How does a centrifugal pump raise the pressure of water?

In a water supply system, a centrifugal pump raises water pressure by converting kinetic energy into pressure head.12

The process functions as follows:

• Energy Addition: A rapidly rotating impeller, equipped with vanes, imparts high velocity to the water as it enters near the center of the device.312
• Radial Movement: The vanes throw the water radially outward toward the surrounding pump casing.31
• Pressure Conversion: In the common volute-style pump, the fluid enters a casing that widens progressively in a spiral shape. This design slows the fluid's speed, which effectively converts its velocity head into increased pressure.31
• System Efficiency: For higher pressure requirements, multiple impellers can be linked in a series, where the outlet of one serves as the inlet for the next. Alternatively, some designs use a ring of fixed vanes (diffusers) to provide a more controlled flow and efficient conversion of velocity into pressure.31

This mechanism allows centrifugal pumps to reliably move large volumes of water through distribution networks.32