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When to use a centrifugal or a Positive Displacement pump (PD) is not always a clear choice.

To make a good choice between these pump types it is important to understand that the two types of pumps behave very differently. By looking at the performance chart below you can see just how different they are. The centrifugal has varying flow depending on pressure or head, whereas the PD pump has more or less constant flow regardless of pressure.

Another major difference between the pump types is the effect viscosity has on the capacity of the pump. You will notice in the flow rate chart how the centrifugal pump losses flow as the viscosity goes up but the PD pump actually increases flow. This is because the higher viscosity liquids fill in the clearances of the pump causing a higher volumetric efficiency.

This chart shows only the effect of viscosity on the pump flow. Remember, when there is a viscosity change there is also greater line loss in the system. This means you will also have to calculate the change in pump flow from the first chart for pressure changes.

The pumps behave very differently when considering mechanical efficiency as well. By looking at the efficiency chart to the left you can see the impact of pressure changes on the pumps efficiency. Changes in pressure have little effect on the PD pump but a dramatic one on the centrifugal. Another consideration is NPSHr. In a centrifugal the NPSHr varies as a function of flow, which is determined by pressure. In a PD pump NPSHr varies as a function of flow which is determined by speed.

The lower the speed of a PD pump, the lower the NPSHr. Another thing to keep in mind when comparing the two types of pumps is that a centrifugal pump does best in the center of the curve. As you move either to the left or right, additional considerations come into play. If you move far enough to the left or right pump life is reduced due to either shaft deflection or increased cavatation. With a PD pump you can operate the pump on any point of the curve. In fact the volumetric efficiency as a percent actually improves at the high speed part of the curve. This is because the volumetric efficiency is affected by slip, which is essentially constant. At low speed the percentage of slip is higher than at high speed.

The data presented in these charts is the actual data for a specific application. The centrifugal was picked at its Best Efficiency Point (BEP) and the PD pump (Internal Gear) selected to match the flow, viscosity, and pressure. Different applications will have different curves and efficiencies. These curves are presented as an example of the type of performance behavior between the two different principles. The most obvious reason to use a PD pump is when you have a high viscosity application. It is common knowledge that a centrifugal becomes very inefficient at even modest viscosity. However, there are many other reasons to select a PD pump over a centrifugal other than high viscosity. In fact PD pumps are very commonly used on thin liquids like ammonia and solvents. 2. A simple rule of thumb is you should consider using a PD pump whenever you might be operating a centrifugal at other than at the BEP. Of course the further away from the BEP you get the more likely a PD pump will be a better choice. This can typically happen at low flow conditions, modest to high head conditions, or any type of elevated viscosity. As you can see from the efficiency curve it takes more horsepower to operate a centrifugal outside of its BEP. This horsepower has a cost, the initial cost of the larger motor plus a higher life cycle cost in energy consumed. Many times the PD pump will have a lower initial cost as well as a lower operating cost. 3. Another reason to use a PD pump would be if the application has variable pressure conditions. A centrifugal pump will walk up and down the curve which can cause process problems. A PD pump will give near constant flow that makes it possible to match the flow to the process requirements. The desire to have constant flow is the reason that a PD pump is the pump of choice for metering applications. 4. Obviously, if there is changing viscosity in the application the PD pump is the best choice. As can be seen from the charts, viscosity has a major impact on the centrifugals performance. Even a small change in viscosity, like 200-400 SSU, has a large impact on the centrifugal. 1.

5. PD pumps generally can produce more pressure than centrifugals. This will depend on the design of each pump but pressures of 250 psi (580 feet) are not unusual for a PD pump with some models going to over 1000 psi (2,300 feet). This is a significant difference between the two principles. The capability for a PD pump to produce pressure is so great that some type of system overpressure protection is required. 6. Generally speaking pumps tend to shear liquids more as speed is increased and the centrifugal is a high speed pump. This makes the PD pump better able to handle shear sensitive liquids. Shear rates in PD pumps vary by design but they are generally low shear devices, especially at low speeds. Internal gear pumps, for example, have been used to pump very shear sensitive liquids. It is important to contact the manufacturer for specific information on shear rates and application recommendations. 7. By their nature, PD pumps create a vacuum on the suction side so they are capable of creating a suction lift. The standard ANSI centrifugal does not create a vacuum so it can not lift liquid into the suction port. There are self-priming centrifugal designs that can lift liquid an average of 15 feet. This corresponds to a vacuum of 13 hg. Wetted PD pumps (a pump that is not full of liquid but with some liquid in it) can often reach vacuums of 25 to 28 hg. So a PD pump is the logical choice when there is a suction lift required.

8. As mentioned earlier, PD pumps tend to run at lower speeds than centrifugals. This will have an impact on seal life, so PD seals tend to last longer than seals in centrifugal pumps. In addition, to assure adequate seal life a centrifugal will typically require one of the seal flush plans. A PD pump, because of its lower shaft speed typically does not need an external flush plan. Also, generally speaking, low speed mechanical devices tend to operate longer than high speed mechanical devices. 9. At certain combinations of flow and pressure centrifugals are inherently inefficient, due to the design of the impeller and the short radius turn the flow must make. These applications are generally under 100 GPM but particularly under 50 GPM. A PD pump, by contrast, is very well suited for low flow conditions. Centrifugals, by contrast, tend to do very well in high flow conditions.
10. Table 1 -- Comparison Table

