Advanced Pressurized Irrigation

Systems
EiT-M, School of Civil Engineering, IEC
April, 2020
 Chapter Four

Pumps for Irrigation

Contents
• Introduction
• Classification of pumps
• Pump performance parameters
• Pump characteristics
• Pump cavitation
• Pump selection
• Pump troubles and solutions
Objectives
• At the end of the chapter, students will be:
• Familiarized with basic concept related to operational characteristics of irrigation
pumps, their design, selection, installation and diagnoses with possible remedies.
Introduction
Concept of a Pump
• The primary function of a pump is to impart energy to the fluid.
• The power source is supplied by a separate unit, which may be a motor or an engine.
• A pump is a device, which converts mechanical energy (in case of engine) or electrical
energy (in case of motor) into hydraulic energy (Karassik, 2001).
Need of Pumping System
• A pumping system is required at various places for different purposes such as to:
• Lift water from one elevation to another elevation
• Move water from one point to another point.
• Circulate water around the cooling system.
• Develop pressure to operate sprinklers or Drip Irrigation System.
Components of a pump
• There are several components of a pump as given in Fig. 1 and are explained below:

Impeller
• It is rotating part of pump or turbine that provides centrifugal
acceleration to the fluids
• Thus, an impeller is a circular metallic disc with a built-in-
passage for the flow of fluid.
• An impeller can be further classified as closed, Semi Open and
Open impellers.
Shaft
• The shaft transfers the torque from motor to the impeller during
startup and operation of pump.
Eye of Impeller
• When the pump operates, water from the source enters the Eye
of Impeller. It is located at the end of suction line before the start
Fig. 1: Components of a pump of wanes of impeller.
Components of a pump
Stuffing Box
• The portion of pump that houses the packing or mechanical seal is called stuffing box.
• It is usually referred to as dry portion of pump.
• The stuffing box is in the back of the impeller and around the shaft.
Casing
• The main function of casing is to enclose the impeller from suction to delivery and therefore, it forms a
pressure vessel for the fluid being pumped.
• The other function includes the provision of support and bearing medium for the shaft and impeller.
• There are two types of casings:
• Volute casing has impellers that get fitted inside the casings. Its main purpose is to help balancing the
hydraulic pressure on the shaft of the pump.
• Circular casing has stationary diffusion vanes surrounding the impeller periphery that converts speed into
pressure energy. These casings are mostly used for multi-stage pumps and can be designed as solid casing
(one fabricated piece) or split casing (two or more parts together)
Components of a pump
Types of impeller
Semi-open Impeller
• If the vanes of the impeller are enclosed by shrouds only
on back side then it is termed as semi-open impeller
• It can work at higher speed. Such
impellers must be adjusted so that the clearance between
the open side of impeller vanes and bowls or volute face
is within a tolerance of 0.1 mm. Fig. 2:Types of Impeller
Open Impeller Closed Impeller
• If the vanes of the impellor are surrounded by
• If an impeller has no shrouds on its both ends, it is known shrouds on both sides then it is called closed
as open impeller impeller
• The open impeller is less likely to be clogged with solids, • These impellers can clog if solids or "stringy
but if it does, it is easy to clean it. materials" are pumped.
• Therefore, they are suitable to pump liquids carrying • It's difficult to clean out these solids from
organic matter, paper pulp or other dense material such as between the shrouds and vanes. Therefore, these
sewage water. are used to pump clear fluids such as clean water.
Classification of pumps
• The classification of pumps may be based on the following factors:
• Energy imparted to the fluids
• Position of pump
• Number of stages
• Geometry of impeller
• The materials or liquids being handled
Classification of pumps
Classification on method of imparting energy to fluids
• Pumps are classified in to two main categories, based on how energy is given to the water:
• Rotodynamic pumps
• Centrifugal pumps,
