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Pumps
Types And Classifications

Code : G101

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Chapter 1
Content
- Purpose . ......................................................

- Centrifugal Pump Classification ..................

- Mechanical Features Of Centrifugal Pump ..

10

- Positive Displacement Pumps .....................

23

- Gear And Van Pump ....................................

23

- Cam And Piston , And Screw Pump .............

26

- Operating Characteristics Of Rotary Pump ..

28

- Mechanical Features Of Rotary Pump ..........

29

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I . Purpose
Just as the human heart is an important part of the circulatory
system; the pump can be considered the heart of a power plant.
there are many types of pumps used in a power plant . we will
consider the major types . these can be broken into two categories :
a) Centrifugal pumps .
b) Positive displacement pumps .
Basically, a pump is a mechanical device used to force liquids, or
gases, from one location to another. gases and liquids are called
fluids - a fluid being any substance that flows .
Each of the above categories of pumps has its own characteristics ,
but each possesses features that have a common terminology with
one another .

II. Centrifugal Pump Theory

A. Simple Centrifugal Pumps
In a centrifugal pump, the liquid is forced by either atmospheric ,
or another source of pressure, into a set of rotating vanes that
discharge the liquid at a higher pressure and a higher velocity .
Whenever a centrifugal pump starts up, it must have water in it. if
there is no water in it , no centrifugal force can be generated, and
nothing will be pumped .
Single volute , twin volute, and diffuser type pumps are the
simplest kinds of pumps . there are many variations in design, but
the principles involved are the same. there must be an enclosed
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space in which an impeller rotates ; this impeller imparts a high
velocity, followed by some type of divergent stationary area, which
converts the velocity to pressure .

1. Single Volute Pump

most of the velocity energy is converted into pressure energy by
means of a volute, or by a set of stationary diffuser vanes
surrounding the peripheral edge of the impeller . pumps with volute
casings are called volute pumps; those with diffusion vanes are
called diffuser pumps .
Figure II-1 shows a volute casing pump and the flow path of the
liquid through the pump .

Figure II-1 Volute Casing Pump

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Let us consider Figure II-1 :
1) Liquid (water) enters the suction at the center of the impeller .
2) The impeller is spinning rapidly, so the water starts spinning, and
centrifugal force moves it out .
3) As the water moves out, it spins in a larger circle . as it is
enclosed by the impeller, it must spin at the same rpm, but,
because the circle is larger at its periphery, the water is moving
faster. as a result, the water has more kinetic energy. the kinetic
energy generated comes from the action of the impeller, which
pushes the water around and therefore provides the force for it to
move faster .
4) When the water enters the volute casing, it is moving very fast .
5) The shape of the casing changes the kinetic energy of the water
to pressure head .
6) When the water leaves the pump through the discharge its speed
is slower, but it has enough pressure to push it through the
remainder of the system .
As the impeller throws out liquid by centrifugal force, more liquid
rushes into the center or low pressure area. this is the area to which a
suction pipe is connected. this process continues and a steady
discharge, characteristic of centrifugal pumps , is formed .

2. Twin Volute Pump

Figure II-2 illustrates another variation of the volute-type pump,
the twin volute pump .

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Figure II-2 Twin Volute Pump

to balance radial thrust, the single volute can be replaced by two
half-capacity volutes , each taking their discharge from 180
degrees of the impeller. the twin volute pumps are used particularly
for large capacity at a high head .

3. Diffuser Type Pump

figure II-3 shows how the diffuser type pump is built internally .

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Figure II-3 Diffuser Type Pump

In this pump, the diffusion vanes change the direction of flow and
convert the velocity energy imparted to the liquid by the impeller
into pressure energy. these pumps can be found in many high
pressure units .

B. Other Centrifugal Pumps

1. Mixed Flow-type
Mixed flow centrifugal pumps (figure II-4) are ideal for low head,
large capacity applications. the design of the pump is such that the
head is developed partly by the lift of the vanes on the liquid . This
type of pump has a single inlet impeller with the flow entering
axially and discharging in an axial and radial direction. pumps of
this type usually have a specific speed from 4,200 to 9,000 rpm.
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Figure II-4 Mixed Flow Pump

2. Axial Flow-Type
The axial flow type pump (figure II-5), often called the propeller
pump, has flow parallel to the axis of rotation or strictly axial. it
develops most of its head by the propelling, or lifting action of the
vanes on the liquid . it has a single inlet impeller with the flow
entering axially and discharging nearly axially. pumps of this type
have a specific speed above 9,000 rpm .

