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F E A T U R E P U M P D E F I N I T I O N S

4ECHNICALDEFINITIONSASSOCIATED
WITHPUMPSnPARTONE
-UCHCONFUSIONEXISTSBECAUSE%NGLISH THEWORLDSTECHNICALLANGUAGE ISUSEDMOSTLYBY
ENGINEERSWHOSPEAKWRITE%NGLISHASASECONDLANGUAGE$EFINITIONSOFSOMEIMPORTANT
TECHNICALTERMSHAVEBECOMEDISTORTEDANDTHISLEADSTOCONFUSIONINIMPORTANT
COMMUNICATIONS)NTHEFIRSTOFASERIESOFARTICLES PUMPCONSULTANT"RIAN.ESBITT
EXPLAINSCOMMONTERMSUSEDINCONNECTIONWITHPUMPAPPLICATIONANDPUMPDESIGN

)

AM REALLY LUCKY ) LEARNT


%NGLISH AS MY FIRST LANGUAGE
AND MY BACKGROUND HAS ALWAYS
BEEN ENGINEERING %NGLISH IS A
TERRIBLE LANGUAGE TO LEARN BECAUSE
IT INCLUDES MANY WORDS THAT HAVE
NEARLY THE SAME MEANING "EFORE )
STARTED FORMAL ENGINEERING TRAINING
) ALREADY HAD A BROAD KNOWLEDGE OF
GENERALMECHANICALENGINEERING-Y
FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE WITH PUMPS
HASSHOWNMETHATCOMMUNICATIONS
CANBEVERYDIFFICULTWHENCUSTOMERS
AND SUPPLIERS DESCRIBE THE SAME
THING BY DIFFERENT TERMS 7HEN
WRITING MULTINATIONAL STANDARDS
IT IS PREFERRED TO AGREE THE %NGLISH
VERSION FIRST )T IS MUCH EASIER
FOR ENGINEERS TO TRANSLATE FROM
%NGLISH RATHER THAN INTO %NGLISH
4HE LANGUAGE PROBLEM EXISTS EVEN
WITH FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS THAT

ARE ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND WHEN


DESCRIBING PUMP APPLICATIONS
AND WRITING SPECIFICATIONSx AND
PURCHASEORDERS

-ATTER
"EFORE WE CAN CONSIDER PUMPS THE
MAIN CONCERN HERE WE MUST START
AT A MUCH EARLIER POINT BECAUSE THE
FUNDAMENTALSOFPHYSICALPROPERTIESARE
REGULARLYINCORRECTLYDESCRIBED"EFORE
WE CAN DISCUSS MACHINES WE MUST
THINKABOUT@MATTERWHATEVERYTHING
IS MADE OF -ATTER IS NOT ONLY WHAT
PUMPS ARE MADE OF BUT WHAT PUMPS
@PUMPASWELL-ATTEREXISTSINSEVERAL
PHYSICAL VARIETIES ATOMIC VARIETIES
DONTNECESSARILYCONCERNUSHERE AND
PUMPSHANDLEMOSTOFTHEM

3OLID

&IGURE!HEAVY DUTYCENTRIFUGALPUMPFORCLEANLIQUIDAPPLICATIONS



%LSEVIER,TD!LLRIGHTSRESERVED

4HE @COLD STATE OF MATTER A STATE


OF FIXED VOLUME AND FIXED SHAPE
@&IXED IS POSSIBLY TOO RIGID A TERM
HERE #ONSIDER RUBBER AND MANY
ELASTOMERSTHESHAPECANBECHANGED
QUITE EASILY BY THE APPLICATION OF
SMALL FORCESx BUT WHEN THE FORCES
ARE RELEASED THE SOLID RETURNS TO ITS
ORIGINAL SHAPEx SOMETIMES 3OLIDS
CAN BE ELASTIC OR PLASTIC ELASTIC
SOLIDS RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL SIZE
SHAPE AFTER DEFORMATION PLASTIC
SOLIDS REMAINED DEFORMED 6OLUME
CAN BE MODIFIED REDUCED BY THE
APPLICATION OF $ FORCES PRESSURE
OR INCREASED BY HEATING 3OLIDS ARE
VERY VARIABLE AND THE DIFFERENCE IN
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES CAN BE CRUCIALLY
IMPORTANT WOULD A PUMP MADE OF