• Mixed flow pumps,
• Mixed flow bore hole pumps
• Axial pumps
• Positive displacement pumps
• Piston pumps,
• Helical-rotor pumps.
Classification of pumps
Classification on method of imparting energy to fluids
• The principal requirement for pumping equipment used in commercial sprinkler irrigation is
high efficiency against comparatively high pressures.
• This requirement usually limits pumps used for spray systems to rotodynamic pumps.
• Centrifugal pumps are widely used in agriculture and are a good example of the
rotodynamic pump group.
• However, for small systems requiring pump discharges of less than 2 liters per second,
positive displacement pumps can be used under certain conditions.
Classification of pumps
Rotodynamic pumps
• They have a rotating impeller which gives energy to the water.
• The speed and size of the impeller determines the pressure and the
rate of water flow out of the pump.
• The two main types of rotodynamic pumps are the volute pump
and the turbine pump.
• Volute pumps are widely used in irrigation. They are of simple for
construction, the only moving parts being the impeller and shaft.
• The volute pump most often used for irrigation purposes is the
(radial-flow) centrifugal pump.
• It can be installed with the pump shaft in the vertical or horizontal Fig. 3: A typical centrifugal pump
position.
• Its size is specified by the internal diameter at the discharge outlet.
Classification of pumps
Rotodynamic pumps
• The advantages of the centrifugal pump include the following:
• It can be installed above the water surface.
• It can be mounted on skids for rapid removal from danger of floods.
• Not being submerged, it is less liable to corrosion, although most can operate submerged
for short periods without damage.
• It can be installed as a portable unit and used at more than one pumping site.
• Where its use is applicable, it is easy and cheap to install.
• It is cheap to maintain.
Classification of pumps
Turbine pumps
• These are mixed-flow and radial-flow (centrifugal) pumps which direct water to the
discharge outlet with diffusion vanes.
• Since turbine pumps are most often used for pumping from bores, there is a limit on impeller
diameter and the pressure which can be developed at a given speed.
• When high pressures are required from turbine pumps, extra impellers (stages) are added to
the pump.
• Turbine pumps are driven by either a line-shaft or a submersible electric motor mounted
below and close coupled to the pump.
Classification of pumps
Turbine pumps
• The advantages of the turbine pump include:
For bores and wells:
• It can be driven by an engine.
• It is less prone to damage by silt and sand in the water than the electro-submersible pump.
• It is easier to maintain than an electro-submersible unit.
For dams, creeks and rivers:
• The prime mover can be mounted above flood level by extending the drive shaft.
• It can be used for supplies inaccessible to centrifugal pumps which would require too long a
suction pipe.
• It can be used for high pressure conditions beyond the capacity of conventional centrifugal
pumps.
• It can be used to pump silt or sand-laden water unsuitable for an electro-submersible pump.
Classification of pumps
Positive displacement pumps
• The positive displacement (or reciprocating pump) consists of a piston (or displacer) moving
in a cylinder from which liquid enters or leaves through a valve arrangement.
• The positive displacement pump is a low volume, high head pump, and so is not used
extensively in irrigation systems.
• Where these pumps are used, they are most commonly in constant flow systems like drip
irrigation.
• Piston pumps have a horizontal cylinder sealed at both
ends with a piston inside.
• As the piston moves backwards and forwards, water is
drawn in during the suction stroke and discharged during
the compression stroke.
• The discharge pulsates because of this and needs to be
Fig. 4: Piston pump smoothed out using an air chamber in the delivery line.
Pump performance parameters
• The main parameters which describe the performance of a pump are:
• Pumping capacity,
• Pumping head,
• Power,
• Efficiency and
• Net positive suction head
Pump performance parameters
Pumping Capacity
• The capacity of a pump is the volume of water (Q) which the pump can deliver per unit of
