Centrifugal Pump

Working Principle with

Diagram | Linquip
The working principle of a centrifugal pump is based on
forced vortex flow. The forced vortex flow means that
when a certain mass of fluid rotates by an external force
(leading to an external torque), there is an increase in the
pressure head of the liquid. This increase in the pressure
head causes the water to be transferred from one point to
another. It is a centrifugal force applying to the fluid that
makes it flow inside the casing.

The Centrifugal pump operates on the forced vortex flow

concept. When a specific quantity of fluid or liquid is
permitted to rotate by an external torque, a rise in the
rotating liquid’s pressure head occurs. Water is delivered
from one site to another via this increase in pressure
head. The fluid flows within the casing due to the
centrifugal force exerted on it. A Centrifugal pump is an
important Product for industrial applications.

Centrifugal pumps are available from a variety of

Suppliers and Companies, as well as various
manufacturers and distributors, and there are many
Centrifugal Pumps for Sale on Linquip. A
comprehensive list of Centrifugal pump services is
available on the Linquip website, which covers all OEM
fleets. Linquip vendors can assist you with this. To learn
more about how to connect with a wide range of service
providers who consistently provide the highest quality
goods, please contact Centrifugal Pump Experts on
Linquip.

What is a Centrifugal Pump

Centrifugal Pump is the common type of pump for
transferring fluids. Simply put, it uses a rotating impeller
to move other fluids applying centrifugal force. This is
the accepted choice, especially for moving the fluid from
one location to another in many industrial applications,
including municipal (water and wastewater plants),
agriculture, power generation plants, mining, petroleum
and chemical industries, and other purposes.

Centrifugal Pumps can generally operate with large

quantities of fluids and very high flow rates. Besides,
they can adjust the flow rates over a wide range.

In general, centrifugal pumps are designed to be well

suited for fluids with relatively low viscosity, such as
water or light oil. More viscous fluids require more
horsepower for centrifugal pumps to run. For fluids with
higher viscosities, positive displacement pumps are better
than centrifugal pumps to help reduce energy costs.

Centrifugal pumps are considered for many of the fluid

transfer activities. Therefore, these pumps hold more
preference in various industries. The most common
applications of centrifugal pumps include pumping
water, water supply, supporting fire safety systems, and
regulating hot water. Some of the areas where centrifugal
pumps are utilized are as follows:

Energy and oil industries for pumping oil, mud,

slurry, and refining purposes and power plants.
Wastewater treatment systems, irrigation, municipal
plants, flood protection procedures, and gas systems.
The chemical and petrochemical, food, and medicinal
industries such as hydrocarbons, cellulose, sugar
distilling, and beverage production.
Aerospace and industrial applications in refrigerants
and cryogenics.
Industrial and fire protection systems for ventilation
and heating, air conditioning, boiler feed water,
pressure boosting, and fire security sprinkler systems.

Operating Principle of Centrifugal

Pumps
In this section, we will discuss how a centrifugal pump
operates. Centrifugal pumps work to produce flow or
raise a fluid from a lower level to a higher level. The
working of these pumps is based on a straightforward
mechanism. A centrifugal pump turns rotational energy
coming from a motor into energy in a moving fluid.

The two main components responsible for this task are

the impeller, and the casing, both of which belong to the
portion of the pump called the wet end. The impeller is
the rotating part, and the casing is the airtight path that
surrounds the impeller.

The fluid in a centrifugal pump enters the casing, falls on

the impeller vanes at the impeller eye, and rotates
radially outward until it exits the impeller through the
diffuser (volute) of the casing. As it passes through the
impeller, the fluid gains both velocity and pressure.

Flow passage through a centrifugal pump

(Reference: facebook.com)

Working Parameters
Depending on the use in a variety of applications, pumps
are offered with different capacities and sizes. You have
to consider the pressure and volume required for which
you run the pump. Another important consideration is the
horsepower required. The following main parameters
affect the performance of a centrifugal pump and must be
considered when choosing a centrifugal pump:

Fluid Viscosity

This characteristic refers to the shear resistance when

energy is applied. Generally, a centrifugal pump is proper
for low viscosity fluids because the pumping action
produces high liquid shear.

Fluid Density

A fluid density is defined as the mass of the fluid per unit

of volume. It directly affects the required input power to
pump a fluid. If working with a fluid other than water, it
is necessary to consider a parameter called specific
density. The specific density (or relative density) of a
fluid is defined as the ratio of the fluid density to the
density of a given reference (water for liquids) and can
be expressed as follows:

RD=\frac{\rho _{liquid}}{\rho _{liquid}}

Operating Temperature and Pressure

The conditions of pumping, such as temperature and

pressures, are essential points to consider for any
operation. For example, High-temperature fluid pumping
may need special gaskets, seals, and mounting devices.
Similarly, for high-pressure conditions, a suitable
pressure-retaining casing may be required.

Net Positive Suction Head

Net positive suction head (or NPSH) is a term that

indicates the pressure on the suction side of a pump to
help you find out if the pressure is high enough to
prevent cavitation. Cavitation is an event in which
bubbles or cavities in a liquid occur in regions of
relatively low pressure around the pump impeller. This
phenomenon can cause severe damage to the impeller. It
must be ensured that the net positive suction head
available is greater than the net positive suction head
required, with the appropriate safety margin.

The following relation can be used to find the net

positive suction head available:

NPSH_A=\left(\frac{p_i}{\rho g}+\frac{V^2_i}
{2g}\right)-\frac{p_v}{\rho g}
The index i denotes the inlet. Also, pv represents the
vapor pressure of the fluid. The first law of
thermodynamics for control volumes around the suction
surface (denoted by 0) and the pump inlet (represented
by i) results in the following equation. An assumption is
that the kinetic energy at the suction surface is negligible,
the fluid is inviscid, and the fluid density is constant.

\frac{p_0}{\rho g}+z_0=\frac{p_i}{\rho
g}+\frac{V^2_i}{2g}+z_i+h_f

Using the Bernoulli equation to eliminate the velocity

and the local pressure terms, the net positive suction head
available is given as:

NPSH_A=\frac{p_0}{\rho g}-\frac{p_v}{\rho g}-

\left(z_i-z_0\right)-h_f

Fluid Vapor Pressure

The vapor pressure is the pressure at a certain

temperature at which a fluid turns to the vapor phase. To
prevent cavitation as well as damage caused by dry
running when the fluid evaporates, it must be
determined.

Working Steps
Centrifugal pumps are a class of Dynamic pumps. The
working principle of a centrifugal pump involves
transferring energy to the fluid utilizing a centrifugal
force induced by the rotation of an impeller that has
multiple blades or vanes. The basic principles of
centrifugal pump operation comprise the following
stages.

The fluid enters the pump at the impeller eye.

A schematic figure to show the flow passage

starting from the eye of the impeller (Reference:
researchgate.net)

The velocity of the fluid increases by the centrifugal

force created due to the rotation of the impeller.
Therefore, the fluid is radially moved out towards the
impeller periphery.
 The fluid is directed to an expanding volute casing or
diffuser (depending on the design type), and thus, its
velocity energy is converted to a pressure head.

The increase in the fluid pressure head at any point is

proportional to the square of the tangential velocity of
the rotating fluid. It can be written as:

H=\frac{V^2}{2g}

and

V=r\omega

Therefore, it can be rewritten as follows:

H=\frac{r^2{\omega }^2}{2g}

ω is the rotational speed of the impeller (in rpm).

Priming of Centrifugal Pumps

Priming is the crucial step in the initiation of the

centrifugal pump. These pumps are not capable of
pumping gases (e.g., air). Priming is needed where the
impeller is immersed in the liquid and no air exists
inside. Thus, for an initial start-up, priming is an
essential action. The other reason that shows the
importance of priming is the fill-up of liquid in the
casing, which intends to decrease the clearance capacity.
There are different ways of priming a centrifugal pump,
including manual, using a separator, vacuum pump, and
jet pump.

