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Top 6 FAQs on Centrifugal Pumps Finally Answered
Centrifugal pump is a gift to world of engineering because of the many benefits it provide to people and the society in general. However, despite of the importance of this tool, only people in the industrial, engineering, and maritime sectors are familiar with its uses and applications. This pump is highly useful in many industries as it produces great results and provides ample help to people and their daily lives. Simply put, without this pump, many people and industries will be adversely affected.
In order to know more about the importance and applications of these pumps, it is necessary to answer frequently asked questions by common people.
1. What is a centrifugal pump?
There is a variety of definition to centrifugal pumps, but the one given by “Principles of Turbomachinery” authored Dennis Shepard offers simple and concise description. According to the book, centrifugal pumps are a sub-class dynamic turbomachinery. They are used to transport fluids like oil, and water through the conversion of rotational kinetic energy to fluid flow’s hydrodynamic energy. The pump’s rotational energy may originate from an engine or electric motor.
2. Who invented it?
The roots of centrifugal pumps can be traced as early as the 1400s. According to historical accounts, the first machine that used the technology and technique of centrifugal pumps was used in 1475 in a treatise by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, an Italian engineer during the Renaissance era. The technology was later used in the 1851 by British inventor John Appold through the introduction of curved vane.
3. What are its uses?
Centrifugal pumps are commonly used in industries that deal with water, sewage systems, petroleum, and petrochemicals. Different industries depend on centrifugal pumps. In cryogenics (study of the production of very low temperature, and the behavior of materials in such environment) centrifugal pumps are used for extreme cold applications. Dairy farmers also use this pump to maintain the quality of their products at proper temperatures. Electric utility industry is also a major dependent of this pump, electric utility companies use it to produce energy. Other industries that use it include food service, construction, automotive, maritime, distillery, among other.
4. What are the categories that centrifugal pumps fall into?
Generally, there are three general categories that a centrifugal pump is categorized, and these are: mixed flow, axial flow, and radial flow. Mixed centrifugal pumps utilize both centrifugal force and the impeller’s action on the liquid for developing pressure. Axial flow pumps, on the other hand, use the direct action of the impeller on the liquid to develop pressure. Lastly, radial pumps that only use centrifugal force to develop pressure.
5. What are the sources of power used by centrifugal pumps?
A centrifugal pump may use different source of energy as its power supply, depending on the make, design, and purpose of the pump. Common sources of power may include AC power, DC power, natural gas, steam, water, gasoline, and even solar power. It is not unusual to have a pump to have power source. There are instances when you purchase a pump, it does not include a power source; instead, it only includes pump mechanism, a drive shaft or another mechanical device that connects to a source of power.
6. What are the common problems of centrifugal pumps?
Just like any industrial machine and equipment, centrifugal pumps are not free from problems and failures. There are different setbacks that can be encountered in centrifugal pumps, including cavitation, wear of the impeller, corrosion inside the pump due to fluid properties, overheating caused by low flow, leak within the rotating shaft, lack of prime, and surge.
Centrifugal pump is a gift to world of engineering because of the many benefits it provide to people and the society in general. However, despite of the importance of this tool, only people in the industrial, engineering, and maritime sectors are familiar with its uses and applications. This pump is highly useful in many industries as it produces great results and provides ample help to people and their daily lives. Simply put, without this pump, many people and industries will be adversely affected.
In order to know more about the importance and applications of these pumps, it is necessary to answer frequently asked questions by common people.
1. What is a centrifugal pump?
There is a variety of definition to centrifugal pumps, but the one given by “Principles of Turbomachinery” authored Dennis Shepard offers simple and concise description. According to the book, centrifugal pumps are a sub-class dynamic turbomachinery. They are used to transport fluids like oil, and water through the conversion of rotational kinetic energy to fluid flow’s hydrodynamic energy. The pump’s rotational energy may originate from an engine or electric motor.
2. Who invented it?
The roots of centrifugal pumps can be traced as early as the 1400s. According to historical accounts, the first machine that used the technology and technique of centrifugal pumps was used in 1475 in a treatise by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, an Italian engineer during the Renaissance era. The technology was later used in the 1851 by British inventor John Appold through the introduction of curved vane.
3. What are its uses?
Centrifugal pumps are commonly used in industries that deal with water, sewage systems, petroleum, and petrochemicals. Different industries depend on centrifugal pumps. In cryogenics (study of the production of very low temperature, and the behavior of materials in such environment) centrifugal pumps are used for extreme cold applications. Dairy farmers also use this pump to maintain the quality of their products at proper temperatures. Electric utility industry is also a major dependent of this pump, electric utility companies use it to produce energy. Other industries that use it include food service, construction, automotive, maritime, distillery, among other.
4. What are the categories that centrifugal pumps fall into?
Generally, there are three general categories that a centrifugal pump is categorized, and these are: mixed flow, axial flow, and radial flow. Mixed centrifugal pumps utilize both centrifugal force and the impeller’s action on the liquid for developing pressure. Axial flow pumps, on the other hand, use the direct action of the impeller on the liquid to develop pressure. Lastly, radial pumps that only use centrifugal force to develop pressure.
5. What are the sources of power used by centrifugal pumps?
A centrifugal pump may use different source of energy as its power supply, depending on the make, design, and purpose of the pump. Common sources of power may include AC power, DC power, natural gas, steam, water, gasoline, and even solar power. It is not unusual to have a pump to have power source. There are instances when you purchase a pump, it does not include a power source; instead, it only includes pump mechanism, a drive shaft or another mechanical device that connects to a source of power.
6. What are the common problems of centrifugal pumps?
Just like any industrial machine and equipment, centrifugal pumps are not free from problems and failures. There are different setbacks that can be encountered in centrifugal pumps, including cavitation, wear of the impeller, corrosion inside the pump due to fluid properties, overheating caused by low flow, leak within the rotating shaft, lack of prime, and surge.