PUMPS

PUMPS
A Pump is a device used to transfer liquids or
slurries under pressure from one location to
another.
Dynamic pumps:
Pumping action is continues.

•Centrifugal Pump
•Peripheral pump
•Special pump

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

A Centrifugal pump converts

energy of an electric motor
or engine (prime mover) into
velocity or kinetic energy
and then into pressure of a
fluid that is being pumped.
The energy changes occur into two main parts of the pump,
the impeller and the volute. The impeller is the rotating part
that converts driver energy into the kinetic energy.
The
volute is
the
stationary
part that
converts
the kinetic
energy
into
pressure.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Centrifugal Force
Liquid enters the pump suction and then the eye of the
impeller. When the impeller rotates, it spins the liquid sitting
in the

cavities between the vanes outward and imparts centrifugal

acceleration. As the liquid leaves the eye of the impeller a
low pressure area is created at the eye allowing more liquid
to enter the pump inlet.
 Impeller Type and applications

Closed Impeller

•Incorporates front and

back shroud.
•Low viscous fluid ,high
speed application
•Tolerate moderate wear.
•Generate disc friction
•Easily become lodged
in the eye.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
Open Impeller
•Vanes supported almost entirely by
the impeller hub.
•Sluries, non-abrasive application
•Low speed, low horse power
Application

Semi-Open Impeller
A compromise for the open
and the close impeller
•High speed,
pressure and •Low speed,
horse application pressure and
•Low visciousity horse application
and water like •Slurries and
fluid messier fluid.
Centrifugal pumps can also be:

•End suction pump

•In-line pump
•Single suction pump
•Double suction pump
•Single stage pump
•Multistage pump
•Submersible pump
•Transfer pump
•Self-priming pump
•Sump pump
•Jet pump
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
 End suction
In-line

Double suction
Pumps

2-stage
Single stage APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
 Multistage stage Pump

Jockey (firefighting) Pump

In-line

End suction
Self supporting
single stage
Submersible
Transfer Pump
Jet Pumps

A jet pump is a centrifugal pump with a jet (ejector) assembly.

The basic components: Nozzle and venturi tube.

Liguid is delivered, under pressure by the centrifugal pump

through the nozzle of the ejector. The sudden increase in
water velocity as the water flows through the narrowing
nozzle decreases the pressure of the water.

The low pressure zone acts as a partial vacuum and liquid

from the well is sucked from the well around the intake pipe
of the nozzle and into a venturi tube. The centrifugal pump
then picks up the flow, sending part of the water through the
discharge pipe and the rest back to the injector.

This jet assembly can lift water up to 25.9m (85 feet).

The head of any centrifugal pump by calculating the
peripheral velocity of the impeller and substituting into
the above formula.
A handy formula for peripheral velocity is:

H = Total head developed in metres.

v = Velocity at periphery of impeller in metres per sec.
g = 9.81m/Sec2 (aprox. 10m/s)
D = Impeller diameter in metres
V = Velocity in m/s
RPM = Revolution per Minute

Conclusion:
Head is directly proportional to Pressure , RPM and Impeller
diameter
 Total dynamic Head

The total head of a pump is composed of several types

of head (expressed in metres) that help define the
pump's operating Characteristics and determines the
total system head or the work which a pump must
perform in the system. The various forms of head are
defined as follows:

1. Total Static Head

(a) Suction Lift exists when the source of supply is
below the center line of the pump. Thus the STATIC
SUCTION LIFT is the vertical distance in feet from the
centerline of the pump to the free level of the liquid to
be pumped.
 Basic Pump Operating Characteristics

Head:
Head refers to the height of a vertical column of water.
Pressure and head are interchangeable concepts in
Pumps. A column of water 10.197metres high is
equivalent to 1 bar or 1atm pressure.

This velocity energy in centrifugal pump is then transformed

largely into pressure energy as the liquid leaves the pump.
Therefore, the head developed is approximately equal to the
velocity energy at the periphery of the impeller.
(b) Suction Head exists when the source of supply is above the
centerline of the pump. Thus the STATIC SUCTION HEAD is the
vertical distance in feet from the centerline of the pump to the free
level of the liquid to be pumped.

