Different Types of Pumps: Ultimate Guide in 2023

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July 11, 2021

Types of pumps are usually classified based on different met hods. These met hods can be
according t o t he energy conversion mechanism, t he fluid t ype or applicat ion. Posit ive
displacement and dynamic pumps are t wo basic t ypes of pumps according t o t he mechanism
of energy t ransfer. Let us first int roduce t he pump, it s funct ion and it s applicat ion. Then, we
will describe all t he t ypes of pumps.

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Basics of Pumps
A pump is a machine t o t ransfer fluids (liquids or gases), or even slurries, by convert ing t he
elect rical energy int o mechanical act ion.

Various classificat ions are proposed for pumps. For example, according t o how t hey are used
t o move t he fluid, t hey are one of t he t hree major groups, including direct lift , displacement ,
and gravit y pumps. Also, some pumps are submerged in t he fluid, while some ot hers may be
placed ext ernal t o t he fluid.

The pumps work via a mechanism (reciprocat ing or rot ary) and use energy t o convert int o
mechanical work t o move t he fluid. Many energy sources can be considered for a pump
working. Manual operat ion, elect ricit y, engines, wind power are some sources t o supply t he
energy required by t he pump. The pumps come in a wide range of sizes, from microscopic in
medical applicat ions t o large indust rial pumps.

t ypes of pumps
An overview of working basics of a pump
(Reference: mechstudies.com)

Mechanical pumps work for a variet y of purposes:

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Pumps are employed t o pump wat er from wells as well as wat er-cooling and fuel
inject ion in t he car indust ry.
 In different sect ions of t he energy indust ry, pumps are used t o t ransfer oil and nat ural
gas and also in cooling t owers and ot her heat ing, vent ilat ion, and air condit ioning
syst ems.
In t he medical indust ry, pumps are ut ilized for biochemical processes in t he
manufact ure of medicine and as man-made replacement s for body part s, such as t he
art ificial heart and penile prost hesis.

The power applied t o a fluid increases it s energy per unit volume. The energy is t ransferred
from mechanical energy t o hydraulic energy. In general, t he governing different ial equat ions,
known as t he Navier–St okes equat ions, describe t his energy conversion. However, a simple
equat ion called Bernoulli’s equat ion can be used, which relat es only t o t he different energies
in t he fluid. The following equat ion gives t he original form of Bernoulli’s equat ion for
incompressible fluids at any arbit rary point along a st reamline.

\frac{v^2}{2}+gz+\frac{p}{\rho }=const ant

v, p, z, and ρ are fluid speed, pressure, elevat ion above a reference plane, and densit y at a
point , respect ively. Also, g is t he gravit at ional accelerat ion.

Accordingly, t he t ot al pressure difference bet ween t he inlet and out let of t he pump is
expressed by:

\mat hit {\Delt a}p=\ \frac{\left (v^2_ 2-v^2_ 1\right )}

{2}+g\mat hit {\Delt a}z+\frac{\mat hit {\Delt a}p_ {st at ic}}{\rho }

The last t erm in t he above equat ion is a st at ic pressure difference. The efficiency of t he
pump is defined as t he rat io of t he power applied t o t he fluid by t he pump t o t he power given
t o t he pump and is calculat ed by t he following relat ion:

\et a =\frac{Q\mat hit {\Delt a}p}{P}

Q is t he volume fluid flow rat e given in m3/s.

The pump efficiency may be given by t he manufact urer’s informat ion, somet imes in t he form
of a pump curve. It is t ypically derived from fluid dynamics simulat ion such as t he Navier–
St okes solut ions for t he part icular pump geomet ry or t est s. The pump efficiency depends on
t he pump configurat ion and operat ing condit ions, including rot at ional speed, fluid viscosit y
and densit y, and so on.

It s value is not const ant for a specific pump and is a funct ion of t he discharge rat e and
operat ing head (H) as following:

\et a =\frac{\rho gQH}{P}

The Cent rifugal pump efficiency increases wit h flow rat e t o a point in t he middle-
performance range (Best Efficiency Point (BEP) ) and t hen decreases as flow rat es rise
furt her. In addit ion, pump efficiency t ends t o reduce over t ime due t o wear effect s, such as
increasing clearances and decreasing impeller size.

