HIC 2022: 14th International Conference on Hydroinformatics

University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, July 4-8, 2022

Topic: Hydraulic and hydrological modelling

ENHANCED AFFINITY LAW FOR CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS AT VARIABLE SPEED

(abstract)
Romeo Susan-Resiga, Professor, PhD
Alin Bosioc, Lecturer, PhD
Adrian Stuparu, Associate Professor, PhD
Politehnica University Timișoara, Research Centre on Complex Fluid Systems Engineering

The paper addresses the variable speed operation of centrifugal pumps, which the standard
practice nowadays. More precisely, using the extensive experimental data from [1] for
volumetric flowrate Q[l s] , specific energy E [J kg], and shaft torque T [N ⋅m] measured at
a set of pump speed n[rpm], we first assess the accuracy of the classical affinity laws,
2 2
Q n E ⎛ n ⎞⎟ T ⎛ n ⎞⎟
= , = ⎜⎜ ⎟ , = ⎜⎜ ⎟ , (1)
∗ ∗ ∗ ⎜ ∗⎟⎟ ∗ ⎜⎝ n ∗ ⎟⎟⎠
Q n E ⎝n ⎠ T
where n ∗ denotes an arbitrary chosen shaft speed for which the operating points are denoted
with a star superscript.
If the pump characteristic curves are approximated with a fourth-degree polynomial, either
Q-E lines or Q-T lines can be expressed as
−2 −1 0 +1 +2
E(Q;n) ⎛n ⎞ ⎛n ⎞ ⎛n ⎞ ⎛n ⎞ ⎛n ⎞
= a ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ Q 4 + a 3* ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ Q 3 + a 2* ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ Q 2 + a1* ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ Q + a 0* ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ .
*
(2)
⎝ n ⎟⎠ ⎝ n ⎟⎠ ⎝ n ⎟⎠ ⎝ n ⎟⎠ ⎝ n ⎟⎠
4
T(Q;n)
For a set of points (n,Q,E)i or (n,Q,T )i , the polynomial coefficients are found using the least-
squares method by solving a linear system of five equations, with the system matrix and right-
hand side vector given by:
⎡ −4 −3 −2 −1 ⎤
⎢ ⎛⎜ n ⎞⎟ ⎛ n ⎞⎟
⎜
⎛ n ⎞⎟
⎜
⎛ n ⎞⎟
⎜ ⎥ ⎡ ⎤
⎢ ⎜ i ⎟⎟ Q ⎜ i ⎟⎟ Q ⎜ i ⎟⎟ Q ⎜ i ⎟⎟ Q Q
8 7 6 5 4
⎥ ⎢ ⎛⎜ n ⎞⎟
−2
⎥
⎢ ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i i ⎥ ⎢ ⎜ i ⎟⎟ Q ⎥ 4
⎢ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ⎥ ⎢ ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i ⎥
⎢ −3 −2 −1 ⎥ ⎢ ∗ ⎥
⎢ ⎛⎜ n ⎞⎟ ⎛ n ⎞⎟
⎜
⎛ n ⎞⎟
⎜
⎛ n ⎞⎟
⎜ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎜ ⎟⎟ Q ⎜ ⎟⎟ Q ⎜ ⎟⎟ Q Q
i 7 i 6 i 5 4
⎜ i ⎟⎟Q ⎥
3
⎢ ⎛⎜ n ⎞⎟
−1
⎥
⎢ ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i i ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟ i ⎥
⎝ ∗⎠ ⎢ ⎜ i ⎟⎟ Q ⎥ 3
⎢ ∗ ∗ ∗ ⎥ ⎢ ⎜⎜⎝ n ⎟⎟⎠ i ⎥
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ∗ ⎥
⎢ ⎛ n ⎞⎟−2 ⎛ n ⎞⎟
−1
⎛ n ⎞⎟ ⎛ n ⎞⎟
2
⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎜
A = ∑ ⎢ ⎜⎜ ⎟ Qi ⎜⎜ ⎟ Qi Qi
i ⎟ 6 ⎜ i ⎟ 5 4 ⎜
⎜⎜ ⎟Qi i ⎟ 3 ⎜ i ⎟ 2 ⎥
⎜⎜ ⎟ Qi ⎥, B = ∑ Ei ⎢ Qi 2
⎥
i ⎢ ⎝ ⎜ n∗ ⎟⎠⎟ ⎝⎜ n∗ ⎟⎠⎟ ⎝⎜ n∗ ⎟⎠⎟ ⎝⎜ n∗ ⎟⎠⎟ ⎥ i ⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎛ n ⎞⎟ ⎥
⎜
⎢ ⎜ i ⎟⎟Q ⎥
⎢ ⎛ n ⎞−1 ⎛ ⎞ ⎛ ⎞
2
⎛ ⎞
3
⎥ ⎢ ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟ i ⎥
⎢ ⎜⎜ i ⎟⎟ Q 5 Q 4 ⎜⎜ ni ⎟⎟Q 3 ⎜⎜ ni ⎟⎟ Q 2 ⎜⎜ ni ⎟⎟ Q ⎥ ⎢ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎥
⎢ ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ i i ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ i ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ i ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ i ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎥ ⎢ ⎛ ⎞
2
⎥
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎜ ni ⎟ ⎥
⎢ ⎛ n ⎞⎟ ⎛ n ⎞⎟
2
⎛ ⎞
3
⎛ n ⎞⎟
4
⎥ ⎢ ⎜⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ ⎟ ⎥
⎢ Q4 ⎜⎜ i ⎟Q 3 ⎜⎜ i ⎟ Q 2 ⎜⎜ ni ⎟⎟ Q ⎜⎜ i ⎟ ⎥ ⎢ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎥
⎢ i ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ i ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ i ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ i ⎜⎜ n ⎟⎟⎟ ⎥ ⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
⎢ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎝ ∗⎠ ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
(3)

