Introduction

Centrifugal pumps are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery.[1]

Centrifugal pumps are used to transport fluids by the conversion of rotational kinetic energy to
the hydrodynamic energy of the fluid flow. The rotational energy typically comes from an engine
or electric motor. The fluid enters the pump impeller along or near to the rotating axis and is
accelerated by the impeller, flowing radially outward into a diffuser or volute chamber (casing),
from where it exits.

Common uses include water, sewage, petroleum and petrochemical pumping; a centrifugal fan is
commonly used to implement a vacuum cleaner. The reverse function of the centrifugal pump is
a water turbine converting potential energy of water pressure into mechanical rotational energy.

History
According to Reti, the first machine that could be characterized as a centrifugal pump was a mud
lifting machine which appeared as early as 1475 in a treatise by the Italian Renaissance engineer
Francesco di Giorgio Martini.[2] True centrifugal pumps were not developed until the late 17th
century, when Denis Papin built one using straight vanes. The curved vane was introduced by
British inventor John Appold in 1851.

How it works
Like most pumps, a centrifugal pump converts rotational energy, often from a motor, to energy in
a moving fluid. A portion of the energy goes into kinetic energy of the fluid. Fluid enters axially
through eye of the casing, is caught up in the impeller blades, and is whirled tangentially and
radially outward until it leaves through all circumferential parts of the impeller into the diffuser
part of the casing. The fluid gains both velocity and pressure while passing through the impeller.
The doughnut-shaped diffuser, or scroll, section of the casing decelerates the flow and further
increases the pressure.

Description by Euler
A consequence of Newton’s second law of mechanics is the conservation of the angular
momentum (or the “moment of momentum”) which is of fundamental significance to all
turbomachines. Accordingly, the change of the angular momentum is equal to the sum of the
external moments. Angular momentums ρ×Q×r×cu at inlet and outlet, an external torque M and
friction moments due to shear stresses Mτ are acting on an impeller or a diffuser.

Since no pressure forces are created on cylindrical surfaces in the circumferential direction, it is
possible to write Eq. (1.10) as

ρ Q ( c 2 u . r 2 − c 1 u . r 1 ) = M + M τ {\displaystyle \rho Q(c_{2}u.r_{2}-

c_{1}u.r_{1})=M+M_{\tau }}

(1.13)

Euler's pump equation

Based on Eq.(1.13) Euler developed the head pressure equation created by the impeller see
Fig.2.2

Y t h . g = H t = c 2 u . u 2 − c 1 u . u 1 {\displaystyle Yth.g=H_{t}=c_{2}u.u_{2}-c_{1}u.u_{1}}

(1)

Y t h = 1 / 2 ( u 2 2 − u 1 2 + w 1 2 − w 2 2 + c 2 2 − c 1 2 ) {\displaystyle Yth=1/2(u_{2}^{2}-
u_{1}^{2}+w_{1}^{2}-w_{2}^{2}+c_{2}^{2}-c_{1}^{2})}

(2)
In Eq. (2) the sum of 4 front element number call static pressure,the sum of last 2 element
number call velocity pressure look carefully on the Fig 2.2 and the detail equation.

Ht theory head pressure ; g = between 9.78 and 9.82 m/s2 depending on latitude, conventional
standard value of exactly 9.80665 m/s2 barycentric gravitational acceleration

u2=r2.ω the peripheral circumferential velocity vector

u1=r1.ω the inlet circumferential velocity vector

ω=2π.n angular velocity

w1 inlet relative velocity vector

w2 outlet relative velocity vector

c1 inlet absolute velocity vector

c2 outlet absolute velocity vector

Velocity Triangle
The color triangle formed by velocity vector u,c,w called "velocity triangle". this is an important
role in old academic, this rule was helpful to detail Eq.(1) become Eq.(2) and wide explained how
the pump works.

Fig 2.3 (a) shows triangle velocity of forward curved vanes impeller ; Fig 2.3 (b) shows triangle
velocity of radial straight vanes impeller. It illustrates rather clearly energy added to the flow
(shown in vector c) inversely change upon flow rate Q (shown in vector cm).

Efficiency factor
η = ρ . g Q H P m {\displaystyle \eta ={\frac {\rho .gQH}{P_{m}}}}

where:

P m {\displaystyle P_{m}}

is the mechanics input power required (W)

ρ {\displaystyle \rho }

is the fluid density (kg/m3)

g {\displaystyle g}
is the standard acceleration of gravity (9.80665 m/s2)

H {\displaystyle H}

is the energy Head added to the flow (m)

Q {\displaystyle Q}

is the flow rate (m3/s)

η {\displaystyle \eta }

is the efficiency of the pump plant as a decimal

The head added by the pump (

H {\displaystyle H}

) is a sum of the static lift, the head loss due to friction and any losses due to valves or pipe
bends all expressed in metres of fluid. Power is more commonly expressed as kilowatts (103 W,
kW) or horsepower (hp*0.746 = kW). The value for the pump efficiency,

η p u m p {\displaystyle \eta _{pump}}

, may be stated for the pump itself or as a combined efficiency of the pump and motor system.

Vertical centrifugal pumps

Vertical centrifugal pumps are also referred to as cantilever pumps. They utilize a unique shaft
and bearing support configuration that allows the volute to hang in the sump while the bearings
are outside the sump. This style of pump uses no stuffing box to seal the shaft but instead
utilizes a "throttle bushing". A common application for this style of pump is in a parts washer.