Classification of Pumps
Pumps can be classified in different ways, as said at t he beginning of t his art icle. In t his
sect ion, we will describe t he classificat ion by general mechanical configurat ion. Accordingly,
t here are t wo basic t ypes of pumps: dynamic and posit ive displacement pumps.

Dynamic Pumps
In dynamic pumps, t he energy t ransfer is cont inuous. Dynamic pumps are cat egorized int o
t hree main t ypes:

Turbopumps

Turbopumps are t he most commonly used pumps in t he indust ry. The main moving part of
t urbopumps or impeller pumps is a rot or wit h several blades inst alled on a rot at ing shaft .
Because of t he act ion of blades, t he moment of moment um of t he liquid passing t hrough t he
impeller is increased. These pumps are t he most common t ypes of pumps due t o t he simple
st ruct ural element s, low rat io of volume t o t he input power, and numerous uses in t he
indust ry. All t urbopumps are members of t he t urbomachinery family.

The most common met hod for t he classificat ion of t urbopumps is based on t he pat h of
liquid inside t he rot or.

Centrifugal Pumps
Cent rifugal pumps are used t o t ransfer fluids by convert ing rot at ional kinet ic energy t o
hydrodynamic energy. Rot at ional energy usually comes from an engine or mot or. The fluid
ent ers t he pump along t o t he rot at ing axis and t hen is accelerat ed by t he impeller. Finally, it
flows radially out ward int o t he pump diffuser or volut e chamber from which it exit s.

t ypes of pumps
Schemat ic diagram of a cent rifugal pump
(Reference: michael-smith-engineers.co.uk)

These pumps are used in various areas, including wat er, agricult ure, sewage, pet roleum, and
pet rochemical pumping. The main cause of t he wide select ion of t hese pumps is t heir
capabilit y in high flow rat es, mixing pot ent ial, abrasive solut ion compat ibilit y, and relat ively
simple engineering.

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Watch Video At: https://youtu.be/CQjk2_RAwNM

Axial Flow Pumps

An axial flow pump is a common t ype of pump t hat basically consist s of an axial impeller
(propeller) in a pipe. The impeller can be run direct ly by a mot or, elect ric mot or, or
pet rol/diesel engine.
 t ypes of pumps

An axial flow t urbopump (Reference:

en.wikipedia.org)

Fluid part icles do not change t heir radial locat ions during t heir flow t hrough t he pump
because t he change in radius at t he suct ion (inlet ) and t he discharge (out let ) of t he pump is
very small. This is why t he name axial is given t o t his t ype of pump.

The propeller-t ype of impeller runs in a casing. The pressure is developed by t he flow of fluid
over t he impeller blades. The fluid moves in a direct ion parallel t o t he impeller shaft . It allows
t he fluid t o t ravel t hrough t he impeller axially.

The performance charact erist ics diagram of an axial flow pump is demonst rat ed in t he figure.
As shown, t he head at t he zero flow rat e can be t hree t imes great er t han t he head at t he
best efficiency point of t he pump. Addit ionally, as t he flow decreases, t he power requirement
decreases so t hat t he highest power is drawn at t he zero flow rat e.

t ypes of pumps
Flow charact erist ics diagram of an axial flow
pump (Reference: en.wikipedia.org)

This feat ure is opposit e t o t he radial flow cent rifugal pump in which t he required power
increases as t he flow increases. Furt hermore, wit h an increase in pit ch, t he required power and
pump head increase. Thus it allows t he pump t o adjust t o t he syst em condit ions t o perform
t he most efficient operat ion.

The main benefit of an axial flow pump is it s applicat ion in relat ively high flow rat es and
relat ively low heads.

Mixed Flow Pumps

A mixed flow pump is a cent rifugal pump, including a mixed flow impeller. It has t he
charact erist ics of bot h axial flow and cent rifugal pumps and works on a horizont al plane
relat ive t o t he direct ion of t he fluid flow. When t he liquid flows t hrough t he impeller, t he
blades send t he liquid out , away from t he pump shaft at an angle larger t han 90 degrees.

