Hydrodynamics of Pumps by Christopher E. Brennen was first published in 1994. Aside from my long-time professional acquaintance with the author, what caught my attention in this book are the various technical passages related to rocket propulsion turbomachines, including the Space Shuttle Main Engine. Over the years I would hear about the technical issues with these […]
Diffuser versus volute
The stator section of a centrifugal pump, after flow exits the impeller, is usually either a ‘diffuser’ or a ‘volute’. The purpose of each of these two stator types is to efficiently diffuse velocity energy into pressure. Diffusers are characterized by a plurality of radially symmetric diffusing passageways surrounding the impeller. Either a volute-shaped or […]
Pump Handbook Fourth Edition – A Book Review
Years ago I owned a copy of Pump Handbook 1st Edition, by Karassik, Krutzsch, Fraser, and Messina. While it was a book to have on the shelf, it was not my primary source of pump engineering reference material. I obtained most of my pump technical information from other books and publications. Eventually someone “borrowed” my […]
Downsizing the pool pump
About four weeks ago our swimming pool pump quit. I don’t know the exact date, but our pool guy, Randy, left us a note. We didn’t see the note, so a week later on his weekly visit I was home and he let me know about the pump. The motor was frozen and couldn’t be […]
Horizontal or Vertical?
In selecting a pump for a given application there is sometimes the option of choosing either a vertical or a horizontal shaft pump arrangement. For instance, in a process plant certain product transfer applications might be performed by a can-type vertical pump, or a vertical in-line pump, or a horizontal process pump. Large capacity cooling […]
Specific Speed – Does it Matter?
To the pump engineer or pump manufacturer specific speed is terrifically important. To the specifying engineer or user – maybe, maybe not. The term specific speed comes up frequently in pump literature, in technical papers and is always covered in pump text books. It is frequently heard in pump technical banter and if one doesn’t […]