How Centrifugal Pumps Work?

Centrifugal pumps are common mechanical devices that are capable of transferring fluids within a system, relying on rotational energy that is supplied by one or more motor driven rotor components known as impellers. With their use, centrifugal pumps find implementation in residential water supply systems, fire protection systems, sewage, food and beverage manufacturing, chemical production, oil and gas industrial applications, and much more. To help you understand how they benefit such industries and applications, we will discuss the functionality of such pumps below.

The rotating impeller is the most important element of the centrifugal pump, featuring a series of curved vanes. For the design of the assembly, each curved vane is placed between two discs. If the fluids that are moving through a particular system contain solids, then an open or semi-open impeller backed by a single disc is best.

As fluids enter the centrifugal pump, they will move across through the impeller along its axis, exiting at the circumference between the curved vanes. Opposite to the eye, the impeller is attached to a motor with a drive shaft, allowing it to rotate at speeds ranging from 500 to 5000 rpm. With this rotational motion, the impeller can efficiently accelerate fluids through the impeller vanes and into the pump casing.

The casing of the pump may come in two main forms, those of which are volute and diffuser designs. Depending on which design is used, the fluid flow will be transformed into a controlled discharge in a different way. With a volute casing, the impeller is offset. With this configuration, a curved funnel complete with an increasing cross-sectional area is established near the outlet of the pump. As such, fluid pressure will increase as fluids reach the outlet.

Diffuser designs are fairly similar in their principle, though such devices increase fluid pressure by expelling fluids between stationary sets of vanes that surround the impeller. As many casings are designed to accommodate specific applications and needs, diffuser designs can be customized for increased efficiency. Volute designs, meanwhile, are tailored to benefit the flow of fluids that may contain solids or exhibit high viscosity.

Across all pump types, the two largest categories are centrifugal and positive displacement pumps. As compared to the alternative, centrifugal pumps are known for being more optimal for higher flows and for pumping low viscosity liquids. As such, industries such as chemical manufacturing will have 90% of their chemical plant pumps be centrifugal types. Aircraft diffuser and aerospace impeller pumps are also common for such applications, often being found within the fuel system and other areas.

Due to their various characteristics and operational capabilities, centrifugal pumps are best suited for low pressure, high capacity applications where liquids exhibit a viscosity between 0.1 and 200 cP. As the centrifugal pump is not intended to be a slurry pump, it will often face excessive wear and overheating when such materials are transported. Nevertheless, such devices excel in numerous applications where they can provide much use.

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