Everything About Centrifugal Pumps: Working, Types, and Advantages

Pumps and motors form a very big part of urban living. While we may all understand the use of these pumps and their importance, not many are aware of a very important type of pump called a centrifugal pump. These pumps are commonly used for pumping any low-viscosity liquid in industrial, agricultural as well as domestic applications. If you are intrigued by this super beneficial pump, then read on.

What is a centrifugal pump?

Centrifugal pumps are the most common kind of pumps used to move fluids. In simple terms, a centrifugal water pump makes use of a rapidly rotating impeller to apply centrifugal force to other fluids. This equipment is most often used to transfer fluid between two different locations in a broad range of industrial applications, including municipal (water and sewage facilities), power generation, mining, agricultural, and the petroleum and chemical sectors, among several others. 

Working of a centrifugal pump

Now that the basics of these pumps are clear, let’s begin to understand how centrifugal pumps work. The operation of a centrifugal pump is based on forced vortex flow, which explains how the static pressure of a liquid increases whenever a given amount of fluid rotates under the influence of an external force (generating an external torque). Water moves from one location to another as a consequence of the increased static pressure. The following step-by-step guide will help you understand how centrifugal pumps work.

• Priming: It refers to the process in which water is filled in the casing, suction pipe, and portion of the delivery pipe up to the delivery valve so that no air pockets are left.

• Creation of strong suction: creating a strong suction helps in the proper suction of the liquid from the source. After the pump is primed, the delivery valve is kept closed while the impeller is spun by turning on the centrifugal electric motor.

• Creating normal pressure: the delivery valve remains closed and the rotation speed of the impeller increases to establish the normal pressure that is required to begin pumping.

• Liquid suction: once the normal pressure is achieved, the delivery valve opens and the liquid is sucked into the suction pipe. The liquid then enters the casing through the impeller’s eye. The impeller spins the liquid in the casing, creating the centrifugal force required to create a centrifugal head.

• Delivery: Water is brought up to the required height through the delivery pipe.

• Continuous process: there will be suction pressure at the inlet and a centrifugal head at the outlet until the impeller keeps rotating. This will keep transferring the liquid from the source to the reservoir until it is stopped.

• Closing the pump: When the pump is turned off, the delivery valve must be closed to restrict reservoir backflow.

Uses for Centrifugal Pump

Now that you have understood the basic working principle let’s learn about its uses. You can find centrifugal pumps being used in

1. Networks for treating wastewater
2. Irrigation
3. Municipal facilities
4. Power stations as well as gas and oil sectors to remove oil, dirt, slurry, and other materials.
5. Manufacturing industries
6. Cryogenics and coolants for aerospace
7. Food, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical industries, which include beverage, cellulose, sugar distillation, and hydrocarbon production.
8. Manufacturing of fire prevention technologies for sprinkler systems, steam boiler water, pressure boost, ventilation and heating, as well as air conditioners.

Different Centrifugal Pump Types

Centrifugal pumps can be classified using a variety of methods, including purpose, impeller types, construction codes, numbers, and so on. Here’s a summary of the most common classification systems for centrifugal pumps.

1. Radial pumps, axial pumps, and mixed pumps are classified based on the kind of flow they produce.
2. Single-stage and multi-stage pumps are classified based on the number of stages they have.
3. Single-volute pumps and double-volute pumps are categorised based on their volute types.
4. Single-suction and multiple-suction pumps are categorised based on the number of suctions of the pump.
5. Vertical-shaft pumps and horizontal-shaft centrifugal pumps are classified based on their shaft orientation.
6. Overhung impeller pumps and between-bearing pumps are both classified based on their impeller position.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Centrifugal Pump

Before you purchase a centrifugal pump, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of centrifugal pumps.

Advantages of Centrifugal Pumps

Here are a few advantages of centrifugal pumps:

1. They are capable of pumping both hazardous and sensitive fluids.
2. There are no leakage problems with centrifugal pumps.
3. There is no power loss caused by friction, and they are remarkably simple in design and operation.
4. Heat transfer is also not an issue because the space between the motor and the chamber is sufficiently wide.

Disadvantages of a Centrifugal Pump

Here are a few disadvantages of centrifugal pumps:

1. Magnetic resonance in a centrifugal pump results in a minor energy loss.
2. Because of the particle-attractive nature of magnetic drives, there is a high chance of pipe clogging.
3. These pumps can be damaged by vibrations caused by the external environment.
4. The risk of cavitation is a constant concern. It is one of the major centrifugal pump disadvantages.

Conclusion

In the technologically advanced era of competition, the centrifugal pump is utilised more prevalently compared to any other application because of its advantages in terms of reliability, discharge, cost, and ease of setup and maintenance. You can learn more about pumps and how residential pumps make water supply efficient on our website. 

FAQs on Understanding of Centrifugal Pump

1. What is cavitation in a centrifugal pump?

Cavitation refers to the formation of bubbles or cavities in fluid in areas of comparatively low pressure around an impeller. The implosion or collapse of these bubbles causes intense shockwaves within the pump, resulting in substantial damage to the impeller and/or pump housing.

2. What is priming in a centrifugal pump?

The process of eliminating air from the pump and suction line to allow air pressure and flooding pressure to cause the flow of liquid into the pump is known as priming. Pumps will stop working and break down if they are not primed.

3. How does a centrifugal pump work?

A centrifugal pump is a mechanical system that moves a fluid by transferring rotational energy through one or more driven rotors known as impellers. The fluid enters the spinning impeller along its axis and is cast out by a centrifugal force along its circumference through the vane tips. 

4. When to use the centrifugal pump?

You can use centrifugal pumps to pump water, oils, acids, solvents, and any other “thin” liquids in domestic applications as well as in industrial and agricultural industries.

5. What is a major advantage of a centrifugal pump?

When compared to certain other pumping technologies, centrifugal chemical pumps have the highest energy efficiency. These energy-efficient pumps assist in reducing costs in the short term as well as over the lifespan of each unit, as well as the strain on power systems.