A centrifugal pump is one of the simplest pieces of equipment.  Its purpose is to convert energy of an electric motor or engine into velocity or kinetic energy and then into pressure of a fluid that is being pumped.  The energy changes occur into two main parts of the pump, the impeller and the volute. The impeller is the rotating part that converts driver energy into the kinetic energy.  The volute is the stationary part that converts the kinetic energy into pressure.

There are three types of centrifugal pumps: 

Radial Flow -  a centrifugal pump in which the pressure is developed wholly by centrifugal force.

Mixed Flow - a centrifugal pump in which the pressure is developed partly by centrifugal force and partly by the lift of the vanes of the impeller on the liquid.

Axial Flow - a centrifugal pump in which the pressure is developed by the propelling or lifting action of the vanes of the impeller on the liquid