The volute consists of a spiral-shaped passage surrounding the impeller exit, and collects the flow from around the impeller periphery (Fig. 11.6). The volute cross section, of circular or trapezoidal shape, increases gradually from the volute tongue to the volute throat, where the flow exits from the pump casing. The circle, centered on the axis of rotation and tangent to the volute tongue, is called the base circle. Its diameter is made about 10% greater than the impeller diameter. At flow rates below the design flow rate, some of the flow returns into the volute, passing between the impeller and the tongue, instead of exiting through the volute throat. Therefore, the space between the impeller and the tongue must not be made too small, In some designs, radial space permitting, a radial vaneless space, with parallel walls, exists between the impeller exit and the volute. In this case the volute tongue is located at a distance more than 10% of the impeller radius. The width of the vaneless space is made slightly larger than the impeller exit width, and only a small clearance remains between the impeller rim and the vaneless space walls at the inlet. The purpose of the vaneless space is to recover some pressure by slowing the flow, due to an increase in the radius, as explained below. Ideally, the volute cross section should accommodate the flow, which leaves the impeller without any velocity change. This consideration implies that the Volute throat Figure 11.6 Volutecross-sectional area A should increase in proportion to the circumferential angle 6, measured from the tongue. However, since the center of the cross-sectional area moves out radially to increasingly larger radii, the circumferential, or tangential, velocity of the fluid will gradually decrease, in agreement with the principle of conserving its angular momentum. If the center of the volute throat, the final cross section above the tongue, is at a radius of Ds/2, the ideal volute crossection can be calculated from the expression _ 2(0/360) 48 Co where CaD2 = D.$ Ds — DsNOP3O) Note that consistent units must be used since the flow rate is usually in gpm, the velocity in ft/sec, and the area in in”. In practice, the volute cross-sectional area A should be made greater by 15 to 25% than the ideal cross section, because losses slow the velocity and boundary layers build up. Also, it is easier to modify volute casting patterns to reduce than to increase the volute cross-sectional area. Volute design also depends on any diffuser and pressure recovery, which is expected to follow the volute throat. If the velocity in the volute throat has the same magnitude as the velocity at the pump exit flange, no further diffusion and pressure recovery can be expected. On the other hand, if an effective diffuser is to follow the volute, it makes sense to conserve kinetic energy and keep volute velocities relatively high in the volute. If the volute losses already slow down the velocity to its value at the exit flange, further diffusion, or attempt of pressure recovery, is futile. If there is no intention to recover the velocity head at the pump exit, it may as well be lost in the volute, The exit flange of standard process pumps is often located vertically on the centerline of the impeller, with a sharp bend between the volute throat and the exit flange. No diffusion and pressure recovery can be expected beyond the volute throat.