Fundamentals of !

Fluid Power

Week Three Homework Problem Solutions

1. The corrected expression is

r
2
Q = Cd A0 (P1 − P2 ).
ρ
The extra term, Cd , is called the discharge coefficient. It is an empirical correc-
tion factor that accounts for viscous effects.

2. The discharge coefficient cannot exceed 1.0. Exceeding 1.0 would require the
orifice to transfer energy to the fluid. Therefore, the data sheet is incorrect.

3. We must first convert the volumetric flow rate to the appropriate units, which
are m3 /s. This returns

Q = 3.333 × 10−5 m3 /s.

We may now manipulate the orifice equation to express orifice area as a function
of pressure drop, fluid density, and volumetric flow rate,
 −1/2
Q 2
A0 = ∆P .
Cd ρ
We can now solve for the orifice area,
−1/2
3.33 × 10−5 m3 /s

2
A0 = 2, 000 P a .
0.6 840 kg/m3

−1/2
3.33 × 10−5 m3 /s

2
A0 = 2, 000 P a
0.6 840 kg/m3
= 2.54 × 10−5 m2
4. (a) For an inviscid fluid, the pressure drop will be the same for both cross
sectional geometries. Bernoulli’s equation is a function of cross sectional
area, but it is not depend on the orifice shape. Therefore, the pressure
drop does not differ for square and circular orifices, provided the orifice
areas are the same.
(b) The pressure drop will be different for the square and circular orifices when
viscous effects are present. This means the discharge coefficient, Cd , will
be different for the circular and square orifices.

5. The orifice coefficient is defined as,

√
Q = K ∆P .

The governing equation the company uses is in a slightly different form,

∆P = 5Q2 .

Rearranging returns
1√ √
r
Q= ∆P = K ∆P .
5
Therefore, r
1
K= .
5

6. The force efficiency of a pump is given by

ηf = Dv ∆P/T,

and the volumetric efficiency is given by

ηv = Q/Dv ω.

7. The relevant equation for this problem is

5 kW = η∆P Q.

Solving for the required pressure drop,

5 kW
∆P = .
ηQ
 Substituting known values,
5 kW
∆P =
0.85 × 3.155 × 10− 4 m3 /s

∆P = 18.64 M P a

8. The total efficiency of a motor is defined as

Tω
η= .
∆P Q
The two correlations presented in “Efficiency and Pumping Theory” lecture are
     
xωD Cs P P 1+x
Q= 1− − Vr + ,
2π x µω xβ 2

and  
xP D Cv  µω  Cf
T = 1+ + .
2π x P x
Manipulate these equations into the form of the analytical expression:
     
2π ω Cs P P 1+x
= 1− − Vr + ;
xD Q x µω xβ 2
 
2π P Cv  µω  Cf
= 1+ + ;
xD T x P x
       
P Cv  µω  Cf ω Cs P P 1+x
1+ + = 1− − Vr + ;
T x P x Q x µω xβ 2
h
Cf i
Cv µω
Tω 1+ x P + x
=h    
i ;
PQ Cs P P
1 − x µω − xβ Vr + 2 1+x

h
Cf i
1 + Cxv µω
P
+ x
η=h    
i .
1 − Cxs µω P
− xβP
Vr + 1+x
2

9. Flow ripple is the transient variation of pressure and flow rate at the outlet
of a pump. For a piston pump, the frequency of the flow ripple depends on
the number of pistons and the angular velocity. The amplitude of the ripple
depends on the number of pistons and the volumetric displacement per piston.
10. The second configuration is preferable. If the filter is placed between the pump
and the reservoir, a vacuums will be drawn between the filter and the pump,
causing cavitation. When pressurized, the extracted gas will cause wear in
the pump and other system components. If the filter is placed just before the
reservoir on the return line, a positive gauge pressure will prevent cavitation.

11. Pressure override is more significant in direct-acting relief valves than it is in

pilot-operated relief valves. Pilot-operated relief valves have a small amount of
pressure override because they use two stages. The first is called the pilot stage,
which is set to determine the cracking pressure. The pilot stage poppet must
have a high spring coefficient to effectively regulate the cracking pressure. After
the pilot stage poppet is displaced from its seat, the main-stage poppet is easily
displaced because it has a small spring coefficient. The main-stage poppet is
large and opens rapidly, allowing for a small amount of pressure override.
Unlike the pilot-operated relief valve, the direct-acting relief valve only has one
stage, which is responsible for setting the cracking pressure and serving as the
primary flow path. Because it is responsible for setting the cracking pressure,
the poppet spring must be stiff. After achieving the cracking pressure, a con-
siderable increase in pressure drop is required to further separate the poppet
from its seat, resulting in significant pressure override.

12. The volume of the center chamber increases when the piston moves upward.
As the volume expands, a negative gauge pressure is generated in the center
chamber. The check valve on the left unseats, and fluid passes into the center
chamber to fill the expanding volume. When the piston stops moving, the check
valve on the left closes. As the piston begins to move downward, a positive gauge
pressure is generated in the center chamber, which unseats the check valve on
the right, and allows fluid to exit the center chamber. This process results in
pressurized fluid transfer from the chamber on the left to the chamber on the
right.