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PUMPS

A pump is a device that raises, transfers, delivers, or compresses fluids or that attenuates
gases especially by suction or pressure or both. It is used for lifting the liquid from ground
sources to the upper top surface or from one place to another place.

Pumps are operated by the mechanism that is rotary or reciprocating and it converts
supplied electrical energy into mechanical energy, which in turns creates pressure head
on the fluid it is pumping. The mechanical energy it creates can be imparted by a suction
apparatus, impeller blades, or displacement pistons. Pumps may also be operated by
other energy resources which include manual operation, engine, wind power and many
more, to perform day to day life to industrial applications.

TYPES OF PUMPS:
A pump can broadly be classified into these two categories:

 Positive Displacement Pump

 Dynamic Pump

POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS

1. ROTARY PUMP - Rotary pumps are a type of positive displacement pump where for
each revolution, a fixed volume of fluid is moved. These pumps are self-priming and
provide near constant delivered capacity no matter the pressure.

These pumps are designed with very small clearances between its rotating and
stationary parts in order to minimise leakage from the discharge side to the suction
side. As they are designed to operate at relatively slow speeds to maintain these
clearances, when operated at higher speeds they are susceptible to erosion and
excessive wear which result in larger clearances and decreased pumping capacity.
Rotary pumps are commonly used for pumping high viscosity liquids such as oil
including in handling lube oil and fuel oil in engine rooms.

TYPES OF ROTARY PUMPS (based on the type of rotating element they utilize)

A. Vane pumps - Vane pumps are available in a number of vane configurations

including sliding vane, flexible vane, swinging vane, rolling vane and external
vane, with each type offering unique advantages.

General principle of a vane pump:

1. As the rotor rotates and fluid enters the pump, centrifugal force, hydraulic
pressure, and/or pushrods push the vanes to the walls of the housing. The tight

CE314 – ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2 (BASIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
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seal among the vanes, rotor, cam, and side plate is key to the good suction
characteristics common to the vane pumping principle.

2. As the rotation continues, the cavity volume increases, allowing fluid into the
pumping chamber through holes in the cam.

3. As the rotor continues around, the vanes sweep the fluid to the opposite side of
the crescent where it is discharged through the discharge holes of the cam as the
cavity volume decreases. Fluid then exits the discharge port.

Vane pumps are able to handle moderate viscosity fluids, with engineered non-
metallic vane materials making these pumps well suited to handle low viscosity,
non-lubricating liquids such as LP gas, ammonia, solvents, alcohol, fuel oils,
gasoline, and refrigerants.

B. Screw Pumps - Screw pumps use one or

more screws that rotate axially
clockwise or counter-clockwise to
transfer high or low viscosity fluids along
an axis. The thread of each screw
carries a specific volume of fluid with
each cycle within the housing to the
centre of the pumps where it is then
discharged.

There are several types of screw pumps

with the two most common being double
or twin screw pumps where a set of
lubricated timing gears located outside
the pumping chamber to ensure the
screws are rotating correctly relative to each other – there is no direct contact
between the screws; and triple screw pumps where one driving screw is
intermeshed with the other two screws to create pressure – as the screws contact
each other, this type is limited to handling clean liquids.

CE314 – ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2 (BASIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 3

These pumps can deliver higher flow rates than other types of positive
displacement pumps, and have a variety of uses including with hydrocarbons
ranging from crude oil to bitumens and lubricating oils, vegetable oils and water,
and as the hydraulic pump for elevators.

C. Gear pumps - Gear pumps are the most common type of positive displacement
pump. They use two spur gears – a driving gear and a driven gear – that mesh
together and revolve in opposite directions. As these gears turn, they unmesh to
allow liquid to flow into the subsequent gaps which creates the suction needed to
draw the fluid into the pump. The fluid is then carried along in the gaps and is
displaced on the discharge side by the meshing of the gears and forced out of
the pump. They have very tight clearances between the gear teeth and the pump
casing.

There are two main types of gear pump: external gear pumps which use two side-
by-side spur, helical or herringbone gears, and internal gear pumps which use a
small insler gear that fits inside the larger drive gear. Both types of gear pump
often contain built-in pressure relief valves to protect the pump and the system in
case the discharge piping is inadvertently closed.
Gear pumps are ideal for thicker, high viscosity fluids like automotive oils,
plastics, paint, adhesives or soaps.

