Overview
Pumps can be divided into two major categories - kinetic and positive displacement. Kinetic pumps can be further subdivided into centrifugal pumps (the vast majority of kinetic pumps) and special effects pumps. Jet pumps, reversible centrifugal, gas lift and electromagnetic are examples of special effect pumps, which are not covered in this course.
The operating principle of centrifugal pumps and positive displacement pumps are quite different. Centrifugal pumps operate by imparting velocity energy to the fluid, which is converted to pressure energy upon exiting the pump casing. A positive displacement pump moves a fixed volume of fluid within the pump casing by applying a force to moveable boundaries containing the fluid volume.
Before attempting to select a pump for a particular application, it is important to understand the types of pumps available and how they operate. This course covers the fundamentals of centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, including the major components of a pump, the operating principle and the different types of pumps available within each category. The course material covers Module 3 - "Pumps" in the DOE Mechanical Science Fundamentals Handbook, which is an excellent source of information in the Engineering Sciences.
The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of fifteen questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Centrifugal pump principle of operation and major components
- Centrifugal pump types by impeller classification, flow classification (i.e. radial flow, axial flow, etc.)
- Multi-stage centrifugal pump basics
- Centrifugal pump sealing components, such as wearing rings, stuffing boxes and lantern rings
- NPSH, as well as causes and mitigations for cavitation
- Centrifugal pump characteristic curves, pump protection and priming
- Positive displacement pump principle of operation
- Reciprocating pump types and applications
- Rotary pump types and applications
- Positive displacement pump flow and pressure characteristics and pump protection
Course
Click on the following link to the PDF document to review the course material before taking the quiz for credit.
Having trouble downloading the PDF file?
If clicking the link does not bring you to the PDF file, then right-click the link. Click "Save Target As" and save on your desktop. To view the file, double-click the icon on your desktop and return to this page to take the quiz. You may want to bookmark this page for your convenience. If you have questions, Live Support Chat can help.
You
may need Adobe Reader to view this document. Click on the link to download a
free copy of the latest version of Adobe Reader.
To receive PDH credit for this course, you must pass a multiple-choice quiz. Click the button below to Purchase Course and Take Quiz. To take the quiz, your computer must be set to accept cookies. See how to check your cookie settings.