time, e.g. in litres per second (litre/sec.) or cubic meters per hour (m3/h).
Example 1
Maize crop of 20 ha is to be irrigated from a submergible pump. The maximum
permissible interval between two irrigations at peak period is 12 days and the depth of
each irrigation is 60 mm. If the maximum allowable operating period of the pump is 10
h/day, determine the pump capacity to meet the water demand of the farm.
Pump performance parameters
Pumping head
• The pumping head (H) is the net work
done on a unit of water by the pump.
• It is expressed by the Bernoulli’s
equation.
P V2 P V2
H= + +Z − + +Z
ρg 2g d
ρg 2g s
P = Water pressure in (kPa, or meters
water column)
𝜌 = density of the fluid in (kg/m3)
g = acceleration due to gravity in (m/sec2)
Fig. 5: Typical pump installation V = Water velocity in (m/sec)
Z =Elevation head in meters relative to a
reference level or datum
Pump performance parameters
Power
• Energy is required, by definition, to do work; the rate at which it is used is defined as power.
• A specific amount of work can be done quickly using a lot of power, or slowly using less
power, but in the end identical amount of energy is required.
• Energy = (head x total weight of water lifted).
• The amount of energy (in joule) applied per unit of time (seconds) is the power imparted to
the water in joule/second = Watt
Phydr =  g H Q
Where,
Phydr = hydraulic or waterpower (Watt)
Q = pumped volume (m3/s)
H = total head (m)
Pump performance parameters
Example 2
A solid set permanent micro irrigation system is installed in a vegetable field of 1 ha area. The
spacing between the micro sprinklers is 2.5 m and spacing between laterals is 5m. The peak
evapotranspiration rate is 10 mm/day. The application efficiency is 80%. Irrigation system
operates 5 hours in a day. The total operating head of the pump is 30 m. Determine the horse
power of the pump at 65% efficiency
Pump performance parameters
Efficiency
• The actual power and energy needs are always greater than the hydraulic energy needed,
because losses inevitably occur when producing and transmitting power or energy due to
friction.
• The smaller the friction losses, the higher the quality of a system. The quality of a system in
terms of minimizing losses is defined as its ‘efficiency’.
• Therefore, the pump efficiency (pump) is the percent of power input by a motor (in kw) to
the pump shaft (the so-called brake power) which is transferred to the water:
𝑃ℎ𝑦𝑑𝑟
𝜂ℎ𝑦𝑑𝑟 = ∗ 100
𝑃𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟
Where,
hydr = pump efficiency
Phydr = water power (kw, hp)
Pmotor = break power (kw, hp)
Pump performance parameters
Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
• NPSH may be defined as total head required to make liquid flow through suction pipe to
impeller of pump.
• The amount of pressure (absolute) or energy required to move the water into the eye of the
impeller is called the Net Positive Suction Head Requirement (NPSHR).
• NPSHR is a characteristic of the pump and a function of the pump speed, the shape and the
discharge of the impeller.
• If the energy available at the intake side is not sufficient to move the water to the eye of the
impeller, the water will vaporize and the pumps will cavitate.
• To avoid cavitation, the NPSHA should be higher than the NPSHR by the pump under
consideration.
 Pump performance parameters
Example 3
A direct driven centrifugal pump coupled to a 3-phase electric motor is installed in a deep open well. The discharge rate of the
pump is 0.018m3/sec. The pump efficiency is 67%. The center line of the pump is 60cm vertically above the static water level
and 6.2m above the pumping water level. The suction pipe is 7.5m long and 8cm in diameter. A foot valve with strainers is
fixed to the bottom of the suction pipe. The suction line is connected to the pump inlet by a long sweep bund of same size as
the suction pipe. The pump discharges to the water to the top of a pump stand of an underground pipe line water distribution
system. The vertical distance between the top of stand and the center line of the pump is 16m. The total length of the 7cm
discharge pipe line is 24m. The pipe fittings on the discharge side are three long sweep bends, one gate valve and one reflux
valve, all of which are of the same size as the discharge pipe. Assume the following valves of head loss

