Pump

Pump, a device that expends energy in order to raise, transport, or compress fluids. The earliest pumps were devices for raising water, such as the Persian and Roman waterwheels and the more sophisticated Archimedes screw (q.v.).

The mining operations of the Middle Ages led to development of the suction (piston) pump, many types of which are described by Georgius Agricola in De re metallica (1556). A suction pump works by atmospheric pressure; when the piston is raised, creating a partial vacuum, atmospheric pressure outside forces water into the cylinder, whence it is permitted to escape by an outlet valve. Atmospheric pressure alone can force water to a maximum height of about 34 feet (10 metres), so the force pump was developed to drain deeper mines. In the force pump the downward stroke of the piston forces water out through a side valve to a height that depends simply on the force applied to the piston.

Classification of pumps.

Pumps are classified according to the way in which energy is imparted to the fluid. The basic methods are (1) volumetric displacement, (2) addition of kinetic energy, and (3) use of electromagnetic force.

A fluid can be displaced either mechanically or by the use of another fluid. Kinetic energy may be added to a fluid either by rotating it at high speed or by providing an impulse in the direction of flow. In order to use electromagnetic force, the fluid being pumped must be a good electrical conductor. Pumps used to transport or pressurize gases are called compressors, blowers, or fans. Pumps in which displacement is accomplished mechanically are called positive displacement pumps. Kinetic pumps impart kinetic energy to the fluid by means of a rapidly rotating impeller.

Broadly speaking, positive displacement pumps move relatively low volumes of fluid at high pressure, and kinetic pumps impel high volumes at low pressure.

A certain amount of pressure is required to get the fluid to flow into the pump before additional pressure or velocity can be added. If the inlet pressure is too small, cavitation (the formation of a vacuous space in the pump, which is normally occupied by liquid) will occur. Vaporization of liquid in the suction line is a common cause of cavitation. Vapour bubbles carried into the pump with the liquid collapse when they enter a region of higher pressure, resulting in excessive noise, vibration, corrosion, and erosion.

The important characteristics of a pump are the required inlet pressure, the capacity against a given total head (energy per pound due to pressure, velocity, or elevation), and the percentage efficiency for pumping a particular fluid. Pumping efficiency is much higher for mobile liquids such as water than for viscous fluids such as molasses. Since the viscosity of a liquid normally decreases as the temperature is increased, it is common industrial practice to heat very viscous liquids in order to pump them more efficiently.