Reciprocating pump

PRINCIPLE: Reciprocating pump operates on the principle of pushing of liquid by a

piston that executes a reciprocating motion in a closed fitting cylinder.

WORKING: A Reciprocating Pump consists of suction pipe, delivery pipe, suction

valve delivery valve, piston, connecting rod and a rotating crank. During the Suction
Stroke, the Piston moves from Zero to 180 Degree (which means towards right
direction).Thus creating Vacuum in the Cylinder. This Vacuum causes the Suction
Valve to open and Water enters the Cylinder. During Delivery Stroke, the Piston
moves from 180 Degree to 360 Degree (which means towards left direction).Thus
increase pressure in the Cylinder. Due to increase in Pressure, causes the
Suction Valve to close and Delivery Valve to open, and Water is forced into the
Delivery Pipe. A Hydraulic Reciprocating Pump is also called a Positive Displacement
Pump, as it discharge a definite quantity of Liquid during the Displacement of its
Piston. This is why a Hydraulic Reciprocating Pump is ideally suitable for Grouting
Operations in Dam Foundation.

Centrifugal Pumps
Working Mechanism of a Centrifugal pump

A centrifugal pump is one of the simplest pieces of equipment in any process plant.
Its purpose is to convert energy of a prime mover (a electric motor or turbine) first
into velocity or kinetic energy and then into pressure energy of a fluid that is being
pumped. The energy changes occur by virtue of two main parts of the pump, the
impeller and the volute or diffuser. The impeller is the rotating part that converts
driver energy into the kinetic energy. The volute or diffuser is the stationary part
that converts the kinetic energy into pressure energy. Note: All of the forms of
energy involved in a liquid flow system are expressed in terms of feet of liquid i.e.
head. The process liquid enters the suction nozzle and then into eye (center) of a
revolving device known as an impeller. When the impeller rotates, it spins the liquid
sitting in the cavities between the vanes outward and provides centrifugal
acceleration. As liquid leaves the eye of the impeller a low-pressure area is created
causing more liquid to flow toward the inlet. Because the impeller blades are
curved, the fluid is pushed in a tangential and radial direction by the centrifugal
force. This force acting inside the pump is the same one that keeps water inside a
bucket that is rotating at the end of a string.

Cavitation
Simply defined, cavitation is the formation of bubbles or cavities in liquid, developed
in areas of relatively low pressure around an impeller. The imploding or collapsing of
these bubbles triggers intense shockwaves inside the pump, causing significant
damage to the impeller and/or the pump housing.
Pump cavitation can cause:
Failure of pump housing
Destruction of impeller
Excessive vibration - leading to premature seal and bearing failure
Higher than necessary power consumption
Decreased flow and/or pressure
There are two types of pump cavitation: suction and discharge.

Suction cavitation: When a pump is under low pressure or high vacuum conditions,
suction cavitation occurs. The pump is being "starved" or is not receiving enough
flow. When this happens, bubbles or cavities will form at the eye of the impeller. As
the bubbles carry over to the discharge side of the pump, the fluid conditions
change, compressing the bubble into liquid and causing it to implode against the
face of the impeller
Discharge cavitation: When a pump's discharge pressure is extremely high, or runs
at less than 10% of its best efficiency point (BEP), discharge cavitation occurs. The
high discharge pressure makes it difficult for the fluid to flow out of the pump, so it
circulates inside the pump. Liquid flows between the impeller and the housing at
very high velocity, causing a vacuum at the housing wall and the formation of
bubbles.