If two centrifugal pumps, driven by two...

Question 1 of 2707066636ee728f7522a1c518d4b

If two centrifugal pumps, driven by two independent electric motors, operating at unequal speeds are discharging an inflammable liquid through a common discharge line, the higher speed pump may cause the slower pump to do which of the following?

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Question 1 of 27070

🔍 Key Concepts

• Centrifugal pump characteristics when pumps are in parallel on a common discharge header • Effect of higher discharge pressure from one pump on the other pump’s impeller and rotation • What happens to a centrifugal pump when flow is forced backward through it

💭 Think About

• Think about what the faster pump is doing to the pressure in the common discharge line compared to the slower pump. • If the discharge pressure from one pump is greater than the head developed by the other, what will the direction of flow be through the slower pump? • How would reversed or forced flow through a centrifugal pump affect the impeller motion and the motor of the slower pump?

✅ Before You Answer

• Compare the discharge head of each pump: which one is higher and what that implies for flow direction. • Recall whether a centrifugal pump can act like a turbine if liquid is driven through it from the discharge side. • Ask: under these conditions, would the slower pump’s impeller tend to speed up, stop, or reverse due to the higher external pressure and backflow?