Wachemo University

Engineering and Technology College

Chemical Engineering Department

Fluid Machines For Chemical Engineers (IChe4082)

By Jemal Abdu (MSc)

December 2023
 Course Description:

• This course is designed to introduce students about characteristics features and definition of pumps,
fans, blowers and compressors as well as its field of applications for chemical process industries such as
centrifugal pumps, piston pumps, gear pumps, helical pumps, vacuum producing equipment and
compressors, typical problems in fluid machines (cavitation, water hammer).
 Course Objectives

• At the end of the course students should be able to

Understand the main issues in installation and maintenance of fluid machines;

Determine performance characteristics and optimize operating condition;

Rate the major types of fluid machines.

 Course Contents

 Unit 1: Introduction
• Fluid Machines in Chemical Process Industries

• Basic Concepts and Terminologies

• Application of Fluid Machines

• Classification of Fluid Machines

• Characteristics Features of Common Fluid Machines

Quiz
 Unit 2: Specific Work of Fluid Machines
• Energy Transfer

• Determination of Specific Work of Fluid Machines

• Determination of the Pressure Specific Work,Ypr

• Calculation of Yad and Tad using theT-S and H-S Diagrams

• Capacity, Power and Performance Characteristics

Assignment: 1
 Unit 3:Theory of Centrifugal Machines
• Velocity Triangles

• Specific work of the Blade, Yblade

• Capacity of Centrifugal and Axial Flow Machines

• TheVane Congruent Flow

• Deviation of Actual Flow fromVane-Congruent Flow

• Head Losses and Efficiency in Centrifugal Machines

• Effect of Geometry of the Impeller on its Performance

• Performance Characteristics of Centrifugal Machines

Mid
 Unit 4:Theory of Positive Displacement Pumps and Compressors
• Dynamic pumps and compressors
• Reciprocating and Rotary pumps and compressors
• Capacity Regulation of PD machines
Assignment: 2

 Unit 5: Selection and Specification of Fluid Machines

• Preparing the System Requirements
• Selection and Specification of fluid machines

 Unit 6: Fluid Machines Problems

• Cavitation
• Water Hammer
 Assessment:
• Quiz -----------------------------5%

• Assignment 1 & 2 -------------20%

• Mid -----------------------------25%

• Final Exam ---------------------50%

• Total -----------------------------100%
 Self-test:
1. What is fluid machines?

2. Discuss the main purpose of fluid machines.

3. What is the role of industrial chemists in tasks related to fluid machines?

 Unit 1: Introduction

• Objectives:

To study the

- purpose of fluid machines, and their application in process industries and

- role of chemical engineer with respect to fluid machines.

• In addition, some basic relevant concepts and terminologies are explained.

 Introduction and Classification of Fluid Machines:

• In chemical process industries, it is usually required to increase the mechanical energy of fluids.

• The energy stored by a fluid mass appears in the form of potential, kinetic and intermolecular energy.

• In moving fluids from one place to another it may be required to increase the mechanical energy to account
for increase in geodetic energy (potential energy), velocity energy, pressure energy and losses due to fluid
friction.

• The machines used for this purpose are called fluid machines.
A fluid machine is a device which converts the energy stored by a fluid into mechanical energy or vice
versa .

• It is a device that either performs work on , or extracts work (or power) from, a fluid.

 Energy may exist in various forms.

• Hydraulic energy is that which may be possessed by a fluid. It may be in the form of kinetic, pressure,
potential, strain or thermal energy.

• Machines using liquid (mainly water, for almost all practical purposes) are termed as hydraulic machines.

• Mechanical energy is that which is associated with moving or rotating parts of machines, usually
transmitting power. It is usually transmitted by a rotating shaft.

• It is thus the purpose of hydraulic machines to transform energy either from mechanical to hydraulic or
from hydraulic to mechanical.
• This distinction, based on the ‘direction’ of energy transfer, forms the basis of grouping hydraulic machines
into two distinct categories.

• All machines in which hydraulic energy forms the input and is transformed into mechanical energy, so that
the output is in the form of a rotating shaft or a moving part of a machine, are known as turbines or
motors.

• In the other category, the input is mechanical; the transfer is from mechanical into hydraulic energy and the
output is in the form of a moving fluid, sometimes compressed and at elevated temperature.

• Such machines are called pumps, fans and compressors.

• Thus, in the first category, work is done by the fluid and energy is subtracted from it, whereas, in the
second category of machines, the work is done on the fluid and energy is added to it.
 Classification of Fluid Machines

• The fluid machines may be classified under different categories as follows:

Classification Based on Direction of Energy Conversion.

