What is a Vortex rotor?
Vortex is a multi -colored or multi -channel open rotor for pumps. Its characteristic feature is that it works at a distance from the bottom of the pump body. Thanks to this, only part of the medium flies through the channels between the shoulder blades and this part of the liquid is transmitted by the kinetic energy from the rotor. The accelerated, flip -off liquid mixes with the remaining liquid filling the pump body causing a spin throughout the volume of the chamber. Such a strongly accelerated liquid stream goes to the throat of the pump (outlet from the rotor chamber) and leaves the pump.
Advantages of the Vortex rotor
VORTEX VORTEX rotors owe their popularity to high resistance to pumping liquids containing solid fractions, fibrous and abrasive materials. Thanks to the large space between the rotor and the bottom of the body, the pumps easily fly through the pump of faeces, toilet papers, pieces of rags, mops, hygiene sticks, gravel or sand. The self -cleaning design of a properly designed Vortex rotor is insensitive to the winding of strings, hair or foil stripes, and the reduced contact of solids with the rotor is its elongated life and less abrasion.
Vortex rotors efficiency
Vortex rotors are not intended for breaking the pressing efficiency records both in the direction of lifting (pressure) or efficiency (flow) but are focused on durability and resistance to clogging. The greater the distance of the rotor blades from the surface of the pump body, commonly known as a free flight, the lower the risk of clogging the pump but also lower hydraulic efficiency of the system. The flight under the rotor is defined as a free flight of a ball with a diameter of "x" millimeters, where X most often falls in the range of 45-80mm. Of course, there are smaller and larger flight values in some manufacturers, but in my opinion the use of a free flight of 20-30 mm is asking for trouble, and more than 100 mm is energy spreading.
How to choose pumps with a Vortex rotor?
The easiest way to answer is that we select each pump individually for the project and given work parameters. However, there are standards adopted in the watercanking environment that the free flight should be as close as possible to the diameter of the discharge pipeline. And so, e.g. for the PE63 pipe, I would suggest Vortex 45-50 mm, for PE75 Vortex pipe with 55-65 mm passage, and for the most common PE90 and PE110 sewage pipes in Poland, I would choose VORTEX VORTEX rotors with an overhead 70-80 mm. Why no less? -Because it is easy to clog, and why not larger, because the toilet is not a dumpster, but pressing fractions larger than 80 mm balls is already hydrotransport garbage and not domestic sewage.
Summary of Vortex rotors
Based on my 17 years of experience in the work of a pump designer and sewage pumping stations, I believe that the Vortex rotor is one of the most resistant to clogging and weighing rotors in the 45 - 80 mm flight. And although its hydraulic efficiency in relation to channel rotors is much lower, the total cost of operation: operation, pulling, cleaning, setting, rotor replacement is definitely lower.