ABSTRACT
The chapter’s opening statement succinctly points out the very basic operating principle of a centrifugal pump. On the surface, the simplicity of this statement points to the simplicity of the centrifugal pump itself; however, we must keep in mind that, although it is a “simple” hydraulic machine, it is also a composite of several major components, which should be familiar to water/wastewater maintenance operators who must perform routine maintenance on the pump. Earlier we briefly touched upon the components making up a simple centrifugal pump. In this chapter, we describe in greater detail each of the major components of centrifugal pumps (i.e., casing, impeller, shafts and couplings, stuffing boxes, and bearings), including their construction and function.