• The device in which the kinetic, potential or intermolecular energy held by the fluid is converted in the
form of mechanical energy of a rotating member is known as a turbine.

o It extracts energy from fluid stream.

• The machines, on the other hand, where the mechanical energy from moving parts is transferred to a fluid
to increase its stored energy by increasing either its pressure or velocity are known as pumps, compressors,
fans or blowers.

o It input energy into fluid stream.

Classification Based on Principle of Operation

The machines whose functioning depend essentially on the change of volume of a certain amount of fluid
within the machine are known as positive displacement machines (e.g. reciprocating machine).

• The word positive displacement comes from the fact that there is a physical displacement of the boundary
of a certain fluid mass as a closed system.

The machines, functioning of which depend basically on the principle of fluid dynamics, are known as
rotodynamic machines (e.g.Turbo machine).

• They are distinguished from positive displacement machines in requiring relative motion between the fluid
and moving part of the machine.
• The rotating element of the machine usually consisting of a number of vanes or blades, is known as rotor or
impeller while the fixed part is known as stator.

• Impeller is the heart of rotodynamic machines, within which a change of angular momentum of fluid
occurs imparting torque to the rotating member.

Depending upon the main direction of fluid path in the rotor, the machine is termed as

o radial flow (centrifugal),

o axial flow and

o mixed flow machine.

• In radial flow machine, the main direction of flow in the rotor is radial while in axial flow machine, it is
axial.
• For radial flow turbines, the flow is towards the Centre of the rotor, while, for pumps and compressors, the
flow is away from the Centre.

• Therefore, radial flow turbines are sometimes referred to as radially inward flow machines and radial flow
pumps as radially outward flow machines.

Examples of such machines are the Francis turbines and the centrifugal pumps or compressors.

Examples of axial flow machines are Kaplan turbines and axial flow compressors.

• If the flow is party radial and partly axial, the term mixed-flow machine is used.
• Schematic representation of different types of fluid machine based on fluid flow. (a) Radial outward flow (b)
Mixed flow hydraulic turbine. (c)Axial flow.
Classification Based on flow medium (fluid) they handle:

• The fluid machines use either liquid or gas as the working fluid depending upon the purpose.

• The machine transferring mechanical energy of rotor to the energy of fluid is termed as
 a pump when it uses liquid, and
 a compressor or a fan or a blower, when it uses gas.

• Pumps are used to transport process and service liquids.

• Fans are used in

o ventilating buildings;
o aerating workstations; Pump

o exhausting or introducing air or other gasses into process reactors, dryers, cooling towers,
kilns, etc., at relatively low pressure.
• Fans are also used in some air-cooled heat exchangers.

• Figure: Fans
• Fans or blowers, mainly cause a high flow of gas, and hence utilize the mechanical energy of the rotor to
increase mostly the kinetic energy of the fluid.

• In these machines, the change in static pressure is quite small.

• Fans uses in…

Ventilating buildings Air-cooled heat exchangers

Cooling towers Aerating workstations

 The compressor is a machine where the main objective is

to increase the static pressure of a gas.

• Therefore, the mechanical energy held by the fluid is mainly in the form of pressure energy.

• Compressors are used to

- compress process gas;

- supplying plant with compressed air;

- convey solid material in suspension;

- exhausting or introducing air into process reactor at higher pressures and similar processes.

 Example:- ammonia in gas phase reaction.

• The classification of the gas movers is mainly based on the discharge to suction pressure ratio: Pr =𝑃𝐷 𝑃𝑆 .

Fluid Machine Fluid type 𝑷𝑫 Artificial Cooling

𝑷𝒓 =
𝑷𝑺
Pumps Liquid - No
Fans Gas < 1.15 No
Blowers Gas 1.15 < Pr < 3 No
Compressors Gas >3 Yes

• For all practical purposes, liquid used by the turbines producing power is water, and therefore, they are
termed as water turbines or hydraulic turbines.

• Turbines handling gases in practical fields are usually referred to as steam turbine, gas turbine, and air
turbine depending upon whether they use steam, gas (the mixture of air and products of burnt fuel in air)
or air.
 In general, fluid machines classified as
 Angular Momentum->Swirl->turbo
- Continuous Fluid Flow, Fluid Machines  Pressure
- Rotating Machine, -Intermittent motion,
- No closed volume. -Temporarily closed volume.