Total Static Head is therefore the total vertical distance

the pump must lift the water.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
Pressure Head
The pressure head at any point where a pressure gauge

Velocity Head
Velocity head is the energy of the water due to its velocity.
This is usually negligible when computing losses.

Friction Head
Friction head is the energy loss or pressure decrease due
to friction when water flows through pipe networks. The
friction head for a piping system is the sum of all the
friction losses.

Total Dynamic Head (TDH)

This is the sum of the Total static head, the Pressure
head, the Friction head, and the Velocity head.
Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) and Cavitation

NPSH Required is the total suction head, determined at

the suction nozzle, less the vapor pressure of the liquid.
Simply stated, it is an analysis of energy conditions on the
suction side of a pump to determine if the liquid will
vaporize at the lowest pressure point in the pump.

The pressure which a liquid exerts on its

surroundings is dependent upon its temperature.
Vapor increased with increasing temperature. When the
vapor pressure within the fluid reaches the pressure of
the surrounding medium, the fluid begins to vaporize
The temperature at which this vaporization occurs will
decrease as the pressure of the surrounding
medium decreases.

A liquid increases greatly in volume when it vaporizes.

Therefore, if we are to pump a fluid effectively, we must
keep it in liquid form.

As the liquid passes from the pump suction to the eye of

the impeller, the velocity increases and the pressure
decreases.
The centrifugal force of the impeller vanes further
increases the velocity and decreases the pressure of the
liquid.There are also pressure losses due to shock and
turbulence as the liquid strike the impeller. The centrifugal
force of the impeller vanes further increases the velocity
and decreases the pressure of the liquid.

NPSH Required
The NPSH Required is the positive head in metres
required at the pump suction to overcome these pressure
drops in the pump and maintain the majority of the liquid
above its vapor pressure.

The NPSH Required varies with speed and capacity within

any particular pump. Pump manufacturer's normally
provide this information.
 NPSH Available

PB = Atm. pressure VP = Vapor pressure hf = Friction loss P = surrounding pressure

Ls = static suction lift LH = static suction head 6= specific gravity of the liquid
g = Acceleration due to gravity
NPSH Available
NPSH Available is a function of the system in which the
pump operates. It is the excess pressure of the liquid in
metres over its vapor pressure as it arrives at the pump
suction.
Cavitation

Cavitation is the phenomenon, which occurs in a pump

when there is insufficient NPSH Available.

When the pressure of the liquid is reduced to a value

equal to or below its vapor pressure the liquid begins to
boil and small vapor bubbles or pockets begin to form.
As these vapor bubbles move along the impeller vanes
to a higher pressure area above the vapor pressure,
they rapidly collapse.
This may be heard as a rumbling noise, as if you were
pumping gravel. The collapses can be high enough to
cause minute pockets of fatigue failure and serious
pitting damage to the impeller.

Excessive cavitation results in reduced capacity/ head,

unstable erratic power consumption, vibration/
mechanical damage and bearing failure.

The way to prevent the effects of cavitation in pumps is

to insure that the NPSH Available in the system is greater
than the NPSH Required

NPSHavailable > NPSHrequired + safety margin

 PERIPHERAL PUMPS
The fluid interacted with the periphery
of the impeller vane.

They are classified as:

•Propeller Pump
•Turbine Pump

Propeller pumps
These pumps are called
Propeller pump because
their impeller works much like
the propeller of a boat.

Propeller pumps are classed as:

•Axial Flow
•Mixed Flow
Axial Flow Pumps

With Axial Flow Pump, the

impeller pushes the liquid
in a direction parallel to
pump shaft. Axial flow
pumps use the propelling
action of the impeller’s
vanes on the liquid to
develop pressure.
Axial flow pumps can be adjusted by changing the pitch of
the blades on the propeller. This makes them useful for
either high-flow/low-pressure applications or low-
flow/high-pressure applications.