Characteristic Curve of Centrifugal Pumps

To know the hydraulic calculations of centrifugal pumps,

using the characteristic curves is the most common
approach. In the following figure, you see the main
characteristic curves used to describe the performance of
a centrifugal pump over the ranges of flow rates.

Characteristic curves of a centrifugal pump

(Reference: ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in)

Head vs. Discharge Curve

The head-discharge curve shows the relation between the

head created by a pump to the water pumped volume per
unit time. In general, the pressure head generated by a
pump regularly decreases with the increase in the
discharge rate of the pump. The values of the pressure
head and the discharge at the maximum efficiency point
are the parameters known as the design head (normal
head) and the design discharge (normal discharge) of a
pump.

The trend of the head-discharge curve changes with the

specific speed. For radial flow impellers, the head
reduces slightly and then drops quickly as discharge
increases from zero. Slope changes along the head-
discharge curves for the axial and mixed flow impellers
are not as high as those for radial flow impellers. The
operation of radial flow impellers in the range of the flat
portion of the head-discharge curves is well where the
head must remain constant as the flow rate fluctuates.
However, where a relatively constant discharge rate is
desired, and the head fluctuates, the impellers with
higher specific speeds work the best.

The following equation gives the specific speed of a

centrifugal pump (n is the pump rotational speed in rpm):

n_s=\frac{n\sqrt{Q}}{H^{0.75}}

Efficiency vs. Discharge Curve

The pump efficiency versus discharge curve of a typical

centrifugal pump shows that the overall efficiency
gradually increases to a peak with increasing Q from zero
and then declines with further increasing Q. Normally,
for a given impeller type, there is only one peak
efficiency.

The efficiency of a centrifugal pump is given as:

\eta =\frac{P_{water}}{P_{shaft}}

It can be defined as the ratio of output power to input

power. The output power is related to the water and input
to a shaft. The shaft power is the power provided to the
pump shaft and the water power is calculated by the
following formula:

P_{water}=\rho gHQ

where, H and Q are pressure head (in meters) and flow

rate (in kg/m3).

The pump efficiency is a function of impeller design,

specific speed, and pump discharge. The larger the
capacity of the pump, the higher efficiency. The overall
efficiency is related to the materials used in construction,
the castings, the machining quality, and the bearings
used. For example, very smooth surface impellers are
more efficient than rough-surfaced impellers.

Moreover, the efficiency versus discharge curve is

usually for a particular number of stages. If a varying
number of stages are required for a specific condition,
efficiencies must be set up upward or downward based
on the number of stages.

Power vs. Discharge Curve

The shaft power (SP) versus discharge curve for a pump

can be derived from the head-discharge and efficiency-
discharge curves. The shape of the power-discharge
curve is dependent on the specific speed and impeller
design of the pump. For radial flow impellers, the power
rises from a non-zero value to a peak and then drops
slightly as the flow increases.

For mixed flow impellers, the power increases steadily

from a non-zero value with the increase in the flow.

For axial flow impellers, however, the power is

maximum when the discharge flow is zero, and it
gradually reduces as the flow rate increases from zero.
Therefore, when starting the axial flow pumps, the
discharge valve must be open to the atmosphere to
minimize the start-up load. Conversely, the discharge
valve must be closed as radial flow, and mixed flow
pumps are starting to operate.

NPSH vs. Discharge Curve

This characteristic curve illustrates the net positive
suction head required (NPSHR) trends versus the pump
discharge. It can be seen from this figure that NPSHR
gradually rises as the pump discharge increases.

Cavitation

Cavitation includes the creation and breakdown of vapor

bubbles in the liquid due to the variation in pressure
values. The overall performance of the pump would be
affected by the cavitation. To find out if the pump is
affected by cavitation or not, the following signs can be
helpful:

Increase and decrease in discharge pressure values

Inconsistent power use
The reduction in the efficiency
Distinct crackling sounds

By reducing the length of the pumps to 4 meters ahead of

the water level, the effect of cavitation disappears.
 Suction cavitation in centrifugal pumps
(Reference: thermal-engineering.org)

The Structure of Centrifugal Pumps

A centrifugal pump consists of a set of components that

some (e.g., shaft, bearing, etc.) are responsible for
maintaining the mechanical structure of the pump, and
others (impellers and casing) determine the hydraulic
function of the pump.

