Basic Knowledge: Example

An Olympic size swimming pool measures 50m long,30m wide and a

uniform depth of 2m. The Uniform Building by Laws 1984 require
that the volume of water in the pool must be pumped around once
every 6 hours. If the pumps are located on the floor adjacent to the
pool, drawing water from an adjacent balancing tank which collects
water from the overflow gutters of the pool, determine:

a) The volumetric flow rate capacity of the pump.

b) The suction and discharge pipe diameters if the velocity is restricted
to 1.6ms-1.
c) The total pumping head assuming a static head of 2m and total
equivalent pipe length including fitting losses to be 100m and a
friction factor 0.01.
d) The power input to the pumps assuming an overall efficiency of 75%.
 Chapter 4: Turbomachinery
Objectives

• Identify various types of pumps and turbines, and

understand how they work
• Perform basic vector analysis of the flow into and out of
pumps and turbines
• Apply dimensional analysis to design new pumps or turbines
that are geometrically similar to existing pumps or turbines
• Use specific speed for preliminary design and selection of
pumps and turbines
Categories

• Pump: adds energy to a

fluid, resulting in an
increase in pressure
across the pump.
• Turbine: extracts
energy from the fluid,
resulting in a decrease
in pressure across the
turbine.
 Categories
• For gases, pumps are further broken down into
– Fans: Low pressure gradient, High volume flow rate.
Examples include ceiling fans and propellers.
– Blower: Medium pressure gradient, Medium volume flow
rate. Examples include centrifugal and squirrel-cage
blowers found in furnaces, leaf blowers, and hair dryers.
– Compressor: High pressure gradient, Low volume flow
rate. Examples include air compressors for air tools,
refrigerant compressors for refrigerators and air
conditioners.
Pump Head
• Net Head

• Water horsepower

• Brake horsepower

• Pump efficiency
Dynamic Pumps
• Dynamic Pumps include
– centrifugal pumps: fluid enters
axially, and is discharged radially.
– mixed--flow pumps: fluid enters
axially, and leaves at an angle
between radially and axially.
– axial pumps: fluid enters and
leaves axially.
Centrifugal Pumps
• Snail--shaped scroll
• Most common type of
pump: homes, autos,
industry.
Centrifugal Pumps
 Centrifugal Pumps: Blade
Design

Side view of impeller blade. Vector analysis of leading and

trailing edges.
 Velocity Triangle

 Inlet
 Tangential velocity of impeller
U1 = ωr1
 Absolute velocity vector at α1 to tangent, V1
 Relative velocity to impeller blades
Vr1 = V1-U1
 Components velocity of V1
 Vw1 : whirl velocity (Vt1)
 Vf1 : radial flow velocity (Vn1)
 Inlet blade angle, β1
 Velocity Triangle

 Outlet
 Tangential velocity of impeller
U2 = ωr2
 Absolute velocity vector at α2 to tangent, V2
 Relative velocity to impeller blades
Vr2 = V2-U2
 Components velocity of V2
 Vw2 : whirl velocity (Vt2)
 Vf2 : radial flow velocity (Vn2)
 Outlet blade angle, β2
 Velocity Triangle

 Conservation of mass
Q = 2πr1b1vn1 = 2πr2b2vn2

 “Euler Turbomachine Equation”

Tshaft = ρQ(r2Vt2 – r1Vt1)

Net head, H = 1/g [ωr2Vt2 – ωr1Vt1]

Centrifugal Pumps: Blade
Design
Relation of β2 and HE
 Centrifugal Pumps: Blade
Design

Blade number affects efficiency and introduces circulatory losses (too

few blades) and passage losses (too many blades)
 Example 1

 A centrifugal pump is used to pump 0.009m3s-1 of

water. The water enters the impeller axially through
a 32mm diameter inlet. The inlet velocity is axial and
uniform. The impeller outlet diameter is 100mm.
Flow leaves the impeller at 3ms-1 relative to the
blades, which are radial at the exit. The impeller
speed is 320rads-1. Determine the impeller exit
width, the torque input and the power predicted by
the Euler Turbomachine Equation.
 Example 2

