PROCESS TECHNOLOGY LEVEL 2

Unit Title: Plant and Plant Services

Lesson 4: Transfer of Fluids II

PT2-6-4

© University of Teesside 2005

 Published by COLU for University of Teesside

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INTRODUCTION
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In this lesson we will continue our examination of different types of

industrial pumps by looking at rotary and centrifugal pumps for liquids.

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YOUR AIMS
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At the end of this lesson you should be able to understand:

• the construction, operation and characteristics of

(i) the GEAR pump

(ii) the LOBE PUMP, and
(iii) the SCREW PUMP, all of which are ROTARY pumps;
and
(iv) the CENTRIFUGAL pump.

• problems associated with the operation of industrial pumps for

liquids.

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STUDY ADVICE
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Concentrate in a general way on the construction, operation and

characteristics of each pump.

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ROTARY PUMPS
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Rotary pumps, in the main, are of three types – the gear pump, the lobe
pump and the screw pump. These rotary pumps, along with the
reciprocating and diaphragm types, are all classified as 'positive
displacement'.

We will consider each in turn.

THE GEAR PUMP

FIGURE 1 below shows a rotary gear pump. Study the diagram as you
read through the text.

Liquid inlet Liquid

outlet

Direction
of flow

High
speed rotors

FIG. 1

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You will remember that in our last lesson we discussed the

reciprocating 'positive displacement' type of pump. The gear pump is a
rotating positive displacement pump which can also deliver fluid at high
pressure.

The pump consists of two gear wheels which rotate inside a stationary
casing. Because the gear wheels rotate they are called the rotors, and
the casing, which remains stationary, is called the stator.

When the pump is started up the liquid enters the pump through the
'liquid inlet', and 'slugs' of liquid are caught between the rotor and the
stator and carried to the 'liquid outlet'. Here as the gear teeth mesh
together, they squeeze the liquid out through the discharge pipeline. As
the teeth then unmesh a space is created between them which sucks
more liquid in through the inlet pipeline.

The positive displacement action of this type of pump produces high

pressure pumping.

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Characteristics of the Gear Pump

Advantages

The gear pump:

• is self-priming

• gives a smooth flow of liquid

• is positive acting

• can pump viscous (thick) fluids, since the pump has no narrow
inlet or outlet valves to restrict the flow of liquid.

Disadvantages

The gear pump:

• cannot be used for pumping slurries since the solid particles

will be trapped between the meshing rotors of the pump and
between rotor and stator, causing damage.

• should not be used to pump liquids with no ubricating

properties as the continual meshing of teeth without lubrication
would cause wear and lead to liquid leaking from the discharge
side back to the inlet side. The efficiency of the pump would
thus be reduced.

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THE LOBE PUMP

FIGURE 2 below shows a lobe pump with two three-lobe rotors which
mesh together and rotate inside the stator.

Inlet for Liquid

liquid discharge

Three-lobe
rotor

FIG. 2

The action of the pump is very similar to that of the gear pump. Liquid
is drawn in through the inlet and carried around the pump casing to the
'liquid discharge', or outlet.

The rotary lobe pump has 'good' and 'bad' points similar to those of the
gear pump.

It is most often used with liquids which have only slight lubrication
properties as the smooth curved shape of the rotors creates less friction
and wear than the jagged rotors of the gear pump.

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THE SCREW (OR MONO) PUMP

Study FIGURES 3 and 4 below.

Drive

Metal 'Helical' rotor

Liquid in

Liquid
out

Flexible rubber
Steel casing stator

FIG. 3

Liquid inlet Liquid outlet

Metal screw Rubber

shaped rotor [flexible] stator

FIG. 4

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The screw pump has a rigid metal 'helical' rotor which turns inside a
helical shaped flexible rubber, or rubber lined, stator. Liquid is forced
through the pump by the 'screw action' of the rotor which creates a
cavity full of liquid between itself and the flexible stator. This cavity
continually progresses towards the output end of the pump as the rotor
is rotated.

Characteristics of the Screw Pump

Advantages

The screw pump:

• gives a continuous flow of liquid

• is self-priming

• can pump viscous liquids.

In addition to these points, which are similar to those of other rotary

pumps, the screw pump has the following advantage:

• it can pump slurries as the flexible stator deforms, if solid gets

between the rotor and stator, to maintain a seal between rotor
and stator.

Since the movement of the eccentric rotor can deform the stator, this
must necessarily be made from a material which can accept this action.
Rubber and several flexible plastics are used in practice, depending on
the characteristics of the fluid being handled.

