Centrifugal Water Pumps: Past Innovations and Improvements - Essay Sample

Introduction

The need for centrifugal water pumps has risen in the recent past, as more plants are set up, hence an increased demand for efficiency in pumping water for the rotational machinery that aid in completing different industrial processes more effectively. This discussion aims at exploring the past innovations and improvements that have resulted in today's centrifuge pumps, which function electronically, making more plants to significantly adjust their profitability, due to the ease of doing activities.

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In the past, pumps had weaker resistance to conditions such as high pressures and temperatures; thus their applications were restricted to small plants with simple transmission systems (Yannopoulos et al., 2015). For instance, pumps would easily corrode and erode when optimum conditions were exceeded. In 1200BC, two methods emerged to create more resistant pumps that can be applied by any plant (Segrest, 2011). First, the innovation of metallic technology has led to the formation of stable metallurgical processes that utilize duplex steels (CD4MCu) or unique grades of steel like precipitation hardening to improve the wear and tear resistance for these pipes (Agarwal, 2012). Secondly, innovation has led to the creation of processes such as plasma or laser coatings that are used the sleeve surfaces for the water pumps to have higher wear resistance. As more energy is used to pump water electronically, using adjusted conditions of pressure and temperature, the pumps can no longer erode nor corrode easily.

Finite Element Methods

Besides, in the 1960s, innovation led to computer finite element methods (FEM), which ensures that any stress within the pumps in easily understood and identified by the electronic operating system (Segrest, 2011). Most rotational machinery used by centrifugal pumps today employs the use of such computerized systems to make adjustments when quickly: balancing pistons, making a selection for the bearings, and doing clearances for sleeve sizing. Eventually, these conditions have improved the functionality of rotor systems within the centrifugal pumps, hence increasing their overall stability.

Moreover, more ways have evolved to manage the problem of cavitation. In the past, this challenge was detected by performing a recognition for the characteristic noise. However, technological innovation in 1805 and adjustments in1965 made it easier to detect cavitation, typically by using harmonics (fast Fourier transform, or FFT) (Segrest, 2011). This operates automatically, rather than the traditional method of detection which was done manually. For instance, the FFT is designed to take measurements of pressure, temperature, and speed of the fluid that is flowing through the pipe at specific intervals (Yannopoulos et al., 2015). Before the introduction of FFT, few firms managed to acquire monitoring systems, but its controls were limited; hence a majority of small firms complained that it was not cost-effective based on their sizes and budgetary costs of production. Introducing FFT makes it easier for every firm to pump water at its rate, which best suits its specifications and required output (Agarwal, 2012).

In 1957, innovation led to the formation of testing methods, which are used by testing engineers to understand the vibratory behaviors of pipes, after having acquired measurements for body velocity, and proximity probe (Segrest, 2011). Most importantly, this came with the modern computational fluid dynamic system (CFDs), which is applied in various stages to ensure consistency in the pumping process. It is known that most of the current hydraulic design takes to create the fluid flow pattern in more of 3-D shapes, which makes it substantially delicate for the operators to avoid causing errors, hence stoppages in the flow system. Nevertheless, CFDs ensure that centrifugal pumps are electrically controlled using particular reliable codes that are systematically generated by the use of computers to enhance consistency in the flow in the centrifugal pumps (Yannopoulos et al., 2015). Finally, control systems were invented in 1971 for the pump technology; therefore, key elements such as pressure, temperature, and speed of fluid care measured and automatically adjusted to suit the functionality of a specific pump in use, if the set conditions happen to reduce or increase beyond the required level (Segrest, 2011).

Conclusion

In summary, technology has led to numerous advancements in pump technology, and centrifugal pumps are a crucial element of interest. Conventionally, the improvements have made it more reliable for firms of varying sizes to apply the pump technology to generate water into their rotational machinery, without incurring additional costs. Finally, it is imperative that these modifications only come at the time when technology is at its peak; thus, access to electricity in most firms for use in managing or applying these advantages is no longer a problem.

References

Agarwal, T. (2012). Review of the pump as a turbine (PAT) for micro-hydropower. International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering, 2(11), 163-169. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/16b2/1213bec2ef4fd05f0df44b404e0975edb499.pdf

Segrest, M. (2011). The History of Pumps: Through the Years. Pumps & Systems. Pumps and Systems, 22.

Yannopoulos, S. I., Lyberatos, G., Theodossiou, N., Li, W., Valipour, M., Tamburrino, A., & Angelakis, A. N. (2015). Evolution of water lifting devices (pumps) over the centuries worldwide. Water, 7(9), 5031-5060. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/7/9/5031