The small number of available complete modern pump characteristics makes the safety analysis of nuclear and conventional power plants based on the characteristics made over half a century ago of specific speeds n _q=24.6, 147.1 and 261.4. The aim of the paper is to check sensitivity of the power plant system response for different complete pump characteristics - modern and available from older tests for n _q=24.6, 147.1 and 261.4. It has been shown that Suter's characteristics for modern pumps give a different response to the pumping system of a power plant in breakdown than those used so far.

The paper presents the results of measurements and predictions of radial thrust in centrifugal pump with specific speed n_s = 26. In the pump tested, a volute with rectangular cross-section was used. The tests were carried out for several rotational speeds, including speeds above and below the nominal one. Commercial code ANSYS Fluent was used for the calculations. Apart from the predictions of the radial force, the calculations of axial thrust were also conducted, and correlation between thrust and the radial force was found. In the range of the measured rotational speeds, similarity of radial forces was checked.