Centrifugal pumps are used to transport fluids by the conversion of rotational kinetic energy to the hydrodynamic energy of the fluid flow. The rotational energy typically comes from an engine or electric motor. In the typical case, the fluid enters the pump impeller along or near to the rotating axis and is accelerated by the impeller, flowing radially outward into a diffuser or volute chamber (casing), from where it exits.
Common uses include water, sewage, petroleum and petrochemical pumping. The reverse function of the centrifugal pump is a water turbine converting potential energy of water pressure into mechanical rotational energy.
Centrifugal pumps can be grouped into several types using different criteria such as its design, construction, application, service, compliance with a national or industry standard, etc. Thus one specific pump can belong to different groups and oftentimes this becomes descriptive of the pump itself.