GOLD BE BETTER THAN A PUMP OF CAST


IRON)TWOULDBEMUCHMORECOSTLY
ANDMUCHMORECORROSIONRESISTANT
BUT WOULD IT WORK IN PRACTICE
0UMPING SAND IS VERY DIFFERENT TO
PUMPINGCOAL"UTBEWARE.ATURAL
PRODUCTS SUFFER HUGE VARIATIONS IN
PROPERTIESEXPERIENCEFROMONESITE
MAYNOTBETRANSFERABLE

h4HEFUNDAMENTALSOF
PHYSICALPROPERTIESARE
REGULARLYINCORRECTLY
DESCRIBEDv

,IQUID
)FASOLIDISHEATED THEFREEZINGPOINT
ISREACHEDANDTHENTHESOLIDBECOMES
LIQUID .OT ALL SOLIDS HAVE A STABLE
LIQUIDPHASE'ENERALLY LIQUIDCANBE
CONSIDERED AS HAVING A FIXED VOLUME
WITHAVARIABLESHAPE4HEVOLUMECAN
BEREDUCED USUALLYONLYVERYSLIGHTLY
BY THE APPLICATION OF PRESSURE AND
INCREASED BY HEATING 3OME LIQUIDS
LIKE WATER CHANGE SHAPE VERY EASILY
AND FLOW READILY n LOW VISCOSITY
/THERS LIKE HEAVY OIL DONT CHANGE
SHAPEQUICKLYANDDONTFLOWASEASILY
nHIGHVISCOSITY,IQUIDSLIKEWATERARE
.EWTONIAN VISCOSITY IS INDEPENDENT
OF THE RATE OF SHEAR DECREASES WITH
INCREASINGTEMPERATUREANDISSLIGHTLY
INFLUENCED BY PRESSURE 3OME LIQUIDS
ARE@SHEAR SENSITIVEOR@PSEUDO PLASTIC
DONTFLOWEASILYANDCANBEDAMAGED
BYTHEPUMPINGACTION0UMPSFORTHESE
LIQUIDSMUSTBESELECTEDCAREFULLY

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F E A T U R E P U M P D E F I N I T I O N S
6APOUR

&LUIDMISCONCEPTIONS

)FALIQUIDISHEATED EVENTUALLYITWILL
BOILTOPRODUCEVAPOUR6APOURISA
GAS LIKESTATEINTHATTHEVOLUMEAND
SHAPE CHANGE EASILY ! VAPOUR CAN
EXPANDTOFILLACONTAINER BUTIFTHE
CONTAINERISTOOBIG APROPORTIONOF
THEVAPOURWILLCONDENSEBACKINTO
LIQUID3ATURATEDVAPOURISAMIXTURE
OF VAPOUR AND LIQUID DROPLETS
AND OCCURS WHEN VAPOUR COEXISTS
ABOVE BOILING LIQUID 6APOUR IS A
@COMPLICATEDGASANDMAYNOTOBEY
THENORMALGASLAWS

9OUMAYHAVENOTICEDTHATONEVERY
POPULARTECHNICALTERMHASNOTBEEN
MENTIONED @FLUID &LUID IS NOT ONE
OFTHESTATESOFMATTERITDESCRIBESA

'AS
!STATEOFMATTER ACHIEVEDBYHEATING
BEYOND THE DRY VAPOUR PHASE TO A
TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN THE CRITICAL
TEMPERATURE IN WHICH THE MOLECULES
MOVE RANDOMLY TO FILL THE VOLUME
AVAILABLE!GASCANNOTBECONVERTED
TO LIQUID BY INCREASING THE PRESSURE
4HE VOLUME OF A GAS CHANGES EASILY
TO ACCOMMODATE CHANGES IN THE
CONFINING VOLUME 4HE PRESSURE AND
TEMPERATURE OF AN IDEAL OR PERFECT
GAS CAN BE CALCULATED BY USING THE
CHARACTERISTIC EQUATION AND "OYLES
AND#HARLES,AWS)DEALGASPROPERTIES
CANBECONVERTEDTOREALGASPROPERTIES
BYINCLUDINGCOMPRESSIBILITYFACTORSIN
THE CHARACTERISTIC EQUATION SEE BOX
OVERTHEPAGE 