Figure II-5 Axial Flow Pump

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3. Turbine Or Regenerative Type

In the turbine or regenerative type pump (figure 11-6), the impeller
acts on the liquid on its periphery for almost a full revolution, with
the liquid being circulated in and out of the impeller vanes so the
true path of the liquid is a circular spiral .

Figure II-6 Turbine Or Regenerative Type Pump

This type of pump fills a need between other centrifugal and usual
rotary designs for low to medium capacity , high head for clear
liquids .
This pump can be used on a liquid-vapor combination. care must
be given in selecting this type of pump. the running clearances are
important, and corrosive or erosive grit will affect them. the life of
this type of pump is not as long as that of other centrifugal pumps .

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C. Classification Of Centrifugal Pumps

Figure II-7 Shows Classification Of Centrifugal Pumps .

Figure II-7 Classification Of Centrifugal Pumps

Figure II-8 shows profiles of several pump impeller designs
ranging from the low-specific-speed radial flow on the left to a
high-specific speed axial impeller flow design on the right. these
profiles are placed according to where each design fits on the
specific-speed scale.

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values of specific speeds

profiles of several pump impeller designs ranging from the lowspecific-speed radial flow on the left to a high-specific-speed axial
impeller flow design on the right, placed according to where each
design fits on the specific-speed scale .

Figure II-8 Comparison Of Pump Profiles

D. Multi-Stage Centrifugal Pump Theory

Based on the basic pump theory presented earlier, if we are to have
a large amount of pressure with a centrifugal pump we must impart
very high velocities to the liquids being pumped .

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This can be attained in two ways:
First : build a pump whose impeller will be very large in
diameter.
Second: provide the pump with a very high rotational speed.
The first method is unsuitable, because the pump would be too
large, and the second is unsuitable because of cavitation .
To overcome this problem and still meet both of the design
requirements, two pumps are used. one pump, designed to work
with a small net positive suction head (NPSH), discharges into a
system at 100 psig, or more, to feed the suction of a larger pump,
which boosts the pressure up to around 1,000 psig. but this
arrangement is not very convenient because it means that there
must be two or more independent pumps in series in order to meet
the higher pressure requirements. this involves more costs, space,
spare parts, and maintenance to keep all of these superfluous units
operational. to overcome this, pumps have been designed with a
series of impellers keyed to one shaft. these impellers are called
"stages" . the stages act like pumps operating in series to raise the
pressure gradually. this design eliminates the need for greater
speed and minimizes the diametral size of the impeller .
figure II-9 shows a cutaway section of a multi-stage high pressure
pump.

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Figure II-9 High-Pressure Multiple-Stage Pump

E. NPSH And Cavitation

Two terms have been used 80 far in this lesson , and both affect the
operation of a centrifugal pump enormously. these terms are net
positive suction head and cavitation. let us discuss these at this
point.
Net positive suction head (NPSH) is a term used to describe the
prevention of water from changing into a gas at the impeller
because of the presence of a liquid at or below its vapor pressure.
the absolute pressure (including velocity head, v2/2g) of the fluid at
the inlet must exceed the vapor pressure by an amount to overcome
(1) any entrance or frictional losses between the point of entry into
the pump and the impeller, and (2) the shock losses occurring at the
impeller inlet .
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Unless NPSH available at least equals NPSH required at any
condition of operation, some of the fluid will vaporize in the pump
inlet and bubbles of vapor will be carried into the impeller. these
bubbles will collapse violently at some point downstream of the
pump inlet (usually some point within the impeller) and produce
very sharp , crackling noises, frequently accompanied by physical
damage of adjacent metal surfaces. this phenomenon is known as
cavitation and is generally highly undesirable .

Exercise
On the following curve what is the NPSH , efficiency, head
capacity for the following flow rates: 4,000 gpm, 5,000 gpm, 7,000
gpm, and 7,750 gpm? compare your answers with the those on the
next page.