D. Lobe pumps - Lobe pumps use two rotors

containing two or three lobes which direct
the flow of the fluid being pumped. These
rotors are located in their own shaft, and the
lobes mesh together as they rotate inside
the pump casing. As the rotors turn in the
casing, a vacuum is created which draws
the fluid into the pump. The fluid is then
carried between the spaces between the
lobes and the casing to the discharge end.

CE314 – ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2 (BASIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 4

The pumps are commonly found in food, beverage and biotech applications as
they are gentle so they can move fluids containing fragile solids with minimal
damage to the solids and are available in sanitary designs.

They are also used to handle fermentation products in bio-processing; in

industrial applications to process products such as polymers, soaps, paints, and
adhesives; and non-sanitary versions can be used in wastewater applications.

2. RECIPROCATING PUMP - These are a type of positive displacement pump which

use alternating force and suction – using a piston or diaphragm – to create a steady,
pulsing flow, with one or more check valves to regulate and direct flow through the
system. The pump chamber is repeatedly expanded and contracted to draw the fluid
through an intake valve and force it out through the other end. They are able to
generate high pressures.

These pumps range from small, hand-powered pumps, to big pumping systems. Due
to the broad range of pumps that are classed as reciprocating pumps, they play an
integral role in a number of sectors including private, public and commercial/industrial
sectors in applications such as irrigation, public water supplies, fire safety systems and
where viscous liquids need to be moved.

Types of reciprocating pumps

A. Piston pumps - Piston pumps (also known as well service pumps, high pressure
pumps or high viscosity pumps) use one or more reciprocating pistons to move
fluid through a cylindrical chamber which are usually driven by an electric motor,
internal combustion engine or other
power source through a crankshaft or
connecting rod.

These pumps have contracting and

expanding cavities that move in a
reciprocating motion rather than a circular
(rotary) motion, alternately drawing the
fluid in and then pushing it out under
pressure. The periphery of the piston
usually has one or more o-rings to seal
against the cylinder as the piston moves,
and check valves on either side of the
pumping chamber stop fluid flowing in the
wrong direction.
These pumps can be single acting where the piston moves in both directions to
complete a full pumping cycle, or doubling acting where there are two sets of

CE314 – ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2 (BASIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 5

check valves (one on each side of the piston) with fluid pumping cycle being
completed each time the piston moves from one end to the other.
Piston pumps are commonly used as hydraulic pumps to power heavy machinery
or in smaller applications such as paint sprayers.
B. Diaphragm pumps

Diaphragm pumps use a flexible diaphragm to create a vacuum at the chamber

inlet to draw the fluid in, with the volume of the pumping chamber decreasing and
forcing the fluid out of the discharge as the diaphragm moves in the opposite
direction. Like piston and plunger pumps,
diaphragm pumps have check valves at the inlet
and outlet of the pump to prevent the fluid from
moving backwards.

These pumps are highly reliable as they have no

internal parts that rub against each other, and
contain no sealing or lubricating oils within the
pump head which eliminates the chance of oil
vapour leakage or contamination of the pumped
fluid. They are highly reliable because they do
not include internal parts that rub against each
other. They also contain no sealing or lubricating
oils within the pumping head, meaning there is no chance of oil vapor leakage or
contamination of the handled media.

Diaphragm pumps can be classed as one of four types depending on the drive
mechanism:

 Mechanically actuated types (use a gear set or other mechanical mechanism)

 Hydraulically actuated types (use an intermediate hydraulic fluid)
 Solenoid types (use an electric motor that controls the solenoid)
 Air operated double diaphragm (AODD) types (use two sets of check valves and
use two diaphragms)

Diaphragm pumps are commonly used as metering pumps to deliver precise

volumes of fluid for treating water and process applications where high pressures,
metering of fluids or a seamless pump is required or beneficial.

C. Plunger pumps - Plunger pumps operate in the same way as piston pumps, but
rather than using pistons, they use plungers to move fluid through a cylindrical
chamber, typically driven by electric motors, but steam and hydraulic drives are
also used.

CE314 – ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2 (BASIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 6

These pumps work with the drive moving one or more plungers back and forth
inside the cylinder. This cylinder comes with packing rings to prevent the fluid
from leaking past the plunger as it moves. At the end of the cylinder there is a
pumping chamber with two check valves
located at the inlet and outlet which stop
the fluid from reversing direction as it
passes through. Fluid is drawn into the
chamber as the plunger moves away
from it, creating a vacuum, and the fluid
is pushed out of the chamber and into the
system as the plunger moves towards it.

