PUMP TERMINOLOGY

This section is intended to acquaint new employees with submergible pump terminology.
It is suggested this be a starting point for initial training and understanding of pump
assembly.

Pump Hydraulics

In basic form a centrifugal pump performs work on a fluid, imparting a force by

accelerating the fluid to a velocity and moving it from a low-pressure (intake) state to a
high-pressure state (discharge). Work is performed on the fluid by a rotating impeller
attached to a shaft and connected to a power source – an electric motor, diesel engine,
etc.

Impeller Cutaway With Upper

Shroud Removed Showing Vane Geometry

As the shaft rotates, fluid enters the “eye” of the impeller (area closest to the shaft) and
exits through vanes at the tip or outside diameter. Fluid leaves the vane tips at a specific
rate and pressure, is redirected from the outside diameter of the impeller through a
diffuser and back into the inside diameter (“eye”) of another impeller or to the discharge
of the pump. The diffuser is stationary and has vanes that create flow passages to redirect
the fluid. The radial force created by the impeller when the fluid exits the vanes is termed
centrifugal force, thus the term for a centrifugal pump. Both the impeller and diffuser
are required for the pump and in combination are termed a “stage.” A multi-stage
centrifugal pump is the correct terminology for a submergible pump.
 Cutaway View of
Impeller + Diffuser = Stage

Diffuser

Impeller Thrust Washers

Flow Path Flow Path

Exploded View of Stage

Upthrust
Washer

Impeller Vane

Impeller
Downthrust
"Eye"
Washers

Pedestal
Diffuser

Vane

Assuming the rotating speed of the motor driving the pump is constant, the fluid flow rate
through the impeller(s) is constant. If an additional impeller is added to the pump, the
flow rate remains constant but the pressure at the discharge increases. In other words, the
pressure created by one impeller is added to the pressure created by the second impeller
and so on. The more impellers that are utilized, the greater the pressure created. For
example, a motor running at 3550 rpm is connected to a single stage centrifugal pump
producing a flow rate of 100 gallons per minute (gpm) at a discharge pressure of 50 psi.
If an additional stage (impeller and diffuser) is added, the flow rate remains 100 gpm but
the discharge pressure increases by 50 psi or a total of 100 psi. This is analogous to an
electric circuit where an additional 12- volt battery is connected in series with another 12-
volt battery to provide 24 volts of energy at the same amperage (flow). Like in the
example with the battery, additional power is required to attain the pressure produced by
the additional impeller. This is typically accomplished by acquiring a larger horsepower
motor. In summary, to increase the discharge pressure of the fluid leaving the pump
requires additional stages (impellers and diffusers) and additional stages require
additional horsepower.

Submergible Pump Types

There are several construction types of submergible pumps manufactured by Reda
Production Systems. Below is a summary of the most common construction types, pump
configurations and design enhancements.

Construction Types
• Floater - The pump impellers are free to slide up and down, or "float," on the shaft.
All impeller generated thrust is carried by the thrust washers and hydraulic balance (if
any) built into each stage. The only thrust load on the shaft, besides its weight, is the
pump discharge pressure which is created on the top end of the shaft (force = the
cross sectional area of the shaft x discharge pressure). The stages are designed so a
gap between adjacent impeller hubs ensures consistent thrust loading from stage to
stage.

• Bottom Floater (BFL) - The bottom 60 percent of the impellers are "floater type"
and the upper 40 percent are "compression type." The compression stages support the
shaft load, so this type of construction is only used in impellers which have thrust
washers in each stage. Since the compression stages carry the shaft in addition to
their own axial loads, the thrust washers are more heavily loaded than in the floater
stages, increasing the wear rates of the thrust surfaces.

• Compression - The impeller hubs are compressed against each other so that any axial
load generated by the impellers is transmitted through their adjacent hubs to a two-
piece ring at the bottom of the pump shaft. The axial thrust load of the stages and
shaft are then transmitted through the shaft to the protector thrust bearing. To
minimize tolerance build-up problems, close axial length tolerances must be
maintained with this type of construction, making it more expensive than the floater
stage construction.