GROUPOFSTATESPLUSMIXTURESOFSTATES
&LUID IS DERIVED FROM @FLUIDITY THE
ABILITYTOFLOW ANDTHESHAPEOFFLUIDS
IS DETERMINED BY THE CONTAINMENT
&LUID BROADLY INCLUDES LIQUIDS

4ABLE0ROPERTIESOFMATTER
3TATE

3OLID

#HANGEOFSTATE .OPRACTICALLY

,IQUID

6APOUR

'AS

0LASMA

9ES

9ES

.O

.O

WITHPRESSURE
3HAPE

!LMOSTFIXED

6ARIABLE

6ARIABLE

6ARIABLE

6ARIABLE

6OLUME

!LMOSTFIXED

3LIGHTLYVARIABLE

6ARIABLE

6ARIABLE

6ARIABLE

$ENSITY

(IGHTOLOW

(IGHTOLOW

,OW

,OW

,OW

4ENSILE

6ERYHIGHTOLOW

!BOUTZERO

:ERO

:ERO

:ERO

!BOUTZERO

6ARIABLE

6ERYHIGH

6ERYHIGH

6ERYHIGH

STRENGTH
&LUIDITY
#OMPRESSIBILITY

6ERYLOWTOLOW

,OWTOMEDIUM

(IGH

(IGH

(IGH

0LASTIC

9ES

.O

.O

.O

.O

9ES

.O

.O

.O

.O

9ES

.O

.O

.O

.O

DEFORMATION
,OCALIZED
STRESSING
5NI DIRECTIONAL
STRESS

#ANAPPLYTOSOMEMIXEDMATTERHANDLEDBYPUMPS

0LASMA
! GASEOUS STATE OF MATTER ACHIEVED
BY HEATING GAS TO VERY HIGH
TEMPERATURES CAUSING IONIZATION
0LASMAS CONTAIN POSITIVE AND
NEGATIVE CHARGES IN APPROXIMATELY
EQUAL NUMBERS 4HEY ARE GOOD
CONDUCTORS OF ELECTRICITY AND ARE
AFFECTEDBYMAGNETICFIELDS0LASMAS
ARE CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR ABILITY TO
RAPIDLYCHANGESHAPEANDTHEALMOST
TOTAL ABSENCE OF TENSILE STRENGTH OR
VISCOSITY ,IKE A GAS A PLASMA WILL
EXPAND TO FILL THE VOLUME AVAILABLE
BUT UNUSUALLY CANBESEPARATEDFROM
CONTAINMENT SURFACES BY MAGNETIC
FIELDS0LASMASCANBECOMPRESSEDBY
MAGNETIC FIELDS WITHOUT USING SOLID
SURFACES0LASMASDONTOCCURINTHE
AVERAGEINDUSTRIALPUMPAPPLICATION
WHEREAS ALL THE OTHER STATES
FREQUENTLYOCCURSIMULTANEOUSLY

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F E A T U R E P U M P D E F I N I T I O N S
VAPOURS GASES AND PLASMAS PLUS
MIXTURES OF SOLIDS IN LIQUIDVAPOUR
GASPLASMA &LUID IS NOT A SPECIFIC
TERM IT IS A GENERALIZATION &LUID
HAS INSIDIOUSLY WORKED ITS WAY INTO
THE %NGLISH LANGUAGE 7HEN YOURE
UNWELLANDVISITYOURDOCTOR HEMAY
GIVE YOU SOME TABLETS AND INSTRUCT
YOU @TO TAKE PLENTY OF FLUIDS (E IS
INCORRECT AND IN ERROR (E MEANS
@DRINK PLENTY OF LIQUIDS THIS IS NOT
THE SAME 7E ARE ALL CONTINUOUSLY
SURROUNDEDBYFLUIDSTHATARELARGELY
OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL 7E GENERALLY
CANTCONTROLATMOSPHERICAIRORHOW
WE@TAKEIT)FYOURDOCTORWASREALLY
WORRIEDABOUT@FLUIDSHEWOULDGIVE
YOUOXYGENANDANOXYGENMASK7E
COULD ALL STOP USING THE TERM @FLUID
AND BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED MORE
ACCURATECOMMUNICATIONS&LUIDAND
LIQUIDARENOTINTERCHANGEABLE5SE
@FLUIDATYOUROWNRISK