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We can now go on to consider our last type of pump, the centrifugal

pump. This type of pump is used where it is necessary to pump large
volumes of liquid at medium to low pressures.

THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

Study FIGURE 5 below as you work through the description.

Discharge

Volute Rotating impeller Gland Bearing

with curved vanes

Inlet at Electric
centre motor

Casing

FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW

FIG. 5

The diagram shows outline sketches of front and side views of a

centrifugal pump. An electric motor drives a curved 'impeller' ( the
rotor) which is situated inside a stationary casing (the stator). The
liquid is drawn into the pump through an inlet at the centre of the
casing, and thrown outwards by centrifugal force to the outer casing,
where it leaves through the 'outlet'. As the liquid leaves, a vacuum is
created in the pump which sucks more liquid into the pump. However,
if the pump is full of air the impeller will simply cut through the air and
not remove it. If it is not removed then liquid cannot enter. Thus the

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pump must be full of liquid (primed) before it will operate. To minimise

the risk of air being pulled in through the suction line whilst operating
the pump, the suction valve must always be fully open.

Looking at the side view of the pump you will see that there are large
clearances between the impeller and the casing. This is, of course,
quite different to the structure of our other types of pumps. In them,
you will remember, the precision of the fit between the rotor and the
stator 'compelled' or forced the fluid through the outlet. This was called
'positive displacement'.

The centrifugal pump operates by 'persuading' the fluid to leave the

pump through centrifugal force, and is classified as dynamic, not
'positive displacement'. If a restriction is placed in the discharge line
the liquid may find it easier to 'recycle' back to the inlet rather than force
its way passed the restriction. Thus the flowrate out of the pump will
reduce, but the pressure created will increase.

As we go through the characteristics of the centrifugal pump, try to bear

in mind those of the other pumps for purposes of comparison.

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Characteristics of the Centrifugal Pump

Advantages

• The impeller need not be a close fit inside the casing. This
pump can, therefore, be used for handling slurries which may
contain abrasive solids.

• Since it is not of the positive displacement type, i.e. the liquid is

not mechanically forced through the outlet, then the pump can
operate against a closed valve without causing immediate
damage. Also the flowrate can be controlled by
opening/closing the discharge valve. With positive
displacement pumps, only varying the speed of operation will
change the flowrate.

• Since the impeller is not close fitting, the pump cannot produce
high pressures, but it is capable of high speed. It will,
therefore, deliver larger volumes of liquid than the
reciprocating pump, but the pressure generated will be lower.
(TABLE 1 at the end of this lesson gives you some idea of the
relative flows and pressures for each pump.) The centrifugal
pump is best suited, therefore, to processes where large
volumes of fluid must be pumped with no necessity for high
pressure. However, high pressures can be generated by
putting several centrifugal pumps in series, the outlet of one
pump being the inlet of the next, in what is known as a
'multistage pump system'.

• It gives a steady, non-pulsating flow.

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Disadvantages

• Because it is not positive acting, a single pump cannot

produce very high pressures.

• It requires priming (filling with liquid) before it will operate.

Alternatively, either a one way valve or closing the discharge
valve before stopping the pump will prevent the pump and
suction pipe from emptying, and will thus keep the pump in a
state of prime.

• It cannot be used to pump liquid at, or near, that liquid's boiling

point. If this is attempted vapour will be formed and the
pumping of this vapour will cause the pump delivery rate to fall,
and can also cause cavitation, which will be referred to later in
this lesson.

• As the pump operation relies on 'throwing' the liquid at high

speed, it will not pump viscous liquids.

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________________________________________________________________________________________

OTHER LESS COMMON PUMPS

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So far we have looked at three main types of pump, reciprocating,

rotary and centrifugal. There are other types which are less common
since they are more specialized. A brief description of three of these
follows.

AIR LIFT PUMP

If you blow down a straw within a bottle of lemonade you will notice that
the level of lemonade increases and some may even spill out of the top.
This is the principle of the air lift pump where air is blown through a
liquid to make its level increase and thus move up a pipe. It is used for
the movement of very corrosive liquids as there are no mechanical
parts in contact with the liquid.

BLOW EGG

If you have some liquid stuck in a pipe, one way to remove it is to blow
air in at one end which pressurises that end and forces the liquid out of
the other. This is the basis of the blow egg where a vessel (egg) is
pressurised using air (or inert gas) and any liquid in that vessel is then
blown out through a discharge valve at the bottom of the tank. Once
again this is mainly used for toxic, flammable (using inert gas) or
corrosive materials. It is also batch in operation, since once the vessel
is empty, the air must be removed and the pressure reduced to allow
more liquid into the vessel.