Axial flow pumps are frequently used in industrial settings

as circulation pumps that work in conjunction with sewage
digesters or evaporators. They can be used in heat
recovery systems, nuclear reactor water circulation, and
high volume mixing applications.

Axial flow pumps used for pumping clear water or storm

water and irrigation may be submersible.

They can also be used as a sump pump in some industrial

applications to circulate slurries or wastewater or to drain
storm water from sump pits or waste storage lagoons.
Mixed Flow Pumps

Mixed flow borrows characteristics from both radial and

axial flow pumps. As liquid flows through the impeller of a
mixed flow pump, the impeller blade push the liquid out
away from the pump shaft to the pump suction at an angle
greater than 90 degrees.
Propeller Pumps Applications

They are applicable when moving very large volumes of

fluid over comparatively short distances, for instance, in
waste water treatment plants, in aquaculture and water
treatment plants and in industries or public water works
transferring liquids through the walls of a basin/reservoir.

Propeller pumps are often used to supply water for

municipalities, cooling, irrigation purposes, and also for
pumping out ponds or areas having excess amounts of
water.

These pumps normally operate with high volume, low

head capabilities and are self-supported from the drive
area. Some typical pumps are below
Turbine Pumps
Turbine pumps typically have a high head
and high discharge pressure for their size
Flow path
and speed. This high head from a single
rotating impeller is caused by the unique
operation of the pump. As fluid goes from
intake to discharge (in just under one
revolution) it circulates around and around.
Each time it passes the turbine blades it
gains additional pressure.

Operational Principle
The primary difference between a centrifugal
and a regenerative turbine pump is that
fluid only travels through a centrifugal
impeller once, while in a turbine, it takes
many trips through the vanes.
The impeller vanes move within the flow-through area of
the water channel passageway. Once the liquid enters the
pump, it is directed into the vanes, which push the fluid
forward and impart a centrifugal force outward to the
impeller periphery.
An orderly circulatory flow is therefore imposed by the
impeller vane, which creates fluid velocity. Fluid velocity
(or kinetic energy) is then available for conversion to flow
and pressure.

As the circulatory flow is imposed on the fluid and it

reaches the fluid channel periphery, it is then redirected
by the specially shaped fluid channels, around the side of
the impeller, and back into the internal diameter of the
turbine impeller vanes, where the process begins again.

This cycle occurs many times as the fluid passes through

the pump. Each trip through the vanes generates more
fluid velocity, which can then be converted into more
pressure.
 The multiple cycles through the turbine vanes are called
regeneration, hence the name regenerative turbine. The
overall result of this process is a pump with pressure
building capability ten or more times that of a centrifugal
pump with the same impeller diameter and speed

Application
Turbine pumps are frequently used for municipal and
industrial water supplies, processing, and circulating
water applications. They can vary in output capacity from
10 to over 100,000 litres/min, designed to operate under
heads up to approximately 1,000 feet (350m).

To enhance performance, strainers are most often

incorporated in the suction.
 SPECIAL PUMPS

Electromagnetic pumps and eductor-jet pump are special

type of pump without moving parts. The latter uses the
kinetic energy of a fluid to increase the pressure of a
second fluid.
Electromagnetic Pump

These pumps have very limited

uses since very few liquids
which people normally pump
are good conductors of
electricity, a requirement for this
pump to work, using different
principles of electromagnetism.
Eductor-jet pumps
Are useful for draining areas which may
contain combustible fluid. A source
of pressurized fluid (e.g. a firehose)
is connected to a chamber which is
open on one end, and leads to an exhaust
hose on the other end.

The pressurized fluid is forced through nozzles (called

eductor jets) mounted axially on the inside of the pump
chamber, pointed in the direction of the exhaust hose. The
passage of the pressurized fluid through the chamber and into
the exhaust hose creates a suction on the open end of the
chamber (Venturi effect), such that any fluid the pump
chamber has been submerged in will be drawn into the
chamber and thence into the exhaust hose along with the fluid
from the eductor jet nozzles.
POSITIVE
DISPLACEMENT
PUMP
The Basic Operating Principle

A Positive Displacement Pump has an expanding cavity on

the suction side of the pump and a decreasing cavity on the
discharge side.

