Overview of Centrifugal Pumps

Principles of Operation
When a liquid enters the eye of a centrifugal pump's rotating impeller, the energy of the impeller
is transferred to the liquid. Due to centrifugal force imparted by the impeller to the water, the
water is forced outward toward the perimeter of the pump casing, and more water is drawn into
the suction side of the pump.

At sea level, the atmosphere exerts a pressure of 14.7 psi (1 bar) on all objects. If one end of a
tube is placed in water and a perfect vacuum is applied to the other end, that 14.7 psi (1 bar)
could force water up the tube to form a column of water 33.9 feet (10.3 meters) high. This
theoretical scenario would only be obtainable at sea level and with a perfect vacuum.
Because of this natural limitation, the suction of a centrifugal pump can only lift water so far; in
practice, this limit is considerably less than 33.9 feet (10.3 meters). Furthermore, this limit
decreases as altitude increases, due to the corresponding decrease in atmospheric pressure.

Natural movement of fluids occurs from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure.
Weather systems, for example, are tracked as high pressure air masses move toward areas of
low pressure. Therefore, a liquid under high pressure will move to an area of less pressure if a
path is provided.
Centrifugal pumps work by creating a pressure difference. As the centrifugal force moves the
incoming water toward the outer edges of the casing, an area of low pressure is created near
the pump inlet. The pressure difference between the incoming water and the low-pressure area
at the pump's inlet causes the water to flow into the impeller.
The forces at work during the operation of a pump are similar to the act of sucking on a straw.
A partial vacuum is created in a person's mouth when they suck on the straw, much like a partial
vacuum is created at a pump's inlet when fluid is moved by the impeller. The liquid is pushed
up the straw because of the pressure difference between the inside of the mouth and the
atmosphere, just as fluid enters a pump because of a pressure difference between the pump
inlet and the pressure of the pumped fluid.
A centrifugal pump has two main components:
 A stationary component comprised of a casing and seal components
 A rotating component comprised of an impeller and a shaft

Casing
Pump casings are generally of two types: volute and circular. The impellers are fitted inside the
casings. Volute casings build a higher head, whereas circular casings are used for low head
and high capacity.
A volute is a curved funnel increasing in area to the discharge port as shown in here. As the
area of the cross-section increases, the volute reduces the speed of the liquid, which increases
the pressure of the liquid.
One of the drawbacks of a single-volute casing is the lateral force applied to the impeller during
periods of operation other than the "best efficiency point." Running single-volute-style pumps at
a flow lower than the manufacturer's recommended capacity places lateral stresses on the shaft
of the pump, increasing wear-and-tear on the seals and bearings, and on the shaft itself.
Double-volute pump casings are used when the application calls for sustained operating periods
at flow rates significantly below the best efficiency point. The double-volute design effectively
negates the lateral forces.
Circular casings have stationary diffusion vanes surrounding the impeller periphery that convert
velocity energy to pressure energy. Conventionally, the diffusers are applied to multi-stage
pumps.

Pump casings can be designed either as solid casings or split casings. Solid casing implies a
design in which the entire casing including the discharge nozzle is contained in one casting or
fabricated piece. A split casing implies that two or more parts are fastened together.
When the casing parts are divided on the horizontal plane, the casing is described as a
horizontally split or axially split casing. When the split is in on a vertical plane perpendicular to
the rotation axis, the casing is described as a vertically split or radially split casing.
Casing wear rings act as the seal between the casing and the impeller.
Seal Chamber or Stuffing Box
Seal chamber and stuffing box both refer to a chamber, either integral to or separate from the
pump case housing, that forms the region between the shaft and casing where a sealing
medium is installed. When the sealing is achieved by means of a mechanical seal, the
chamber is commonly referred to as a seal chamber. When the sealing is achieved by means
of packing, the chamber is referred to as a stuffing box.
Both the seal chamber and the stuffing box have the primary function of preventing leakage at
the point where the shaft passes through the pump casing. When the pressure at the bottom of
the chamber is below atmospheric, the sealing system prevents air leakage into the pump.
When the pressure is above atmospheric, it prevents liquid from leaking out of the pump.

Gland
The gland is part of the seal chamber or the stuffing box. It gives the packing or the mechanical
seal the desired fit on the shaft sleeve. It can be adjusted in the axial direction.
Rotating Components
The impeller is the main rotating part that provides the centrifugal force to the fluid. Impellers
are often classified based on major direction of flow in reference to the axis of rotation:
 Radial flow
 Axial flow
 Mixed flow
Classification may also be based on mechanical construction:
  Closed (shrouds or sidewall enclosing the vanes)
 Open (no shrouds or wall to enclose the vanes)
 Semi-open or vortex type
 Closed impellers require wear rings that provide an easily and economically renewable
leakage joint between the impeller and the casing.
 Open and semi-open impellers are less likely to clog, but need manual adjustment to the
volute or back-plate to obtain the proper impeller setting and prevent internal
recirculation.
 Vortex pump impellers are great for solids and "stringy" materials, but they are up to
50% less efficient than conventional designs.
 The number of impellers determines the number of stages of the pump. A single stage
pump has one impeller only and is best for low head service. A two-stage pump has two
impellers in series for medium head service. A multi-stage pump has three or more
impellers in series for high head service.

As previously stated, most of the pumps found in modern power plants are of the centrifugal
type. There are three general categories of centrifugal pumps used in a power plant:
 Volute
 Mixed flow
 Diffuser
The next three sections address each of these categories of pumps.