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PERISTALTIC PUMP

If you take a plastic tube of toothpaste, remove the cap and then
squeeze the tube out comes the toothpaste. When you stop
squeezing, the tube expands and sucks some of the toothpaste back in
again! This is similar to the action in a peristaltic pump. A typical pump
and its operation is shown in FIGURE 6. (You may have seen one of
these pumps in a hospital or in a hospital TV program.)

A roller squeezes a tube containing the liquid and moves along the tube
forcing the liquid along in front of it. As the roller leaves a section of
tube that section expands back to its original size and pulls liquid into
that section from behind it. Another roller then squashes this tube and
moves that liquid forward. To achieve continuity the tube and rollers
are arranged in a semicircle as shown in the diagram. Its main use is
for pumping materials where no contamination is allowed (e.g. in blood
transfusions, kidney dialysis), as the liquid is always contained within
the tube and the mechanical parts are always outside the tube.

In Out In Out In Out

Tube expands Liquid pushed

Liquid trapped forward Liquid trapped
sucking in liquid
[a] [b] [c]

FIG. 6

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Having been introduced to the characteristics and construction of

some of the more common types of pump used in industry, we can
now spend some time considering operational problems.

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PROBLEMS IN PUMP OPERATION

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CAVITATION

We mentioned cavitation in the section dealing with the disadvantages

of the centrifugal pump. It can occur in centrifugal pumps and other
devices where a sudden pressure reduction occurs. It is most often
associated with handling liquids which are close to their boiling point,
when the reduction in pressure causes the boiling point of a liquid to be
reduced and hence boiling can occur. This will result in the production
of vapour bubbles. In a centrifugal pump this is most likely to happen at
the suction (inlet) of the pump where the pressure is at its lowest value.
The vapour bubbles formed pass along the impeller to the discharge
side of the pump replacing liquid and reducing the output of the pump.

Once the bubbles reach the discharge the greater pressure there
causes the bubbles to collapse and burst. This collapse produces
forces so large that small pieces of metal can be physically knocked out
of the impeller or case leaving small holes (cavities – hence the name!).

The bubbles can also cause the impeller to run out of balance creating
excessive vibration. Three signs that cavitation is occurring in a pump are:

• a distinctive crackling noise due to the collapse of the bubbles

• excessive vibration
• reduced output.

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Cavitation can often be reduced or overcome by partly closing the

discharge valve, which increases the internal pressure in the pump and
thus helps prevent the formation of vapour bubbles. A more permanent
solution is to redesign the system so that the pump will operate under
more favourable conditions. The simplest way of achieving this is to
situate the pump at a lower level such that there is a positive pressure
on the suction due to the height of liquid in the suction line. (Pressure in
a liquid increases with the depth of liquid.) This is shown in FIGURE 7.

Atmospheric
less pressure
due to height
of liquid

Atmospheric Pump Atmospheric

pressure pressure
h

h
Atmospheric
plus pressure
due to height
of liquid
Pump

High Risk of Cavitation Low Risk of Cavitation

FIG. 7

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MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION

The materials from which the pump is constructed must be chosen so

that they are not affected by the nature of the fluids to be handled.

Where especially corrosive fluids have to be pumped, the pump

internals may be glass-lined, or the whole rotor and casing constructed
from polypropylene. If the fluid is very hot, then plastics may not be of
use.

Different materials may be required to satisfy the demands on the

various parts of the pump. A rotary pump, for example, might have the
following materials in its structure:

• a cast iron rotor assembly

• a carbon steel shaft

• polyethylene/polypropylene sealing rings

• a cast iron pump casing

• bearings made from polytetrafluoroethylene (P.T.F.E. – similar to

Teflon used in non-stick pans).

Careful consideration, then, must be given to the materials used in a

pump designed for a particular job, and to the chemical (corrosiveness,
flammability, toxicity) and physical (temperature, density, solids content,
viscosity) nature of the fluid before selecting a pump.

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STATIC ELECTRICITY

When fluids are pumped along pipelines, static electricity is produced.

Very high voltages can build up in the pump, in the pipework or within
the fluid being pumped.

Under certain conditions a discharge spark of electricity (rather like a

flash of lightning, but on a much smaller scale) will jump from the
equipment, across space to the nearest earth point.

Do not worry here about the physics behind such a happening, the
point is that it would obviously present a safety hazard, particularly
where flammable or explosive materials are being handled or are close
to the spark. Such materials could be ignited by the spark.