Plunger pumps can come with one or

more plungers and sets of check valves.
Where there are two, it is known as a
duplex pump; where there are three, it is called a triplex pump; and where there
are five, it is known as a quintiplex pump. Triplex and quintiplex versions are
commonly used.

These pumps produce high pressures, and due to the reciprocating plunger they
are also capable of producing pulsations, with the fewer plungers in the pump,
the higher the pressure pulsations it is able to produce. As they can generate high
levels of pressure and tend to be sturdily built, they are commonly used in
applications where highly viscous or heavy fluids such as oil need to be moved.
Smaller, lighter duty versions are used in applications such as pressure washes.

DYNAMIC PUMPS

CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS - These types of pumps are most commonly used worldwide.
The working is very simple, described well and carefully tested. This pump is strong,
efficient and fairly cheap to make. Whenever the pump is in action, then the fluid pressure
will increase from the inlet of the pump to its outlet. The change of pressure will drive the
liquid throughout the system. This kind of pump produces an enhancement within force
by transmitting mechanical power from the electrical motor to the liquid throughout the
revolving impeller. The flow of liquid will enter the center of impeller and exits along with
its blades. The centrifugal power hereby enhances the velocity of fluid & also the
energy like kinetic can be altered to force.

These pumps can be subdivided based on the type of impeller used:

 Axial flow pumps -Axial flow pumps (sometimes also known as propeller pumps)
use an impeller typically driven by an electric motor with three or four vanes that
direct the flow axially, which sets them apart from other types of centrifugal pumps

CE314 – ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2 (BASIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 7

where the flow is directed more radially. Some configurations can have their flow
and head adjusted by altering the pitch of the impeller vanes.

Due to the axial

orientation of the
impeller vanes,
these pumps
produce very low
pressure (head) (10-
20 feet) compared to
radially orientated
centrifugal pumps,
but they can also
produce much
higher flow rates, as high as several hundred thousand gallons per minute – the
highest of a centrifugal pump type.
These pumps are ideal for applications with high flow rate and low pressure
requirements. They are commonly used in power plants for circulating water,
sewage digesters, evaporators, and in the chemical for moving large amounts of
fluid in vapours, and can be used in dewatering and irrigation applications where
large amounts of water needs to be moved a short distance.

 Mixed flow pumps

Mixed flow pumps use a mixed flow impeller (also called diagonal impeller) that
discharges fluid in a conical direction. Their application range covers the transition
gap between radial flow pumps and axial
flow pumps.

These pumps can have high or low specific

speed. Low speed types combine impellers
with an annular or volute casing and speeds
between 35-80rpm. High speed types
combine impellers with a diffuser or tubular
casing and can reach speeds between 80-
160rpm.

Mixed flow pumps with a tubular casing are

commonly installed in a vertical
arrangement, and used in multistage
configurations for high flow applications such
as irrigation, municipal water supply and thermal power plants.

CE314 – ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2 (BASIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 8

The main advantage of this type of pump is that they are a “jack of all trades”,
combining the higher mass flow of axial pumps and the higher pressures achieved
by radial pumps.

 Radial flow pumps

Radial flow pumps are the most common type of centrifugal pump. The radial
outward movement of the flow in the impeller causes higher centrifugal forces
which results in high discharge pressures but typically lower volume flow rates.
The delivery head achieved is proportional to the impeller diameter, with several
impellers in a series needed to achieve higher head.

This type of pump is used in a wide range

of applications; there are various designs
possible such as multi phases and self-
priming; they’re pulsation free; high
efficiencies can be achieved; their simple
design reduces susceptibility and lowers
maintenance costs; and because there is
no axial thrust, they have a low bearing
load and high service life.

Regardless of the impeller type, these

pumps can be either single stage, where
the total head is the result of one impeller,
or multistage, with a series of impellers
aligned in one casing.

Depending on requirements, centrifugal

pumps can be either self or non self-priming and can have open, semi-open or
closed impeller types.

ASSIGNMENT 3:

1. Make a report on COMPRESSORS.

2. Include types, descriptions, working principles and applications of compressors.
3. Submit as .pdf file in USTeP.
3. Deadline: Monday, September 28, 2020 5pm.

CE314 – ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2 (BASIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING