7 Pumps

CHAPTER 7: HYDRAULIC MACHINES (PUMPS)

LEARNING OUTCOMES
a. To state the classification of hydraulic machines
b. To recognise the use of the Affinity laws and the similarity laws of a pump
c. To apply the theoretical relationship between head, flowrate, power and efficiency of a
centrifugal pump, or the characteristic curve
d. To calculate the system performance curve
e. To obtain the performance curve of a pump working in single, series or parallel at its/their
design/operating point
f. To choose the best pump for a specific supply system.

7.1 INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION

• Pumps
• Turbines
• Pumps are hydraulic machines that convert mechanical energy to fluid energy. On the
other hand, turbines convert fluid energy to mechanical energy.

7.2 CLASSIFICATION OF HYDRAULIC MACHINES

Hydraulic Machine

Pumps Turbines

Positive displacement Rotor dynamic Impulse Reaction

Rotary Reciprocating Pelton Others

Centrifugal Mixed flow Axial

Radial flow Mixed flow (Francis) Axial flow (Kaplan)

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- Positive displacement pumps deliver fixed quantity of fluid for each revolution of the
pump rotor. Suitable for viscous fluid – oli, paint, chemical substance.
- Rotor dynamic or kinetic pumps add energy to the fluid by accelerating it through the
action of a rotating impeller.
- Kinetic pumps are far more common in practice.
- Among the kinetic pumps, centrifugal pumps are more common.

7.3 THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

• Functions
• To increase head
• To increase flowrate

• Mode of operation
• Single
• In series
• In parallel

• Components
• Casing (stores impeller)
• Impeller (with blades)
• Suction inlet (from sump)
• Delivery outlet (to delivery point)
• Valve (to control flow)
• Motor (to rotate pump shaft)

• Characteristics
• Relationship between flowrate Q and;
• Head, H (m)
• Power, P (watt)

P o = ρ gHQ
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• Efficiency, η

Po
η =
Pi

Po is the output power, PI is the input power = 2πNT, N is the impeller

revolution (rev/min), T is the torque of the motor

7.4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Flowrate Q, Head H, Power P AND Rotation N, OR

Diameter D

• THE AFFINITY LAWS

• When rotation N is varied
Flowrate Q is directly proportional to rotation (N)

Q N
1
= 1

Q 2 N 2

Head H is directly proportional to the square of rotation (N2)

2
H ⎛ N ⎞
1
= ⎜⎜ 1
⎟⎟
H 2 ⎝ N 2 ⎠

Power P is directly proportional to the cube of rotation (N3)

3
P1 ⎛ N ⎞
= ⎜⎜ 1
⎟⎟
P2 ⎝ N 2 ⎠

• When diameter D is varied

Flowrate Q is directly proportional to diameter (D)

Q D
1
= 1
Q 2 D 2

Head H is directly proportional to the square of diameter (D2)

2
P1 ⎛ D ⎞
= ⎜⎜ 1
⎟⎟
P2 ⎝ D 2 ⎠
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Power P is directly proportional to the cube of diameter (D3)

3
P1 ⎛ D ⎞
= ⎜⎜ 1
⎟⎟
P2 ⎝ D 2 ⎠

• THE SIMILARITY LAWS

• Characteristic flowrate number

⎛ Q ⎞ ⎛ Q ⎞
⎜ ⎟ = ⎜ ⎟
⎝ ND ⎠1 ⎝ ND ⎠2
3 3

• Characteristic head number

⎛ H ⎞ ⎛ H ⎞
⎜ 2 2 ⎟ =⎜ 2 2 ⎟
⎝ N D ⎠1 ⎝ N D ⎠ 2

• Specific speed, Ns

⎛ NQ 1 / 2 ⎞ ⎛ NQ 1 / 2 ⎞
⎜⎜ 3/4
⎟⎟ = ⎜⎜ 3/4
⎟⎟
⎝ H ⎠1 ⎝ H ⎠2

• Index of Comparison
Pump type Range of Ns
H (m), Q (lit/s)
Centrifugal 2 600
Mixed flow 2 600 – 5 000
Radial flow 5 000 – 10 000

• Homologous (similarity) characteristics

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7.5 PUMP INSTALLATION IN A SUPPLY SYSTEM

Water from a sump is to be delivered to a higher point via a pipeline of a specific diameter
through a static head of Hs with an assistance of a pump.

• Requirement of a pump in a system

• Pipeline system
• Sump or reservoir
• Suction (pipe)
• Pump
• Delivery (pipe)

• Losses
• Friction losses in the suction pipe
• Friction losses in the delivery pipe
• Minor losses
• Total losses

• Pump/system characteristics
• Pump characteristic curve
• System curve
• Point of intersection – operating point

• Methodology
1. Sketch the system
2. Plot the pump characteristic curve from data given
3. Determine the system curve
a. Use Bernoulli equation to get Hpump for the system
b. Calculate all friction loss using Darcy equation
c. Calculate minor losses using equations, if not given
d. Calculate total losses from (b) and (c)
e. Obtain the equation for Hpump from (a)
f. From (e) generate data for Hpump for variable flowrate
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g. Plot the system curve based on the data generated

The plot obtained must have the same scale as in (2)
4. Superimpose both curves obtained from (2) and (3g)
5. The point of intersection indicates the operating point of the pump in the
system
6. At the operating point, obtain flowrate Q, head H and efficiency, η for
future/design use.

References:
1. Amat Sairin Demun, Lecture Notes: Fluid Mechanics, UTM, 2008, unpublished.
2. Fatimah M.N., Faridah J.S. and Goh, G.K., Mekanik Bendalir untuk Kejuruteraan
Awam, UTM, 1995.