The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

Pumps can be divided into two major categories - kinetic and positive displacement. Kinetic pumps can be further subdivided into centrifugal pumps (the vast majority of kinetic pumps) and special effects pumps. Jet pumps, reversible centrifugal, gas lift and electromagnetic are examples of special effect pumps, which are not covered in this course.

The operating principle of centrifugal pumps and positive displacement pumps are quite different. Centrifugal pumps operate by imparting velocity energy to the fluid, which is converted to pressure energy upon exiting the pump casing. A positive displacement pump moves a fixed volume of fluid within the pump casing by applying a force to moveable boundaries containing the fluid volume.

Before attempting to select a pump for a particular application, it is important to understand the types of pumps available and how they operate. This course covers the fundamentals of centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, including the major components of a pump, the operating principle and the different types of pumps available within each category. The course material covers Module 3 - "Pumps" in the DOE Mechanical Science Fundamentals Handbook, which is an excellent source of information in the Engineering Sciences.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of fifteen questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

  · Centrifugal pump principle of operation and major components
  · Centrifugal pump types by impeller classification, flow classification (i.e. radial flow, axial flow, etc)
  · Multi-stage centrifugal pump basics
  · Centrifugal pump sealing components, such as wearing rings, stuffing boxes and lantern rings
  · NPSH, as well as causes and mitigations for cavitation
  · Centrifugal pump characteristic curves, pump protection and priming
  · Positive displacement pump principle of operation
  · Reciprocating pump types and applications
  · Rotary pump types and applications
  · Positive displacement pump flow and pressure characteristics and pump protection

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.

Please Note: Continuing Education credits for this course are awarded as PDH (Professional Development Hour Credits).