Centrifugal pump

Hardik Goswami
Mechanical Engg. Department, SOT
PDPU, Gandhinagar
 Introduction
• The hydraulic machine which converts the
mechanical energy into hydraulic energy are
called pumps.
• If the mechanical energy converted into
pressure energy by means of centrifugal force
acting on the fluid, the hydraulic machine is
called centrifugal pump
 Application of centrifugal pump
1. Boiler feed applications, water supply (municipal,
industrial)
2. Wastewater management, irrigation, sprinkling,
drainage and flood protection
3. The mining industry uses centrifugal pumps as froth
pumps, separating bitumen and minerals from clay
and sand. They also use them to transport solids and
slurries
4. Secondary systems - coolant recirculation,
condensate transport, cryogenics, refrigerants.
 Main parts of centrifugal pump

1. Suction pipe
2. Impeller
3. Casing
4. Delivery pipe
Suction pipe with a foot valve and a
strainer
 Impeller
The rotating parts of a centrifugal pump is called impeller. It consists of a
series of backward curved vanes. The impeller is mounted on shaft which
is connected to the shaft of an electric motor.
 Casing
1. Volute casing
2. Vortex casing
3. Casing with guide blades
 Definition of head and efficiency of
centrifugal pump
1. Suction Head:- Vertical height of center line of centrifugal
pump above the water surface to the pump from which water
to be lifted.
2. Delivery Head:- Vertical distance between center line of the
pump and the water surface in the tank to which water is
delivered.
3. Static Head:- Sum of suction head and delivery head.
4. Manometric Head:- The head against which a centrifugal
pump has to work.
Hm=hs+hd+hfs+hfd+(Vd)^2/2g
 Pressure Changes in of Centrifugal Pump
hfd

Hd hd
H
Discharge
Pressure Gauge
h Suction
Pressure Gauge
Manometric Head (Hm):
Head developed by pump or The head at which
Hs hs Centrifugal pump has to work or Total Dynamic
Head (TDH)
hfs
Vd 2
H m  hs  h fs  hd  h fd 
2g
Velocity Diagrams: Inlet and Exit
Work Done for Centrifugal Pumps
Rate of Change of Angular Momentum:

m Vw2 R2 Vw1R1   Q Vw2 R2 Vw1R1 

From momentum theorem, change of angular momentum equals to torque
exerted by impeller on fluid.

T Torque  Q Vw2 R2 Vw1R1 

Energy transfer:
Energy transfer = torque x rotational speed in rad/s

E  Q Vw2 R2  Vw1R1  

E  Q Vw2U2 Vw1U1 
Work Done for Centrifugal Pumps

A centrifugal pump rarely has any sort of guide vanes at inlet. The fluid
therefore approaches the impeller without appreciable whirl and so the inlet
angle of the blades is designed to produce a right-angled velocity triangle at
inlet

E  m Vw2U2 

Energy Transfer per Unit Weight (Euler Head):

Vw 2U 2  Vw1U1
He 
g

For axial flow condition

Vw 2U 2
He 
g
Discharge and Power of Centrifugal Pump

Discharge:

Q   D1bV
1 f 1   D2b2V f 2

Power required to drive the pump:

P   gQH m
 Efficiency of Centrifugal Pump

Mechanical Efficiency: Ratio of power available at impeller to power

supplied to shaft of the pump

mVw 2U 2
m 
SP

Shaft power = impeller power + mechanical losses

Manometric Efficiency: Ratio of water power to impeller power or the

ratio of manometric head to the head imparted
bynthe impeller to water.

Power developed by pump =  g Q Hm Hm

man 
Vw2U 2
Impeller power = m Vw2 U2
g
 Efficiency of Centrifugal Pump

Overall Efficiency: Ratio of water power to to shaft of the pump

 gQH m
o 
SP

o  manm
Ex 1: A centrifugal pump having outer diameter equal to two
times the inner diameter and running at 1000 rpm works
against a total head of 40 m. The velocity of flow through the
impeller is constant and equal to 2.5m/s. The vane set back at
angle of 40° at outlet. If the outer diameter of the impeller is
500 mm and width at outlet is 50mm,determine
1.Vane angle at inlet
2.Work done by impeller on water per sec
3. Manometric efficiency
Ex2: In previous example determine loss of head at inlet
to impeller when the discharge is reduced by 40%
without changing the speed
 Minimum speed of the Pump
If the pressure rise in the impeller is more than or equal to manometric
head (Hm) ,the centrifugal pump start delivering water.

120  man  Vw 2  D2
N
( D2  D1 )
2 2
Ex 3:
A centrifugal pump with 1.2m diameter runs at 200 rpm and
pumps 1880 lit/s, The average lift being 6m.The angle which
the vanes make at exit with the tangent to the impeller is 26°
and the radial velocity of flow is 2.5m/s. Determine the
manometric efficiency and the least speed to start pumping
against a head of 6m,the inner diameter of the impeller being
0.6m.
 Multistage centrifugal pump
If a centrifugal pump consists of two or more impellers, the pump
is called a multistage centrifugal pump. The impeller may be
mounted on same shaft or on different shaft. A multistage pump
having two following main functions,

1.To produce a high head

2.To discharge a large quantity of liquid
Multistage centrifugal pumps for high head

The total head developed = n x Hm

 Multistage centrifugal pumps for high discharge
The total discharge = n x Q
Working properties of centrifugal pump

1.Speed ratio:
The speed ratio is the ratio of peripheral speed at exit to the theoretical
velocity corresponds to manometric head. It varies from 0.95 to1.25.

u2
Ku 
(2 gH m )0.5

2.Flow ratio:
The speed ratio is the ratio of velocity of the flow at exit to the theoretical
velocity corresponds to manometric head. It varies from 0.1 to 0.25.

