Centrifugal Pump Technology and Pump Cavitation

Centrifugal pump technology involves a broad spectrum of flow phenomena, which have a profound impact on design and operation through the achieved efficiency, the stability of the head-capacity characteristic, component failure due to fatigue, as well as material damage caused by cavitation, hydro-abrasive wear or erosion corrosion. Operation and life cycle costs of pumping equipment depend to a large extent on how well these phenomena and the interaction of the pump with the system are understood. The book comprises thirteen chapters covering: theory of centrifugal pump impeller, design of mixed flow impellers, pump casing, hydraulic performance, leakage-disk friction and mechanical losses, water hammer, special operating conditions, and its applications. The book also describes cavitation in pumps, and how unacceptable cavitation can be avoided with the aid of an inducer or using a bleeding system. It explains cavitation problems such as hydraulic performance loss, hydro-dynamically or thermodynamically induced surging, and cavitation erosion/corrosion. The book aims to be simple as is compatible with reasonably complete treatment of the subject. The mathematics has been kept as elementary as possible and many of the standard proofs have been simplified. This book is intended for professional engineers, researchers, specialist students, plant operators and maintenance personnel, plant engineers, and consulting engineers.