 A CP rotates at N=750 rpm. Water enters the

impeller normal to the blades and exits at angle of
35o from the radial. The inlet radius is r1 = 12cm, at
which the blade width b1 = 18cm. The outlet radius is
r2 = 24cm, at which the blade width is b2 = 14cm. The
volume flow rate is 0.573m3s-1. Assuming 100%
efficiency, determine the net head produced by the
pump and the required brake horsepower.
 Example 3

 A CP running at 3500 rpm pumps water at a rate of

0.01m3s-1. Water enters axially, and leaves the
impeller at 5ms-1 relatives to the blades which are
radial at the exit. If the pump requires 5kW and 67%
efficient, estimate the basic dimensions at the outlet
using the Euler Turbomachine Equation.
 Pump Arrangements

 Parallel
 Series
 Pumps in Series

 When two or more pumps are arranged in series,

the performance curve is obtained by adding the
heads at the same flowrate.
 Centrifugal pump in series are used to overcome
larger system head loss than one pump can
handle alone.
 Pumps in Parallel

 When two or more pumps are arranged in parallel,

the performance curve is obtained by adding the
flowrates at the same head.
 Centrifugal pumps in parallel are used to overcome
larger volume flows than one pump can handle
alone.
 Example

A water supply system requires a head of 1400 cm and flowrate of

720m3/h.

Two identical pumps are to be used to meet the requirements. The

impeller inlet and outlet radius are 100mm and 180mm, while the
widths are 50mm and 30mm, respectively. Water enters axially at the
inlet blade with velocity 7.95m/s when the pump rotates at 1720 rpm.
The water leaves the impeller at =14o . Calculate the head and the
flowrate of the pumps arranged in
(i) parallel
(ii) series

State the arrangement to be used to meet the supply system

requirements. Justify your answer.
 Free Delivery

 When there is no restriction at the pump inlet or

outlet, the free delivery condition is achieved.
 At this point, Q is large (maximum) but Hrequired
is zero.
 Therefore, efficiency of the pump is also zero. Why?
 Shut-Off Head

 The net head when the Q is zero.

 It happens when the outlet of the pump is closed
or blocked off.
 Head, Hrequired is large.
Matching a Pump to a Piping
System
• Pump-performance curves
for a centrifugal pump
• BEP: best efficiency point
• H*, bhp*, V* correspond to
BEP
• Shutoff head: achieved by
closing outlet (Q=0)
• Free delivery: no load on
system (Hrequired = 0)
Matching a Pump to a Piping
System
• Steady operating point:

• Energy equation:
Manufacturer Performance Plot
Homework 1
Reading Assignment: Pump Cavitation
and NPSH
• Cavitation should be avoided due to
erosion damage and noise.
• Cavitation occurs when P < Pv
• Net positive suction head

• NPSHrequired curves are created

through systematic testing over a
range of flow rates V.
 Discuss

Centrifugal pump supplies water at the rate of 400 litres

per second and the pressure difference across the pump
is 200kN/m2. Diameter and width of the impeller at
outlet are 40cm and 10cm respectively. Impeller inlet
diameter is half of the outlet diameter. Assume losses in
casing and impeller are negligible, zero whirl at inlet and
diameter of suction and delivery pipes are equal. If the
blades are radial, determine :
i) The pump power input in horse power if overall
efficiency is 80%.
ii) The impeller speed in rpm.
iii) Inlet blade angle if flow velocity is constant.
Dimensional Analysis
• When plotted in non-
dimensional form, all curves
of a family of geometrically
similar pumps collapse onto
one set of non-dimensional
pump performance curves
• Note: Reynolds number
and roughness can often be
neglected,
 Dimensionless Analysis

 Use Buckingham’s Pi Theorem

 Parameters involved:
Gravitational acceleration, g times Net head, H = gH
Volume flow rate, Q
Diameter of impeller blades, D
Blade surface roughness, ℇ
Impeller rotational speed, ω
Fluid density, ρ
Dynamic Viscosity, μ
 Dimensional Analysis

 How many π groups?