Head loss Head loss on long Head loss in strainer Head loss in foot Head loss in Head loss in reflux
sweep bend (Ks =0.95) valve (Kf =0.8) gate valve valve (Kf =0.8)
Suction pipe 0.41 𝑉2 𝑉2
𝐾𝑠 ∗ 𝐾𝑓 ∗ - -
2𝑔 2𝑔

Discharge pipe 2.07 0.33m 𝑉2

- - 𝐾𝑓 ∗ 2𝑔

From the above data compute

a) total head
b) water horse power
c) brake horse power of the motor driving the pump
Pump performance parameters
Net Positive Suction Head
• The equation for calculating the available NPSH is:
NPSH = Ha − Hs − Hf − Hvp
Where,
Ha = atmospheric pressure on the surface of the water (in m),
Hs = elevation of the water above or below the impeller eye while pumping (in m) (if the
level is above the eye, Hs is positive, if the level is below the eye, Hs is negative),
Hf = friction-head losses in the suction piping (in m),
Hvp = Vapor pressure of the water at the pumping temperature (in m)
Pump cavitation
• In centrifugal pump pressure is lowest at the inlet of impeller and hence vapor bubbles are
formed in the suction region.
• These bubbles are carried along with the flowing liquid to higher pressure region near the
exit of impeller where these vapor bubbles condense and collapse.
• Due to sudden collapsing of bubbles on metallic surface high pressure is created, which
cause pitting action on metallic surface and produces much noise and vibrations.
• Factors that make tendency of cavitation
• High impeller speed
• Small diameter of suction pipe and inlet of impeller
• Too high specific speed
• High temperature of flowing fluid
• Required NPSH ≥ available NPSH
Pump cavitation
• Cavitation effect in centrifugal pump is avoided/minimized by
▪ Maintaining low velocity of liquid in suction pipe
▪ Keeping low temperature of flowing liquid to keep vapor pressure down and to obtain
larger available NPSH
▪ Using suction pipe without sharp bends to reduce loss of head.
• In order to determine whether cavitation will occur in any portion of the suction side of the
pump, the critical value of Thoma’s cavitation factor (σ𝑐 ) is calculated.
Hatm −Hv −Hv −hfs NPSH
σc = =
Hm Hm
Pump cavitation
Example 4
A centrifugal pump is installed above an open water tank. The pump is to provide a flow rate of
0.015 m3/s. Under this flow condition, the pump manufacturer specifies (NPSH)r of 5 m.
Determine the maximum elevation that the pump can be installed above the water free surface
without pump cavitation. The head loss hl in the 100 mm dia. suction pipeline is due to a pump
inlet strainer having a loss coefficient of 15. Other head losses are negligibly small, Patm= 101
kPa, Pυ = 2.3 kPa.
Pump characteristics curves
• Pump manufacturers provide performance characteristics called pump characteristic curves.
• They are a graphical representation of the relationship between the variables involved in
pumping:
• Head
• Discharge
• Speed
• Power
• Cavitation susceptibility (limiting suction lift).
• For centrifugal pumps, the curves simplify the selection process. They can be presented in
either one of two ways:
• At a constant speed with a set of head/discharge curves with various impeller diameters
• A set of head/discharge curves at varying speeds but with a constant impeller diameter
Pump characteristics curves

Figure 6. A typical centrifugal pump performance Figure 7. A set of head/discharge curves at varying
curve operating at constant speed but with speeds but with a constant impeller diameter
different diameter impellers
Pump characteristics curves
• To obtain an operating point on the characteristic curve we must know the pump duty.
• Pump duty is the basis of pump selection, and is the performance required of the pump. It is
expressed in terms of flow rate (or discharge) and the total head (pressure) required.
• For example, in the second performance curve, a flow rate of 4 L/s and a total head of 25 m
requires the pump to be operated at 2100 rpm for an efficiency of about 70%.
Affinity Laws
• Changing the diameter and/or speed of an impeller alters its characteristic curves. This
allows pump manufacturers to use a single impeller for a variety of head and discharge
conditions and pump owners to alter pump performance to match changes in the
configuration and/or operation of their irrigation systems.
• Changes in impeller performance resulting from changes in pump speed can be estimated
using the following equations:
𝑁2
𝑄2 = 𝑄1
𝑁1

𝑁2 2
𝐻2 = 𝐻1
𝑁1

𝑁2 3
𝐵𝑃2 = 𝐵𝑃1
𝑁1

𝑁2 2
𝑁𝑃𝑆𝐻𝑟 2 = 𝑁𝑃𝑆𝐻𝑟 1
𝑁1

Where the subscripts 1 and 2 refer to the original and new performance points.
Affinity Laws
• Changes in pump performance due to changes in impeller diameter can be estimated using
the following equations:
𝐷2
𝑄2 = 𝑄1
𝐷1