11. Capacity The wide variety of centrifugal pumps manufactured offer a relatively large range of
available capacities. Radial-flow and mixed flow pumps are used for low to medium capacity applications. For high capacity applications, axial-flow pumps are capable of delivering flow rates in excess of 100,000 gpm. Centrifugal pumps are not stable at low flow rates, although there are special low-flow centrifugal pumps available that can deliver flow rates less than 10 gpm. However, for extreme low-flow applications (< 1 gpm), positive displacement pumps are a better selection. 12. Reciprocating and rotary pumps are capable of capacities ranging from low to medium, with flow rates peaking at 10,000+ gpm. In theory, reciprocating pumps can be manufactured to deliver more capacity, but they become prohibitively large and expensive at high flow rates. Both reciprocating and rotary pumps are capable of delivering product at extremely low flow rates (fractions of a gpm), making them particularly suitable for many chemical injection applications. 13. Pressure Centrifugal pumps and rotary pumps are best suited for low to medium pressure applications. Reciprocating pumps are usually specified for high pressure service, with capabilities exceeding 100,000 psi. Multi-stage centrifugal pumps can deliver at pressures of 6,000+ psi and may be the most economical choice at this pressure in high capacity applications. But, in most applications exceeding 1,000 psig, reciprocating pumps are more suitable, particularly in low to medium capacity service. Both reciprocating and rotary pumps will continually increase pressure when pumping against a closed discharge to the extent

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allowed by the driver's horsepower. This can result in overpressure of the pump or piping components, so it is necessary to install a relief valve on the discharge of the pump capable of discharging the full capacity of the pump. A centrifugal pump's pressure rise is limited to the shut-off pressure on the pump curve, which is always less than the design pressure of the pump (and the piping system if properly designed). A relief valve is only needed if no other measures are provided to detect low flow conditions and shut down the pump to prevent damage. The relief valve need only be sized to pass the minimum flow rate required to maintain stable flow and prevent excessive temperature rise. Smooth or Pulsating Flow Centrifugal pumps and most rotary pumps provide smooth, nonpulsating flow, while reciprocating pumps produce a pulsating flow. A pulsating flow may require special design considerations in the piping system. If the pump is not located near the suction source, then acceleration head can contribute to low NPSHA problems, which may require the installation of a suction stabilizer. A pulsation dampener may need to be installed in the discharge piping to reduce pressure surges resulting from the pulsating flow. Variable or Constant Flow Centrifugal pumps operate on a variable-flow, variable-head curve. As the discharge pressure decreases, the pump delivers a higher flow rate. At any given speed, reciprocating and rotary pumps operate at a constant flow rate regardless of the discharge pressure. There are specific applications that require either constant flow or variable flow. Metering pumps rely on a constant flow at varying pressures, which makes reciprocating pumps and rotary pumps suitable for this application. Piston pumps used for metering will often use an adjustable stroke length to allow the operator to vary the flow rate to meet the system requirements. Centrifugal pumps are favored where process conditions often require varying flow rates. For example, a level control valve must throttle the flow rate from a vessel to maintain a constant level in the vessel. A centrifugal pump is well suited to handle this process condition, whereas a positive displacement pump would either require a continuous recycle to suction or a variable speed driver to accommodate the variable flow. Self-priming Reciprocating and rotary pumps are self-priming. This is an important consideration where a prime cannot be maintained on the pump. Centrifugal pumps are not inherently self-priming, although some manufacturers do specially design self-priming units. External priming sources, such as an eductor or vacuum pump can also be employed. Costs and Space Considerations In an overlap region where the conditions are suitable to use a centrifugal, reciprocating or a rotary pump, the following rules generally apply: The reciprocating pump will generally have higher initial capital costs and will require more space relative to the centrifugal pump or the rotary pump. The reciprocating pump will generally have higher maintenance costs relative to the centrifugal pump or the rotary pump. The centrifugal pump will generally have higher annual power consumption costs relative to the reciprocating pump or the rotary pump because of lower efficiencies. Of course, there are many exceptions. These are just general guidelines. A pump that is selected for an application outside of its optimum operating parameters will almost certainly not follow these rules. For example, a rotary pump operating in a high pressure, abrasive-slurry service would probably have higher maintenance costs than a properly selected reciprocating pump. The close running clearances (particularly for high pressure service) required in the rotary pump would likely result in premature wear and frequent maintenance. Fluid Handling Centrifugal pumps are suitable for transferring a variety of fluids ranging from clean, clear non-abrasive fluids to abrasive-slurries. However, a centrifugal pump is not the best choice for pumping highly viscous fluids due to dramatic drops in efficiency at high viscosities. Centrifugal pumps are not normally specified for viscosities higher than about 4,000 SSU. Centrifugal pumps are also not well suited to pumping entrained air. Most centrifugal pumps can handle up to about 2% entrained gas and specially-designed pumps can handle up to about 10%. Reciprocating pumps are well suited for transferring clear, non-abrasive fluids, as well as abrasive slurries. In fact, the relatively low velocities of moving parts within a reciprocating pump make it particularly resistant to erosion in abrasive-slurry applications, provided that the pump is properly designed for the service. Reciprocating pumps maintain high efficiencies when pumping highly viscous fluids and can easily handle 50% and higher volumes of entrained gas. Rotary pumps can also handle high viscosity fluids and high volumes of entrained gas. In fact, many rotary pumps operate at their best efficiency at higher viscosities. However, rotary

pumps are not well suited for pumping corrosive fluids or fluids with abrasive solids because of close clearances between rotating and static pump components. 22. Summary 23. The comparisons between different pump categories presented in this course are general. The information is intended to familiarize the student with some of the basic differences between centrifugal, reciprocating and rotary pumps. However, there are many different subcategories of pumps within these broad categories and there are many regions of overlap where multiple types of pumps in the same category and even in different categories would be suitable. Since every pump application is unique, each of the factors that influence the pump selection must be considered in detail. Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_differences_between_positive_displacement_p ump_and_centrifugal_pump#ixzz1FA98qQDk

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