In general, a mixed flow pump is used for applicat ions wit h a medium or high flow rat e and a
medium head. It is usually used in irrigat ion, agricult ural, sewage applicat ions, cooling wat er in
t hermal and nuclear power plant s, handling seawat er, indust rial ut ilizat ion, and wat er supply.

Mixed-flow pumps are mainly supplied in single-st age vert ical forms wit h diffusers. However,
t he designs in horizont al and vert ical configurat ions, including volut e casing, are opt ional, as
well as t wo-st age designs. The rot or of t he pump is a mixed flow impeller wit h fixed blades.
 t ypes of pumps

T he flow t hrough a mixed flow pump (Reference:

constructionmechanical-
engineering.blogspot.com)

Peripheral Pumps

Peripheral pumps are a niche pump t ype wit h charact erist ics bet ween cent rifugal and
posit ive displacement pumps as t hey can generat e t he high head of posit ive displacement
pumps, wit h t he operat ional flexibilit y of cent rifugal pumps but wit h a lower flow rat e.

Their working kinet ic principle is similar t o cent rifugal pumps. However, inst ead of ut ilizing an
impeller wit h vanes, t hey have t urbine-like impellers radially orient at ed t o t ransfer fluid. As
t he impeller t urns, t he fluid velocit y is increased in a circular pat h. This circular pat h provides
t he diffusion t o t ransform t he velocit y t o pressure. The design of peripheral pumps is more
compact wit h less int ernal clearances t han cent rifugal pumps, so t hey are noisier. These
pumps are usually single st age. However, mult ist age versions are also available.

They t ypically have a flow rat e ranging from 1 t o 200 gpm, a t ot al head bet ween 50 and
1,200 ft , and a power range bet ween 0.5 and 75 hp. They are excellent for purposes requiring
a high head, low flow rat e, flexible operat ion, and compact configurat ion. For example, t hey
are used deep well pumping, cooling wat er circulat ors in indust rial applicat ions and
commercial uses such as bakeries, dry cleaners, and breweries.

t ypes of pumps
Fluid flow inside a peripheral pump (Reference:
northridgepumps.com)

Special Pumps

Educt or-jet pump, hydraulic ram, elect romagnet ic pump, and gas lift are ot her different t ypes
of dynamic pumps.

Eductor-jet Pump
This t ype of pump uses a jet , oft en st eam, t o produce a low pressure. The low pressure
sucks fluid inside and moves it int o a higher pressure region.

Hydraulic Ram (Hydram)

A hydraulic ram is a cyclic wat er pump t hat is powered by hydropower. This machine uses t he
effect of a wat er hammer t o creat e pressure t hat allows a part of t he input wat er t o be
lift ed t o a posit ion higher t han t he original st art ing point of t he wat er.
Gas Lift or Bubble Pumps

Gas lift uses t he art ificial met hod of raising a fluid by insert ing bubbles of compressed air,
wat er vapor, or ot her bubbles int o t he out let t ube. This reduces t he hydrost at ic pressure at
t he out let t ube versus t he hydrost at ic pressure at t he inlet t ube. This t echnique is ut ilized
widely in t he pet roleum indust ry. For example, in t he Unit ed St at es, gas lift is applied in 10%
of t he oil wells wit h inadequat e reservoir pressure t o creat e t he well.

Electromagnetic Pumps

An elect romagnet ic pump is a device t hat pushes liquid met al (or any elect rically conduct ive
liquid) ut ilizing elect romagnet ism. The magnet ic field is applied at right angles t o t he
direct ion t hat liquid t ravels in, and a current is t ransferred t hrough it . This creat es an
elect romagnet ic force t hat moves t he conduct ive liquid. This pump can be used in pumping
liquid met al applicat ions in a cooling syst em.

t ypes of pumps
Schemat ic diagram of an elect romagnet ic pump
(Reference: researchgate.net)

Posit ive Displacement Pumps

A posit ive displacement pump creat es a fluid mot ion t oward t he discharge pipe by t rapping a
cert ain amount of fluid and forcing (displacing) it .