HIC 2022, Enhanced Affinity Law for Centrifugal Pumps at Variable Speed 1
The main drawback of the above affinity laws is that the peak pump efficiency remains the
same for all speed values, which is in obvious disagreement with the experimental data,
η ρQE / (T πn / 30)
∗
≡ = 1. (4)
η ρQ ∗E ∗ / (T ∗ πn ∗ / 30)

200 20

150 15

100 2920 10 2920

2700 2700
2400 2400
2100 2100
1800 1800
50 5
1500 1500
1200 1200
900 900
600 600
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 0 5 10 15 20 25

80

70

60
Fig. 1. Specific energy (upper-left), shaft torque
50
(upper-right) and efficiency (left) versus
40 2920 volumetric flowrate at variable speed, using the
2700
30 2400 polynomial representation from Eq. (2). The
2100
20
1800 legend indicates the speed n[rpm].
1500
1200
10 900
600
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

This origin of this problem is identified in the mechanical friction torque which do not obey
the affinity law (1), being proportional to the speed rather than the speed squared. One can
see in Fig. 1 that the experimental torque is larger than the approximation line, particularly
for small speed values (600 rpm, 900 rpm, 1200 rpm). The efficiency curves shown in Fig. 1
clearly illustrate the result in Eq. (4), in disagreement with experimental values for the above
low speed values. However, the approximation (2) works very well for the specific energy
curves.

We conclude that the polynomial approximation (2) should be modified to correctly represent
the shaft torque, particularly at low speeds, thereby introducing the enhanced affinity law:
−2 −1 0 +1 +2
⎛n ⎞ ⎛n ⎞ ⎛n ⎞ ⎛n ⎞ ⎛n ⎞ n
T(Q;n) = a ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ Q 4 + a 3* ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ Q 3 + a 2* ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ Q 2 + a1* ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ Q + a 0* ⎜⎜⎜ ∗ ⎟⎟⎟ + a ∗f ∗ . (5)
*

⎝ n ⎟⎠ ⎝ n ⎟⎠ ⎝ n ⎟⎠ ⎝ n ⎟⎠ ⎝ n ⎟⎠
4
n
The last term in (5) accounts for the mechanical losses, or the friction torque in shaft seal and
bearings. The linear system of equations (3) is augmented with a sixth equation for the
additional coefficient a *f .

HIC 2022, Enhanced Affinity Law for Centrifugal Pumps at Variable Speed 2
The enhanced affinity law for the shaft torque is in far better agreement with the experimental
data, as shown in Fig. 2.

20 80

70

15 60

50

10 2920 40 2920
2700 2700
2400 30 2400
2100 2100
1800 1800
5 20
1500 1500
1200 1200
900 10 900
600 600
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Fig. 2. Shaft torque (left) approximated with Eq. (5) and the corresponding pump efficiency (right).
The specific energy curves are the same as in Fig. 1. The legend indicates the speed n[rpm].

As a result of increased accuracy for the shaft torque, the efficiency curves approximate far
better the experimental data. Moreover, the peak efficiency decreases as the pump speed
decreases, as it should do.

The least squares method for simultaneously fitting experimental data at all speed values is
implemented in MATLAB. The source code is provided in the paper appendix. For example,
the MATLAB function below sets up and solves the system (3), providing the polynomial
coefficients in (2). The experimental data is provided in the matrix D, and the (arbitrary)
reference speed for which the coefficients are computed is n_ref. The “green” part of the
MATLAB code corresponds to the system of five equations (3), and it can be used for the basic
affinity laws.
The enhanced affinity law (5) leads to an augmented system of equations for six coefficients.
The additional “yellow” part of the code adds the sixth row and column to the system matrix,
as well as the sixth entry in the right-hand side vector. The solution returned by the function
is the vector p_ref = ⎡⎢a 4*,a 3*,a 2*,a1*,a 0*,a *f ⎤⎥ .
⎣ ⎦

function p_ref = varspeed_f_polyfit(D,n_ref)

% D(:,1) speed
% D(:,2) volumetric flowrate
% D(:,3) head, specific energy, shaft torque
% n_ref an arbitrary reference speed
% p_ref(1...5)=[a4,a3,a2,a1,a0] polynomial coeffs @ n_rel
% p_ref(6)=af additional mechanical friction coefficient
[N_data dummy] = size(D);
D(:,1)=D(:,1)/n_ref; % relative speed
% nine distinct matrix entries
for i=1:9
E(i)=0.0; % initialize entry
for i_dat=1:N_data
% sum of exponents = 4
E(i)=E(i)+D(i_dat,2)^(9-i) ...
*D(i_dat,1)^(i-5);
end
end

HIC 2022, Enhanced Affinity Law for Centrifugal Pumps at Variable Speed 3
 % assemble the linear system A & B
for i_row=1:5
for j_col=1:5
A(i_row,j_col)=E(i_row+j_col-1);
end
B(i_row,1)=0.0; % initialize entry
for i_dat=1:N_data
B(i_row,1)=B(i_row,1)+D(i_dat,3) ...
*D(i_dat,2)^(5-i_row) ...
*D(i_dat,1)^(i_row-3);
end
end
i_row=6;
for j_col=1:5
A(i_row,j_col)=0.0;
for i_dat=1:N_data
A(i_row,j_col)=A(i_row,j_col)+ ...
D(i_dat,2)^(5-j_col)* ...
D(i_dat,1)^(j_col-2);
end
A(j_col,i_row)=A(i_row,j_col);
end
j_col=6;
A(i_row,j_col)=0.0;
B(i_row,1)=0.0;
for i_dat=1:N_data
A(i_row,j_col)=A(i_row,j_col)+ ...
D(i_dat,1)^2;
B(i_row,1)=B(i_row,1)+ ...
D(i_dat,3)*D(i_dat,1);
end
% solve the linear system
p_ref = linsolve(A,B);
end

Bibliography

[1] J. Delgado, J. Ferreira, D. Covas and F. Avellan, “Variable speed operation of centrifugal
pumps running as turbines. Experimental investigation,” Renewable Energy, vol. 142, pp.
437-450, 2019.

HIC 2022, Enhanced Affinity Law for Centrifugal Pumps at Variable Speed 4