Centrifugal pump with switched reluctance motor drive

A centrifugal pump, particularly of the pitot tube type, is specifically configured and coupled with a switched reluctance motor to provide improved pumping characteristics and economical operating advantages in the pump assembly, including the ability to rapidly decrease pump speed (e.g., from 100% to 10%) in a matter of seconds (i.e., three to six seconds) and, likewise, to rapidly increase (e.g., zero percent to 80% or greater) in a matter seconds (i.e., five to ten seconds), despite the larger mass and inertia characteristics of some centrifugal pumps. The pump assembly of the present invention is also configured to provide a smaller footprint, thereby rendering the pump more suitable to a wider variety of applications than has been previously available to conventional pitot tube pumps. The pump assembly of the present invention is more economical to manufacture and use.