PUMPS

LEARNING OUTCOMES
To design for optimum pump operation using pump and
system characteristic curves, and determine the
corresponding efficiency level.
To evaluate the effect of pump arrangement in parallel and in
series.
To determine the NPSH required to avoid cavitation problem.
To compare different rotordynamic pumps using similarity
law; to compare pump performances using affinity law and
type-number.
To evaluate the efficiency of reciprocating pump.
 ROTORDYNAMIC MACHINES

Energy transfer to/from liquid

ROTORDYNAMICS
MACHINES

FANS PUMPS TURBINES

Work carried out on the fluid. Work carried out by the fluid.
Fluid gains energy Fluid loses energy
Classification by fluid flow direction in relation to impeller.
Continuous flow through impeller, whose torque equals the
rate of change of angular momentum of the fluid

ROTORDYNAMICS
MACHINES

CENTRIFUGAL
(RADIAL) MIXED AXIAL
 POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT TYPE

No impeller, a volume of fluid enters/ leaves at a

frequency of the machine operation
Rotary and reciprocating type

Reciprocating pump
 PUMPS

Convert mechanical energy to fluid energy.

Increase head in pipe system; increase flow in pipes when pressure is low.
e.g. water supply, sewage, drainage, hydropower
Convey water from a lower to a higher elevation.
e.g. construction site, groundwater extraction

Energy equation:

p1 v12 p2 v 22
  z1  H p    z2  HL
g 2g g 2g

z2  z1  Hp  HL
HEAD DIFFERENCE
 hS  hD
From energy eq.: delivery
suction
zb  za  H p  H L

zb  za  hS  hD

Delivery (discharge head) hd

Suction head hs (+/–)

Static head z  zb  za

Dynamic head Hp  z  HL  Static head  Friction head

Head to be
Head provided
overcome in the
by the pump
system
SUCTION HEAD

35m
6m

Friction loss 4m

Positive suction
Static head = –hs + hd = –6 + 35 = 29m head, hs = 6m

Dynamic head = Static head + Friction loss

= 29 + 4 = 33m
SUCTION LIFT
Example It is required to pump water at a rate of 40 L/s from one
reservoir to another reservoir which has an elevation 25 m higher. A
centrifugal pump is located 8.0 m above the lower reservoir. The pipe
connecting the reservoirs has a 175 mm diameter. The length from the
lower reservoir to the pump is 150 m while the length from the pump to
the higher reservoir is 250 m. Assuming the friction factor is 0.01 and
separation losses are neglected, what is the head needed by the pump?

The total length of the pipe is 400 m

zb  za  hs  hd hs  hd  25 m

Head loss due to friction (neglect separation losses)

fLQ 2 0.01 400  0.04 2
hf   hf = 12.75 m
3.03d 5 3.03  0.175 5

hp  hs  hd  h  25  12.5 hp = 37.9 m

Since hs = –8.0 m,
hd = 17.0 m
Example It is required to pump water at a rate of 40 L/s from one
reservoir to another reservoir which has an elevation 25 m higher. A
centrifugal pump is located 8.0 m below the lower reservoir. The pipe
connecting the reservoirs has a 175 mm diameter. The length from the
lower reservoir to the pump is 150 m while the length from the pump to
the higher reservoir is 250 m. Assuming the friction factor is 0.01 and
separation losses are neglected, what is the head needed by the pump?

The total length of the pipe is 400 m

zb  za  hs  hd hs  hd  25 m

Head loss due to friction (neglect separation losses)

fLQ 2 0.01 400  0.04 2
hf   hf = 12.75 m
3.03d 5 3.03  0.175 5

hp  hs  hd  h  25  12.5 hp = 37.9 m

Since hs = 8.0 m,
hd = 33 m
ENERGY BALANCE

• shock (entry/ exit) losses

• friction losses
EFFICIENCY
Example: In the previous example, determine the fluid power
required, and the pump power required, if overall pump efficiency is
90%.

 Hp = 52.6 m
 Q = 50 l/s = 0.05 m3/s
 Fluid power, Pout = gQH = 25.8 kW

 Pump power Pin = Pout/h = 25.8 / 0.9 = 28.7 kW

 PUMP CHARACTERISTICS

Pumps operate at constant speed.

Performance plotted as:
H-Q, P-Q, h-Q
Theoretically, H  a  bQ

losses
 SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS

1
E  gz  KQ 2
2
KQ 2
E  z  in head (m)
OR 2g
KQ 2
E  z 
2g
System
Static lift
resistance

Note: Q E  z  HL
Pump System
characteristic Hp  z  HL characteristic
 Operating point
Pumps need to be operated at a suitable constant
Q, producing the head required to overcome static
lift and the system resistance which is also Q-
dependent.

KQ 2
E  z 
2g
Operating point vs. duty
required
Design point

Duty required

Design point is usually

Operating associated with maximum
point efficiency.
Example A centrifugal pump has the characteristics shown in the Table below.
It is used to lift water between two reservoirs with a difference of elevation of 5.0
m as shown below. The pipe connecting the reservoirs has a diameter of 150
mm and is 800 m long. The friction factor is assumed to be 0.01. The pipeline
includes four standard elbows and three gate valves. The entrance and exit are
sharp.
a. Plot the characteristic curves including the system curve
b. Determine the rate of flow delivered by the pump.
c. What is the power required?

Discharge (L/s) 0 5 10 15 20 25 Given fitting loss

Head (m) 22.0 20.0 16.7 12.5 7.6 2.0 coefficients, k:
Pipe entrance 0.5
Efficiency (%) 0 44 60 63 53 1.0
Pipe exit 1.0
Standard elbow 0.3
B Gate valve 0.1

5m P

A
 Head loss due to friction Plot the system and pump
characteristic curves
fLQ 2 0.01 800  Q 2
hf    34769 Q 2
3.03D 5
3.03  0.15 5

Separation/point losses
v2 v2 v2 v2 v2
hs  0.5   (4  0.3)  (3  0.1) 3
2g 2g 2g 2g 2g
entry exit elbows valves

Express in terms of Q
Q Q
v   56.588Q
A   0.15 2 4
v2 56.588 2  Q 2
hs  3  3  489 .6Q 2
2g 2g
h = hf + hs = (34769 + 489.6)Q2 = 35258.6Q2
hp = zB –zA + h = 5 + 35258.6Q2 From the plot above, the operating
point values are;
System characteristic (calculated): Qo = 15 L/s ho = 12.5 m o = 63%
Discharge (L/s) 0 5 10 15 20 25
hp (m) 5 5.88 8.53 12.93 19.10 27.04 The power output is gQho  1839 W
1839
Pump characteristic (given): The power required is  2919 W
0.63
Discharge (L/s) 0 5 10 15 20 25
Head (m) 22.0 20.0 16.7 12.5 7.6 2.0
Efficiency (%) 0 44 60 63 53 1.0
SPUMPS IN SERIES/PARALLEL

 Series arrangement: Q the same, HT

= H, increases the overall head.

 Parallel arrangement: H the same,

QT = Q, increases flow rate. Best
suited for systems with low friction.
 CAVITATION

Phenomenon of local vaporization (‘boiling’) of liquid and release

of dissolved air at low pressure (high velocity).
Occurs usually at pressure slightly higher than the vapour
pressure of the liquid.
Bubbles are produced, grow and collapse in cyclic process (of
miliseconds), producing intense pressure and high temperature
that causes:
 Vibration,
 Noise,
 Surface material deterioration,
 Fatigue,
 Choking, and
 Loss of performance.

Effect of cavitation
 NET POSITIVE SUCTION HEAD

Apply Energy eq. from free surface (atmospheric) to pump inlet

(where cavitation is most likely to occur).
pa v a2 ps v s2
  za    zs  hL
g 2g g 2g
ps pa  v s2 
Note: absolute     z  hL 
pressure is used g g  2g 

Let pvap be the vapour pressure at the inception of cavitation, then

to avoid cavitation,
ps  pv
NPSH  0
g

i.e. NPSH is the absolute head available at pump inlet.

