Deflector means for centrifugal pumps

In a centrifugal pump having (a) a stationary pump casing defining an internal pump cavity, said pump casing having an eye side, a hub side, and a central axis extending therebetween, (b) an inlet port located in said eye side of said pump casing substantially coincident with said central axis, (c) a discharge port located in said pump casing, (d) a rotatable impeller located in said internal pump cavity and adapted to rotate about said central axis, said rotatable impeller having an eye side adjacent said eye side of said pump casing, a hub side adjacent said hub side of said pump casing, and one or more impeller balance holes extending through said rotatable impeller, (e) means for rotating said rotatable impeller, and (f) at least one controlled leakage joint between said rotatable impeller and said hub side of said stationary pump casing thereby defining a hub side cavity between said hub side of said rotatable impeller and said hub side of said pump casing, whereby fluid enters said internal cavity through said inlet port, is forced radially outwardly by said rotatable impeller, and exits said internal cavity through said discharge port, a portion of said fluid passing through said controlled leakage joint into said hub side cavity and thence through said one or more impeller balance holes to said eye side of said rotatable impeller so as to hydraulically balance said rotatable impeller, wherein the improvement comprises:

• deflector means attached to said rotatable impeller for directing said fluid passing through said one or more impeller balance holes in a radially outwardly direction so as to reduce turbulence in said internal pump cavity.