayed at the top of its industry by continually searching for and implementing the latest and best design, engineering and manufacturing technologies. Carver Pump implemented TURBOdesign Suite, turbomachinery design software using the 3D Inverse Design method. The multi-point/multi-objective design optimization software incorporates TURBOdesign1 (TD1) by Advanced Design Technology (ADT).

TD1 is a unique aerodynamic and hydrodynamic 3D design package for all types of turbomachinery blades such as pumps, compressors, fans, turbines and torque converters. The 3D Inverse Design approach enables users to describe loading criteria then output a blade design based on those criteria, which is the reverse of how most other computer-aided design software systems work for turbomachinery.

By using the 3D Inverse Design method, Carver Pump cut the design time while increasing its pump product line efficiencies as well as its range of competitive product offerings.

Challenge

Carver Pump wanted to make its products even more competitive by expanding its RS multistage ring section pump offerings with increased efficiencies. Carver Pump used the ADT’s software to speed the development of impeller, diffuser and return vane sets for expanding its family of RS multistage ring section pumps.

Solution

Carver Pump has used TURBOdesign1 for many years.  The objective was to achieve exceptional efficiency, good suction performance and stable-off design performance for the family of pumps. From an operations standpoint, TURBOdesign1 was cost effective because it functioned well on the existing computer system that was already running CFD software.

TURBOdesign1 proved a useful tool for quickly developing and evaluating new designs. By using ADT’s TURBOdesign Optima module, Carver was able to identify optimal design options and make the best decisions for trading off performance features such as efficiency and suction.

“A complement to this is that we can pursue more business that pushes the envelope because we know we can consistently develop reliable hydraulic designs. In essence, the big gain for Carver Pump is potential revenue growth through new products”

Mark Post, Chief Operating Officer - Carver Pump

Return on Investment

With TURBOdesign1 it is easy to train new designers who can become productive quickly. The typical performance improvements in 2 to 3 percentage points can be obtained over the best so-called state-of-art designs. By using TURBOdesign1 and its TURBOdesign Optima module, Carver also saved design time and development costs. Where their original design method took about two months of engineering time, by using TURBOdesign1 and TURBOdesign Optima, they cut the RS multistage ring section pump product development time to four or five weeks. This is because, using TURBOdesign1 eliminated two weeks of design time, and using TURBOdesign Optima cut out an additional one to two weeks.

More importantly, the company has since increased sales through improved design efficiency as each design that saves a few percentage points of efficiency and makes Carver’s product offering much more competitive.