• Compression Ring - The main difference between the standard Compression (C) and
the Compression Ring (CR) design is when and how the compression is placed on the
 impellers. The standard design compresses the impellers before compressing the
diffusers, and the compression ring design compresses the impellers after the
diffusers are compressed. Standard compression design is normally used in the larger
series pumps or in small BFL pumps provided it is 50 housing or less. The
compression ring is better than the standard compression pump because the impellers
can be compressed after the diffusers are compressed, removing any false shaft play
that may be present because the total compression on the diffusers is greater than the
impeller free play.

Cutaway View of Compression Ring Versus Standard Compression Pump

• Hydraulic Balance - This is a compression pump with a piston mechanism at the top
end which uses the pump discharge pressure to support the thrust load.

• Low Temp - This pump is intended for low temperature application (usually water
source well) and uses standard oil well stages. The base, which adapts to low cost
NEMA type motors from third party vendors, are generally cast and include an
integral intake.
Configurations
• Center Tandem (CT) - This is a pump with flange connections which allow any
number of sections to be connected together. This is the most common type of oil
well submergible pump.

• Lower Tandem (LT) - This pump is assembled with a built- in intake at the base.

• Upper Tandem (UT) - This is a pump with a built- in discharge head.

Design Enhancement
• Abrasive Resistant Zirconia (ARZ) - This pump is designed for operation in heavily
abrasive wells and is used in both floater and compression ring construction. It
utilizes a patented compliant Zirconia bearing system as shown below. All ARZ
pumps incorporate Zirconia bearings in the head and base and in bearing housings
spaced of the shaft and stage subassembly. The increased bearing support and
superior radial support in the head and base provides a much more reliable pump for
abrasive applications.

Illustration of Zirconia Compliant Bearing System Used in ARZ and ES Pumps

• Enhanced Stabilized (ES) - This design is used in applications where a full ARZ
design is not required. The ES is used in both floater and compression ring
construction. The same ARZ compliant bushing design is used in the head and base
of the ES pump. ES pumps are built with lower diffusers that do not have pedestals,
even if the normal diffuser is a pedestal design. The ES is based on the standard
pump design so only the shaft, head and base are changed to ARZ. The ES design
increases the reliability of the standard pump.
 Submergible Pump With Bolt On Intake Attached

Coupling
Head

Bearing Support

Two Piece Ring Compression Tube

Diffuser
Compression
Nut Impeller

Housing

Shaft

Base

Bolt On Intake
 Typical Submergible Pump Installation

Well Head

Well Casing

Tubing

Pump

Intake/Gas
Separator

Protector

Power Cable

Motor
Pump Component Part Descriptions

The Reda submergible pump is composed of several parts. Below is a list of the primary
parts and a brief description of their function.

• Housing - The housing contains the

impellers, diffusers, shaft and all
other related component parts of the
pump. Housings are made of either
carbon steel or ferritic steel. The
head and base of the pump screw
into each end of the housing.

• Head - The head is a machined

carbon or ferritic steel part that
screws into the top of the pump. It
serves as a shaft bearing support, a
flange to connect to another pump
or to the bolt on discharge. The
head and base in combination when
screwed onto the housing, compress
the diffusers preventing them from
rotating inside the housing.

