Fluid Mechanics 3

Chapter 2.2 - Centrifugal pump blade

diagrams
Chapter 2.2.1
The velocity (blade) diagram is very similar to that of the Francis turbine, but
they are ‘flipped’
 The water enters the centre of the impeller, axially and exits at the
periphery radially
 The whirl component ‘changes side’
The reaction turbine had guide vanes that guide the water onto
the rotor, so the pump has diffuser vanes that guide the water
out of the impeller

Like the guide vanes, these are also stationary

 V1&V2 represent the actual velocity and direction of the water
entering (V1) and leaving (V2)
 We can resolve these into horizontal components (w1&w2) known as
whirl velocity and vertical components (f1&f2) known as either radial
velocity of flow velocity
 Vr1&Vr2 represent the relative velocities, ie the direction that the
water would flow if the blade was standing still
 u1&u2 represent the (peripheral) velocity of the blade at inlet and
outlet
 u1 = πND1/60, u2 = πND2/60
 The pumps is designed such that there is no whirl velocity at inlet so
f1 = V1 and w1 = 0
 α is blade inlet angle
 Β is the blade outlet angle
 γ is the diffusor guide vanes angle
 Again you need to know these ‘by heart’
a typical question would say calculate the blade outlet angle, so you need to
know if you are looking for α,β or γ
 In some cases f1 = f2

 You may ONLY assume this is the question says something like
• “radial flow is constant”
• “the radial velocity at entrance is equal to the radial velocity at exit”
• “velocity of flow is constant”
• or similar
• If this is not the case you must calculate f1 and f2 independently
The Euler head is the theoretical pressure head transferred from
the impeller to the water. Similar to the turbine, but with the
values ‘swapped’

Euler head HE =(w2U2-w1U1)/g

So hydraulic power = QρgHE = ρQ(w2U2-w1U1)

However we always design so there is no whirl at inlet. This means

that w1 = 0 and v1 = f1 and the diagram simplifies with a single
triangle at entrance (as in the diagram on page 28). Some questions
may say ‘the flow enters radially’ this is the same thing. You can
ALWAYS assume that this will be the case in every question, even if
it is not made expicit

So HE =(w2U2)/g

and Phyd = ρQ(w2U2)

Again similar to the turbine, just flipped

Q = πD1b1f1 = πD2b2f2

D1 is the now the inner diameter, and it is where the water enters
the impeller so it is also the inlet diameter

D2 is now the outer diameter, and it is where the water leaves the
impeller, so D2 is also the outlet diameter
 If the blades have significant thickness it would affect the
flow rate calculation such that

Q = nπD1b1f1 = nπD2b2f2

If thickness accounts for by 10% of the circumferential area, then n = 0.9

If thickness accounts for by 8% of the circumferential area, then n = 0.92

Chapter 2.2.2 Total Pressure, or Manometric Head
Read page 74 carefully for the definitions of static, friction and
velocity pressure head. You should be familiar with these from your
previous modules and from the turbine section

Manometric head is the actual (not theoretical) pressure head given by

the pump to the water. This is what can be measured using pressure
gauges immediately before and after the pump.

Note the 2 different derivations of total head

on page 75 and 76. The first shows it using
regular pressure gauges (which do not measure
velocity head) and the second uses pitot type
Gauges (which include velocity head)

Nonetheless they both lead to manometric

Head, or total head being
Htot = Hs+Hd+Hfs+Hfd+Vd2/2g
2.2.3 Efficiencies
Manometric efficiency is a measure of the actual (manometric)
pressure head increase vs the theoretical (Euler) increase
𝐻𝐻𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡
𝜂𝜂𝑚𝑚 =
𝐻𝐻𝐸𝐸
Mechanical efficiency is a measure theoretical (Euler) increase
vs the power input
𝜌𝜌𝑄𝑄𝑢𝑢2 𝑤𝑤2
𝜂𝜂𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 =
𝑃𝑃𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖

Overall efficiency is a measure of the power transferred to the

liquid vs the power input to the pump 𝜌𝜌𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝐻𝐻
𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡
𝜂𝜂𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 =
𝑃𝑃𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖
Overall system efficiency of the potential energy transferred
to the liquid vs the power input to the pump
𝜌𝜌𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝐻𝐻𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠
𝜂𝜂𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 =
𝑃𝑃𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖

This is used to measure ‘useful work’. Eg if we move mater from a

sump to a reservoir above, that is useful work (potential energy)

The fact that we had to expend energy overcoming Hf and Vd2/2d

does not contribute to the useful work

To put it another way if you were to pump water from a sump to a

reservoir, but had a choice of two systems (pipes)

1. Small diameter pipe rough pipe. You need to provide a lot of

energy to overcome high Vd2/2d and high Hf
2. Large diameter smooth pipe, much less energy required to
overcome Vd2/2d and Hf
It is obvious that option 2 would the more efficient option,
ηoverall system is the equation that allows you to quantify this
The concept of gain and loss in the diffuser confuses a lot of students. A
simplified way of looking at it is as such; for a pump with no diffuser, we
see the actual pressure gain is less than the theoretical by the losses in
the impeller and volute (casing)
HE

Htotal Hloss

If we now add a diffuser to the system, then we see the actual pressure
increases, so we have a pressure gain
HE

Htotal Hloss

This is because the losses in the volute have decreased because of the
diffuser, so we could redraw the diagram as below
HE

Htotal Hloss diffuser

Hloss impeller
Another way of looking at it:
Pump with no diffuser (as before)
HE

Hgain impeller Hloss

Once we put in the diffuser then there is a gain (as before)

HE

Hloss

Hgain impeller Hgain diff

The losses are still the same, so we could draw as

HE
Hloss diffuser

Hgain impeller Hgain Hloss impeller

diff

This is why some texts treat diffusers as a gain and others as a loss.
Overall both are ‘gaining’, but those that refer to a ‘loss’ are doing it in
reference to the ideal.
Diffuser efficiency

The losses in the diffuser are given as

hLdiffuser = (1 - ηdiffuser)x(V22/2g – Vd2/2g)
 V2 is taken from the blade diagram and
 Vd is obtained from Q=VA where a = area of discharge pipe

(V22/2g – Vd2/2g)−hldiff
Diffuser efficiency =
(V22/2g – Vd2/2g)

Example 2.3 on page 79 show how to deal with diffuser effiencey nicely
Application of Bernoullis equation is very similar to that of the turbine,
except HE will now be on the left side of the equation as it is a gain.
(remember only include HE, if we apply across the impeller)

The diagram shows a pump (no diffuser) with the following velocities
 V1 – blade inlet velocity (from blade diagram)
 V2 - blade outlet velocity (from blade diagram)
 Vs – velocity at the inlet (suction) flange, where Q =VsAsuction pipe
 Vs – velocity at the outlet (discharge) flange,
where Q =VdAdischarge pipe
If we apply Bernoullis across the impeller with the centre
as datum, then

𝑃𝑃1 𝑉𝑉12 𝑃𝑃2 𝑉𝑉22

+ + 𝐻𝐻𝐸𝐸 + 𝑧𝑧1 = + + 𝑧𝑧2 + 𝐻𝐻𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖
𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌 2𝑔𝑔 𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌 2𝑔𝑔
We can always assume z1 = z2
If we apply Bernoulli’s from the exit of the impeller to the exit flange,
with the centreline as datum, then

𝑃𝑃2 𝑉𝑉22 𝑃𝑃𝑑𝑑 𝑉𝑉𝑑𝑑2

+ + 𝑧𝑧2 = + + 𝑧𝑧𝑑𝑑 + 𝐻𝐻𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 2 −𝑑𝑑
𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌 2𝑔𝑔 𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌 2𝑔𝑔

Note we are not applying across the impeller, so HE is not

included,
If no info is given about heights then assume z2 = zd

Example 2.3 part b sets up Bernoulli’s in a similar manner

(between points s and 2) it just looks a but different because

• They refer to hin, not Ps/ρg, which are both

the same thing
• And the have deleted zs and z2 (as they assume
they are the same)