6 - Pump classification

Abstract

This chapter explains the classification of pumps that comprises of two principal families namely kinetic energy pumps and displacement pumps. Both kinetic energy and displacement pumps are discussed in detail. In addition, the chapter also illustrates the conceptual difference between centrifugal pumps and displacement pumps, and discusses centrifugal volute pumps that add pressure to a liquid by manipulating its velocity with centrifugal force, and then transforms the force into pressure through the volute. Centrifugal pumps are classified further into small groups based on their characteristics such as overhung impeller, impeller between the bearings, turbine pumps. There are also specific duty pumps such as wastewater pumps, abrasive pumps, hot water recirculation pumps, and canned motor pumps. This chapter also describes the typical ANSI pump, API (American Petroleum Institute) pumps, vertical turbine pumps, nonmetallic pumps. Also the advantages and disadvantages of magnetic drive pumps and canned motor pumps are described along with pump impellers and their types with appropriate diagrammatic and graphical representations. Turbine impellers, conventional impellers, open impellers are also explained in detail. Open impellers are further classified as totally open, semiopen, and totally enclosed, and all these three types are explained with diagrammatic representations. Another distinction in impellers is the way the liquid traverses and leaves the impeller blades and this is called as specific need, Ns.