Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM

Province of Rizal
www.urs.edu.ph

Email Address: ursmain@urs.edu.ph /urs.opmorong@gmail.com

Main Campus: URS Tanay Tel. (02) 401-4900; 401-4910; 401-4911; telefax 653-1735
ME 10 Fluid Machinery
Assignment 4
Centrifugal Pumps
Direction: Research for the definition with inclusion picture of the Term and Definition,
Illustration, Formula and Nomenclature of the topic Centrifugal Pumps. Indicate the
reference use with proper footnoting.

Centrifugal Pumps – a pump having vanes that rotate in a casing and whirl the fluid
around so that it acquires sufficient momentum to discharge from the extremities into a
volute casing which surrounds the impeller and in which the fluid is conducted to the
discharge pipe.
Centrifugal pumps are used to induce flow or raise a liquid from a low level to a
high level. These pumps work on a very simple mechanism. A centrifugal
pump converts rotational energy, often from a motor, to energy in a moving fluid.

Definition of Basic Parts of Centrifugal

Pump –
 Impeller. Impeller is a
rotor used to increase the
kinetic energy of the flow.
 Casing (Volute). The
casing contains the liquid
and acts as a pressure
containment vessel that
directs the flow of
liquid in and out of the
centrifugal pump.
The volute is a curved
funnel that increases in area as it approaches the discharge port.
The volute of a centrifugal pump is the casing that receives the fluid being
pumped by the impeller, slowing down the fluid’s rate of flow. Therefore,
according to Bernoulli’s principle, the volute converts kinetic energy into
pressure by reducing speed while increasing pressure. Some centrifugal
pumps contain diffusers. A diffuser is a set of stationary vanes that
surround the impeller. The diffuser directs the flow, allows a more gradual
expansion and therefore increases the efficiency of the centrifugal pump.
 Republic of the Philippines
UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM
Province of Rizal
www.urs.edu.ph

Email Address: ursmain@urs.edu.ph /urs.opmorong@gmail.com

Main Campus: URS Tanay Tel. (02) 401-4900; 401-4910; 401-4911; telefax 653-1735
 Shaft (Rotor). The impeller is mounted on a shaft. Shaft is a mechanical
component for transmitting torque from the motor to the impeller.
 Shaft sealing. Centrifugal pumps are provided with packing rings or
mechanical seal which helps prevent the leakage of the pumped liquid.
 Bearings. Bearings constrain relative motion of the shaft (rotor) and
reduce friction between the rotating shaft and the stator. 

Types of Centrifugal Pumps-

Volute Type
A volute is a spiral-like geometry with an increasing through-flow area,
reducing the velocity of the fluid and increasing the static pressure. The fluid
exiting the impeller is then diffused towards the casing discharge nozzle.
These volute casings come in two different types: single volute and
double volute.

Diffuser Type
centrifugal pump is the diffuser pump, in which, after the fluid has left the
impeller, it is passed through a ring of fixed vanes that diffuse the liquid,
providing a more controlled flow and a more efficient conversion of velocity head
into pressure head.
Peripheral turbine
Peripheral pumps, also referred to as regenerative pumps (also see Side
channel pumps), are centrifugal pumps whose impeller (see Peripheral impeller)
rotates in a largely concentric casing channel with an inlet and an outlet
opening. ... The pump input power of peripheral pumps decreases with
increasing flow rate.
Mixed flow
A mixed flow pump is a centrifugal pump with a mixed flow impeller. ... For
this reason, mixed flow pumps with higher specific speeds are usually designed
with an axial tubular casing and an "onion type" or axial flow diffuser through
which the fluid flows towards the discharge elbow and the pump discharge
nozzle.
Propeller or axial flow type
Axial flow pumps, also called propeller pumps, are centrifugal
pumps which move fluid axially through an impeller. They provide high flow rate
 Republic of the Philippines
UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM
Province of Rizal
www.urs.edu.ph

Email Address: ursmain@urs.edu.ph /urs.opmorong@gmail.com

Main Campus: URS Tanay Tel. (02) 401-4900; 401-4910; 401-4911; telefax 653-1735
and low head, but some models can be adjusted to run efficiently at different
conditions by changing the impeller pitch.