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At 4,000 gpm
Efficiency = 78%

head 238 ft

At 5,000 gpm
Efficiency = 85%

head = 220 ft

At 7,000 gpm
Efficiency = 83%

head = 178 ft

At 7,750 gpm
Efficiency = 81%

head = 132 ft

F. Impeller/Casing Design And Function

1. Single-Suction Impeller
In this type of impeller, the liquid pumped enters from one side.
this type of impeller is easy to manufacture. because of the
unbalanced axial thrust, a larger thrust bearing is needed. single
suction impellers are almost always used for pumps handling
liquids containing suspended matter, such as sewage.

2. Double-Suction Impeller
The double-suction impeller is in effect two single-suction
impellers cast back-to-back and is in axial hydraulic balance;
therefore, an oversized thrust bearing is unnecessary. the greater
suction area permits the pump to operate with less net absolute
suction head for a given capacity (see figure II-10).

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3. Open , Semi-Open , And Closed Impeller
An open impeller (figure II-11) has vanes only, while a semi-open
impeller (figure II-12) has a shroud on one side. the closed impeller
(figure II-13), used almost universally in centrifugal pumps
handling clear liquids, has shrouds on each side that totally enclose
the waterways from the suction eye. water slippage does not occur
with this type, but a running joint is needed between the impeller
and the casing to separate the pump discharge and suction
chambers .

Figure II-11 Open Impeller

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Figure II-12 Semi-Open Impeller

Figure II-13 Closed Impeller

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4. Axial-Flow Impeller
In an axial flow type of impeller, flow is parallel to the
axis of rotation .
The axis of rotation can be horizontal, vertical, or inclined.
5. Casings
Solid or split casings refer to the design. practically speaking, a
solid casing cannot be used and is radially split. however, if a
casing is made of two or more parts fastened together, it is split. if
split, they are split axially, radially, or diagonally .
Casings are also classified by the location of the suction and
discharge nozzles .

6. Method Of Drive
A centrifugal pump may be classified as to method of drive :
a) direct-connected (coupled or close-coupled)
b) geared
c) chain or belt driven

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7. Type Of Service
centrifugal pumps are termed boiler feed, general purpose, sump,
deepwell, refinery, condensate, vacuum, process, sewage, trash,
circulating, self priming, sanitary, bait, booster, paper stock,
chemical, fire, jet, sand, slurry, ash, glass, stoneware, submersible
tail water, etc.

8. Special Features
Each type has specific features of design, construction, and
materials and thus can be classified for particular service.

G. Mechanical Features Of Centrifugal Pumps

To understand the operation of centrifugal pumps, a few
mechanical features should be mentioned.

1. Wearing Rings
Earlier in the discussion of types of impellers used, mention was
made of the closed type. in this type there is a running joint formed
by a portion of the impeller and a portion of the casing separating
the chambers forming the suction and discharge waterways.
leakage of liquid through this running clearance joint will cause
wear on the adjacent surfaces. to prevent costly wear of casing and
impeller, wearing rings are installed. usually they are removable
and can be replaced. the following diagrams, figure II-14, show
different types of rings used .

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Figure II-14 Wearing Rings

The first shows this joint between casing and impeller. the other
five show ring designs used. form varies with pressure, service,
etc .

2. Shaft And Interstage Sleeves

Sleeves protect the pump shafts against corrosion, erosion, and
wear affecting its strength (see figure II-15). many forms are used
on large pumps, but on some small pumps the sleeve is often left
off to cut hydraulic losses. Because of these losses, small pumps
have shafts made of corrosion-and wear-resisting stainless steel .

Figure II-15 Sleeves

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3. Lantern Rings And Stuffing Boxes
Lantern rings (Figure II-16) are used to prevent air leakage into the
pump when running with a suction lift and to distribute the sealing
liquid uniformly around shaft-sleeve surface. Stuffing boxes
(Figure II-17) are also used to prevent leakage. They hold leakage
out of the casing when pressure is above atmospheric and stop air
leaking into casing when pressure is below atmospheric. Some
stuffing boxes have lantern rings, others are solid-packed and do
not .