Example A pump is used to deliver water from a reservoir located 5 m
below the pump through a pipe of diameter 100 mm. The water is
pumped at a rate of 10 L/s resulting in a friction loss in the suction pipe
of 2 m. Determine the NPSH at an atmospheric pressure of 100 kPa if
the water temperature is (a) 25C and (b) 40C
Q 0.010 vs
2
1.273 2
vs    1.273 m/s   0.0826 m
A   0.12
2g 2g
4

At a temperature of 25C the density of water is 998 m3/s and the vapour
pressure is 3.17 kPa.
( pa  pv ) v s (100  3.17 )  10 3
2

NPSH    hs  hf   0.0826  5  2 NPSH = 2.81 m

g 2g 998 .2  9.81

(a) At a temperature of 40C the density of water is 992.2 m3/s and the vapour pressure is
7.38 kPa.

( pa  pv ) v s (100  7.38 )  10 3
2

NPSH    hs  hf   0.0826  5  2 NPSH = 2.43 m

g 2g 992 .2  9.81
 SIMILARITY LAWS

Pump performance are determined experimentally.

Pumps of the same family but different sizes have different
characteristics but are geometrically similar i.e. homologous,
such that there is a dynamically similar operating point with the
same efficiency .

Discharge coeff. KQ  Q 3  constant Q  ND3

ND
gH
Head coeff. K H  2 2  constant gH  N 2D 2
N D
P
Power coeff. KP   constant P  N 3D 5
N D
3 5

where N = pump speed, D = diameter

  constant
 SPECIFIC SPEED (TYPE NUMBER)

Used to compare different pumps.

Defined as the pump speed N (rpm) at which the pump
delivers unit discharge Q (m3/s) at unit head y (m) when
operating at its maximum efficiency:


KQ 
1/ 2
 Q 

1/ 2
 N 2D 2 
 
3/4
Q1 / 2 Q1 / 2
ns 3  ns  N  N 3/4
K H 3 / 4  ND   gH  gH  3/4
y

where y = the total (manometric) head

= z + HL
Note: eliminate diameter
D from equation
 Type number (specific speed)
Specific speeds for rotodynamic pumps
(Hydraulic Structures, Novak & Nalluri)

Q H

Q H

Note: range of number

depends on units used!
Example: A centrifugal pump operating at its optimum efficiency delivers
2.5 m3/s over a total manometric head of 20m. The pump has a 36-cm
diameter impeller and rotates 300rad/s. Compute the specific speed of the
pump. What diameter should the impeller of a geometrically similar pump be
for it to deliver one-half of the discharge at double the head? What is the
corresponding pump speed?

N  (300 / 2)  60  2864rpm

Q1/ 2 2864 2.5

Specific speed ns  N 3 / 4  3/4
 479  480
y 20

For a geometrically N 2.5 / 2

 480
similar pump: (2 * 20 )3 / 4
 N  6828 rpm  715rad/s
Q
KQ   constant
ND3
Q1 Q2
  D2  0.21m
N1 D13 N 2 D23
 Affinity law

Affinity law is derived from similarity law to compare the

performance of a particular pump (D = constant) under
different operating conditions:

QN
gH  N 2
P  N 3
Reciprocating
pump

Consists a piston driven by a crank, operating in alternate

suction & delivery mode.
 Volume delivered
per revolution

 D 2  N
Theoretical discharge Qth  ASN   2R
 4  60

Qth  Q
Slip   1  v (typically <2%) D = cylinder diameter
Qth
S = piston displacement
R = crank radius
Power outputPo  gHQ N = rpm
Pump efficiency h = Po/Pin
Example A single acting reciprocating pump of 20 cm diameter and
30 cm crank radius operates at a speed of 40 rpm. Assuming that
the water slip is 2.5%, calculate the actual discharge of the pump.

D 2 N 0.2
2
40
Qth  2R   2  0 .3   0.012566 m3 /s
4 60 4 60
100  2.5
ev   97.5%
100
Qa  0.975  12 .566  12 .25 litres/sec