Liquid is allowed to flow into the pump as the cavity on the

suction side expands and the liquid is forced out of the
discharge as the cavity collapses.

This principle applies to all types of Positive Displacement

Pumps whether the pump is a rotary lobe, gear within a
gear, piston, diaphragm, screw, progressing cavity, etc.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

ROTARY POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT

GEAR PUMP
l. Internal
ll. External

Internal Gear Pump

Internal gear pump has an outer or rotor gear that is
generally used to drive the inner or idler gear. The idler
gear, which is smaller, rotates on a stationary pin and
operates inside the rotor gear. The gears create voids as
they come out of mesh and liquid flows into the pump. As
the gears come back into mesh, volumes are reduced and
liquid is forced out the discharge port. Liquid can enter the
expanding cavities through the rotor teeth or recessed
areas on the head, alongside the teeth.
The pump is designed such that liquid is prevented from
flowing to the suction port from the discharge port.
The rotor gear is driven by a shaft supported by journal or
antifriction bearings. The idler gear contains a journal
bearing rotating on a stationary pin in the pumped liquid.
Depending on shaft sealing arrangements, the rotor shaft
support bearings may run in pumped liquid.
Application

The speed of internal gear pumps is considered relatively

slow compared to centrifugal types. Internal gear pumps
are well suited for high-viscosity applications and where
suction conditions call for a pump with minimal inlet
pressure requirements.

Internal gear pumps are made to close tolerances and are

damaged when pumping large solids. These pumps can
handle small suspended particulate in abrasive
applications, but gradually wear and lose performance.

Internal gear pumps are self-priming and can run

dry. They can operate in either direction which allows for
maximum utility with a variety of application requirements.
External gear pumps

External gear pumps are similar in pumping action to

internal gear pumps in that two gears come into and out
of mesh to produce flow. However, the external gear
pump uses two identical gears rotating against each
other. Each gear is supported by a shaft with bearings on
both sides of each gear.
Typically, all four bearings operate in the pumped liquid.
The design of external gear pumps allows them to be
made to closer tolerances than internal gear pumps. The
pump is not very forgiving of particulate in the pumped
liquid. Since there are clearances at both ends of the
gears, there is no end clearance adjustment for wear.
When an external gear pump wears, it must be rebuilt or
replaced.

Applications
Because the gears are supported on both sides, external
gear pumps are used for high pressure applications such
as hydraulics. External gear pumps are often found in
lubrication pumps in machine tools, in fluid power transfer
units, and as oil pumps in engines.
External gear pumps handle viscous and watery-type
liquids, but speed must be properly set for thick liquids.
Reduced speeds with high-viscosity liquids results in
greater efficiency.

The design of external gear pumps allows them to be

made to close tolerances. Tighter internal clearances
provide for a more reliable measure of liquid passing
through a pump and for greater flow control. Because of
this, external gear pumps are popular for precise transfer
applications involving polymers, fuels, and expensive
liquids.

The pump does not perform well under critical suction

conditions. Volatile liquids tend to vaporize locally as
gear teeth spaces expand rapidly.
Lobe Pumps
Lobe pumps are similar to external gear pumps in
operation, except the pumping elements or lobes do not
make contact. Lobe contact is prevented by external timing
gears. Pump shaft support bearings are located in the
timing gear case, out of the pumped liquid. There is not
metal-to-metal contact and wear in abrasive applications is
minimal.
Application
Lobe pumps are frequently used in food applications,
because they handle solids without damaging the pump.
Lobe pump can handles low viscosity liquids and high-
viscosity liquids require considerably reduced speeds to
achieve satisfactory performance.
Lobe pumps are used in a variety of industries including,
pulp and paper, chemical, food, beverage, pharmaceutical,
and biotechnology. They are popular in these diverse
industries because they offer superb sanitary qualities, high
efficiency, reliability, corrosion resistance, and good clean-
in-place and service-in-place (CIP/SIP) characteristics.
Lobe pumps are cleaned by circulating a fluid through them.
Cleaning is important when the product cannot remain in
the pumps for sanitary reasons or when products of
different colors or properties are batched.
Vane Pump

Vane pumps are available in a number of configurations

including sliding vane, flexible vane, swinging vane, rolling
vane, and external vane.

