What Is Multistage Centrifugal Pump and How Does It Work

You see a multistage centrifugal pump when you need to move liquids with high pressure. This pump has many impellers in a line. Each one pushes the liquid to the next stage and makes the pressure higher. Many industries use this design because it can move different kinds of liquids. It works with liquids that can damage or wear out other pumps. The table below shows where these pumps are important and why they are used:

Industry	Importance in Sector
Water and Wastewater Treatment	Makes water pressure higher and helps with filtration systems
Oil and Gas	Moves crude oil and sends out finished products
Pharmaceuticals	Moves different liquids during production
Food Processing	Helps move food products safely and quickly
Mining	Moves slurries and other materials
Fire Protection Systems	Gives the right pressure for firefighting systems

Key Takeaways

Multistage centrifugal pumps have more than one impeller. These impellers help raise the pressure of liquids. This makes the pumps good for jobs that need high pressure.
Many industries use these pumps. Water treatment, oil and gas, and firefighting all need them. The pumps can move tough liquids easily.
You pick horizontal or vertical pumps based on space and pressure. Horizontal pumps are simple to fix. Vertical pumps take up less room.
It is important to take care of the pump often. This stops problems like cavitation and seal leaks. Good care helps the pump work well and last longer.
Multistage pumps help save energy and money. They are a smart choice for factories and homes.

What Is a Multistage Centrifugal Pump

Definition and Core Function

A multistage centrifugal pump is a machine with several impellers. These impellers help move liquid and make the pressure higher. Each impeller sits in its own spot. The liquid goes from one impeller to the next. This setup lets the pump reach much higher pressure than a single-stage pump. You find these pumps where water or other fluids need to travel far or go up high places.

A multistage centrifugal pump sends liquid through many impellers. Each impeller gives the liquid more energy. This makes the pressure go up at every stage. The flow rate stays the same, but the pressure gets higher as the liquid moves through each part.

Here are the main things to know:

Multistage centrifugal pumps have more than one impeller in a row.
You use them when one impeller cannot make enough pressure.
The flow rate does not change, but the pressure goes up with more stages.
Each stage has an impeller, a diffuser, and guide vanes to help move the liquid.

Multistage pumps are used for high-pressure jobs. You see them in boiler feed systems or water supply for tall buildings. These pumps can reach very high heads, even thousands of meters. Single-stage pumps cannot do this.

Key Features

When you look at a multistage pump, you see some special things. The most important is the row of impellers. Each impeller makes the pressure stronger.

These pumps use tough materials like special alloys or duplex stainless steel. These materials help the pump work with hard liquids, like chemicals or fluids with bits in them.
Multistage centrifugal pumps can use materials that do not rust for liquids like sulfuric acid. They also use strong materials for liquids with sand or grit.
The pump has diffusers and guide vanes at every stage. These parts help control the flow and make the pump work better.
You can pick a pump with more stages if you need more pressure. The number of stages depends on what you need.

Here is a quick look at the materials and how they are made:

Special alloys for liquids that can cause damage.
Duplex stainless steel for tough places.
Materials that do not rust for chemicals.
Strong materials for liquids with bits in them.

You get a pump that lasts longer and works well in hard jobs. The pump can handle high pressure without needing a big motor. This saves energy.

Difference from Single-Stage Pumps

You might wonder how a multistage centrifugal pump is different from a single-stage pump. The big difference is the number of impellers and the pressure they make. A single-stage pump has only one impeller. It cannot make very high pressure. A multistage pump has two or more impellers. It can push liquid much farther or higher.

Here is a table that shows the main differences:

Feature	Single-Stage Pump	Multistage Pump
Number of Stages	One impeller and casing	Multiple impellers in series
Impeller Quantity	One	Two or more
Maximum Head Capacity	Up to about 125 meters	Often exceeds 125 meters, can reach thousands
Pressure Head	Low to moderate	High
Construction	Simple design	Complex design
Maintenance	Easier, fewer parts	More involved, more components
Cost	Lower upfront cost	Higher upfront cost, better long-term efficiency
Space Requirements	More compact	Often requires more space
Flow Rate	Higher flow rates at low pressure	High pressure at lower flow rates
Head Range	10–150 meters (33–492 feet)	Can exceed 1,000 meters (3,280 feet)

You use a single-stage pump for jobs that need more flow but not much pressure. You pick a multistage pump when you need to move liquid up high or far away. Multistage centrifugal pumps work better for high-pressure jobs. They use smaller motors and less energy to get the pressure you need. Single-stage pumps are best for low-pressure work.

Multistage pumps do high-pressure jobs without using lots of energy.
You get steady pressure for moving liquid far.
Single-stage pumps are good for low or medium pressure.

You see multistage centrifugal pumps where pressure is more important than flow. These pumps help with jobs that single-stage pumps cannot do.