 Dependant variable?
 Repeating variables?
 Non repeating variables?
 Finally, what are the dimensionless groups for a
pump?
 Dimensionless Parameter

 CH = head coefficient
 CQ = capacity coefficient
 CP = power coefficient

 Pump Specific Speed is used to characterize the

operation of a pump at BEP and is useful for
preliminary pump selection.
 Dimensional Analysis
•  analysis gives 3 new nondimensional parameters
– Head coefficient
– Capacity coefficient
– Power coefficient
• Reynolds number also appears, but in terms of
angular rotation
– Reynolds number
• Functional relation is
– Head coefficient
– Power coefficient
Dimensional Analysis
• If two pumps are
geometrically similar, and
• The independent ’s are
similar, i.e.,
CQ,A = CQ,B
ReA = ReB
A/DA = B/DB
• Then the dependent ’s will
be the same
CH,A = CH,B
CP,A = CP,B
 Affinity Laws (Similarity)
• For two homologous states A and B, we can use 
variables to develop ratios (similarity rules, affinity
laws, scaling laws).

• Useful to scale from model to prototype

 Turbine

 A prime mover to subtract energy from fluid

 Energy from water will be changed to mechanical energy (shaft)
 Can be classified into two basic types:
 Impulse turbine
 Reaction turbine
 Impulse Turbine

 The total head available is first converted into kinetic

energy
 The fluid energy which is reduced on passing through the
runner
 It follows that the absolute velocity at outlet is smaller than
the absolute velocity at inlet (jet velocity)
 The fluid pressure is atmospheric throughout, and the
velocity is constant except for a slight reduction due to
friction.
 Impulse Turbine

 Classic example : Pelton wheel (named after Lester

Pelton, 1829-1908)
 High head, low flow rate device

a) A schematic diagram of a Pelton wheel

turbine

b) Photograph of Pelton wheel turbine

Voith Hydro, York
 Pelton Wheel

Main parts:
• Jet nozzle
• Runner
• Bucket
Velocity triangle for Pelton wheel

In Pelton wheel
analysis, we
assume the
relative speed of
the fluid is
constant (no
friction)
 Reaction Turbine

 The rotor is surrounded by a casing (volute) which is

completely filled with the working fluid.
 Low head, high flowrate device
 Example:

 Francis turbines (radial and mixed flow hydraulic turbines)

 Main parts (spiral, guide vanes, runner, draft tube)
 Kaplan turbines (axial flow hydraulic turbines)
 Reaction Turbine

Schematic diagram of reaction

turbine
Reaction turbine
Reaction Turbine

Photograph of a reaction turbine,

Voith Hydro, York
 Reaction Turbine

a) Typical radial-flow Francis turbine

b) Typical axial-flow Kaplan turbine
 Example 1

An inward flow reaction turbine develops a power of 13 MW and uses 12.5

m3/s of water. The runner has a diameter of 1.5 m and rotates at 450 rpm.
Water enters the runner without shock with a velocity of flow of 9.5 m/s
and passes from the runner to the draft tube without whirl with a velocity
of 7.0 m/s. The total differential pressure and potential heads between
the inlet and outlet of the runners is 70 m. Draw the velocity triangles and
determine:

a) The velocity and direction of water entering the runner from the fixed
guide blades
b) The entry angle of the runner blades
c) The head loss in the runner
 Example 2

An inward radial flow reaction turbine is supplied with 0.8 m3/s of water under
effective head of 15 m. the runner is rotating at 320 rpm and its inner and outer
diameters are 0.4 m and 0.8 m respectively . The runner blade width at inlet is
0.1m and the blade inlet angle is 108o to the tangent of the runner. The flow is
discharged radially from the runner to the atmospheric pressure. Given that the
thickness of the blades at inlet to the runner is negligible and the flow component
of velocity is constant through the runner, determine:

a) The inlet guide vane angle for no shock loss in the runner
b) The runner blade outlet angle
c) The output shaft power available from the turbine if the mechanical efficiency
is 90%