Sliding vane pumps operate quite differently from gear and

lobe types. A rotor with radial slots is positioned off-center
in a housing bore. Vanes that fit closely in rotor slots slide
in and out as the rotor turns.

Vane action is aided by centrifugal force, hydraulic

pressure, or pushrods.
Pumping action is caused by the expanding and
contracting volumes contained by the rotor, vanes, and
housing
. Vanes are the main sealing element between the suction
and discharge ports and are usually made of a nonmetallic
composite material. Rotor bushings run in the pumped liquid
or are isolated by seals.
The pumps work well with low-viscosity liquids that easily fill
the cavities and provide good suction characteristics.
Speeds must be reduced dramatically for high-viscosity
applications to load the area underneath the vanes. These
applications require stronger-than-normal vane material.
Application

Because there is no metal-to-metal contact, these pumps

are frequently used with low-viscosity nonlubricating
liquids such as propane or solvent. Vane pumps are also
been used successfully in a wide variety of applications
Such liquids include LPG, ammonia, solvents, alcohol, fuel
oils, gasoline, and refrigerants.

This type of pump has better dry priming capability than

other PD pumps. Vane pumps can run dry, but are subject
to vane wear.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Abrasive applications require the proper selection of vane
material and seals. Vane pumps have fixed end clearances
on both sides of the rotor and vanes similar to external
gear pumps.

Vane pumps are noted for their reliability, dry priming, easy
maintenance, and good suction characteristics. Moreover,
vanes can usually handle fluid temperatures from -32°C to
260°C and pressures to 30 bar

Each type of vane pump offers unique advantages. For

example, external vane pumps can handle large solids.
Flexible vane pumps, on the other hand, can only handle
small solids but create good vacuum. Sliding vane pumps
can run dry for short periods of time and handle small
amounts of vapor
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
Screw Pump

In operation, the screw type gear pump is driven by the

power rotor. It drives an (or two other, for a 3-screw pump)
idler rotor(s) which mesh with it. Both idler rotors are
identical, being threaded to mesh with the power rotor.
As the power rotor turns, fluid is drawn in from one end of
the pump, and is discharged out the other end. Because the
threads of the power rotor mate with the idler rotor, the fluid
is forced along the openings in the threaded area toward
the discharge section of the pump.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Application
This pump can handle a vast range of fluids at a wide range
of viscosities and with high level of suspended solid and
entrained gases. The pump is self priming and the flow is
continuous and smooth.

Peristaltic Pump

The peristaltic pump gets its name from the muscular action
of the human esophagus which, during the swallowing
process. Its rotor is a bar with a roller at either end
while its pumping chamber, or stator, is a continuous length
of flexible tubing or hose set in a U-shaped housing. The
rolling motion of the rotor “pinches” the inner walls of the
tubing together and forces liquid through the pump. This
pump is based on a elastomeric tube through which the
process fluid is forced.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
The fluid is forced along the tube by the action of a
number of lobes or rollers which progressively squeeze
along the length of the tube.

Application
Peristaltic pumps are popular in chemical applications
because corrosive fluids are completely contained within
the tubing and do not come into contact with other parts
of the pump.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
 Flexible Impeller Pump

The variable-volume flexible impeller pump has an impeller

with neoprene or nitrile blades revolving inside a housing that
is circular except for a ramped cam in the liner adjacent to the
outlet port.

As the impeller spins, each blade leaves the cam, unfolds to

full length at the inlet port, and entraps a small quantity of
water.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

As it approaches the side of the housing with the outlet port
it is folded back by the cam and compresses the trapped
fluid, forcing it out through the port. They are self-priming
but should not be run dry more than a few seconds or the
impeller blades may burn and break. They serve as engine
cooling seawater pumps, but a sea strainer is necessary to
protect the impellers from being damaged by debris. This
pump is useful for low intermittent duties and has a short life
between maintenance if used on continuous duty cycle. It
has high internal friction.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

 Progressing Cavity Pump

This pump includes a stator (case) having a two start

helical cavity which mates with the rotor which rotates and
creates and internal void which progresses along the
stator. The stator is normally made from an elastormeric
material e.g nitrile.The rotor is made of carbon steel and
stainless steel. The stator is often coated with wear-
restant metal.

