IFSTA Chapter 9 Fire Pump Theory Flashcards
How Does a Positive Displacement pump “self Prime”
Piston or Interlocking rotors moving a certain amount of fluid through the pump chamber with the stroke of a piston or rotation of the rotors
Positive displacement pumps are what kind of flow
“machine”
Constant Flow Machine: they produce the same flow at a given speed regardless of discharge pressure.
Centrifugal pumps don’t use _________ action to force water, rather it depends on the ___ ___ ___ produced by _____ _____ to provide appropriate pressure
Centrifugal Pumps don’t use (positive action) to force water rather it depends on the velocity of the water produced by (centrifugal force)
How are positive displacement pumps used in modern apparatus along centrifugal pumps
As priming devices to get water into centrifugal pump. Removing trapped air in the centrifugal pump, water is forced into the pump by atmospheric pressure
Piston Pumps
Operate using a piston that moves back and forth in a cylinder
Types of rotary pumps
Rotary Gear or Rotary Vane
Driven by either a small motor or a clutch that extends from the apparatus drive shaft
How do rotary gear pumps operate
Gears rotate in a tightly meshed pattern inside a watertight case. Gears create tight pockets as they turn from intake to discharge.
What kind of pump is a rotary gear pump and why?
Positive displacement pump:
each pocket in the gears contains a definite amount of water, which is forced out of the pump as they turn with a positive action.
In Rotary Gear pumps what are the gears and casings made of to prevent wear and tear from debris in water
Gears: Bronze or another metal
Casing: Strong Alloy such as Cast Iron
How are rotary vane pumps built
Moveable elements that automatically compensate for for wear, maintaining a tighter fit
Most common type of pump used to prime a centrifugal fire pump
Rotary Vane Pump
Explain the works of a rotary vane pump
Rotor is mounted off center inside housing
The Vanes are free to mve within the slot where they are mounted
As the Rotor turns, the vanes are forced against the housing by centrifugal force
As vanes become worn centrifugal force causes it to extend further making it more efficient to pump air out of system
How does a rotary vane pump air out of system
As the rotor turns, air is trapped between the rotor and the casing in the pockets formed by adjacent vanes
As the vanes turn this pocket becomes smaller which compresses the air and causes pressure to build up
The Pocket becomes smaller as the vanes progress toward discharge reaching its maximum level of pressure forcing trapped air out of the pump
What happens when air is evacuated from the intake side of the pump
A vacuum is created by reduction of pressure which forces water into the pump by atmospheric pressure until it fills with water
Definition of a centrifugal pump
Pump with one or more impellers that rotate and utilize centrifugal force to move the water.
What are centrifugal pumps classified as
Nonpositive displacement pump
Why are centrifugal pumps nonpositive displacement pumps
It does not pump a definite amount of water with each revolution
The Pump imparts velocity to the water and converts it to pressure within the pump itself
Basic operation of a centrifugal pump
A rapidly revolving disk tends to throw water introduced at its center toward the outer edges of the disk
How does water move within a centrifugal pump
Impellers receive water through the eye of the pump which is thrown out to the volute around the outside edge of the pump housing.
Describe an impeller
Vaned, circulating member of the centrifugal pump that transmits motion to the water
Define the eye of the impeller
Intake orifice at the center of a centrifugal pump impeller
Define Volute
Spiral, Divergent chamber of a centrifugal pump in which the velocity energy given to water by impeller blades is converted to pressure
How does the impeller generate pressure
The speed of the impeller dictates the amount of pressure developed
The velocity of water is converted to pressure by confining the water within the container
What dictates the volume capacity of the pump
The Size of the Impeller
What does the off-center mounting of the impeller create
A water passage of gradually increasing size as it nears the discharge outlet of the pump.
The Volute
What part of the impeller confines water within its travel after contact with the vanes as its thrown out to the outside of the impeller
The Shrouds of the Impeller
Why does the increase in size in the volute matter
The increase in size reduces the velocity of water enabling the pressure to build up proportionally .
3 Main Factors that influence centrifugal pumps discharge pressure
Amount of water being discharged
Speed at which impeller is turning
Pressure of Water when it enters the pump from pressurized source
related to rpm, the increase in pressure is roughly equal to the square of the change in _________
Impeller Speed
Doubling the impeller speed will result in Four times as much pressure
What is the centrifugal pump not able to do
Unable to pump air and is not self-priming
When moving water from pressurized source, what is reflected in the discharge pressure
Incoming Pressure Changes
As water moves through the impeller by itself it increases both the velocity and the corresponding pressure build up of the water in the volute.
Two basic types of centrifugal pumps used in the fire service are
Single Stage and Multistage
In single stage pumps what phenomenon may lead to pump damage
A phenomenon of cavitation where excess capacity is not allowed to escape the impeller area
Single stage pumps have a single ______ and are rated up to ______ gpm
a Single Impeller and are rated up to 2250 gpm
Components of multi-stage pumps
Impeller for each stage mounted in a single housing. The Impellers are usually mounted on a single shaft driven by a single drive train
Measurement between the pump casing and the hub of the impeller
Limited to .01” or 25mm OR LESS
Indications of wear in impellers and pump
During pump tests when increased engine RPM is required to pump at the rated capacity
What is used to restore pump capacity instead of replacing pump
Wear Rings also known as Clearance rings in the pump casing may be replaced to maintaned the preferred spacing .
When shutting off pump discharges how is the energy dispersed
Energy from the impeller is dissipated in the form of heat as water within the pump is allowed to churn
When discharges are closed and pump has been running what can the heat in the water churning cause
Metal parts of the pump may expand, Wear rings and impellers may come in contact due to expansion creating more heat from friction and leading to serious damage to the pump
What are newer pumps equipped with to deal with overheating
A thermal relief valve that opens to allow overheated water to circulate between the pump and the main water tank or into the atmosphere