PUMP NOTES

A pump isn't just rotating equipment — it's one of the most fundamental machines a process engineer will work with, and getting it wrong is one of the costliest mistakes on a plant.

This Chempedia Quick Concept covers:

⚙️ Centrifugal pump theory & working principle

📈 Performance curves, BEP & affinity laws

💧 NPSH, cavitation & how to prevent it

🧮 Head, power & sizing calculations

🔄 Centrifugal vs Positive Displacement pumps

🛠️ Seals, bearings & materials of construction

🎯 Installation, troubleshooting & reliability essentials

💡 Remember:

✔️ Always keep NPSHa > NPSHr with a safe margin

✔️ Run close to BEP — it's where efficiency AND reliability peak

✔️ Never dead-head a centrifugal pump or block a PD pump's discharge

✔️ Match the pump to the system curve, not just the datasheet