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Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals
Edward Brunet, Jr., P.E.
Overview
The use of centrifugal pumps
is prevalent in many industries. Centrifugal pumps operate on a pump curve
whereby the flow rate of the pump increases as the head developed by the pump
decreases. Alternately, as the system imposes more back pressure on the
pump, the volumetric flow rate of the pump decreases. Thanks to a set of
rules called the pump affinity laws, engineers can predict the change in flow
rate, head and horsepower that results when the speed of a centrifugal pump is
changed. Likewise, the flow rate and head at which a centrifugal pump will
operate can be determined by the intersection point between the pump curve and
the system curve. Multiple centrifugal pumps are often operated in series
or in parallel with each other, and the collective performance of the multiple
pumps can also be determined by reviewing the pump curves.
In this course, the student
will learn the fundamentals of centrifugal pumps. The course material
covers pages 47 through 56 - "Centrifugal Pumps" in Module 3 - "Fluid Flow" of
the DOE Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Fundamentals Handbook.
The student must take a
multiple-choice quiz consisting of ten questions at the end of
this course to obtain PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and
skills:
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Centrifugal pump principle
of operation.
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Operating characteristics
of a centrifugal pump, including the centrifugal pump characteristic curve
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Pump cavitation and NPSH
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Pump affinity laws and the
relationship between pump speed, volumetric flow, head and horsepower
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System vs. pump curves and
the system operating point
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Characteristics of
multiple centrifugal pumps operating in series and parallel.
Course
Click on the URL below to go to pages 47
through 56 - "Centrifugal Pumps" in Module 3 - "Fluid Flow" of the DOE
Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Fundamentals Handbook.
Fundamentals -
Centrifugal Pumps (183 KB)
To obtain PDH credits for this course, you will need to take a quiz for
credit. Click on the link below.
(To take the quiz,
your web browser must be set to accept cookies. See how to
check your cookie settings.)
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