A centrifugal pump is one of the pumps you are not likely to miss in a plant. Some of the main applications of this type of pump include water supply, boosting pressure, and industrial wastewater.
Whether you are a machine operator in a plant or you’re just shopping for a quality pump from PumpBiz, you have to learn one or two things about centrifugal pumps. Being familiar with the design process of a centrifugal pump can help you a lot when troubleshooting. It is also useful if you plan to install a new pump in your facility.
How the centrifugal pump operates
You can easily recognize a centrifugal pump from its shape and components. This type of pump is made to energize a fluid like water to a higher flow or height. The recent development in combustion engines and the steam turbine has made this pump more popular.
When you observe a typical centrifugal pump, you will realize that it is normally filled with fluid-like water. It has an impeller that is located inside the casing. This impeller rotates at high speed to put fluid under some centrifugal force. This force pushes the liquid out through the discharge.
Once the liquid is discharged, a vacuum is created, and the atmospheric pressure will add more force to the liquid. A common design to look for in a centrifugal pump is the curvature of the impeller blades.
What are the design considerations for a centrifugal pump?
When designing a centrifugal pump, people make two most common mistakes: having undersize or oversize components. When such mistakes are made, it can lead to serious problems in the machine. Therefore, it is important that when your design your centrifugal pump, you consider both the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics.
Some of the mechanical factors to be considered include impeller geometry, pump seal, and pumping conditions. On the other hand, hydraulic features to consider are flow rate and system resistance. If the centrifugal pump you are designing serves its intended purpose to totality, all these conditions should be met accordingly.
What are the steps in designing a centrifugal pump?
Here are the steps you take when designing a high-quality centrifugal pump:
- Step #1: Determine the flow rate – Flow rate is the amount of liquid going through the discharge per unit time. When calculating the flow rate, you have to be as accurate as possible.
- Step #2: Calculate the Friction head – This is the step where you determine the head loss as a result of friction. You should always consider the pipe size and flow rate when calculating this value.
- Step # 3: Calculate the total head, the sum of the static head, and the fiction head.
A typical centrifugal pump is not as complicated as you think. There are multiple brands out there in the market, and that means missing on your typical one is very easy.
If you shop for a centrifugal pump that can ensure continuous flow and prevent cavitations, then you’ve made the right choice. Check that your manufacturer has followed the above procedure when coming up with the centrifugal pump.