Some posit ive displacement pumps ut ilize an expanding cavit y on t he suct ion side and a
decreasing one on t he discharge side. Fluid flows int o t he pump as t he suct ion side cavit y
expands, and it flows out of t he discharge when t he cavit y collapses. The volume is const ant
in each operat ion cycle.

Unlike cent rifugal pumps, posit ive displacement pumps can t heoret ically provide t he same
flow at a cert ain speed (rpm) regardless of t he discharge pressure. Therefore, a posit ive
displacement pump is a const ant flow machine. However, a small increase in int ernal leakage
wit h an increase in pressure prevent s a really const ant flow rat e.

A posit ive displacement pump must not work against t he closed valve on t he pump
discharge side since it does not have a shut off head like cent rifugal pumps. If a posit ive-
displacement pump cont inues operat ing against a closed discharge valve t o produce flow,
t he pressure in t he discharge line rises unt il t he line burst s. So, t he pump would be severely
damaged. Therefore, on t he discharge side, a relief or safet y valve is necessary. It can be
int ernal or ext ernal.

Based on t he mechanism used t o t ransfer t he fluid, Posit ive displacement pumps can be
classified int o rot ary pumps and reciprocat ing pumps.
Rotary pumps

Rot ary pumps t ransfer fluid using a rot at ing mechanism t hat produces a vacuum t hat draws in
t he liquid. They are very efficient because t hey can work wit h highly viscous fluids at high
flow rat es as viscosit y increases.

However, t he nat ure of t he pump needs very narrow clearances bet ween t he rot at ing part
and t he out er edge, which causes a slow and st eady speed rot at ion. If t he rot ary pump
operat es at high speeds, t he fluid creat es erosion, which ult imat ely makes larger clearances
t hrough which t he liquid can pass, leading t o reduced efficiency.

Rot ary pumps divided int o t he following main t ypes:

Gear Pumps

This is t he simplest t ype of rot ary pump. It includes t wo meshed gears rot at ing in a fit t ed
casing. The spaces bet ween t he t eet h t rap fluid and push it around t he ext ernal periphery.
The fluid does not ret urn t o t he meshed part because t he t eet h are locat ed closely in t he
cent er. Gear pumps are widely used in car engine oil pumps and different hydraulic power
packs.

t ypes of pumps
An overview of gear pump working (Reference:
pinterest.com)

Screw Pumps
A screw pump is a t ype of rot ary pump wit h a more complicat ed st ruct ure using t wo or t hree
screws wit h opposing t hread; for example, one screw rot at es clockwise and t he ot her
count erclockwise. The screws are inst alled on parallel shaft s. The screws drive t he fluid
t hrough t he pump. As wit h different t ypes of rot ary pumps, t he clearance bet ween moving
component s and t he casing is minimal.

t ypes of pumps

Screw pump (Reference:

vacuumscienceworld.com)

Rotary Vane Pumps

A rot ary vane pump consist s of vanes at t ached t o a rot or t hat t urns inside a cavit y. In some
cases, t he vanes have variable lengt hs and are t ensioned t o keep cont act wit h t he walls as
t he pump rot at es. The weaknesses of t his t ype include being less used t han ot her vacuum
pumps for fluids wit h high viscosit y and high pressure, as well as t heir complex operat ion.
They can wit hst and short periods of dry performance and are considered suit able for low-
viscosit y fluids. Visit here t o see t he working basics of a rot ary vane pump.
Hollow Disk Pumps

Hollow disk pumps (eccent ric disc pumps or Hollow rot ary disc pumps) are similar t o scroll
compressors, wit h a cylindrical rot or wit hin a circular housing. As t he rot or rot at es t o some
degree, it t raps t he liquid bet ween t he rot or and t he casing, pulling t he fluid t hrough t he
pump. It is applied for highly viscous fluids such as pet roleum-derived product s. It can also
operat e at high pressures up t o 290 psi. To know more, you can see t his video.