𝐷2 2
𝐻2 = 𝐻1
𝐷1

𝐷2 3
𝐵𝑃2 = 𝐵𝑃1
𝐷1

𝐷2 2
𝑁𝑃𝑆𝐻𝑟 2 = 𝑁𝑃𝑆𝐻𝑟 1
𝐷1

Where the subscripts 1 and 2 refer to the original and new performance points.
Affinity Laws
Example 5
An existing irrigation system has a pump which delivers 3000L/minute flow at a total head of
62m. The impeller diameter is 25cm and it is rotated at 1750rpm. A motor with an output shaft
power of 54 metric horse power is required to derive the pump. The existing irrigation system
is modified to incorporate low pressure nozzle and make other reduction in friction head loss.
The required flow rate is unchanged but the discharge pressure requirement is reduced to 50m
head. It is decided to keep the existing pump but to pull and trim to match the new system
requirements.
Determine the impeller diameter required for the new discharge conditions and the metric shaft
horse power necessary to derive the modified pump.
Compute the flow rate which have to be produced by an additional pump to meet the original
discharge requirements when the modified pump is reinstalled.
Pump selection
• Pump selection is the process of choosing the most suitable pump for the irrigation system.
• It involves:
• The specification of the performance requirements of the irrigation system,
• Selecting the required pump type and
• Identifying alternate pumps that meet the requirements of the irrigation system.
• Normally, the most suitable pump is chosen from these pumps on the basis of economics.
Pump selection
Performance requirements
• The discharge and head requirements of the irrigation system must be known to select the
most suitable pump(s).
• In systems where discharge and/or head requirements vary (depending on the number and
identity of the fields being irrigated, for example), the range of discharges and/or heads
required by the irrigation system must be determined.
Pump selection
Pump types
• Horizontal volute and vertical diffuser (turbine) pumps are the main pump types used with
farm irrigation systems.
• Because horizontal volute pumps are usually less expensive and cost less to install (than
vertical pumps) they are normally used whenever possible. Vertical turbine pumps, which
can be positioned below the water surface, are used in deep wells or with surface sources
where it is not practical (economical) to position horizontal volute pumps so that their
NPSHr needs are provided.
• Vertical turbine pumps are also used to eliminate the need for priming horizontal pumps
• Available net positive suction head (NPSHa) is often used to determine if a pump’s NPSHr
can be provided.
• A pump will operate without cavitation for all discharges where NPSHa≥ NPSHr
Pump selection
Identifying suitable pumps
• Manufacturer catalogues are consulted to identify pumps of the proper type that are capable
of supplying the discharge and head requirements of the irrigation system.
• Most pump catalogs have tables or graphs similar to Figure 4.16 to direct catalog users to
pumps with the desired capacity and head combinations.
• Characteristic curves for these pumps are examined to determine which of these pumps are
suitable for the irrigation system.

Figure 8: Typical diagram from a pump catalog for directing catalog users to
pump with the desired combination of head and capacity. The letters A through
K denote different pump models
Pump selection
Selecting the most suitable pump or combination of pumps
• Economics is often the primary criterion for selecting the most suitable pump or
combination of pumps for a farm irrigation system.
• In such cases, a detailed analysis of the total annual ownership and operational costs is
necessary. In other situations, minimizing energy use or first cost may be more important.
• Selection criteria must be specified before the most suitable pump or combination of pumps
can be selected.
Pump troubles and solutions
• The following can serve as directives for the maintenance of the centrifugal pumps:
• Check the alignment every six months.
• Pumps are lubricated by oil or grease, and this needs to be checked regularly.
• Inspect all wearing parts regularly and do a simple pressure test by just closing the sluice
valve and taking a reading on the pressure meter that is installed upstream of the sluice
valve.
• Inspect the gland (mechanical) seal regularly. It must leak slightly, because the shaft is
lubricated and cooled by water. Also feel the pump for excessive vibration.
Pump troubles and solutions
Troubleshooting
• The following is the general guidelines to identify and remove the common troubles in the sprinkler systems:
Pump does not develop pressure
• Check that the suction lift is within the limits. If not get the pump closer to the water.
• Check the suction pipeline and all connections for air leaks. All connections and flanges should be air
tight.
• Check that the strainer on the foot valve is not blocked.
• Check that the flap in the foot valve is free to open fully.
• Check the pump gland (s) for air leaks. If air leaks are suspected tighten the gland (s) gently. If necessary
repack the gland (s) using a thick grease to seal the gland satisfactorily.
• Check that the gate valve on the delivery pipe is fully closed during priming and opens fully when the
pump is running.
• Check that the direction of rotation of the pump is correct.
Pump troubles and solutions
Pump troubleshooting
Problem Possible causes Solution
Pump does not deliver water Pump is not sufficiently Switch off pump and de-
deaerated. Air is trapped in aerate thoroughly
suction pipe
Pump does not deliver the
Foot valve or sieve in front of
correct amount of water and Clean foot valve or sieve
suction pipe inlet blocked
/or pressure
Ensure there is enough water
Pump loses water after Suction pipe inlet not deep
in pump sump and suction is
switch-on enough under water
deep enough under water
Pump vibrates excessively or
NPSH exceeded Lower pump
generates excessive noise