One method of reducing the risk from this hazard is to provide a good
path to earth for the static electricity via a copper conducting cable.
This allows the electricity to 'drain away' to earth before it can build up
to a dangerous level. It is usual, therefore, to 'earth' all pumps,
pipework and other equipment.

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OTHER SAFETY ASPECTS

Pumps are normally designed for a specific duty and may not be
suitable for other duties. Set procedures for start up and shut down are
usually given in plant manuals, and these should be followed for safe
operation.

Any abnormal signs (excessive noise, vibration, heat generation, leaks,

etc.) should be reported and investigated as soon as possible to avoid
premature failure or a possibly dangerous situation arising due to the
chemical (corrosiveness, toxicity, flammability) or physical (temperature,
pressure) nature of the liquid being pumped.

This brings us to the end of this stage of our examination of the

different types of pump.

Now try the following Self-Assessment Questions.

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NOTES
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SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
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1. State three advantages and three disadvantages of rotary type

positive displacement pumps.

2. State three advantages and three disadvantages of centrifugal type

pumps.

3. Name two types of specialist pump.

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NOTES
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________________________________________________________________________________________

ANSWERS TO SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

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Your answers should be as follows:

1. Three advantages of rotary type positive displacement pumps

from:

• they are usually self-priming

• they can produce medium to high pressures
• they provide a steady flow of fluid
• they can pump viscous liquids.

Three disadvantages of rotary type positive displacement pumps

are:

• they cannot be used to pump slurries (except the mono pump)

• they are expensive to make, since close fits are necessary

between the moving parts if they are to operate satisfactorily,
and this means that their price is high

• they should not be used for liquids with no lubricating

properties.

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2. Three advantages of centrifugal pumps are:

• they give high volume rates of flow

• they can be used to pump slurries

• they give regular, or non-pulsating, flow of fluid.

Three disadvantages of centrifugal pumps from:

• they need priming

• they cannot produce high pressure when used individually

• they are subject to the problem of cavitation

• they cannot pump viscous liquids.

3. Specialist pumps include (any two):

• air lift pump

• blow egg pump
• peristaltic pump.

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________________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY
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TABLE 1 summarises most of the characteristics of each main type of

pump that we have studied so far. The table compares the good and
bad points of each type of pump and gives an indication of their
capabilities.

Notes to accompany TABLE 1.

• g.p.m. means gallons per minute (1 g.p.m. = 0.273 m3h–1)

• the pressure that each pump can deliver is quoted in three different
units:

(i) p.s.i. means pounds per square inch.

(ii) bar, where 1 bar is equivalent to 14.5 p.s.i.

(iii) kPa means kilopascals, where 101 kPa is about 14.7 p.s.i. or
1 atmosphere pressure, and 100 kPa = 1 bar.

N.B. The accepted unit of pressure in the S.I. system is the pascal (Pa)
and its multiple, the kilopascal (kPa). The accepted unit of flowrate in
the S.I. system is the cubic metre per second (m3 s–1).

Other liquid pumps you may encounter on special duties are

• air lift pump

• blow egg pump
• peristaltic pump.

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 PUMP TYPE

DYNAMIC POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT

CENTRIFUGAL RECIPROCATING ROTARY

GEAR LOBE SCREW

TABLE 1
2730 m3 h–1 550 m3 h–1 800 m3 h–1 800 m3 h–1 550 m3 h–1
[10 000 g.p.m. [2000 g.p.m. [3000 g.p.m. [3000 g.p.m. [2000 g.p.m.
approx.] approx.] approx.] approx.] approx.]
1200 kPa 14 000 kPa 14 000 kPa 7000 kPa 1400 kPa
[12 bar] [140 bar] [140 bar] [70 bar] [14 bar ]
[LIQUIDS]
CAPACITY
TYPICAL

[175 p.s.i. approx.] [2000 p.s.i. [2000 p.s.i. [1000 p.s.i. [200 p.s.i. approx.]
25

approx.] approx.] approx.]

Will handle slurries Self-priming Self-priming Self-priming Self-priming

High volume High High pressure Medium pressure Will handle slurries
Gives steady flow pressure Steady flow Steady flow and viscous liquids
Valves in discharge Will pump viscous Will pump Easy to construct in
line may be closed liquids viscous liquids corrosion resisting
without damage materials
ADVANTAGES

Low pressure Produces Limited Limited Low

Types of Pump and their Capabilities

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unless specially pulsating constructional constructional pressure
constructed. Not flow unless materials materials
normally self-priming specially Will not handle Will not handle
Cavitation designed slurries slurries
DISADVANTAGES