Chapter 8

PUMPS AND COMPRESSORS

8.1 PUMPS-INTRODUCTION

Liquids have to be moved from one location to another and one level to another in domestic, agricultural and industrial
spheres. The liquid is more often water in the domestic and agriculture spheres. In industries chemicals, petroleum
products and in some cases slurries have to be moved, by pumping. Pump is a machine designed to convert mechanical
energy to hydraulic energy.
8.2 TYPES OF PUMPS
Three types of pumps are in use.
(1) Rotodynamic pumps which move the fluid by dynamic action of imparting momentum to the fluid using
mechanical energy.
(2) Reciprocating pumps which first trap the liquid in a cylinder by suction and then push the liquid against pressure.
(3) Rotary positive displacement pumps which also trap the liquid in a volume and push the same out against pressure.
 Reciprocating pumps are limited by the low speed of operation required and small volumes it can handle.
 Rotary positive displacement pumps are limited by lower pressures of operation and small volumes these can
handle. Gear, vane and lobe pumps are of these type.
 Rotodynamic pumps i.e. centrifugal and axial flow pumps can be operated at high speeds often directly coupled to
electric motors. These can handle from small volumes to very large volumes. These pumps can handle corrosive and
viscous, fluids and even slurries.
The overall efficiency is high in the case of these pumps. Hence these are found to be the most
popular pumps in use.
 8.3 TYPES OF RORODYNAMIC PUMPS
Rotodynamic pumps can be of radial flow, mixed flow and axial flow types according to the flow direction.
 Radial flow or purely centrifugal pumps generally handle lower volumes at higher pressures.
 Mixed flow pumps handle comparatively larger volumes at medium range of pressures.
 Axial flow pumps can handle very large volumes, but the pressure against which these pumps operate is limited. The
overall efficiency of the three types are nearly the same.

8.4 COMPARISON BETWEEN DYNAMIC PUMPS AND POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT

PUMPS
8.5 CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
These are so called because energy is imparted to the fluid by centrifugal action of moving blades from the inner radius to the
outer radius. The main components of centrifugal pumps are (1) the impeller, (2) the casing and (3) the drive shaft with gland
and packing.
Additionally, suction pipe with one-way valve (foot valve) and delivery pipe with delivery valve completes the system.
The liquid enters the eye of the impeller axially due to the suction created by the impeller motion. The impeller blades guide the
fluid and impart momentum to the fluid, which increases the total head (or pressure) of the fluid, causing the fluid to flow out.
The fluid comes out at a high velocity which is not directly usable. The casing can be of simple volute type or a diffuser can be
used as desired. The volute is a spiral casing of gradually increasing cross section. A part of the kinetic energy in the fluid is
converted to pressure in the casing.
8.6 POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS -PRINCIPLE

A positive-displacement pump is one that displaces (delivers) the same amount of liquid for each rotating cycle of the
pumping element. Constant delivery during each cycle is possible because of the close-tolerance fit between the pumping
element and the pump case. That is, the amount of liquid that slips past the pumping element in a positive-displacement
pump is minimal and negligible compared to the theoretical maximum possible delivery. The delivery per cycle remains
almost constant, regardless of changes in pressure against which the pump is working.
8.7 COMPRESSORS AND ITS TYPES

A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. An air compressor is a
specific type of gas compressor.

Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As
gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas. Liquids are relatively incompressible; while some
can be compressed, the main action of a pump is to pressurize and transport liquids.
Two basic principles of compression:
There are two generic principles for the compression of air (or gas): Positive displacement compression and dynamic
compression. The first one includes, for example, reciprocating (piston) compressors, orbital (scroll) compressors and different
types of rotary compressors (screw, tooth, vane). In positive displacement compression, the air is drawn into one or more
compression chambers, which are then closed from the inlet. Gradually the volume of each chamber decreases and the air is
compressed internally. When the pressure has reached the designed build-in pressure ratio, a port or valve is opened and the air is
discharged into the outlet system due to continued reduction of the compression chamber's volume.

In dynamic compression, air is drawn between the blades on a rapidly rotating compression impeller and accelerates to a high
velocity. The gas is then discharged through a diffuser, where the kinetic energy is transformed into static pressure.
Most dynamic compression are turbo compressors with an axial or radial flow pattern.
8.7.1 Centrifugal Compressor
The compression principle of centrifugal compressor is quite different from that of reciprocating or rotary type compressor.

When the air passes through the rotating impeller it experiences force or work which is performed by centrifugal forces. The work
input takes place as an increase in pressure and velocity or speed of the air flow through the impeller. The air flow looses it’s
velocity after entering in the diffuser section. The diffuser is actually a fixed or static component that escorts the air flow when it
leaves the impeller. This loss in velocity eventually results in an additional increase of pressure. The impeller and the diffuser
contributes about 65% and 35% of the total pressure developed or produced in the compressor.

Fig 8.4 Centrifugal Compressor(Ref: www.mech4study.com)