ME 1103: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Fluid Machinery: Pump, Compressor,

Blower & Fan
 Fluid Moving Equipment
Fluids are moved through flow systems using pumps, fans,
blowers, and compressors. Such devices increase the
mechanical energy of the fluid. The additional energy
can be used to increase

• Velocity (flow rate)

• Pressure
• Elevation

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 Fluid Moving Equipment
 Pump, fan, blower, and compressor are terms that do not have
precise definition.
 Generally, pumps move liquids while fans, blowers and
compressors add energy to gases.

Pump Compressor Blower

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 Pumps: Basic
Mechanical energy is delivered to the pump via a prime
mover such as an electric motor

Due to mechanical action, the pump creates a partial

vacuum at its inlet

This permits the atmospheric pressure to force the liquid

through the inlet line and into the pump

The pump then pushes the liquid into the hydraulic system

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 Pumps: Classification
Pump

Dynamic Pump Positive Displacement Pump

Centrifugal Axial
Gear Vane Piston

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 Dynamic Pump
 Provide smooth and continuous flow.
 Typically used for low-pressure, high-volume flow
applications.

Centrifugal Pump
• Centrifugal pumps are used to transport fluids by the
conversion of rotational kinetic energy to the hydrodynamic
energy of the fluid flow.

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 Centrifugal Pump continues…..
 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.

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 Axial Pump
 Has a propeller-type of impeller running in a casing.

 The pressure is developed by the flow of liquid over the blades of impeller.

 The fluid is pushed in a direction parallel to the shaft of the impeller, that is, fluid
particles, in course of their flow through the pump, do not change their radial
locations.
 It allows the fluid to enter the impeller axially and discharge the fluid nearly
axially.
 The propeller is driven by a motor.

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 Positive displacement pump
 A positive displacement pump makes a fluid move by
trapping a fixed amount and forcing (displacing)
that trapped volume into the discharge pipe.
 Positive displacement pumps, unlike centrifugal or roto-
dynamic pumps, theoretically can produce the same flow at a
given speed (RPM) no matter what the discharge
pressure. Thus, positive displacement pumps are constant
flow machines.

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 External gear pump
 Develops flow by carrying fluid
between the teeth of two meshing
gears.
 One of the gear is connected to a
driving shaft.
 The second gear is driven as it
meshes with the driver gear.
 The suction side is where teeth
come out of mesh and the
discharge side is where the teeth
go into the mesh.

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 Vane Pump
 A rotary vane pump is a
positive-displacement pump that
consists of vanes mounted to a
rotor that rotates inside of a
cavity. In some cases these vanes
can have variable length and/or
be tensioned to maintain contact
with the walls as the pump
rotates.
 It was invented by Charles C.
Barnes of Sackville, New An eccentric rotary-vane pump.
Brunswick, who patented it on 1. pump housing 2. rotor
1874 3. Vanes 4. spring

11 Abhishek Kumar Ghosh, ME 1103, MPE, AUST

 Piston Pump
 Works on the principle that a reciprocating piston can draw
in fluid when it retracts in a cylinder bore and discharge it
when it extends.

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 Compressor, Blower and Fan: Terminologies

 Inlet pressure: Absolute pressure of air at the inlet.

 Discharge pressure: Absolute pressure of air at the
outlet.
 Compression ratio (or pressure ratio): Ratio of
discharge pressure to inlet pressure.

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 Compressor, Blower and Fan: Basic
difference
 Pressure rise is the main difference among fan, blower and
compressor and this can be stated in terms of compression
ratio as follows.

Fan: 1 to 1.1
Blower: 1.1 to 1.4
Compressor: >1.4

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 Fan
 A device used to transmit air or any other fluid from one place
to another.
 Has motor and when electricity is passed the motor rotates.
 The motor is further connected to blades by shaft.
 The blades are bent to a particular angle where the delivery of
the air is maximum.

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 Fan: Types Fan

Centrifugal Axial Cross flow

Centrifugal fans blow air at right The axial-flow fans have blades
angles to the intake of the fan, and that force air to
spin the air outwards to the outlet move parallel to the shaft
about which the blades
(by deflection and centrifugal
rotate.
force).
Unlike radial machines,
the main flow moves
transversely across the
impeller, passing the
blading twice.

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 Blower
 A device used to transfer air or any other fluid from one
place to another.
 Increases the pressure of the transferred media.
 Input pressure will be low and output pressure will be high.
 Consists of fan, outer cover, inlet, outlet.

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 Blower
 Fan is connected to the motor.
 When electricity is passed motor rotates and enables the
fan to rotate.
 Due to rotation of blades the fluid or air passes through it
with a increase in pressure.

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 Compressor
 A device that compresses air or any other gas from a low
inlet pressure (usually atmospheric) to a higher desired
pressure level.

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 Centrifugal compressor
Eye

Rotor

Diffuser

 Mechanical energy is provided to the rotor through some

external source.
 As the rotor rotates, it sucks air through its eye, increase its
pressure due to centrifugal force and force the air to flow over
the diffuser.
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 Centrifugal compressor
 The pressure of air is further increased during its flow over
the diffuser.
 Finally, the air at a high pressure is delivered to the
receiver through the discharge.

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 Axial Compressor
 Mechanical energy is provided to the rotating shaft which
rotates the drum.
 Air enters from the left side of the compressor.
 As the drum rotates, the air flows through the alternately
arranged stator and rotor.

Rotor

Drum

Stator

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 Axial Compressor
 As the air flows from one set of stator and rotor to another, it
gets compressed.
 Thus after successive compression of the air, in all the sets of
stator and rotor, the air is delivered at a high pressure at the
outlet point.

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 Single acting reciprocating compressor
 Oldest type of compressors
 Have higher maintenance costs and lower capacity than
dynamic compressors.
 Widely used in industry
 Have cylinders which are equipped with suction and
delivery valves

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 Single acting reciprocating compressor
 Compression cycle is composed
of 3 cycles which are intake,
compression and discharge
 Gas intake by the help of intake
valve
 The piston’s motion is reversed
and the gas which taken in is
compressed
 The gas is expelled during the
delivery stroke

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 Roots blower compressor
 Consists of two rotors with lobes
rotating in an air tight casing
 Mechanical energy is provided to
one of the rotors, while the other is
gear driven from the first.
 As the rotors rotate, the air at
atmospheric pressure is trapped in
the pockets formed between the
lobes and casing.
 Rotary motion of the lobes
delivers the entrapped air into the
receiver.
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