Chapter (1)

Introduction
 What is Hydraulics?
 Pumps
 Pump Categories
 Centrifugal Pump
 Applications
 Lifecycle costs of a water pump
 Pump efficiency
 Selecting a pump
 Construction
1.1. What is Hydraulics?
The term hydraulics is applied commonly to the study of the mechanical properties
of water, other liquids, and even gases when the effects of compressibility are
small. Hydraulics can be divided into two areas, hydrostatics and hydrokinetics.
Hydrostatics, the consideration of liquids at rest, involves problems of buoyancy
and flotation, pressure on dams and submerged devices, and hydraulic presses. The
relative incompressibility of liquids is one of its basic principles. Hydrodynamics,
the study of liquids in motion, is concerned with such matters as friction and
turbulence generated in pipes by flowing liquids, the flow of water over weirs and
through nozzles, and the use of hydraulic pressure in machinery.

1.2. Pumps
Pumps are used to move or raise fluids. They are not only very useful, but are
excellent examples of hydrostatics. Pumps are of two general types, hydrostatic or
positive displacement pumps, and pumps depending on dynamic forces, such as
centrifugal pumps. Positive displacement pumps can be understood purely by
hydrostatic considerations. They have a piston (or equivalent) moving in a closely-
fitting cylinder and forces are exerted on the fluid by motion of the piston.
1.2.1. Pump Categories
1.3. Centrifugal Pump
By definition, a centrifugal pump is a machine. More specifically, it is a machine
that imparts energy to a fluid. This energy infusion can cause a liquid to flow, rise
to a higher level, or both.
The centrifugal pump is an extremely simple machine. It is a member of a family
known as rotary machines and consists of two basic parts:
1) The rotary element or impeller and
2) The stationary element or casing (volute).
The figure blow is a cross section of a centrifugal pump and shows the two basic
parts.
In operation, a centrifugal pump “slings” liquid out of the impeller via centrifugal
force. One fact that must always be remembered: A pump does not create pressure,
it only provides flow. Pressure is just an indication of the amount of resistance to
flow. Centrifugal pumps may be classified in several ways. For example, they may
be either SINGLE STAGE or MULTI-STAGE. A single-stage pump has only one
impeller. A multi-stage pump has two or more impellers housed together in one
casing.
A centrifugal pump has two main components:
I. A rotating component comprised of an impeller and a shaft
II. A stationary component comprised of a casing, casing cover, and
bearings.

We have already seen an important example of the positive displacement in the

hydraulic lever or hydraulic press, which we have called quasi-static. The simplest
pump is the syringe, filled by withdrawing the piston and emptied by pressing it
back in, as its port is immersed in the fluid or removed from it.

More complicated pumps have valves allowing them to work repetitively. These
are usually check valves that open to allow passage in one direction, and close
automatically to prevent reverse flow. There are many kinds of valves, and they are
usually the most trouble-prone and complicated part of a pump.
1.4. Applications
 Pumps are used in numerous locations for many purposes. A car may
contain several different types of pumps: one pumping fuel, one pumping
lubricating oil, one pumping engine coolant, possibly another pumping high
pressure hydraulic fluid for power steering, and a hydraulic pump attached
to a foot-pedal which activates the brakes.
 Pumps are employed to move materials ranging from molten metals at very
high temperatures, to cryogenic materials at extremely low temperatures.
They are used to generate pressures so small as to be barely perceptible or
pressures so high that the liquid being pumped is capable of cutting through
material as though it were a saw. Also, they are designed to supply quantities
from as small as 1drop/day to 4000,000 cubic Meter/day. They have power
requirements from a few watts to nearly 75 megawatts.

Water jet Cutting

  Some of the more common types of pumps required in industrial plants are:
 Boiler feed water pump - supplies the boiler with feed water as
required. It must be capable of forcing this water into the boiler
against the pressure existing in the boiler.
 Fuel oil pump - used in oil-fired boilers to pump fuel oil to the
burners.
 Circulating water pump - also called a cooling water pump. It is used
to pump water through a heat exchanger such as a condenser or an oil
cooler.
 Chemical feed pump - small capacity units are used to pump
chemicals into boilers; larger units are used as process pumps.
 Fire pump - used to supply water to plant fire lines.
 Domestic water pump - used to supply water to plant washrooms, etc.
 Lubricating oil pump - used to circulate oil to the bearings of a
machine such as a turbine, engine, pump, or compressor.
1.5. Lifecycle costs of a water pump
1.6. Pump efficiency
A major study of pumps recommended:
• Select pumps according to duty requirements
• Measure pump performance regularly
• Replace or refurbish poorly performing pumps
• Polish or coat pump surfaces

1.7. Selecting a pump

1.8. Construction
Centrifugal pumps are the most common type of pump. Centrifugal pumps are
usually quick to install, require less maintenance than other alternatives, and the
most standard centrifugal pumps are easy to repair.
Centrifugal Pumps are the most common and well-established pumps on the
market. They come in many different models and can transfer fluids with high
efficiency over a wide range of flows and pressures.
They represent over than 70 % of all pump types.