Impeller

The impellers are the rotating parts of centrifugal pumps.

An impeller is installed on a shaft that is connected to an
electric motor. The motor rotates the impeller. They are
available in different shapes and sizes for various
applications and the properties of the pumped liquids and
are composed of a set of backward curved blades.
The impellers can be made of a range of materials
depending on the chemical properties of the pumped
liquid. All impellers must be dynamically balanced
before they are mounted on the pumps.

Casing

The casing is an air-tight passage surrounding the

impeller. The casing design is done so that it is able to
convert the kinetic energy of the water coming from the
outlet of the impeller into a pressure head before leaving
the casing.

There are two major types of casing in centrifugal pump:

Volute

Volute is a spiral casing in which the passage of the

liquid gradually increases. This decreases the fluid
velocity and increases the fluid pressure.

Diffuser

The impeller is surrounded by several guide blades.

These blades are located on a ring called a diffuser. The
design of the diffuser-type casing allows the water
leaving the impeller to enter the guide blades without
shock. The area of flowing water through the blades
increases, decreasing the fluid velocity and increasing its
pressure. After the guide blades, water moves through
the surrounding casing, which usually remains concentric
with the impeller.

Shaft

The shaft of a centrifugal pump is the central part of the

rotor where other components, including the impellers,
the shaft sleeves, the bearings, are installed. The
mechanical energy from the motor is given to the shaft.
The shaft delivers this power to the impeller to rotate.

Shaft Sleeve

A shaft sleeve of a centrifugal pump is a hollow metal

cylindrical tube, which is installed over the shaft
assembly to safeguard it in a corrosive environment.
Shaft sleeves are usually found in single-stage pumps.

Bearings

The function of the bearings is to hold the shaft or rotor

in the correct alignment with the fixed parts under the
action of radial and axial loads. Bearings that provide a
radial positioning to the rotor are called line bearings,
and those that place the rotor in an axial position are
known as thrust bearings. Often, the thrust bearings
actually act as both thrust and radial bearings.

Sealing Arrangements

The sealing arrangement is an element that seals the

rotating shaft as it passes through the non-rotating casing
of the centrifugal pump. It reduces the fluid leakage to
the atmosphere or the entrance of air from outside to a
certain extent and prevents the wear of the sealing faces
as much as possible.

Centrifugal pump structure (Reference:

amarineblog.com)
Types of Centrifugal Pumps

The centrifugal pumps can be classified based on many

factors such as construction, design, application, service,
and industrial standards. Therefore, one centrifugal pump
can be placed into different groups at the same time. A
common way of classification is based on the number of
impellers applied within the pump. Accordingly,
centrifugal pumps are categorized into the following
types.

Single-Stage Pumps

The single-stage centrifugal pump has a single impeller.

The design and maintenance of this type are very simple.
These pumps are excellent for applications with high
flow rates and also, low-pressure purposes. Single-stage
pumps are usually used in pumping services like high-
flow and total dynamic head (TDH) from low to
moderate ranges.

Double-Stage Pumps

The double-stage pumps are built with two impellers

working side by side. These pumps are generally applied
in middle-head applications.

Multiple-Stage Pumps
The multi-stage pumps are designed with two or three
impellers connected in series. The applications of these
pumps include high-head services.

Advantages of Centrifugal Pumps

These pumps do not have any drive seal, which
reduces leakage complications.
These pumps are used to deal with hazardous fluids.
Magnetic coupling protects the pump from external
pressures.
There is no chance of heat transfer.

Disadvantages of Centrifugal
Pumps
They may lose energy because of magnetic coupling,
which causes minimal magnetic resistance.
An intense load implies the possibility of failing the
pump.
When the pump does not operate for a long time,
rusting occurs and leads to damage.
There is a chance of overheating.

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