AXIAL-FLOW PUMP WORKING

PRINCIPLE
• IN AXIAL-FLOW PUMP, THE FLUIDS ENTER AND DISCHARGE BOTH AXIALLY. IT DOES NOT UTILZE
CENTRIFUGAL FORCES, LIKE JUST THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP DO.
• AN AXIAL FLOW PUMP CONSISTS A PROPELLER-TYPE IMPELLER RUNNING IN THE CASING. THE
PROPELLER IS POWERED BY A MOTOR. WHEN THE FLUID FLOWS OVER THE BLADES OF THE
IMPELLER, THE PRESSURE IS DEVELOPED. THE FLUID FLOWS IN THE PARALLEL DIRECTION TO THE
SHAFT OF THE IMPELLER. THEREFORE, THE FLUID NEVER CHANGES ITS AXIAL DIRECTION AT THE
INLET AND DISCHARGE OF THE IMPELLER.
• IN AXIAL PUMPS, THE IMPELLER PUSHES THE LIQUID IN THE DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE PUMP
SHAFT. AXIAL FLOW PUMPS OPERATE LIKE THE PROPELLER IN BOATS AND CAN ALSO BE CALLED
AS PROPELLER PUMPS.
• WHEN THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE BECOMES GREATER THAN THE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE
HOLDING THE FLUID, THE FLUID RISES AND FLOWS OUTSIDE THE PIPE. HERE THE CONVERSION
OF ENERGY IS DONE USING THE ANGULAR MOMENTUM PRINCIPLES.
• IT MAKES USES OF IMPELLER BLADES THAT WORKS JUST LIKE ROTOR PLAN HELICOPTER, THE
PRESURE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES OF THE BLADES CAUSES THE
FORCE THE LIFT FORCE ON THE BLADE.
• AXIAL-FLOW PUMPS ARE USE IN CONDITIONS THAT REQUIERED VERY HIGH FLOW RATES AND
VERY LOW AMOUNT OF HEAD
 APPLICATION
• THEY COMMONLY CAN BE FOUND IN POWER PLANTS ACTING AS CIRCULATING WÁTER
PUMPS
• THEY ALSO CAN BE FOUND IN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY FOR CIRCULATING LARGE AMOUNT OF
FLUIDS INSIDE THE EVAPORATORS
• IN INCIDENT LIKE FLOOD, THEY ARE USEFUL TO DEWATERING LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER
OVER THE SHORT DISTANCE
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF AXIAL PUMP
• AXIAL FLOW PUMP USUALLY CONSISTS OF AN IMPELLER WITH A FEW NUMBER OF BLADES.
THE PUMP DESIGN IN SHUCH A WAY THAT FLUID INLET AND OUTLET IS AXIALLY
AN ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN THE IMPELLER INSIDE THE PUMP. AS THE LIQUID IS PUMPED. VERY
LOW HEAD IS PRODUCE BECAUSE THE CONDITION OF THE IMPELLER BLADE
• THIS PUMPS HAVE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS TAN DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PUMP TYPES
• THE CURVE OF HEAD VERSUS CAPACITY IS MUCH STEEPER TAN OTHER CENFUTRIFUGAL PUMP
EVEN THOGH AT NORMAL OPERATING POINT, THEY PRODUCE VERY LOW HEAD
• THE ZERO FLOW HEAD MAY AS MUCH AS TIMES THE HEAD AT THE PUMP’S BEST EFFICIENCY
POINT
• ZERO FLOW HEAD = 3 X BEST EFFICIENCY POINT
• THE FLOW IS DECREASED AS THE REQUIRED HORSEPOWER INCREASES, WITH THE HIGHEST
HORSEPOWER DRAW BEING AT ZERO FLOW
• AXIAL FLOW GENERATES MUCH LOWER HEAD TAN OTHER TYPES OF CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
AND CAPABLE OF GENERATING VERY HIGH FOW RATES
• IF YOU LOOK AT THE CLOSED DISTANCE, THERE ARE SOME TWIST IN HE BLADE. ACCORDING
TO WRITERS CENGEL AND CIMBALA, THE WRITER OF FLUID MECHANIC BOOK
• THE ARIFOIL AT A CROSS SECTION NEAR THE ROOT OF THE BLADE IS AT HIGHER PITCH ANGLE
TAN AIRFOIL AT CROSS SECTION NEAR THE TIP.
 ADVANTAGE

• ABILITY TO HANDLE LARGE VOLUMES OF WATER.

• CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN MATERIALS FOR GREATER DURABILITY AND CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN HARSH
ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS SALT WATER AND HIGHLY CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENTS.
• RADIAL SUCTION THAT ALLOWS TO KEEP THE WATER ENTERING THE PUMP UNDER A GRADUAL AND
CONTROLLED ACCELERATION PATTERN.
• IMPELLER WITH CAST AND PROFILED STAINLESS STEEL BLADES, TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF EFFICIENCY.
• ITS STRUCTURAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS WERE DESIGNED FOR ITS LONG DURATION IN
CONTINUOUS OPERATION.
 DISADVANTAGES

• DO NOT HANDLE HIGHLY VISCOUS FLUIDS WELL.

• NOT SUITED FOR HIGH-PRESSURE APPLICATIONS
OPERATIONAL CAPACITY
 SELECTION AND SPECIFICATION

• WHEN SELECTING AN AXIAL FLOW PUMP, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING KEY SPECIFICATIONS AS FOLLOWS.
• FLOW RATE - THE RATE AT WHICH THE FLUID FLOWS THROUGH THE PUMP, MEASURED IN GALLONS PER MINUTE (GPM). THE FLOW RATE
AND THE RATED CAPACITY OF PUMPS MUST MATCH FOR SMOOTHER OPERATION.
• PRESSURE – RESISTANCE FORCE PER UNIT AREA, THE PUMP MUST HANDLE, DESCRIBED IN BAR OR PSI.
• HEAD - HEIGHT UP TO WHICH THE FLUID IS LIFTED ABOVE THE SUCTION INLET. IT IS EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF LENGTH AS METER OR FEET.
• NET POSITIVE SUCTION HEAD (NPSH) – THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PUMP'S INLET PRESSURE HEAD AND THE VAPOR PRESSURE HEAD.
NPSH IS CALCULATED TO AVOID THE CAVITATION PROBLEMS IN PUMPS.
• OUTPUT POWER- POWER PRODUCED OR GIVEN BY THE PUMP. AND IT IS MEASURED IN HORSEPOWER(HP)
• INPUT POWER- POWER REQUIRED BY THE PUMP FOR OPERATION. AND IT IS ALSO MEASURED IN HORSEPOWER(HP)
• EFFICIENCY - THE RATIO BETWEEN THE INPUT POWER AND THE OUTPUT POWER. IT JUST DESCRIBES US THE AMOUNT OF INPUT POWER
UTILIZED FOR PUMPING ACTION.