Centrifugal Air Compressor Pumps

Centrifugal air compressor pumps are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery. Centrifugal air compressor pumps are used to transport fluids by the conversion of rotational kinetic energy to the hydrodynamic energy of the fluid flow. 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. NEC AIR COMPRESSORS AND PUMPS

Common uses include water, sewage, petroleum and petrochemical pumping. The reverse function of the centrifugal pump is a water turbine converting potential energy of water pressure into mechanical rotational energy.

Vertical centrifugal Air Compressor pumps:

Vertical centrifugal air compressor pumps are also referred to as cantilever pumps. They utilize a unique shaft and bearing support configuration that allows the volute to hang in the sump while the bearings are outside the sump. This style of pump uses no stuffing box to seal the shaft but instead utilizes a “throttle bushing”. A common application for this style of pump is in a parts washer. NEC AIR COMPRESSORS AND PUMPS

Froth pumps

In the mineral industry, or in the extraction of oilsand, froth is generated to separate the rich minerals or bitumen from the sand and clays. Froth contains air that tends to block conventional pumps and cause loss of prime. Over history, industry has developed different ways to deal with this problem. One approach consists of using vertical pumps with a tank. Another approach is to build special pumps with an impeller capable of breaking the air bubbles. In the pulp and paper industry holes are drilled in the impeller. Air escapes to the back of the impeller and a special expeller discharges the air back to the suction tank. The impeller may also feature special small vanes between the primary vanes called split vanes or secondary vanes. Some pumps may feature a large eye, an inducer or recirculation of pressurized froth from the pump discharge back to the suction to break the bubbles.

Multistage centrifugal Air compressor pumps

A centrifugal pump containing two or more impellers is called a multistage centrifugal pump. The impellers may be mounted on the same shaft or on different shafts. NEC AIR COMPRESSORS AND PUMPS

For higher pressures at the outlet, impellers can be connected in series. For higher flow output, impellers can be connected parallel.

A common application of the multistage centrifugal pump is the boiler feedwater pump. For example, a 350 MW unit would require two feedpumps in parallel. Each feedpump is a multistage centrifugal pump producing 150 l/s at 21 MPa.

All energy transferred to the fluid is derived from the mechanical energy driving the impeller. This can be measured at isentropic compression, resulting in a slight temperature increase (in addition to the pressure increase).

Problems of centrifugal pumps

These are some difficulties faced in centrifugal pumps:
File:Open Type Centrifugal Pump Impeller.ogvPlay media
Open Type Centrifugal Pump Impeller

Centrifugal pumps for solids control:

An oilfield solids control system needs many centrifugal pumps to sit on or in mud tanks. The types of centrifugal pumps used are sand pumps, submersible slurry pumps, shear pumps, and charging pumps. They are defined for their different functions, but their working principle is the same.