Figure II-16 Lantern Ring

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Figure II-17 Stuffing Box

III. POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS

Introduction To Positive Displacement
Most rotary pumps are positive displacement units - that is, a given
quantity of liquid is discharged each revolution of the shaft. The
pumps consist of a fixed casing containing gears, vanes, pistons,
cams, segments , screws, etc., operating with minimum clearance.
Instead of "throwing" the liquid as a centrifugal does, rotaries trap it,
push it around the closed casing and discharge it in a steady flow
without large pressure pulsations .

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Rotary pumps are generally divided into two classes: 1) gear and
vane types; 2) cam-and-piston and screw types.

A. Gear And Vane Pump

Rotary gear pumps (Figure III-1) have two or more gears in a casing.
During rotation, the liquid fills the spaces between the gear teeth on
the suction side. It is then carried around and squeezed out as they
mesh on the other side of the pump.
Sliding-vane rotary pumps (Figure III-2) are built in many ways. In
the one Shown, vanes move in and out of the off-center rotor .
When the rotor is turned counterclockwise, liquid flows into the
cavity formed by the rotor bottom and casing wall. As the rotor
turns, the next vane traps liquid in a cavity. The liquid is finally
discharged at the other end of the pump. The vanes are held against
the inner wall of the casing by centrifugal force.

Figure III-1 Gear And Vane Pump

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Figure III-2 Sliding Vane Rotary Pump

The gear and vane class of rotary pumps also includes the lobe or
shuttle-block designs .
The lobular pump (Figure III-3) resembles the gear type in action.
The two or more rotors have two, three, four, or more lobes on
each rotor, synchronized by external gears .

Figure III-3 Lobular Pump

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The shuttle-block pump has a cylindrical rotor turning in a
concentric casing .
A shuttle-block (Figure III-4) and piston reciprocated by an
eccentrically located idler pin is located in the rotor producing
suction and discharge .

Figure III.4 Shuttle Block Pump

B. CAMAND-Piston And Screw Type Pumps
Cam-and-piston pumps (Figure III-5) consist of an eccentric with a
slotted arm at its top. Shaft rotation causes eccentric to trap liquid in
the basing, discharging it through the slot to outlet .
Screw pumps (Figure III-6) draw and trap the liquid in the pockets
formed by the threads. It is moved along to the discharge point much
like a nut on a thread. They may have one, two, or three screws .

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Figure III-5 CAM And Piston Pumps

Three-Screw
Figure III-6 Screw Pumps
The important factor in rotary pump designs of today is the small
clearance used. These pumps are often thought of as viscous-liquid
pumps, but they are not confined to this service. They will handle
any fluid free of hard solids.

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C. Operating Characteristics Of Rotary Pumps
The displacement of a rotary pump varies directly as speed, except as
capacity may be affected by viscosity and other factors (see Figure
III-7) .
Slip or loss in capacity through clearances between the casing and
rotating element assuming constant viscosity, increases as pressure
increases. Power input increases with liquid viscosity, efficiency
decreases.

FIGURE III-7

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D. Mechanical Features Of Rotary Pumps
Adjustable gland-packed stuffing boxes are most common on rotary
pumps. They are supplied with lantern gland seal rings for packing
lubrication or pressure breakdown when required. Spring-loaded
stuffing boxes and mechanical seals are also used .
Materials in the rotating elements must not have a higher coefficient
of expansion than the casing material .
Plastic and rubber parts are seldom used in rotary pump construction .
Theoretically, a rotary pump, being a positive displacement pump,
will continue to discharge against any pressure . To protect pump and
system from a possible rupture, relief valves are used. Some pumps
have a variable-capacity device which reduces the pumps
displacement as pressure increases .
The discharge valve should be open while starting .
Reducing the speed of the pump or opening bypass line is the best
way to reduce pump delivery .

E. Service Of Rotary Pumps

Rotary pumps are used to pump all liquids that do not contain solid
matter which can abrade or clog and also liquids that do not corrode .
Pressure limitations are usually maintained below 1,000 psi. They
carry liquids varying in viscosity from gasoline and water to oils,
paints, varnishes, asphalts, and greases.

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