Application
This pump can handle a vast range of fluids at a wide
range of viscosities and with high level of suspended solid
and entrained gases. The pump is self priming and the
flow is continuous and smooth. The pump can generally
handle slurries.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
 RECIPROCATING PUMPS

•Plunger or piston
Plunger or Piston Pump
•Diaphragm
A Plunger or piston pump
may be defined as a pump
that operates using a back
and forth, straight-line
motion. Plunger or piston
pumps comprise of a
cylinder with a reciprocating
plunger or piston in it.
In the suction stroke the plunger or piston retracts and the
suction valves opens causing suction of fluid into the
cylinder. In the head of the cylinder the suction and
discharge valves are mounted.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
In the forward stroke the plunger
or piston push the liquid out the
discharge valve.

Application
This pump can handle a vast
range of fluids. The pump is self
priming and the flow is continuous
Double acting Piston Pump
and smooth. It is a good vaccum.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Rotary Piston Pumps

•Radial Piston Pump

•Swashplate Piston Pump
•Wobble Plate Pump
•Bent Axis Piston Pump

General
The pumps are extensively used for power transfer
applications in the off shore, power transmission ,
agricultural, aerospace and construction industries, to list
just a few. All of these pumps work on a similar principle.
The pump includes a block with a number of symmetrically
arranged cylindrical pistons around a common centre
line.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

The pistons are caused
reciprocate in and out
under the action of a
Separate fixed or
rotating plate (axial
Pistons) or and
eccentric bearing ring
(radial pump) or some
other mechanical
feature.

Swashplate Piston Pump

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Each piston is
interfaced with the inlet
and outlet port via a
special valve
arrangement such that
as it moves out of its
cylinder it draws fluid in
and as it moves back it
Bent Axis Piston
pushes the fluid out.

The pumps are

engineered to allow
rotational speeds from
less the 1 RPM to over
25,000RPM.
Wobble Plate Pump

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

 Single acting Diaphragm Pump

Diaphragm Pumps

A diaphragm pump is a
positive displacement
pump that uses a
combination of the
reciprocating action of a
rubber or teflon
diaphragm and suitable
non-return check valves
to pump a fluid.
Sometimes this type of
pump is also called
membrane pump.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
Application
Because of their simple construction, these pumps are
used for transferring, or as sump pumps
Also, they can handle corrosive chemicals, slurries, or
sewage with a moderate amount of grit and solid content.
Excessive solids cause blockages.

Metering Pumps
Metering pump is a pump used to pump liquids at
adjustable flow rates which are precise when averaged
over time. The term "metering pump" is based on the
application or use rather than the exact kind of pump used,
although a couple types of pumps are far more suitable
than most other types of pumps. Diaphragm, Piston,
Peristaltic, vane and most positive displacement pumps
are good application.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
 PUMP MAINTENANCE

Two of the most common pump problems that confront a

maintenance craftsman are faulty packing glands or
sealing devices, and the bearings. There are other problem
ranging from impellers diaphragms, gear teeth etc peculiar
to the type of pump.

Sealing Basics

All pumps (with a few exceptions) are driven, directly or

indirectly, by a motor or other mechanical power supply.
The pump impellers and pistons that do the work and
impart the motion and pressure to the fluid are always
driven by a shaft. To prevent leakage of the fluid along the
driving shaft, several sealing devices have been designed.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
Proper seal design must ensure the control of fluid leakage
without causing wear of the pump shaft.
If shaft wear occurs, an expensive replacement job has to be
performed.

There are two basic kinds of seals: Static and Dynamic.

Static seals are employed where no movement occurs at the
Juncture to be sealed. Gaskets and O-rings are typical static
seals.

