Beyond the wheel, the most important mechanical equipment serving humanity is the centrifugal pump. Centrifugal pumps make modern quality of life possible. Turn on a faucet and a centrifugal turbine pump provides the water. Do you have a dishwasher, clothes washer, or sump pump at home? Each of these employ centrifugal pumps. It’s important to select the best pump control method to provide a properly operating, energy-efficient, and reliable pumping system.
Centrifugal pumps have two modes of operation: constant flow and variable flow; however, there are several control methods to achieve these two modes of operations, each with specific advantages and disadvantages. The specific technical information needed to evaluate different pump control methods for specific applications will be discussed, followed by several pump application examples.