• Base - The base is a machined

carbon or ferritic steel part that
screws into the bottom of the pump.
It serves as a shaft bearing support,
a flange to connect to another pump
or to the bolt on to a gas separator
or intake. The head and base in
combination, when screwed onto
the housing, compress the diffusers
preventing them from rotating
inside the housing.
• Impeller - The impeller is a
precision machined casting or a
molded high performance
engineered thermal plastic
(polyphenylene sulfide) that is fixed Plastic
to the shaft by a key and rotates at
the same speed as the motor. The
most common material utilized is
NiResist, a high nickel content
austenetic gray iron casting
produced in the Reda Singapore
foundry. The material provides
good wear characteristics and
corrosion resistance. The impeller
adds velocity and head (pressure) to
the pumped fluid via centrifugal
force. An impeller is comprised of
NiResist
vanes that create the flow passages
for the fluid, a hub that slides over
and is fixed to the shaft, an upper
and lower shroud that cover the
vanes and thrust washers to absorb
the thrust created by the pumped
fluid.

• Mixed Flow - Fluid flowing

through a mixed flow impeller
moves both radially and axially at
the same time. This pump is the
most suitable and efficient in the
middle flow ranges for a particular
pump size.
• Radial Flow - Flow passages in the
impellers and diffusers are primarily
in a direction radially outward from
the shaft. Fluid exiting radially
from the impeller is quickly turned
180 degrees and flows radially back
toward the shaft. For given pump
size, this type of construction is
most suitable at the lower flow
rates. This type of stage produces
the greatest head (pressure) per unit
length of all stage types, but is less
efficient at higher flow rates. This
impeller is commonly termed
"pancake" since the upper and lower
shrouds are flat like a pancake.

• Compression Impeller - This is an

impeller with a longer hub length
that is fixed to the shaft of a
compression or BFL pump. If the
pump shaft moves up and down, the
impellers move in the same
direction and distance. The
impellers are compressed hub to
hub using a compression nut.

• Floater Impeller - This is an

impeller with a shorter hub length
that will move up and the down on
the keyed pump shaft within the
diffuser.
• Diffuser - The diffuser is a
precision machined casting that
redirects the pumped fluid from the
outside diameter of the impeller to
the inside diameter of the
succeeding impeller converting the
velocity head ge nerated by the
impeller to static head (pressure). It
is fixed (does not rotate) in the
housing when the head and base are
screwed into the housing in
combination with the compression
tube. Note: Some large diameter
pumps do not have housings and the
diffusers are bolted together.

• Lower Diffuser - This is the

diffuser utilized at the bottom or
base of the pump. The lower
shroud has been machined exposing
the vanes.

• Shaft - The shaft transmits the

torque and power from the motor to
rotate the impellers of the pump.
The standard shaft material is
KMonel and the high strength shaft
is made from Inconel. Shafts must
be machined for the keyway,
splined at both ends, two piece rings
and snap ring grooves.
• Bearing Housing - In abrasion
resistant pumps, this machined
NiResist casting is a support
structure for the abrasion resistant
shaft bearings. In contrast to the
stage bearing, the flow passages are
generally similar to a mixed flow
diffuser.

• Bearing Support - This machined

NiResist casting consists of an inner
and outer ring connected by radial
spokes. This commonly referred to
as the "wagon wheel." It is pressed
into the pump head and base and
supports the shaft bearings.

• Compression Tube - This is a tube,

generally stainless steel, that closely
fits inside the pump housing located
between the head and the upper
diffuser. The compression
tube length is determined by the
amount of compression required for
the number of diffusers in the pump
and the length from the threaded
end of the head to the top diffuser.
It is "cut to fit" while the pump is
being assembled. It is critical to
have adequate compression on the
diffusers to prevent them from
spinning during operation of the
pump.
• Stage Bearing - The stage bearing
is used in abrasion resistant pumps
as the support structure for the
zirconia bearing and shaft. In
appearance, it looks very much like
a bearing support or axial flow
diffuser. It is machined from a
NiResist casting.

• Key Stock - This thin, square

Monel strip is utilized for locking
the impeller hub to the pump shaft.

• Snap Ring - The snap ring is a thin

steel part that is inserted onto the
shaft outside diameter (O.D.) to fix
the position of a component onto
the shaft. The snap ring groove
(O.D.) on the shaft is machined
smaller than the shaft O.D.
• Shipping Cap - The NiResist
shipping cap is a machined casting
that is placed on the ends of the
head and base to protect the shaft
during shipment.

• Two Piece Ring - This is a Monel

split ring used in a variety of pumps
where high thrust loads must be
transmitted to or from the shaft.

• Upthrust Washer - This washer is

used on the top of the impeller and
carries any upward axial forces
generated by the impeller. The
washer is generally made from a
phenolic material and is thinner
than the downthrust washer.
• Downthrust Washer - This washer
is used as the bearing surface on the
bottom of the impeller. This is
generally made from a fabric- filled
phenolic material (Synthane). This
washer is thicker than the upthrust
washer.

• Key Stop - The key stop is a

machined part located at the top of a
floater pump and keeps the key in
place. Impellers are fixed to the
shaft by the key. The key-stop also
acts as an up-stop for the shaft and
has a thrust washer between it and
the bearing support of the pump
head. A spacer tube between the
key-stop and the top impeller keeps
the shaft from falling too far when
the pump is hanging vertically.

• Compression Nut - This Monel

threaded nut is used in Compression
(C) and Compression Ring (CR)
style pumps. The nut is used in
conjunction with the compression
sleeve to apply compression to the
impeller string installed on the shaft
to remove all of the gaps between
the impeller hub and/or spacers.
The compression of the impeller
hub to the succeeding impeller hub
"locks" the impellers together and
will not "float" or move up and
down on the shaft individually as
floater pump impellers do.
• Compression Sleeve - This is a
female threaded sleeve used in
Compression (C) and Compression
Ring (CR) style pumps. This is a
machined Monel part that is used
with the compression nut to apply
compression to the impeller string
installed on the shaft to remove all
gaps between the impeller hubs
and/or spacers.

• Housing Shim - This steel shim is

used between the head and base and
housing to obtain the proper shaft
setting.

• Zirconia Bushing - This is a

ceramic bushing utilized in pumps
and other Reda products. It is
white, very hard, has excellent wear
characteristics and is brittle. The
bushing is used in stage bearings of
Abrasion Resistant Zirconia (ARZ)
pumps and Enhanced Stabilized
(ES) pumps.
• Bearing Sleeve - This is the Zirconia
rotating component of the journal
bearing keyed to the shaft used in
abrasive resistant pumps. Sleeves
are made from various materials
such as Zirconia, Silicon Carbide
and Tungsten Carbide (least
common). Silicon
Carbide

• Locking Ring - This machined 416

stainless steel male ring is used in
Compression Ring pumps. It is
threaded into the top end of the
pump housing to allow the diffusers
to be compressed with the pump
head off. The compression ring
allows tightening of the
compression nut after the diffusers
have been compressed.

• Impeller Spacer - The spacer is

keyed to the shaft to take up the
required gap between impellers. It
is only used in pumps where the
impeller hubs do not meet or take
up the required space between the
impeller hubs. The spacer can be
made from various materials based
on stage/pump material. Common
materials are NiResist Type I, 5530
and Ferralium (least common).
• Pump Spacer - The pump spacer is
keyed to the shaft to take up the
required gap between top impeller
or impeller spacer to the
compression nut or key stop. This
machined part is made from
304/316 stainless steel.

Pump Series
• 338 - The pump housing outside diameter is 3.38 inches.
• 400 - The pump housing outside diameter is 4.00 inches.
• 513 - The pump housing outside diameter is 5.13 inches.
• 538 - The pump housing outside diameter is 5.38 inches.
• 562 - The pump housing outside diameter is 5.62 inches.
• 675 - The pump housing outside diameter is 6.75 inches.
• 738 - The pump housing outside diameter is 7.38 inches.
• 862 - The pump housing outside diameter is 8.62 inches.
• 950 - The pump housing outside diameter is 9.50 inches.
• 1000 - The pump housing outside diameter is 10.00 inches.
• 1125 - The pump housing outside diameter is 11.25 inches.