Dynamic seals are used where surfaces move relative to one

another. Dynamic seals are used, for example, where a
rotating shaft transmits power through the wall of a tank the
casing of a pump or through the housing of other rotating
equipment such as a filter or screen.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

A common application of sealing devices is to seal the rotating shaft of a
centrifugal pump.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

In a centrifugal pump, the liquid enters the suction of the
pump at the center of the rotating impeller

As the impeller vanes rotate, they transmit motion to the

incoming product, which then leaves the impeller, collects
in the pump casing, and leaves the pump under pressure
through the pump discharge.

Discharge pressure will force some product down behind

the impeller to the drive shaft, where it attempts to escape
along the rotating drive shaft. However, as there is no way
to eliminate this pressure completely, sealing devices are
necessary to limit the escape of the product to the
atmosphere. Such sealing devices are typically either
compression packing or end-face mechanical seals.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
Compression packing

Stuffing Box Packing

A typical packed stuffing box arrangement consists of:

•Stuffing box
•Rings of packing,
•A lantern ring used for the injection of a lubricating and/or
flushing liquid, and
• A gland to hold the packing and maintain the desired
compression for a proper seal.

The function of packing is to control leakage and not to

eliminate it completely. The packing must be lubricated, and
a flow from 40 to 60 drops per minute out of the stuffing box
must be maintained for proper lubrication.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
The method of lubricating the packing depends on the
nature of the liquid being pumped as well as on the
pressure in the stuffing box.

Above atmospheric pressure

When the pump stuffing box pressure is above atm.
pressure and the liquid is clean and nonabrasive, the
pumped liquid itself will lubricate the packing.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Below atmospheric pressure
When the stuffing box pressure is below atm. pressure, a
lantern ring is employed and lubrication is injected into the
stuffing box.

A bypass line from the pump discharge to the lantern ring

connection is normally used providing the pumped liquid is
clean.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Slurries and abrasive materials

When pumping slurries or abrasive liquids, it is necessary to

inject a clean lubricating liquid from an external source into
the lantern ring. A flow of from 0.045 to 0.11m3/min is
desirable and a valve and flow meter should be used for
accurate control. The seal water pressure should be from
0.68 to 1 bar above the stuffing box pressure, and anything
above this will only add to packing wear. The lantern ring Is
normally located In the center of the stuffing box. However,
for extremely thick slurries like paper stock, it is
recommended that the lantern ring be located at the stuffing
box throat to prevent stock from contaminating the packing.

Packing Materials
Commonly used to make packing include cotton, asbestos,
and flax.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
Mechanical Seals

Is sealing device which forms a running seal between rotating

and stationary parts. They were developed to overcome the
disadvantages of compression packing. Leakage can be
reduced to a level meeting environmental standards of
government regulating agencies and maintenance costs can
be lower.

Adv of mech. seals over conventional packing are as follows:

•Zero or limited leakage of product.

•Reduced friction and power loss.
•Elimination of shaft or sleeve wear.
•Reduced maintenance costs.
•Ability to seal higher pressures and more corrosive envir.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

The wide variety of designs allows use of mechanical seals in
almost all pump applications

All mechanical seals are constructed of three basic sets of

parts.
•A set of primary seal faces: one rotary and one stationary
shown in Figure as seal ring and insert.
•A set of secondary seals known as shaft packings and insert
mountings such as 0-rings, wedges and V-rings.
•Mechanical seal hardware including gland rings, collars,
compression rings, pins, springs and bellows.

How A Mechanical Seal Works

The primary seal is achieved by two very flat, lapped faces
which create a difficult leakage path perpendicular to the
shaft. Rubbing contact between these two flat mating
surfaces minimizes leakage.
APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
As in all seals, one face is held stationary
in a housing and the other face is fixed
to, and rotates with, the shaft. One of the
faces is usually a non-galling material
such as carbon-graphite. The other is
usually a relatively hard material like
silicon-carbide. Dissimilar materials are
usually used for the stationary insert and
the rotating seal ring face in order to
prevent adhesion of the two faces.

APPLIED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE