PUMPS AND TURBINES

Objectives
1) To understand the role of pumps and turbines as energy-conversion devices and use,
appropriately, the terms head, power and efficiency.
2) To know the main types of pumps and turbines and the distinction between impulse and
reaction turbines and between radial, axial and mixed-flow devices.
3) To match pump characteristics and system characteristics to determine the duty point.
4) To calculate characteristics for pumps in series and parallel and use the hydraulic
scaling laws to calculate pump characteristics at different speeds.
5) To select the type of pump or turbine on the basis of specific speed.
6) To understand the mechanics of a centrifugal pump and an impulse turbine.
7) To recognize the problem of cavitation and how it can be avoided.

1. Energy conversion
1.1 Pumps and turbines
1.2 Pump head
1.3 Power
1.4 Losses
1.5 Efficiency

2. Types of pumps and turbines

2.1 Impulse and reaction turbines
2.2 Positive-displacement and dynamic pumps
2.3 Radial, axial and mixed-flow devices
2.4 Common types of turbine

3. Pump and system characteristics

3.1 Pump characteristics

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3.2 System characteristics
3.3 Finding the duty point
3.4 Pumps in parallel and in series

4. Hydraulic scaling
4.1 Dimensional analysis
4.2 Change of speed
4.3 Specific speed

5. Mechanics of rotordynamic devices

5.1 Centrifugal pump
5.2 Pelton wheel

6. Cavitation
6.1 Net Positive Suction Head

References
White (2006) – Chapter 11
Hamill (2001) – Chapter 11
Chadwick and Morfett (2004) – Chapter 7
Massey (2005) – Chapter 12
Lecture materials by David Apsley

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

1. Energy Conversion
1.1 Pumps and Turbines
Pumps and turbines are energy conversion devices:
pumps turn electrical or mechanical energy into fluid energy;
turbines turn fluid energy into electrical or mechanical energy.

The energy per unit weight is the head,

The first two terms on the RHS comprise the piezometric head. The last term is the dynamic
head.
1.2 Head of pump
The head of a centrifugal pump may be expressed in the following two ways:

(a) Static head,

(b) Manometric head (or total head or gross head or effective head).

Static Head; the static head is the vertical distance between the liquid surfaces in the sump and
the tank to which the liquid is delivered by the pump, Thus if hs is the vertical height of the
centre line of the pump shaft above the liquid surface in the sump from which the liquid is being
raised; and hd is the vertical height of the liquid surface in the tank to which the liquid is
delivered above the centre line of the pump shaft, then the static head (or lift) Hs may be
expressed as

H = hs + hd

The term hs is known as static suction lift, and hd is known as static delivery lift. Thus static head
(or lift) is the net total vertical height through which the liquid is lifted by the pump.

Manometric head; it is the total head that must be produced by the pump to satisfy the external
requirements. If there are no energy losses in the impeller and the casing of the pump, then the
manometric head Hm will be equal to the energy given to the liquid by the impeller and can be
expressed as:

Hm = hs + hd + hL + v2/2g

Hm = Static head + friction and minor head loss in suction and delivery pipes + the velocity head
in the delivery pipe,

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1.3 Power
Power = rate of conversion of energy. If a mass m is raised through a height H it gains energy
mgH.

If it does so in time t then the rate of conversion is mgH/t.

For a fluid in motion the mass flow rate (m/t) is ρQ. The rate of conversion to or from fluid
energy when the total head is changed by H is, therefore, ρQ´gH

1.4 Losses
The various losses occurring during the operation of a centrifugal pump may be classified as
follows:

1. Hydraulic losses. 2. Mechanical losses. 3. Leakage loss.

Hydraulic losses; the hydraulic losses that may occur in a centrifugal pump installation may
include hydraulic losses that may occur in the pump. The hydraulic losses that may occur within
the pump consist of shock or eddy losses at the entrance to and the exit from the impeller,
friction losses in the impeller, friction and eddy losses in the guide vanes (or diffuser) and casing.

Mechanical losses; the mechanical losses occur in the centrifugal pump on account of the
following: disc friction between the impeller and the liquid which fills the clearance spaces
between the impeller and the casing, mechanical friction of the main bearings and glands.

Leakage loss; in centrifugal pumps as ordinarily built, it is not possible to provide a completely
water tight seal between the delivery and suction spaces. As such there is always a certain
amount of liquid which slips or leaks from the high pressure to the low pressure points in the
pump and it never passes through the delivery pipe. The liquid which escapes or leaks from a
high pressure zone to a low pressure zone carries with it energy which is subsequently wasted in
eddies. This loss of energy due to leakage of liquid represents the leakage loss.

1.5 Efficiency
Efficiency, ɳ, is given by

Where “powerout” refers to the useful power; i.e. excluding losses.

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For turbines:

Types of efficiencies
The efficiency of a centrifugal pump is expressed in the following form as:

(i) Manometric efficiency, (ii) Volumetric efficiency, (iii) Mechanical efficiency, (iv) Overall
efficiency.

Manometric efficiency; the manometric efficiency ηmano is defined as the ratio of the manometric
head developed by the pump to the head imparted by the impeller to the liquid. Thus Hlosses in the
pump

Volumetric efficiency; the volumetric efficiency ηv is defined as the ratio of the quantity of liquid
discharged per second from the pump to the quantity passing per second through the impeller. As
stated earlier these two quantities differ by the rate ΔQ at which the liquid from the impeller
leaks through the clearances between the impeller and the casing and finds its way back to the
eye of the impeller. Thus

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Mechanical efficiency; the mechanical efficiency ηmech is defined as the ratio of the power
actually delivered by the impeller to the power supplied to the shaft by the prime mover or
motor.

Overall efficiency; the overall efficiency (ηo) of the pump is defined as the ratio of the power
output from the pump to the power input from the prime mover driving the pump.

The overall efficiency is also equal to the product of all the three efficiencies described above.

Example 1.1
A pump lifts water from a large tank at a rate of 0.3m3/s. If the input power is 1,000 kW and the
pump is operating at efficiency (ɳ) of 40%, find:
I. The head developed across the pump;
II. The maximum height to which it can raise water if the delivery pipe is vertical, with
diameter 100 mm and friction factor, ƛ, = 0.015.

2. Types of Pumps and Turbines

2.1 Impulse and reaction turbines

In a pump or turbine a change in fluid head:

It may be brought about by a change in pressure or velocity or both.

An impulse turbine (e.g. Pelton wheel; water wheel) is one where the change in head is brought
about primarily by a change in velocity. This usually involves unconfined free jets of water (at
atmospheric pressure) impinging on moving vanes.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

A reaction turbine (e.g. Francis turbine; Kaplan turbine; windmill) is one where the change in
head is brought about primarily by a change in pressure.

2.2 Positive-Displacement and Dynamic pumps

Postive-displacement pumps operate by a change in volume; energy conversion is intermittent.
Examples in the human body include the heart (diaphragm pump) and the intestines (peristaltic
pump). In a reciprocating pump (e.g. a bicycle pump) fluid is sucked in on one part of the cycle
and expelled (at higher pressure) in another. In dynamic pumps there is no change in volume and
energy conversion is continuous.

Bicycle pump Human heart

Most pumps are rotodynamic devices where fluid energy is exchanged with the mechanical
energy of a rotating element (called a runner in turbines and an impeller in pumps), with a
further conversion to or from electrical energy. Note that, for gases, pumps are usually referred
to as fans (for low pressures), blowers or compressors (for high pressures).

2.3 Radial, Axial and Mixed-Flow Devices

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The terms radial and axial refer to the change in direction of flow through a rotodynamic device
(pump or turbine):

In a centrifugal pump flow enters along the axis and is expelled radially. (The reverse is true for
a turbine.)

An axial-flow pump is like a propeller; the direction of the flow is unchanged after passing
through the device.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

A mixed-flow device is a hybrid device, used for intermediate heads.

In many cases – notably in pumped-storage power stations – a device can be run as either a pump
or a turbine.

Inward-flow reaction turbine « centrifugal pump (high head / low discharge)

(e.g. Francis turbine)

Propeller turbine « axial-flow pump (low head / high discharge)

(e.g. Kaplan turbine; windmill)

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

2.4 Common Types of Turbine
Pelton wheels are impulse turbines used in hydroelectric plant where there is a very high head of
water (e.g. in the Austrian Alps). Typically, 1 – 6 high-velocity jets of water impinge on buckets
mounted around the circumference of a runner.

Many large hydropower projects (e.g the Hoover Dam) use Francis turbines, with an efficiency
in excess of 90%. Such moderate- to high-head turbines are also used in pumped storage power
stations (e.g. Dinorwig and Ffestiniog in Wales; Foyers in Scotland), which pump water uphill
during periods of low energy demand and then run the system in reverse to generate power
during the day, so smoothing the power demands on fossil-fuelled and nuclear power stations
which are not easily brought in and out of operation. Francis turbines are like centrifugal pumps
in reverse.

Kaplan turbines are axial-flow (propeller) turbines. They consist of rotor and stator, with the
blades of the latter angled to ensure that flow runs smoothly onto the rotor. In the Kaplan design
the blades are adjustable to ensure efficient operation under a variety of discharges.

Wells turbines were specifically developed for wave-energy applications. They have the property
that they rotate in the same direction irrespective of the flow direction. Bulb generators are large-
diameter variants of the Kaplan propeller turbine, which are suitable for the low-head, high-
discharge applications in tidal barrages (e.g. La Rance in France).

The Archimedes screw has been used since ancient times to raise water. It is widely used in water
treatment plants because it can accommodate submerged debris. Recently, there has been interest
in running such devices in reverse as turbines on weirs in the north of England.

3. Centrifugal pumps

A centrifugal pump is also known as a Rotodynamic pump or dynamic pressure pump. It works
on the principle of centrifugal force. In this type of pump the liquid is subjected to whirling
motion by the rotating impeller which is made of a number of backward curved vanes. The liquid
enters this impeller at its center or the eye and gets discharged into the casing enclosing the outer
edge of the impeller. The rise in the pressure head at any point/outlet of the impeller is
Proportional to the square of the tangential velocity of the liquid at that point). Hence at the
outlet of the impeller where the radius is more the rise in pressure head will be more and the
liquid will be discharged at the outlet with a high pressure head. Due to this high pressure head,
the liquid can be lifted to a higher level. Generally centrifugal pumps are made of the radial flow
type only. But there are also axial flow or propeller pumps which are particularly adopted for
low heads.

Advantages of centrifugal pumps:-

1. Its initial cost is low
2. Efficiency is high.
3. Discharge is uniform and continuous
4. Installation and maintenance is easy.

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5. It can run at high speeds without the risk of separation of flow

Classification of centrifugal pumps

Centrifugal pumps may be classified
Into the following types
1. According to casing design
a) Volute pump b) diffuser or turbine pump

2. According to number of impellers

a) Single stage pump b) multistage or multi impeller pump

3. According to number of entrances to the impeller:

a) Single suction pump
b) Double suction pump

4. According to disposition of shaft

a) Vertical shaft pump
b) Horizontal shaft pump

5. According to liquid handled

a) Semi-open impeller
b) Open impeller pump

6. According to specific speed

a) Low specific speed or radial flow impeller pump
b) Shrouded impeller
c) Medium specific speed or mixed flow impeller pump
c) High specific speed or axial flow type or propeller pump.

7. According to head (H)

• Low head if H<15m
• Medium head if 15<H<40m
• High head if H>40m

In the case of a volute pump a spiral casing is provided around the impeller. The water which
leaves the vanes is directed to flow in the volute chamber circumferentially. The area of the
volute chamber gradually increases in the direction flow. Thereby the velocity reduces and hence
the pressure increases. As the water reaches the delivery pipe a considerable part of kinetic
energy is converted into pressure energy. However, eddies are not completely avoided, therefore
some loss of energy takes place due to the continually increasing quantity of water through the
volute chamber. In the case of a diffuser pump the guide wheel containing a series of guide vanes
or diffuser is the additional component. The diffuser blades which provide gradually enlarging
passages surround the impeller periphery. They serve to augment the process of pressure built up
that is normally achieved in the volute casing. Diffuser pumps are also called turbine pumps in
view of their resemblance to a reaction turbine. Multistage pumps and vertical shaft deep-well
pumps fall under this category.

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Centrifugal pumps can normally develop pressures upto 1000kpa (100m). If higher pressures are
required there are three options.
a) Increase of impeller diameter.
b) Increase of Rpm.
c) Use of two or more impellers in series.

The pump looks clumsy in option (a). The impeller material is heavily stressed in option
(b) The third choice is the best and is generally adopted. The impellers which are usually of the
same size are mounted on the same shaft. The unit is called a multistage pump. It discharges the
same quantity of fluid as a single stage pump but the head developed is high. There are
centrifugal pumps upto 54 stages. However, generally not more than 10 stages are required. In
the case of the double suction impeller, two impellers are set back to back. The two suction eyes
together reduce the intake. The two suction eyes together reduce the intake velocity reduce the
risk of cavitation. Mixed flow type double suction axial flow pumps besides are capable of
developing higher heads. For convenience of operation and maintenance, horizontal shaft
settings are the preferred setups for centrifugal pumps. The exceptions are deep-well turbine
pumps and axial flow pumps, these have vertical shafts. Restricted space conditions usually
require a vertical shaft setting. Centrifugal impellers usually have vanes fitted between the
shrouds or plate.

The crown plate has the suction eye and the base plate is mounted on a sleeve which is keyed to
the shaft. An impeller without the crown plate is called the non-clog or semiopen impeller. In an
open impeller both crown plate and the base plate are absent. Only clear liquids can be safely
pumped by a shrouded impeller pump. The semi-open impeller is useful for pumping liquids
containing suspended solids, such as sewage, molasses or paper pulp. The open-vane impeller
pump is employed for dredging operations in harbours and rivers. Shrouded and semi open
impellers may be made of cast iron Or cast steel. Open vane impellers are usually made of forged
steel. If the liquid pumped are corrosive, brass, bronze or gun metal are the best materials for
making the impellers.

A radial flow impeller has small specific speeds (300 to 1000) & is suitable for discharging
relatively small quantities of flow against high heads. The direction of flow at exit of the
impeller is radial. The mixed flow type of impellers has a high specific speed (2500 to 5000), has
large inlet diameter D and impeller width B to handle relatively large discharges against medium
heads. The axial flow type or propeller impellers have the highest speed range (5000 to 10,000).
They are capable of pumping large discharges against small heads. The specific speed of radial
pump will be 10<Ns<80, Axial pump 100<Ns<450, Mixed flow pump 80<Ns<160.

3.1 Components of a centrifugal pump

The main components of a centrifugal pump are:
i) Impeller ii) Casing iii) Suction pipe iv) Foot valve with strainer, v) Delivery pipe vi) Delivery
valve.

Impeller is the rotating component of the pump. It is made up of a series of curved vanes. The
impeller is mounted on the shaft connecting an electric motor.

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Casing is an air tight chamber surrounding the impeller. The shape of the casing is designed in
such a way that the kinetic energy of the impeller is gradually changed to potential energy. This
is achieved by gradually increasing the area of cross section in the direction of flow.
Suction pipe is the pipe connecting the pump to the sump, from where the liquid has to be lifted
up.
Foot valve with strainer the foot valve is a non-return valve which permits the flow of the
liquid from the sump towards the pump. In other words the foot valve opens only in the upward
direction. The strainer is a mesh surrounding the valve, it prevents the entry of debris and silt
into the pump.
Delivery pipe is a pipe connected to the pump to the overhead tank.
Delivery valve is a valve which can regulate the flow of liquid from the pump.

3.2 Priming of a centrifugal pump

Priming is the process of filling the suction pipe, casing of the pump and the delivery pipe upto
the delivery valve with the liquid to be pumped. If priming is not done the pump cannot deliver
the liquid due to the fact that the head generated by the Impeller will be in terms of meters of air
which will be very small (because specific weight of air is very much smaller than that of water).

Priming of a centrifugal pump can be done by any one of the following methods:
i) Priming with suction/vacuum pump.
ii) Priming with a jet pump.
iii) Priming with separator.
iv) Automatic or self priming.

3.3 Heads on a centrifugal pump:

Suction head (hs): it is the vertical distance between the liquid level in the sump and the centre
line of the pump. It is expressed as meters.
Delivery head (hd): It is the vertical distance between the centre line of the pump and the liquid
level in the overhead tank or the supply point. It is expressed in meters.
Static head (Hs): It is the vertical difference between the liquid levels in the overhead tank and
the sump, when the pump is not working. It is expressed as meters.
Therefore, HS= (hs+ hd)
Friction head (hf): It is the sum of the head loss due to the friction in the suction and delivery
pipes. The friction loss in both the pipes is calculated using the Darcy’s equation,
hf=(fLV2/2gD).
Total head (H): It is the sum of the static head Hs, friction head (hf) and the velocity head in the
delivery pipe (Vd2/2g). Where, Vd=velocity in the delivery pipe.

Manometric head (Hm): It is the total head developed by the pump. This head is slightly less
than the head generated by the impeller due to some losses in the pump

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Working of a centrifugal pump:
A centrifugal pump works on the principal that when a certain mass of fluid is rotated by an
external source, it is thrown away from the central axis of rotation and a centrifugal head is
impressed which enables it to rise to a higher level.

Working operation of a centrifugal pump is explained in the following steps.

1) Close the delivery valve and prime the pump.
2) Start the motor connected to the pump shaft, this causes an increase in the impeller pressure.
3) Open the delivery valve gradually, so that the liquid starts flowing into the deliver pipe.
4) A partial vacuum is created at the eye of the centrifugal action the liquid rushed from the
sump to the pump due to pressure difference at the two ends fo the suction pipe.
5) As the impeller continues to run, move & more liquid is made available to the pump at its eye.
Therefore impeller increases the energy of the liquid and delivers it to the reservoir.
6) While stopping the pump, the delivery valve should be closed first, otherwise there may be
back flow from the reservoir.

It may be noted that a uniform velocity of flow is maintained in the delivery pipe. This is due to
the special design of the casing. As the flow proceeds from the tongue of the casing to the
delivery pipe, the area of the casing increases. There is a corresponding change in the quantity of
the liquid from the impeller. Thus a uniform flow occurs in the delivery pipe.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

Work done by the impeller of a centrifugal pump

Velocity diagram

Consider the velocity triangles at the inlet and outlet tips of a vane fixed to the impeller.

Let N=speed of the impeller in RPM

D= Diameter of the impeller at inlet
D=Diameter of the impeller at outlet
U1 = Tangential velocity of the impeller at inlet πD1N/60
U2= tangential velocity of the impeller at outlet πD2N/60
V1=absolute velocity of the liquid at inlet
V2= absolute velocity of the liquid at outlet.
Vf & Vf are the velocities of flow at inlet and outlet.
1 2

Vr & Vr Relative velocities at inlet and outlet

1 2

Vw whirl velocity at outlet

2

α angle made by 1 V with respect to the motion of the vane

Ɵ blade angle at inlet
Ф blade angle at outlet

For a series of curved vanes the force exerted can be determined using the impulse momentum
equation Work=force x distance.

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Similarly the work done/sec/unit weight of the liquid striking the vane = 1/g(Vw2 u2 – Vw1 u1 )

But for a centrifugal pump Vw1 0

Work done/sec/unit weight (Vw2 u2) 1/g

And the work done/sec, Power ρgQ (Vw2 u2) 1/gρQ (Vw2 u2)

Where Q = volume of liquid flowing per second = Area x velocity of flow QπD2B2 Vf2
B2 is the width of the impeller at the outlet.

Example 3.1
A centrifugal pump running at 800 Rpm is working against a total head of 20.2 m. the external
diameter of the impeller is 480mm and outlet width 60mm. If the valve angle at outlet is 40 and
manometric efficiency is 70% determine

a) Absolute velocity of water leaving

b) Flow velocity at outlet valve.
c) Angle made by the absolute velocity at outlet with the direction of motion at outlet.
d) Rate of flow through the pump.

Example 3.2
A centrifugal pump impeller having external and internal diameter 480mm and 240mm
respectively is running at 100 Rpm. The rate of flow through the pump is 0.0576m3/s and
velocity of flow is constant and equal to 2.4m/s. the diameter of the section and delivery pipes
are 180mm and 120mm respectively and section and delivery heads are 6.2m(abs) and
30.2m(abs) of water respectively. If the power required to drive the pump is 23.3KW and the
outlet vane angle is 45 determine.

a) Inlet vane angle

b) Overall efficiency
c) Manometric efficiency of the pump

Example 3.3
The impeller of a centrifugal pump is of 300mm diameter and 50mm width at the periphery and
has blades whose tip angle inclining backwards 60 from the radius. The pump delivers 17m 3/min
of water and the impeller rotates at 1000 Rpm. Assume that the pump is design to admit
radically. Calculate:

A) Speed and direction of water as it leaves the impeller;

b) Torque exerted by the impeller on water;
c) Shaft power required;
d) Lift of the pump. Take mechanical=95% and hydraulic efficiency=75%.

Example 3.4

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The following data relate to a centrifugal pump. Diameter of the impeller at inlet & outlet
=180mm and 360mm respectively. Width of impeller at inlet and outlet=144mm & 72mm
respectively. Rate of flow through the pump=17.28lps. Speed of the impeller = 1500 Rpm. Vane
angle at outlet=45 water enters the impeller radially at inlet neglecting losses through the
impeller. Find the pressure rise in the impeller.

4. Pump and System Characteristics

4.1 Pump characteristics
Pump characteristics are the head (H), input power (I) and efficiency (ɳ) as functions of
discharge (Q). The most important is the H vs Q relationship. Typical shapes of these
characteristics are sketched below for centrifugal and axial-flow pumps.

Given the pump characteristics at one rotation rate (N), those at different rotation rates may be
determined using the hydraulic scaling laws.

Ideally, one would like to operate the pump:

 As close as possible to the design point (point of maximum efficiency);
 In a region where the H-Q relationship is steep; (otherwise there are significant
fluctuations in discharge for small changes in head).

4.2 System characteristics

In general the pump has to supply enough energy to:
 Lift water through a certain height – the static lift Hs;·
 Overcome losses dependent on the discharge, Q.

Thus the system head is

H = Static head + hlosses

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Typically, losses (whether frictional or due to pipe fittings) are proportional to Q2, so that the
system characteristic is often quadratic.

The static lift is often decomposed into the rise from sump to the level of the pump (the suction
head, Hs) and that between the pump and the delivery point (Hd). The first of these is limited by
the maximum suction height (approximately 10 m, corresponding to 1 atmosphere), relevant in
the context of cavitation.

4.3 Finding the Duty Point

The pump operates at a duty point where the head supplied by the pump precisely matches the
head requirements of the system at the same discharge; i.e. where the pump and system
characteristics intersect.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

Example 4.1
A pump draws water from a tank and delivers to another tank with the surface 8 m above that of
the lower tank. The delivery pipe is 30 m long with 0.1 m internal diameter and has a friction
coeffiecient of 0.003. The pump impeller’s diameter is 0.5 m and runs at 600 rpm. The pump is
geometrically similar to another pump which has an impeller 0.55 m diameter and runs at 900
rpm whose operating characteristics are provided below.

H (m) 37 41 44 45 42 36 28 16
Q (m3/s) 0 0.016 0.032 0.048 0.064 0.08 0.096 0.12

Find the matching point for system and pump head

Solution
First determine the head flow (H/Q) characteristics for the system

Effective head, He = Static head + head losses

H = He = 8 + flV2/2gd + V2/2g

d = 0.1 m; V = 4Q/Πd2 = 127.3Q

H = He = 8 + 0.003*30*(127.3Q )2/2gd + (127.3Q)2/2g

H = He = 8 + 743.4Q 2 + 826.0Q2 = 8 + 1569.3Q2

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Produce a table of H vs Q using the equation: H = 8 + 1569.3Q2 to get the system
characteristic curve (use the range values of Q provided in the above table as a guide)

Hs (m) 8 8.40 9.61 11.62 14.43 18.04 22.46 30.6

Q (m3/s) 0 0.016 0.032 0.048 0.064 0.08 0.096 0.12

Plot the system and pump characteristic curves and find the matching point

50
45
40
35 Pump, H (m)

30 System, H (m)

25
20
15
10
5
0
0 0.025 0.05 0.075 0.1 0.125 0.15 0.175 0.2

The matching point is at H = 24.5 m and Q = 0.103 m3/s

Example 4.2
A water pump was tested at a rotation rate of 1500 rpm. The following data was obtained. (Q is
quantity of flow, H is head of water, is efficiency).

Q (l/s) 0 10 20 30 40 50
Hp (m) 10.0 10.5 10.0 8.5 6.0 2.5
ɳ 0.0 0.40 0.64 0.72 0.64 0.40

It is proposed to use this pump to draw water from an open sump to an elevation 5.5 m above.
The delivery pipe is 20.0 m long and 100 mm diameter, and has a friction factor (ƛ) of 0.005.

If operating at 1500 rpm, find:

(a) The maximum discharge that the pump can provide;
(b) The pump efficiency at this discharge;
(c) The input power required.

Solution
System characteristics

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H = He = 5.5 + flV2/2gd + V2/2g

d = 0.1 m; V = 4Q/Πd2 = 127.3Q

H = He = 5.5 + 0.005*20*(127.3Q)2/2gd + (127.3Q)2/2g

H = He = 5.5 + 825.96Q 2 + 825.96Q2 = 5.5 + 1651.92Q2

Using the above equation generate system head/flow characteristic

Q (l/s) 0 10 20 30 40 50
Hs (m) 5.5 5.67 6.16 6.99 8.14 9.63

Plot and the pump and system characteristics to identify the duty point

12 0.8

0.7
10
0.6
8
0.5
Pump, HB (m)
6 0.4
System, H (m)
0.3 ɳ
4
0.2
2
0.1

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Maximum discharge is at duty point: 37.5 l/s at pump efficiency of 70%

Power input required: ɳ =

Shaft power (power input required), P =

P=

P = 3.94 kw

4.4 Pumps in Parallel and in Series

Pumps in Parallel
Same head: H

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Add the discharges: Q1 + Q2

Advantages of pumps in parallel are:

 High capacity: permits a large total discharge;
 Flexibility: pumps can be brought in and out of service if the required discharge varies
 Redundancy: pumping can continue if one is not operating due to failure or planned
maintenance.

Pumps in Series
Same discharge: Q
Add the heads: H1 + H2

Pumps in series may be necessary to generate high heads, or provide regular “boosts” along long
pipelines without large pressures at any particular point.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

Example 4.3
A rotor dynamic pump, having the characteristics tabulated below, delivers water from a river at
elevation 102 m to a reservoir with a water level of 135 m, through a 350 mm diameter cast-iron
pipe. The frictional head loss in the pipeline is given by hf = 550 Q2, where hf is the head loss in
m and Q is the discharge in m3/s. Minor head losses from valves and fittings amount to 50 Q2 in
the same units.

Q (m3/s) 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20

Hp (m) 60 58 52 41 25
ɳ (%) ---- 44 65 64 48

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

 Determine the discharge and head in the pipeline (at the duty point).

If the discharge is to be increased by the installation of a second identical pump:

i. Determine the unregulated discharge and head produced by connecting the pumps:
(a) in parallel;
(b) in series;

ii. Determine the power demand at the duty point in the case of parallel operation.