Vibration Pumps

The working principle of Vibrat ion pumps (or vibrat ory pumps) is similar t o linear compressors.
They work ut ilizing a spring-loaded pist on wit h an elect romagnet joined t o AC t hrough a
diode. The only moving part is t he spring-loaded pist on t hat is placed in t he cent er of t he
elect romagnet .

During a posit ive cycle of t he AC, t he diode passes t he energy t hrough t he elect romagnet .
This creat ed a magnet ic field t hat pushes t he pist on backward, compressing t he spring and
causing suct ion. During a negat ive AC cycle, t he diode blocks t he current t o t he
elect romagnet , allowing t he spring t o uncompress, running t he pist on forward. So, t he fluid is
pumped similar t o a reciprocat ing pump.

Because of it s low cost , it is ext ensively applied in inexpensive espresso machines. However,
vibrat ory pumps cannot work for more t han a minut e since t hey produce large amount s of
heat .

Reciprocating Pumps

Reciprocat ing pumps t ransfer t he fluid ut ilizing one or more oscillat ing pist ons, plungers, or
diaphragms, while valves guide t he fluid t o a cert ain direct ion. In order for suct ion t o be
accomplished, t he pump must first pull t he plunger out ward t o reduce pressure in t he
chamber. Once t he plunger is pushed back, t he pressure increases and t he pressure inside t he
plunger t hen opens t he discharge valve and discharges t he fluid int o t he delivery pipe at high
velocit y.

The posit ive displacement pumps include expanding and collapsing cavit ies on t he suct ion
side and t he discharge side, respect ively. As t he cavit y on t he suct ion side expands, t he fluid
flows int o t he pump, and as t he cavit y collapses, it flows out of t he discharge. The volume is
const ant wit h respect t o each operat ing cycle.

Pumps of t his t ype include simplex (wit h one cylinder), duplex (wit h t wo), t riplex (wit h t hree
cylinders), and in some cases quad (wit h four cylinders), or even more. They can operat e wit h
suct ion during one direct ion and discharge on t he ot her direct ion of pist on mot ion (single-
act ing) or wit h suct ion and discharge in bot h direct ions (double-act ing). The power of pumps
can be supplied manually or by an engine.
Reciprocat ing pumps are t ypically used t o pump highly viscous fluids such as concret e and
heavy oils and, in part icular, applicat ions requiring low flow rat es against high resist ance. For
example, manual reciprocat ing pumps were broadly used in pumping wat er from wells. Also,
usual bicycle pumps and foot pumps for inflat ion apply reciprocat ing act ion.

Reciprocat ing pumps fall int o t he following main t ypes:

Piston Pumps

A pist on pump includes t he high-pressure seal and t he pist on. It can operat e in a wide range
of pressures. The high-pressure operat ion can be accomplished wit hout a remarkable effect
on flow rat e. Anot her applicat ion of t his pump is in viscous media and t hose cont aining solid
part icles. The pist on pumps are applied in sit uat ions requiring high and consist ent pressure
and also in wat er irrigat ion or delivery syst ems.

The operat ing is based on an oscillat ion mechanism in which down-st rokes fill t he pump
chamber, and up-st roke sends t he pump fluid out .

Plunger Pumps

A plunger pump is a posit ive displacement pump in which t here are a st at ionary high-pressure
seal and a smoot h cylindrical plunger sliding t hrough t he seal. This dist inguishes t hem from
pist on pumps and makes t hem suit able for higher pressures. Plunger pumps are usually used
t o move municipal and indust rial sewage.

t ypes of pumps
Difference bet ween
piston and plunger pump
(Reference:
en.wikipedia.org)

Diaphragm Pumps
Diaphragm pumps work on t he same basis as plunger pumps. The plunger pressurizes
hydraulic oil used t o bend a diaphragm in t he pumping cylinder. Diaphragm pumps are used t o
pump dangerous and t oxic fluids.

t ypes of pumps
Working principle of a diaphragm pump
(Reference: en.wikipedia.org)

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