Technique to improve the performance of a pump with a trimmed impeller using additive manufacturing

Abstract

A pump features a trimmed impeller having a trimmed impeller diameter that is less than a standard full-sized diameter of a standard full-sized impeller for a standard full-sized casing, and having a circumferential outer edge; and a modified standard full-sized casing having dimensions corresponding to the standard full-sized casing and configured to house the trimmed impeller for pumping a fluid, having an outer peripheral wall, and having an inner annular volute portion between the circumferential outer edge of the trimmed impeller and the outer peripheral wall configured with a volume of material deposited using an additive manufacturing process so as to fill in vacant space otherwise caused by the trimmed impeller diameter being less than the standard full-sized impeller diameter. The additive manufacturing process is a directed energy deposition.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.