Vf 2
Kf 
(2 gH m )0.5
Specific Speed of Centrifugal Pump
Specific speed is a concept developed for water turbines in 1915, which
was later applied to centrifugal pumps (Stepanoff, 1948). Specific speed
is a way to “normalize” the performance of these hydraulic machines.

The specific speed of centrifugal pump is defined as the speed of

geometrical similar pump which would deliver one cubic meter of
liquid per second against head of one meter.
Model testing of centrifugal pump
1 ( N s )m  ( N s ) p

2. Hm Hm
( )m  ( )p
DN DN

3. Q Q
( 3 )m  ( 3 ) p
DN DN

P P
4. ( 5 3 )m  ( 5 3 ) p
D N D N
Ex: 4
A one fifth scale model of a pump was tested in a laboratory at 1000 r.p.m.
The head developed and power input at the best efficiency point were
found to be 8m and 30kW respectively. If the prototype pump has to work
against a head of 25m, determine its working speed, the power required to
drive it and the ratio of the flow rates handled by the two pumps.
 Priming of a centrifugal pump

Priming of centrifugal pump is defined as the operation in which the

suction pipe, casing of the pump and a portion up to the delivery valve
is completely filled with liquid to be pump before starting the pump.

• Priming involves the filling the liquid in suction pipe and casing
upto the level of delivery valve so that no air pockets are left in the
system. if any air or gas pockets are left in this portion of pump, it
may result into no delivery of liquid by the pump.
Characteristics curves of centrifugal pump
1.Main characteristics curves
2.Operating characteristics curves
3.Constant efficiency of Muschel curves

1.Main characteristics curves 2.Operating characteristics curves

3.Constant efficiency or Muschel curves
Cavitation
Cavitation is the formation of vapor bubbles of a flowing liquid in a region
where the pressure of the liquid falls below its vapor pressure.

Effect of Cavitation

1. Loss in efficiency of the performance of hydraulic machines like turbines,

pumps & Propellers.
2. Production of the noise, which is undesirable in the case of submarines.
3. Increase in the drag force of cavitating parts
4. Undesirable vibrations due to collapse of the bubbles are due to shock
waves set up.
5. Material damage due to erosion.
•Thoma’s cavitation factor for reaction turbine

H atm  H v  H s

H
Hatm= Atmospheric pressure head in m of the water
Hv = Vapour pressure head in m of water
H = Net head in m of water
Hs = Suction pressure head at the exit of turbine in m

•Thoma’s cavitation factor for centrifugal pump

H atm  H v  H s  hLS

H
hls =head lost due to friction in suction pipe
H=head devloped
For Francis turbine

 c  43110 8 N s 2

For Propeller turbine

1 ( N s / 380.78) 2
 c  0.28 
7.5
A SUPERCAVITATING OBJECT is a high speed submerged object that is designed to
initiate a cavitation bubble at the nose which extends past the end of the object
substantially reducing the skin friction drag that would be present if the sides of the
object were in contact with the liquid in which the object is submerged. A key
feature of the supercavitating object is the nose (cavitator), which may be shaped
as a flat disk or cone behind which the cavitation bubble forms. If the bubble is of
insufficient length to encompass the object, especially at slower speeds, the bubble
can be enlarged and extended by injection of high pressure gas near the object's
nose.

Note: For information only

 VA 111 Shkval(squall) Torpedo

Shkval is designed as a countermeasure against torpedoes launched by undetected enemy

submarines. The speed of the VA-111 far exceeds that of any standard torpedo currently
fielded by NATO. This speed is a result of supercavitation: the torpedo is, in effect, flying in a
gas bubble created by outward deflection of water by its specially shaped nose cone and the
expansion of gases from its engine. By keeping water from coming into contact with the
surface of the body of the torpedo, drag is significantly reduced, allowing extremely high
speeds.
Note: For information only
Maximum Suction lift (suction height)

hs  Ha  Hv  vs  hfs 2

Ha=Atmospheric pressure head

Hv=vapor pressure head 1-1
Vs=velocity in suction pipe
hfs= Frictional loss in suction pipe
NET POSITIVE SUCTION HEAD (NPSH)

The term NPSH is very commonly used in pump industry. Actually the
minimum suction condition are more frequently specified in terms of NPSH.

The NPSH is defined as the absolute pressure head at the inlet to the pump,
minus the vapor pressure head plus the velocity head

NPSH  Ha  Hv  hs  hfs

1. From above equation NPSH available can be calculated and NPSH

required for any pump is given by pump manufacturer .
2. To have capitation free operation , the available NPSH should be greater
than the NPSH required
 Cavitation in centrifugal pump

Thoma’s cavitation factor

H atm  H v  H s  hLS

H
NPSH

Hm
Critical Thoma’s critical factor

 c  1.03 103  ( N s ) 4/3

Ex:5
A centrifugal pump rotating at 1000 rpm delivers 160lit/s of water against a head
of 30m. The pump is installed at a palace where atmosphere pressure is 10^5 Pa.
And vapor pressure of water is 3kPa. The head loss in in suction pipe is equivalent
to 0.2m of water. Calculate
1.Minimum NPSH
2.Maximum allowable height of the pump from free surface of water in the pump.