Why is the centrifugal pump the most common fire pump?
Aug 11, 2022
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Not just fire pumps, but water pumps in general, from large outdoor pumps to the ball-less pumps that keep almost everyone's basement free of water.
There are two initial types of water pumps, centrifugal and forced circulation. As you pointed out in your question, the former is the most common, while the latter is only used in emergencies.
The former is due to the smaller moving passage (a rotating impeller in a housing compared to a piston with a drive rod and crankshaft) and the fact that a centrifugal pump can rotate without supply from the outlet, whereas a positive relegation must push water out of the outlet or suffer catastrophic failure. Imagine that the shut-off valve closes when the booster pump is running and you have forgotten to turn off the pump, or that one of the automatic shut-off valves or the booster valves has failed. It would explode because the water is not compressible.
They are simply cheaper, more reliable and less economical.
There are two initial types of water pumps, centrifugal and forced circulation. As you pointed out in your question, the former is the most common, while the latter is only used in emergencies.
The former is due to the smaller moving passage (a rotating impeller in a housing compared to a piston with a drive rod and crankshaft) and the fact that a centrifugal pump can rotate without supply from the outlet, whereas a positive relegation must push water out of the outlet or suffer catastrophic failure. Imagine that the shut-off valve closes when the booster pump is running and you have forgotten to turn off the pump, or that one of the automatic shut-off valves or the booster valves has failed. It would explode because the water is not compressible.
They are simply cheaper, more reliable and less economical.