h&LUIDISNOTA
SPECIFICTERM ITISA
GENERALIZATIONUSEIT
ATYOUROWNRISKv

9OUMAYSEEADVERTSORSPECIFICATIONS
FOR SOFTWARE THAT MAY BE USED FOR

SYSTEM ANALYSIS UTILIZING PERFECT


FLUIDS 0ERFECT FLUIDS MAY HAVE
ZERO VISCOSITY BE INCOMPRESSIBLE
HOMOGENEOUS AND PURE 3OME
SOFTWAREHASALIMITEDCONSIDERATION
OF MASS !S PERFECT FLUIDS DONT
EXIST IN THE REAL WORLD THIS TYPE
OF SOFTWARE IS OF LIMITED PRACTICAL
VALUE $ONT MAKE IMPORTANT
DECISIONS BASED ON THE OUTPUT FROM
SUCH SOFTWARE YOU CANT AFFORD THE
INSURANCECLAIMS
@,IQUID IS NOT ALWAYS THE MOST
APPROPRIATE TERM TO USE IN
CONNECTION WITH SOME PUMP
APPLICATIONS )MAGINE SHOVELLING A
PILE OF MIXED MATTER INTO A HOPPER
THAT DIRECTS THE MASS INTO A SCREW
CONVEYOR WHICH FEEDS A @PUMP
0UMPS NOT NECESSARILY PUMPS IN
GENERAL CAN HANDLE OR COPE WITH A
VASTRANGEOFMIXEDMATTER BUTTHE
PRECISE NATURE OF THE MASS MUST BE
DESCRIBED PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE
@PUMP 4HE PUMP MAY NOT WORK
RELIABLY OR EFFICIENTLY OR SAFELY IF
MIXEDMATTERISAPPLIEDTOA@WATER
PUMP 5SEFUL ALTERNATIVE TERMS TO
@LIQUID INCLUDE @PUMPED MEDIUM
AND @PRODUCT 4HE %UROPEAN
3TANDARDS !UTHORITY #%. HAVE
COINED A NEW TERM @AGRIFOODSTUFF 
WHICH IS APPLIED TO ANY MATERIAL
FOR HUMANANIMAL CONSUMPTION

2EMEMBER 4HE ONUS IS ON THE


PURCHASERUSERTOACCURATELYDESCRIBE
WHAT THE PUMP IS GOING TO HANDLE
4HINGSNOTDESCRIBEDARENOTCOVERED
BYGUARANTEESANDWARRANTIES

0UMPTERMINOLOGY
!T THIS POINT ) CAN INTRODUCE
SOMETHING YOU MAY HAVE EXPECTED
TOSEESOONER

0UMP
&IGURE!CENTRIFUGALPUMPSPECIFICALLYFOR
HANDLINGLIQUID SOLIDMIXTURES

!DEVICEORMACHINEUSEDTOINCREASE
THEENERGYLEVELOFALIQUID
4HE TERM @LIQUID IS USED
INTENTIONALLY HERE BECAUSE PUMPS
ARE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO HANDLE
PURE .EWTONIAN LIQUIDS n UNLESS
THE MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION
STATESOTHERWISE2EMEMBER APUMP
WILLBETESTEDWITHPURE CLEAN COLD
LIQUID ORTAPWATEROFWHICHMORE
LATER UNLESSASPECIALTESTPROCEDURE
ISINVOKED0UMPSFORMIXEDMATTER
APPLICATIONSAREBESTTRIALLEDATSITE
IFSUITABLEACCURATEINSTRUMENTATION
ISAVAILABLE
4HE TERM @PUMP APPLIES TO THE
MACHINEITSELF USUALLYLIMITEDBYITS
TERMINAL POINTS INLET CONNECTION
OUTLET CONNECTION DRIVE SHAFT AND



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F E A T U R E P U M P D E F I N I T I O N S
SOMETIMES CONNECTIONS TO SEALS
3OME PUMPS ARE INTEGRAL WITH THE
DRIVER AND THE DRIVER MAY HAVE
TERMINALPOINTS

0UMPUNIT
! PUMP WITH POWER TRANSMISSION
ANDDRIVER MOUNTEDONABASEPLATE
SKIDTRAILER 4HE @UNIT INCLUDES ANY
MOUNTEDAUXILIARYEQUIPMENT

