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The Supa-Stelth pump
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Despite eliminating the diffuser,
the pump is engineered to be more efficient than most centrifugal water
pumps. The Supa-Stelth pump comes from New Fluid Technology
(Queensland, Australia; www.newfluidtechnology.com), which explains
that the major source of noise from most pool and spa pumps is the
collision of the impeller’s water wake with diffuser inlets. The
company engineered its pump without a diffuser to eliminate that noise
source.
The company maintained efficiency in
the unit through the incorporation of a unique, high-efficiency
impeller. A unique pump casing shape is designed to greatly reduce
water momentum change through the pump.
The
conventional electric motor cooling fan can also be a significant
source of noise. The company engineered the JetFan motor cooling fan,
replacing a conventional fan, to reduce the noise of any pump by 3 dBa
or more.
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 Shown is the fiberglass-filled, high-strength nylon JetFan (left) and pure nylon JetFan (right).
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Another development that aided in
the engineering of the pump was solving the problem of molding complex
impellers and fans. The company says that it is well known that a
complex, overlapping bladed fan develops more pressure than an axial
fan, but such a fan is difficult to manufacture. The company patented a
manufacturing method that is designed to enable high-pressure fans to
be molded at the same cost on the ad index page as conventional cooling
fans.
The company explains that JetFan
geometry is different because the fan blades converge, instead of
diverging as they do on conventional fans. The trailing edges are
closer together than those of an axial, mixed flow, or centrifugal fan,
and there is a reduction in cross-sectional area between the blade
trailing edges compared with the leading edges. Recirculation is
significantly reduced. This, in combination with the high solidity
(density of the fan blades) and mixed-flow geometry, creates a
stall-free, highly efficient fan.
New Fluid
explains: “The unique mix of blade convergence, high solidity, and
mixed-flow geometry of the JetFan gives a higher efficiency than other
fan types of comparable size (less electricity consumed). This also
allows for a higher ‘static efficiency,’ a feature important to fan and
appliance manufacturers because most appliances contain internal
structures that obstruct flow, which produces back pressure resulting
in recirculation.”
A vent panel features fire containment capability and
low airflow resistance:
ApplianceMagazine.com/content/2212
Color Sensing Made Easy:
ApplianceMagazine.com/content/2195
