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Air Handling and Priming of Centrifugal Pumps: Because of roll and pitch, marine pumps at times have to handle very highly aerated water, even under flooded suction conditions in only moderate weather; the amount of air can be sufficient to air-lock a non-self-priming pump if the water inlets or suctions are not well-placed. Expansion of the air at the pump entry and its subsequent compression in the pump, gives rise to noise similar to cavitation, especially in positive displacement pumps, where compression is rapid. Also, it can be very destructive of pump and pipe materials, by corrosion, erosion or both. Pumps may be mounted above the level of the liquid to be pumped even though placed low in the ship, and they must be equipped with means to create a vacuum in the pipeline. Some others must be similarly equipped so that the maximum amount of liquid can be extracted from the tanks, bilges, etc. To achieve this, the air handling facilities must be good. As the velocity of the outer tips of the impeller of a centrifugal pump is relatively low, the suction effort of the pump, when empty, rarely exceeds 12 mm water gauge and a centrifugal pump must be primed with water, as it cannot exhaust the contained air as a displacement pump can. When the pump is placed below the level of the water, as in marine circulating sets, the filling is effected by opening the injection valve on the ship's side and the air-cock on the top of the pump casing. The pump is fully primed whensolid water emerges from the aircock.
Types of air pumps are: Recirculation of discharge. This is a very inefficient method. Liquid ring primer (see figure below). This type is most frequently used. Its air handling capacity is good, the extracted air being vented to atmosphere, although it can be used to pump against pressure. It is used as a gas compressor and as an air exhausted.
Ejector Type.