#OMPRESSOR
!DEVICEORMACHINEUSEDTOINCREASE
THEENERGYLEVELOFGASESORVAPOURS
#OMPRESSORSGENERALLYEXPECTGASES
VAPOURS TO BE CLEAN AND FREE FROM
SOLIDSORLIQUIDDROPLETS5NEXPECTED
INCLUSIONSMAYREDUCEPERFORMANCE
RELIABILITYANDSAFETY

h)FWENEEDTHEFUTURE
TOBERELIABLEAND

SYSTEM)TSASYSTEMTHATINCLUDESA
COMPRESSORTOMOVEREFRIGERANTGAS
4HE TERM @PUMP HAS BECOME VERY
MUCH MISUSED 4HIS IS BECAUSE
@COMPRESSOR IS A NEW WORD )T DID
NOT ENTER THE %NGLISH ENGINEERING
TECHNICAL LANGUAGE AS WE USE IT
TODAY UNTILTHES LONGAFTERTHE
STARTOFTHE)NDUSTRIAL2EVOLUTION
@#RYOGENIC PUMP IS AN IMPRECISE
NAME AND CAN ONLY BE UNDERSTOOD
WITH CLARITY BY REVIEWING THE
CONTEXT)TMIGHTBEAVACUUMPUMP
COMPRESSOR ORITMIGHTBEAPUMP
FORHANDLINGVERYCOLDLIQUIDS4HIS
IS A CASE FOR CAREFULLY STUDYING THE
APPLICATION
@-ECHANICALPUMPISAVERYAMBIGUOUS
TERMANDSHOULDNOTBEUSED@)NDUCTION
PUMP IS A TERM DEFINED BY PEOPLE
OUTSIDE THE PUMP INDUSTRY AS ANY
PUMP THAT RELIES ON ELECTROMAGNETIC
INDUCTION THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A

USEFUL PRACTICALDEFINITION!,!3%2
PUMPISANELECTRONICDEVICENOTUSED
FORHANDLINGLIQUIDS!DATAPUMPIS )
THINK APIECEOFSOFTWAREUSEDFORDATA
MININGINDATABASES
4HEWORLDOFPUMPSISHUGEANDVERY
BROAD 7ITHOUT PUMPS LIFE AS WE
KNOWITWOULDCOMETOANEND)FWE
NEED THE FUTURE TO BE RELIABLE AND
ENERGY EFFICIENT WE ALL NEED TO USE
TECHNICAL %NGLISH WITH CLARITY AND
PRECISIONN

#/.4!#4
"RIAN.ESBITTISANINDEPENDENT
CONSULTANTSPECIALIZINGINPOSITIVE
DISPLACEMENTPUMPS(EHASBEEN
INVOLVEDWITHPUMPSANDPUMPING
SYSTEMSSINCE!MEMBEROF
THE"3)-#%COMMITTEES "RIAN
REPRESENTSTHE5+ON#%.AND)3/0$
PUMPCOMMITTEES
)FYOUWOULDLIKE"RIANTOREVIEW
ORINCLUDEADEFINITIONINFUTURE
ARTICLES HECANBECONTACTEDAT
BRIANNESBITT BTINTERNETCOM

ENERGYEFFICIENT WEALL
NEEDTOUSETECHNICAL
%NGLISHWITHCLARITYAND
PRECISIONv

!MBIGUITIES
MISUSE
4HE FOLLOWING ARE COMPRESSORS
INFLATOR AIR PUMP BICYCLE PUMP
ION PUMP VACUUM PUMP @!IR
PUMP MIGHT BE USED AS SHORTHAND
FOR @AIR OPERATED PUMP CHECK THE
CONTEXT @&OOT PUMP IS COMPLETELY
MEANINGLESS WHO WANTS TO PUMP
FEET @(AND PUMP IS SHORTHAND
FOR @HAND OPERATED PUMP @"ARREL
PUMP HAS TWO POPULAR MEANINGS A
SMALLPUMPFOREMPTYINGBARRELS OR
A BIGGER MUCH MORE COSTLY MULTI
STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP THAT MIGHT
ALSO BE DESCRIBED AS A RADIALLY SPLIT
PUMP @3TEAM PUMP IS AMBIGUOUS
IT IS SHORTHAND FOR @STEAM OPERATED
PUMP BUT IT IS TOO VAGUE TO BE
USEFUL
4HE@HEATPUMPISASPECIALCASEIT
IS NOT A DEVICE OR A MACHINE ITS A

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