Solution

System characteristics
H = He = (135 – 102) + 550Q2 + 50Q2

H = 33 + 600 Q2

Generate H/Q for the system

Q (m3/s) 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20

Hs (m) 33 34.5 39 46.5 57

Plot the pump and system characteristics

70 80

60 70

60
50
50
40 Hp (m)
40
Hs (m)
30
30 ɳ (%)
20
20
10 10

0 0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

At duty point the discharge is 0.14 m3/s and head is 44 m

Flow/head characteristics for the two same pumps in parallel and series

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Parallel pump connection

System head, Hs = 33 + 600(2Q)2

Q (m3/s) 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20

2Q (m3/s) 0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40
Hp (m) 60 58 52 41 25
ɳ (%) 44 65 64 48
Hs (m) 33 39 57 87 129

140 80

120 70
60
100
50
80
40 Hp (m)
60
30 Hs (m)
40 ɳ (%)
20
20 10
0 0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
2Q

At duty point, the flow is 0.19 m3/s and head is 53 m

Series pump connection

Q (m3/s) 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20

Hp (m) 60 58 52 41 25
2Hp (m) 120 116 104 82 50
ɳ (%) 44 65 64 48
Hs (m) 33 34.5 39 46.5 57

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

 140 80

120 70
60
100
50
80 Hp (m)
40
60 Hs (m)
30
2Hp (m)
40
20
ɳ (%)
20 10
0 0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
Q

At duty point, the flow is 0.19 m3/s and head is 56 m

Power demand at duty point when the two same pumps are connected in parallel

At duty point, the flow is 0.19 m3/s and head is 53 m at an efficiency of 62%

Power input required: ɳ =

Shaft power, P =

Shaft power, P =

P = 159 kw

5 Hydraulic Scaling
In practice, it is desirable to run the pump at a speed where the duty point is close to that of
maximum efficiency. To do this we need to determine how the pump characteristic varies with
rotation rate N (hydraulic scaling laws).

5.1 Dimensional Analysis

Provided that the mechanical efficiency is the same, the performance of a particular
geometrically-similar family of pumps or turbines (“homologous series”) may be expected to
depend on:

Discharge, Q [L3T–1]
Pressure change, ρgH [ML–1T–2]

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Power, P [ML2T–3] (input for pumps; output for turbines)
Rotor diameter, D [L]
Rotation rate, N [T–1]
Fluid density, ρ [ML–3]
Fluid viscosity, µ [ML–1T–1]

(Rotor diameter may be replaced by any characteristic length, since geometric similarity implies
that length ratios remain constant. Rotation rate is typically expressed in either rad/s or rpm.)

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

5.4 Specific speed
The specific speed (or type number) is a guide to the type of pump or turbine required for a
particular role.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

5.4.1 Specific Speed for Pumps
The specific speed, Ns, is the rotational speed needed to discharge 1 unit of flow against 1 unit of
head. (For what “unit” means in this instance, see below.)

Specific speed of a pump

The expression is derived from dynamical similarity considerations and may be interpreted as the
speed in rev/min at which a geometrically scaled model would have to operate to deliver unit
discharge (1 l/s or m3/s) when generating unit head (1 m).

Note
 The specific speed is a single value calculated at the normal operating point (i.e. Q and H
at the maximum efficiency point for the anticipated rotation rate N).

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.
Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.
Example 5.1
A ¼-scale model centrifugal pump is tested under a head of 7.5 m at a speed of 500 rpm. It was
found that 7.5 kW was needed to drive the model. Assuming similar mechanical efficiencies,
calculate:
(a) The speed and power required by the prototype when pumping against a head of 44m;

(b) The ratio of the discharges in the model to that in the prototype.

Similarity Laws: Affinity laws

The actual performance characteristics curves of pumps have to be determined by experimental
testing. Furthermore, pumps belonging to the same family, i.e.; being of the same design but
manufactured in different sizes and, thus, constituting a series of geometrically similar machines,
may also run at different speeds within practical limits. Each size and speed combination will
produce a unique characteristics curve, so that for one family of pumps the number of
characteristics curves needed to be determined is impossibly large.

The problem is solved by the application of dimensional analysis and by replacing the variables
by dimensionless groups so obtained. These dimensionless groups provide the similarity
(affinity) laws governing the relationships between the variables within one family of
geometrically similar pumps. Thus, the similarity laws enable us to obtain a set of characteristic
curves for a pump from the known test data of a geometrically similar pump.

5.2 Change in pump speed (constant size - diameter)

If a pump delivers a discharge Q1 at a head H1 when running at speed N1, the corresponding
values when the same pump is running at speed N2 are given by the similarity (affinity) laws:

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

Where: Q = discharge (m3/s, or l/s). H = pump head (m). N = pump rotational speed (rpm). P =
power (HP, or kw).

This might be expected, since Q α velocity, while H α energy α velocity2).

These are called the hydraulic scaling laws or affinity laws.

Given pump characteristics at one speed one can use the hydraulic scaling laws to deduce
characteristics at a different speed. Therefore, if the pump curve for speed N1 is given, we can
construct the pump curve for the speed N2 using previous relationships.

