Hydraulic pumps

Hydraulic machines which convert the mechanical energy into

hydraulic energy are called pumps.
Pumps are mainly classified as centrifugal pump and axial flow
pump.
A centrifugal pump is a hydraulic machine used to raise the
liquids from a lower to a higher level by creating a required
pressure by means of centrifugal action.
In the case of axial flow pump, water enters and leaves the
impeller axially. In such pumps no centrifugal head is created in
the water but pressure is developed during the flow of fluid
over the blades.

Centrifugal pumps

Centrifugal pumps are the machines which increases the pressure

energy of a liquid. These pumps may either lift the fluid or just
boost the pressure in a pipe line.

Principle of Centrifugal Pump

The centrifugal force or variation of
pressure due to rotation is responsible for
their operation or working of centrifugal
pump. For example, as shown in fig.
if a container having water up to some height
is rotated at a constant speed about its axis,
the water will also tend to rotate at a speed
as that of the container and the water surface
will assume a parabolic shape.
Therefore,
H = u2/2g
u - Linear Velocity of Container at Radius r.
Now, if the water is confined in such a way
that its surface cannot change then pressure
will be produced by forced vortex action.
(Vortex flow is a type of flow of fluid along a
curved path or the flow of a rotating mass of

Classification of Centrifugal Pump

1. Type of Casing
Volute, Vortex and Diffuser ring etc.
2.Type of Impeller
Closed, Semi-Closed and Opened.
3. Working Head
a. Low Head Pump
upto 15m of water. These pumps employ volute casing.
b. Medium Head Pumps
are used to work against the heads, generally upto 40 m of water.
These pumps are mostly employed with Diffuser Ring.
c. High Head Pumps
above 40 m of water. Mostly these are the multistage pumps.
4. Direction of Flow Through Impeller
a. Radial flow
b. Axial flow
c. Mixed flow combination of axial and radial flow

5. Number of Entrances of the Impeller

a. Single Suction or Entry Pumps
b. Double Suction or Entry Pumps
6. Disposition of Shaft
The shaft of the pump may be disposed either horizontally of
vertically.
7. Number of Impellers
According to the number of Impellers provided the pumps may be
classified as single stage or multi-stage pumps. In single stage
pumps, only one Impeller is fitted while in multi-stage pumps two or
more than two impellers are fitted on the shaft either in series or in
parallel.

Working of centrifugal pump

Definitions of Heads of Centrifugal Pump

1. Suction Static Head (hs)
It is the vertical height of the centre line of the centrifugal pump
above the water surface in the tank or pump from which water is
to be lifted. This height is also called suction lift.
2. Delivery Static Head (hd)
The vertical distance between the centre line of the pump and the
water surface in the tank to which water is delivered is known as
delivery head.
3. Static Head (Hs)
The sum of suction head and delivery head is known as static
head. This is represented by Hs and is written as
Hs = hs + hd
4. Manometric Head (Hm)
The manometric head is defined as the head against which a
centrifugal pump has to work. It is given by the following
expression:

fficiency of centrifugal pump

1. Manometric efficiency

2. Mechanical Efficiency

3. Volumetric efficiency

4. Overall efficiency

Applications of centrifugal pump

Priming
Priming of a CP is defined as the operation in which the suction pipe, casing of th
And a portion of the delivery pipe upto delivery valve is completely filled up from
Outside source with the liquid to be raised by the pump before starting the pump
Classified as,
i) Manual priming
ii) Priming by vacuum
iii) Self-priming

Priming by vacuum

Self-Priming

Cavitation