Multiple Impellers in Series

Inside a multistage pump, you see impellers lined up on a shaft. Each impeller sits in its own chamber called a stage. The liquid goes into the first stage. It moves through each impeller one after another. Every time the fluid passes an impeller, it gets more pressure.

Each impeller adds a bit more pressure, so the total pressure at the end is much higher than at the start.
The fluid moves from one impeller and chamber to the next. Each stage adds to the total pressure.
You can add more impellers if you need more pressure. The number of impellers depends on how much pressure you want.

This setup makes a multistage centrifugal pump different from a single-stage pump. You get much higher pressure because each stage works together to boost the liquid’s energy.

Tip: If you need to move water up a tall building or through a long pipe, pick a multistage pump with enough impellers to get the pressure you need.

Pressure Generation Process

The pressure in a multistage pump goes up step by step. You can follow the fluid as it moves through each stage:

Fluid enters the pump at the suction inlet. It goes into the center, or "eye," of the first impeller.
The motor spins the shaft and turns the impeller fast. The impeller vanes catch the fluid and throw it outward. This makes the fluid move faster.
The fast fluid leaves the impeller and goes into a diffuser. The diffuser slows the fluid down and turns its speed into pressure.
The pressurized fluid moves into the next stage. The process repeats. Each new impeller adds more speed, and each diffuser turns that speed into even more pressure.
After all the stages, the fluid reaches its highest pressure. It leaves the pump at the discharge outlet.

You can see how the pressure goes up at every stage. The process looks like this:

Stage Number	Action	Result	Cumulative Pressure
Stage 1	Impeller adds speed, diffuser turns it to pressure	Pressure goes up by X	P + X
Stage 2	Impeller adds more speed, diffuser turns it	Pressure goes up by another X	P + 2X
Stage 3	Impeller adds more speed, diffuser turns it	Pressure goes up by another X	P + 3X
...N Stages	Process repeats for all N stages	Pressure goes up at each stage	P + NX

You can change the number of stages to get the pressure you want. More stages mean higher pressure. This is why a multistage centrifugal pump is good for high-pressure jobs.

Fluid Flow Path

The way the fluid moves inside a multistage pump is important. It affects how well the pump works. Here is how the fluid moves from start to finish:

The fluid enters the front part of the first impeller. It starts to spin as fast as the impeller.
The fluid moves outward, pushed by centrifugal force.
Near the pump shell, some fluid may leak from the impeller outlet to the ring clearance. This is normal for pumps.
In the rear part, centrifugal force keeps pushing the fluid outward.
Any leak in the rear part also moves outward to the impeller outlet.

The design of the flow path can change how well the pump works. If bubbles form in the liquid, they can change how the pump works. You can see the effect of different flow patterns in the table below:

Flow Pattern	Description	Performance Impact
Bubbly Flow I	Causes small performance losses.	Minimal impact on efficiency.
Bubbly Flow II	Bubbles gather into bands around the impeller head.	Start of performance loss.
Bubbly Flow III	Large gas clusters form and cause bigger performance loss.	Big drop in efficiency.
Bubbly Flow IV	Keeps performance loss low with a stable phase interface.	Helps keep pump working well.

You can see that smooth flow without bubbles helps the pump work better. Good design and careful use keep the pump efficient and reliable.

Note: If you see less pressure or flow, check for bubbles or leaks. These can make your pump less efficient.

A multistage centrifugal pump builds pressure step by step. Each impeller and diffuser work together to move the fluid and raise its pressure. The careful design of the flow path helps the pump run smoothly, even in tough jobs.

Types of Multistage Centrifugal Pumps

There are two main kinds of multistage centrifugal pumps. One is horizontal, and the other is vertical. Each kind works best in different places.

Horizontal Multistage Centrifugal Pumps

Horizontal multistage centrifugal pumps are used in big systems. Their impellers sit next to each other on a shaft. This makes the pump longer. You need more room on the floor for these pumps. They are good when you have lots of space.

These pumps move lots of liquid at medium pressure. You see them in water plants, power stations, and oil refineries. They are also used for irrigation and boiler feed. Firefighting systems use them too. Here are some places where you find these pumps:

Water treatment
Power generation
Oil refining
Boiler feed systems
Water supply for tall buildings
Reverse osmosis
High-pressure industrial processes
Agricultural irrigation
Oil and gas industry
Firefighting

It is easy to reach the pump parts for fixing. This helps you repair problems quickly and keep things working.

Vertical Multistage Centrifugal Pumps

Vertical multistage centrifugal pumps stand up tall. You use them when you do not have much floor space. Their impellers are stacked on top of each other. This makes the pump slim and tall.

You see vertical pumps in tall buildings and tight spaces. They work well for high-pressure jobs. Their shape lets you put them in small rooms. You do not need a big base to set them up. The inlet and outlet are lined up, so piping is simple.

Here are reasons to pick a vertical pump: