Centrifugal Pumps Flow Classification

Centrifugal pumps can be classified based on the manner in which fluid flows through the
pump. The manner in which fluid flows through the pump is determined by the design of the
pump casing and the impeller.
The three types of flow through a centrifugal pump are:

Radial flow
axial flow
mixed flow

Other methods of classification re whether the pump is single or multi-stage.

A single-stage pump will only have one impeller where a multistage pump has two or more
impellers housed together in one casing. In a multistage pumps, each impeller may be
mechanically driven separately or driven by a common shaft, discharging to the low pressure
inlet of the next - stage impeller.
Centrifugal pumps may also classified as horizontal or vertical, depending on the position of the
pump shaft. Impellers used in centrifugal pumps may be classified as single-suction or doublesuction, depending on the way in which liquid enters the eye of the impeller.
Axial Flow Pump Review
An axial-flow pump , or AFP, is a common type of pump that essentially consists of a propeller
(an axial impeller ) in a pipe. The propeller can be driven directly by a sealed motor in the pipe
or by electric motor or petrol/diesel engines mounted to the pipe from the outside or by a rightangle drive shaft that pierces the pipe.
Fluid particles, in course of their flow through the pump, do not change their radial locations
since the change in radius at the entry (called 'suction') and the exit (called 'discharge') of the
pump is very small. Hence the name "axial" pump.
An axial flow pump has a propeller -type of impeller running in a casing. The pressure in an AFP
is developed by the flow of liquid over the blades of impeller. The fluid is pushed in a direction
parallel to the shaft of the impeller, that is, fluid particles, in course of their flow through the
pump, do not change their radial locations. It allows the fluid to enter the impeller axially and
discharge the fluid nearly axially. The propeller of an AFP is driven by a motor.
Within Axial Flow Pumps (AFP) , the impeller pushes the liquid in a direction parallel to the
pump shaft. Axial flow pumps are sometimes called propeller pumps because they operate
essentially the same as the propeller of a boat. Applications include low head and high capacity
pumping requirements for any fluid. The impeller of a typical axial flow pump and the flow
through a radial flow pump are shown in the illustration below.

Axial Flow Pumps

Sizing design of Axial Flow Pump:
For use as a design factor, Equation I can be used to solve for the design velocity assuming a
pump diameter. For large-diameter propellers normally manufactured for operation in air, the
maximum design velocity should be less than about 1.0 m/sec because the propeller hib is
designed for stresses related to high-speed, low-resistance operation. A good target velocity is
about 0.5 to 0.8 m/sec. A propeller designed for operating in water, such as a ship's propeller,
can be operated at higher velocities than the target velocity.

Equation I
Where:

The pump diameter and number of pumps required are determined by considering the flow rate
needed to be pumped. The flow rate ( Q , in meters per second) is calculated by:
Q = 0.785D2V
Axial Flow Pumps
Axial flow pumps are a type of centrifugal pump. They use impellers with vanes to direct flow in
the same direction as the shaft - axially -- rather than radially, which is 90 degrees from the shaft.
Axial flow pumps tend to create less pressure than radial flow pumps, but they can produce
much higher flow rates. Sometimes referred to as propeller pumps, the axial flow impeller looks
similar to a boat propeller.
Axial flow pumps are used in applications that require very high flow rates and very low
amounts of pressure (head). Some common examples include circulating water pumps or within
flood dewatering applications where large quantities of water need to be transported a short
distance. Because these applications are less common than radial flow pump applications, there
are fewer axial pumps in the market.
The axial flow pump usually consists of an impeller with three or four vanes driven by an
electric motor. These vanes are oriented in such a way that the pumped fluid exits axially rather
than radially, producing very low head. Axial flow pumps can generate 10 to 20 feet of head,
lower than most other types of centrifugal pumps. In addition, they are capable of producing
flow rates as high as 200,000 gpm.
Axial flow pumps can handle some of the highest flow rates of any type of centrifugal pump.
These pumps have performance characteristics that differ drastically from other pump types.
Although they produce very low heads at their normal operating point, the curve of head to
capacity ratio is much steeper than that of other centrifugal pump types. The shut-off head can be
up to three times the head at the pump's maximum efficiency point. The horsepower required
increases as flow is decreased with the highest horsepower draw being at shut off. This is
opposite of radial flow pumps, which have require an increasing horsepower at higher flow rates.

Mixed flow centrifugal pumps borrow characteristics from both radial flow and axial flow
pumps. As liquid flows through the impeller of a mixed flow pump, the impeller blades push the
liquid out away from the pump shaft and to the pump suction at an angle greater than 90 degrees.
The impeller of a typical mixed flow pump and the flow through a mixed flow pump are shown
below.