Characteristics of Centrifugal Pumps

Head—Resistance to Flow
In Newtonian (true) fluids (non-viscous liquids, such as water or gasoline), the
term head is the measurement of the kinetic energy that a centrifugal pump creates.
Imagine a pipe shooting a jet of water straight into the air. The height that the water
reaches is the head. Head measures the height of a liquid column, which the pump
could create resulting from the kinetic energy the centrifugal pump gives to the liquid.
The main reason for using head instead of pressure to measure a centrifugal pump’s
energy is that the pressure from a pump will change if the specific gravity (weight) of the
liquid changes, but the head will not change. End users can always describe a pump’s
performance on any Newtonian fluid, whether it is heavy (sulfuric acid) or light
(gasoline), by using head. Head is related to the velocity that the liquid gains when
going through the pump.

Friction Head
Friction head is the head required to overcome the resistance to flow in the pipe
and fittings. It depends on the size, condition and type of pipe; the number and type of
pipe fittings; flow rate; and nature of the liquid.

Velocity Head
Velocity head is the energy of a liquid as a result of its motion at some velocity
(V). It is the equivalent head in feet through which the water would have to fall to
acquire the same velocity or, in other words, the head necessary to accelerate the
water.

Pressure Head
Pressure head must be considered when a pumping system either begins from
or empties into a tank that is under some pressure other than atmospheric. The
pressure in such a tank must first be converted to feet of liquid. A vacuum in the suction
tank or a positive pressure in the discharge tank must be added to the system head,
whereas a positive pressure in the suction tank or vacuum in the discharge tank would
be subtracted.
 Republic of the Philippines
UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM
Province of Rizal
www.urs.edu.ph

Email Address: ursmain@urs.edu.ph /urs.opmorong@gmail.com

Main Campus: URS Tanay Tel. (02) 401-4900; 401-4910; 401-4911; telefax 653-1735
Total Dynamic Suction Lift
Total dynamic suction lift is the static suction lift minus the velocity head at the
pump suction flange plus the total friction head in the suction line. The total dynamic
suction lift, as determined on a pump test, is the reading of a gauge on the suction
flange, converted to feet of liquid and corrected to the pump centerline, minus the
velocity head at the point of gauge attachment.

Total Dynamic Discharge Head

Total dynamic discharge head is the static discharge head plus the velocity head
at the pump discharge flange plus the total friction head in the discharge line. The total
dynamic discharge head, as determined on pump test, is the reading of a gauge at the
discharge flange, converted to feet of liquid and corrected to the pump centerline, plus
the velocity head at the point of gauge attachment.

Specific Speed of Centrifugal Pumps

Centrifugal pump impellers have specific speed values ranging from 500 to
10,000 (English units), with radial flow pumps at 500-4000, mixed flow at 2000-8000
and axial flow pumps at 7000-20,000. Values of specific speed less than 500 are
associated with positive displacement pumps.

Affinity Laws

The affinity laws express the mathematical relationships between the several
variables involved in pump performance. They are used to predict what effect speed or
impeller diameter changes have on centrifugal pump performance. One can trim an
existing impeller and the affinity laws will apply to the new conditions.
 change in speed of wheel - revolutions per minute (rpm)
 geometrically similarity - change in impeller diameter
 Republic of the Philippines
UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM
Province of Rizal
www.urs.edu.ph

Email Address: ursmain@urs.edu.ph /urs.opmorong@gmail.com

Main Campus: URS Tanay Tel. (02) 401-4900; 401-4910; 401-4911; telefax 653-1735
Note that there are two sets of affinity laws:
 affinity laws for a specific centrifugal pump - to approximate head, capacity and
power curves for different motor speeds and /or different diameter of impellers
 affinity laws for a family of geometrically similar centrifugal pumps - to
approximate head, capacity and power curves for different motor speeds and /or
different diameter of impellers

Submitted by:
____________________________
Mendoza, Mark Allen T. 3ME
(Signature over printed name)