special focus the USA

Self-priming centrifugal
pumps: a primer
Since they were first introduced in the 1930s, self-priming centrifugal pumps have become
well established in many applications where the source liquid is located below the centreline
of the pump. In this article John Kanute, an application engineer with Goulds Pumps,
provides a comprehensive overview of the topic of self-priming, from the basic principles of
operation to a detailed look at the methods of volute and diffuser priming and the special
considerations for the use of this type of pump.

Centrifugal pumps can be traced air in the suction side of the Marlow Pumps manufactured the
back to the late 1600s, when pump cannot be evacuated from first self-priming centrifugal
Denis Papin, a French-born the casing. The centrifugal pump pump in 1932. This design of
inventor, experimented with will become ‘air bound’ and pump would go to the source and
straight vane impellers. British incapable of pumping any get liquid to be pumped.
inventor John G. Appold intro- additional liquid. The only
duced a curved vane impeller in remedy for this situation is to How it works
1851. Centrifugal pumps have raise the liquid level to the pump
continued to evolve since then. inlet and have the operator vent
Next to the electric motor they the suction line before starting. Atmospheric air exerts a pressure
are the most popular machines in of 101.3 kPa (14.7 psi) all around
the world. To eliminate this problem, self- us. The pump creates a partial
priming centrifugal pumps were vacuum as it removes air from the
Pumps will provide satisfactory developed. The term self-priming suction line. The vacuum causes
service to the user, assuming they is actually an industry term that atmospheric pressure to push
are in a system offering a describes the ability of a pump to water to the pump through the
flooded suction or ‘suction head’ create a partial vacuum by suction line. In a laboratory – with
(fluid is located above the purging air from the suction line. perfect vacuum – the atmospheric
centreline of the pump). The The self-priming pump unit uses air would push liquid 10.3 m (33.9
drawback of standard end an initial quantity of liquid ft) up a column. The practical
suction centrifugal pumps is that (usually water) to create the application limit for self priming
they do not fare well when the vacuum at the impeller eye and pumps is about 7.62 m (25 ft) of
liquid is below the pump continuously ‘digest’ or remove liquid.
centreline. Liquid must be air from the suction line. This
delivered to the pump so the benefit is not without cost. Self- The self-priming process occurs
process can begin. The pump priming pumps are, in general, automatically once the pump
cannot lift liquid vertically to slightly less efficient than an end is started with the initial
begin the process. The reason is suction pump. quantity of liquid. Without
operator involvement, the
pump can prime itself with the
Figure 1. From left to
pumpage and begin pumping. If
right: closed, open and
semi-open impellers. vacuum is broken, the pump
is able to reprime and continue
pumping. The savings in time,
effort and cost are substan-
tial: especially in dewatering
applications such as in mining
where pumps often run dry for
brief periods.

The advantages of using a self-

priming pump are now clear. It
should be pointed out that
numerous varieties of self-
priming methods are in existence
today. Most are related to the two
methods that will be discussed
now: volute priming and diffuser
priming.

30 0262 1762/04 © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved WORLD PUMPS September 2004
 special focus the USA

Volute priming slowed. As the liquid slows

down, the pressure is increased,
Just as in a standard centrifugal since these two are inversely
pump, everything starts with the related. It is this action that
impeller. produces the pressure that the
pump develops. The volute can
There are three common either be cast into the pump
impeller designs (Figure 1). casing or bolted in, depending
on the design.
• The closed impeller has
shrouds on both sides of the The priming process begins with
vanes. It is a desirable design filling the casing with liquid.
for higher pressures and clear The liquid is usually added
liquids. through a tapped plug in the
• The semi-open impeller has casing. This initial liquid is used
a shroud on one side of the to create the vacuum and seal
vanes. It can handle a against leakage. The casing is
moderate amount of solids in divided into two sides: the
the liquid. suction and discharge sides. The
• The open impeller has the division is made by a solid
shroud cut back completely partition inside the casing with
except where the vanes are the only opening between the mixes with the liquid at the Figure 2. The
impeller tips. The air/liquid impeller rotates and
located. It can pass a high two sides at the impeller ‘eye’ or
flings out liquid.
centre. Once the casing is filled mixture is peeled away by the
concentration of solids.
from an external source it is cutwater. The air/water mixture
ready to begin the process. then percolates upwards
The impeller is placed inside a
through the casing because it is
progressively expanding spiral-
As the pump is started, the now less dense than liquid
shaped casing called a volute. At
impeller takes liquid from the around it. The air separates as it
one point on the inside of the rises and is vented to
‘eye’ and throws it to the
volute, there is a close clearance atmosphere in the discharge line
circumference (Figure 2). This
between it and the outer edge while the liquid falls back to the
action will create a vacuum at
of the impeller. This point of the eye that is the source for the casing to be used again (Figure
close clearance is usually called self-priming pump. The liquid 3a). It is this action that digests
the ‘cutwater’ or ‘peeler’. The filling the casing is pulled the air from the suction line and
purpose of the volute is to through the impeller from the creates the partial vacuum. The
collect liquid being flung off the suction side. Once the initial process continues until all the
whirling impeller vanes and liquid is pulled from the suction air has been evacuated and full
direct it to the discharge of the side, the impeller will continue prime is achieved. It is important
pump. The volute takes high to create the vacuum and begin to vent the air on the discharge
velocity liquid from the impeller pulling air from the suction line. side. The pump will not
and increases the flow area compress the air and will not
gradually; liquid entering it at Air is drawn towards the prime unless the air is allowed to
a high velocity is gradually vacuum in the impeller eye and escape.