Effect of speed change on pump characteristic curves

5.2.1 Finding the Duty Point at a New Pump Speed

Scale each (Q, H) pair on the original characteristic at speed N1 to get the new characteristic at
speed N2; i.e.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

Where this scaled characteristic intercepts the system curve gives the new duty point.

5.2.2 Finding the Pump Speed for a Given Duty Point

To find the pump speed for a given discharge or head plot a hydraulic-scaling curve back from
the required duty point (Q2, H2) on the system curve, at unknown speed N2:

Very important: the hydraulic scaling curve is not the same as the system curve.
Where the hydraulic scaling curve cuts the original characteristic gives a scaled duty point (Q1,
H1) and thence the ratio of pump speeds from either the ratio of discharges or the ratio of heads:

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

5.3 Change in pump size (constant speed)
A change in pump size and therefore, impeller diameter (D), results in a new set of characteristic
curves using the following similarity (affinity) laws:

Where D = impeller diameter (m, cm). D indicates the size of the pump

Example 5.3
A pump draws water from a tank and delivers to another tank with the surface 8 m above that of
the lower tank. The delivery pipe is 30 m long with 0.1 m internal diameter and has a friction
coeffiecient of 0.003. The pump impeller’s diameter is 0.5 m and runs at 600 rpm. The pump is
geometrically similar to another pump which has an impeller 0.55 m diameter and runs at 900
rpm whose operating characteristics are provided below.

HA (m) 37 41 44 45 42 36 28 16
QA (m3/s) 0 0.016 0.032 0.048 0.064 0.08 0.096 0.12

i) Find the matching point for system and pump head against the flow using the
geometrically similar pump;
ii) Find the flow rate and developed head for the pump used.

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

Solution
i) First determine the head flow (H/Q) characteristics for the system

Effective head, He = Static head + head losses

H = He = 8 + flV2/2gd + V2/2g

d = 0.1 m; V = 4Q/Πd2 = 127.3Q

H = He = 8 + 0.003*30*(127.3Q )2/2gd + (127.3Q)2/2g

H = He = 8 + 743.4Q 2 + 826.0Q2 = 8 + 1569.3Q2

Produce a table of H vs Q using the equation: H = 8 + 1569.3Q2 to get the system

characteristic curve (use the range values of Q provided in the above table as a guide)

Q (m3/s) 0 0.016 0.032 0.048 0.064 0.08 0.096 0.12

Hs (m) 8 8.40 9.61 11.62 14.43 18.04 22.46 30.6

Plot the system and pump characteristic curves and find the matching point

50
45
40
35 Pump, H (m)

30 System, H (m)

25
20
15
10
5
0
0 0.025 0.05 0.075 0.1 0.125 0.15 0.175 0.2

The matching point is at H = 24.5 m and Q = 0.103 m3/s

iii) Next is to generate H/Q curve for the actual pump used (D = 0.5 m, N = 600 rpm) by
assuming dynamic and geometric similarity.

Actual pump details:

DB = 0.5 m

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

NB = 600 rpm
HB
QB

Similar pump details:

DA = 0.55 m
NA = 900 rpm
HA
QA

Flow coefficient
QB = QB = ((600*0.53)/(900*0.553)) QA; QB = 0.5QA

Head coefficient
HB = HB = ((0.52*6002)/(0.552*9002))HA; HB = 0.367HA

Generate an HB/QB table using the data for the first pump

HB (m) 13.58 15.05 16.15 16.52 15.41 13.21 10.28 5.87

QB (m3/s) 0 0.008 0.016 0.024 0.032 0.04 0.048 0.060

Plot HB/QB against the system graph and pick the matching point

50
45
40
35 Pump, HA (m)

30 Pump, HB (m)

25 System, H (m)

20
15
10
5
0
0 0.025 0.05 0.075 0.1 0.125 0.15 0.175 0.2

Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.

The matching point is HB = 11 m; QB = 0.045 m3/s which is the flow rate and head developed
by the pump used.

Example 5.4
Water from a well is pumped by a centrifugal pump which delivers water to a reservoir in which
the water level is 15.0 m above that in the sump. When the pump speed is 1200 rpm its pipework
has the following characteristics:

Pipework characteristics:
Discharge (l/s): 20 30 40 50 60
Head loss in pipework (m): 1.38 3.11 5.52 8.63 12.40

Pump characteristics:
Discharge (l/s): 0 10 20 30 40
Head (m): 22.0 21.5 20.4 19.0 17.4

A variable-speed motor drives the pump.

(I) Plot the graphs of the system and pump characteristics and determine the discharge at
a speed of 1200 rpm.
(II) Find the pump speed in rpm if the discharge is increased to 40 l/s.

Example 5.5

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Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.
Dr. Cheruiyot C.K.