Figure 3. (a) Volute

priming; and
(a) (b) (b) diffuser priming.

Volute priming Diffuser priming

WORLD PUMPS September 2004 www.worldpumps.com 31

 special focus the USA

Advantages of volute peels the air/water mixture from casing is evaporated. This is a
priming the impeller where it is separated common cause of priming failure
in the discharge side of the casing as the leak can be very small or
(Figure 3b). Vacuum is created in invisible to the naked eye but will
The advantage of volute priming
the suction line and atmospheric prevent priming.
is its solids-handling ability. The
pressure forces liquid into the
pump has a single cutwater
pump tank. Another common cause of
allowing solids to be passed
priming failure for both types of
without clogging. When used
Although this design has limited priming methods is the inability
with a trash-handling impeller the
solids-handling capability due to to vent air from the discharge line
unit will effectively pass large
the diffuser surrounding the during the priming cycle - for
solids. This design is also
impeller, it does have several example, because of a closed
maintenance-friendly. In some
advantages over volute priming. discharge valve. The pump is not
units the rotating end can be
capable of compressing the air
replaced as a unit. There is no
Advantages of diffuser during the priming phase; it
need to remove suction or
priming must be allowed to escape
discharge piping to work on the
through the discharge and vent to
power end. This can be used to
atmosphere.
minimize downtime by keeping a 1. Pump maintains efficient
spare rotating end. The drawback priming for a longer period of
The self-priming pump should
of volute priming is that wear at time due to multiple peelers.
also be located as close as possible
the cutwater usually means the 2. Lower radial loads due to to the source. It is best to be
casing needs to be replaced. balanced design extend seal, located directly above the sump
shaft and bearing life. with as few elbows as possible to
Diffuser priming 3. Replaceable diffuser allows reduce friction. Once the unit is
return to original performance primed and pumping it will
Diffuser priming is similar to
volute priming in concept. without expensive casing require net positive suction head
A diffuser contains multiple replacement. (NPSH), as with any centrifugal
stationary vanes or ‘peelers’ that pump. Without sufficient NPSH
peel away the air and water With these advantages the the unit will cavitate. Therefore
mixture during the priming diffuser priming method can lifts through long suction lines
phase. The multiple stationary achieve higher efficiencies than or lifts with obstructions will
vanes each act like a cutwater in volute priming. be plagued by cavitation-type
volute priming. These stationary problems. It could be the case that
vanes are cast into a replaceable Utilizing self-priming one problem is solved only to
ring that surrounds the impeller. pumps create another. It is these special
The impeller and diffuser considerations that must be
combination are mounted inside It is important to note that self- examined before the installation
a pump casing just as in the case priming pumps will have special is cast in concrete. Many owners
of volute priming. considerations that end suction have puzzled over problem
pumps will not. For example, a applications because one of these
The priming cycle occurs exactly small vacuum leak in the suction factors has been neglected.
the same way: an initial quantity line will prevent the unit from
of liquid is added to the casing. priming. The pump will In conclusion
The pump is started and a vacuum continuously pull air from the
leak instead of the suction line Self-priming pumps have been
is created at the eye of the
providing economical and reliable
impeller. The multi-vane diffuser until all the priming liquid in the
service to their owners for many
Figure 4. Typical self- years. They offer an alternative to
priming centrifugal vertical or submersible pumps in
pump on industrial sump applications, and can help
sump service.
where overhead space is limited.
They can be found in virtually
any industry, from farms to
petrochemicals. They solve the
very basic problem of how to get
liquid to the pump.

CONTACT
John Kanute
Goulds Pumps (A Subsidiary of ITT
Industries)
500 East Centre St
Ashland, PA 17921, USA.
Tel: +1-570-875-6104
Fax: +1-570-875-2657
E-mail: [email protected]
www.itt.com

32 0262 1762/04 © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved WORLD PUMPS September 2004