Dynamic/ Turbo machines + Special effect/ Positive Displacement

(Dynamic effect b/n fluid & solid component/rotor) (Confined volume)

Classified by Direction of Energy Transfer Reciprocating: Rotating:

Piston, Plunger, Diaphragm Gear, Screw, Vane, Lobe

Input/added energy into fluid: Extract/subtracted energy from fluid:

Pump, fan, blower, compressor Hydraulic/Wind/Gas/Steam turbine

Classification by Direction/Path of Flow Impulse Reaction

(as it passes through the blade passage) Radial, Mixed, & Axial flow

Radial-flow Mixed-flow Axial-flow

• The Chemical Engineer is involved in

Operating

Selecting

Testing
vs
Maintaining
• To do this effectively, the engineer has to know

the system where the fluid machine is to be used;

the operating principles;

capability;

limitations of the different types of fluid machines.

 Basic Concepts And Terminologies

Mechanical Energy, E Specific Work, Y = E/m

Total Head, H = Y/g

Total Pressure, 𝑷𝒕 = 𝝆Y Useful Power, N = 𝒎Y

 Mechanical Energy of a flowing fluid is part of the total energy of the fluid that can be directly and
completely converted to work.

The difference of the useful energy content of the flow medium per unit mass of the flow medium between
the suction and discharge end of the fluid machine is equal to the specific work done by the machine, Y, on
the flow medium.

dP dC2
Y= + + gdz (1)
ρ 2

 The specific work of a fluid machine is the useful energy (work) that the machine transfers or can
transfer to the flow medium per unit mass of the fluid.

• The SI unit of specific energy is J/kg or m2/s2.

 The total head transferred to a flow medium is the specific energy transferred to the fluid divided by the
gravitational acceleration and is the measure of the amount of useful energy (mechanical energy or work)
of the flow medium.
(2)
H Y / g
Where:- H = Head,
Y = Specific Work,
g = gravitational acceleration.

• The total pressure of a fluid machine (commonly used in fans, blowers and PD pumps and compressors)
is defined as the specific work (energy) that a fluid machine transfers to a flow medium multiplied by the
density of the flow medium at some given condition (usually at suction condition).

• Hence, Pt  ρY  gH (3)

 Types of pressure r/ship:

• Absolute pressure (static) of a fluid on a surface is the normal force exerted by the fluid per unit area
of the surface.

• Gauge Pressure is the pressure above the atmospheric pressure.

Absolute Pressure = Gauge Pressure + Atmospheric Pressure

• Vacuum Pressure is the pressure below the atmospheric pressure.

Absolute Pressure = Atmospheric Pressure -Vacuum Pressure

 Example 1

1) The rate of energy transfer from a fluid machine to a flow medium is 40kW and the mass flow rate of the
flow medium is 2kg/s. Calculate the specific energy transferred to the fluid and determine the head of
the fluid machine .

2) The static pressure, geodetic (potential) and kinetic specific energy transferred by a fan to a gas are 500
J/kg, 22.5 J/kg and 25 J/kg respectively. Determine the increase in total pressure of the flow medium.
The average density of the flow medium is 1.2 kg/m3.
• Since specific work of the machine, Y is equal to the increase in the useful energy content of the flow
medium between the suction and discharge ends of the machine.

• The above equation (1) can be integrated to give

D dP C2D −C2S
Y= s ρ
+ + g zD − zS (4)
2

• Let e = 𝑧𝐷 − 𝑧𝑆 -Elevation difference between the suction and discharge ends from the datum.

• The two ends of the machine are defined as the centerline of the suction and discharge flanges of the
machine.

𝑫 𝒅𝑷 2
𝐶𝐷 −𝐶𝑆2
𝒀𝒑𝒓 = 𝑺 𝝆
(pressure energy); 𝑌𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜 = (velocity energy); 𝑌𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑑 = ge (geodetic energy).
2

• It can be noted from equation (4) that velocity and geodetic energies can be calculated easily.

• The determination of pressure specific work requires further analysis.

 Useful Power is the rate at which useful energy is transferred to the flow medium.

• The useful power is calculated using Equations:

N m
Y (5)

• Since mass flow rate is the product of density and volume flow rate.

N  QY (6), where 𝑃𝑡 = 𝜌𝑌

(7)
N  QPt
 Remark:
• All of them are the measure of the energy.

Specific Work Total Head

Equivalent
Term

Total Pressure
 Pulsation and Priming

Pulsation: The capacity of some fluid machines is not uniform, it varies with time.

• This non uniformity of the capacity of fluid machines is called pulsation.

Priming: Some pumps require that the air in the suction line should be replaced by liquid before they start
pumping.

• The process of replacing the air in the suction pipe with liquid is known as priming.

• Loss of Head is loss of the useful head of the flow medium due to fluid friction or the turbulence that
occurs when the fluid passes an obstruction, sudden contraction or sudden expansion, etc.
 Continuity Equation:

• For a steady state process (no accumulation)

Rate of mass input = Rate of mass output

𝑚 = 𝜌1 𝑄1 = 𝜌2 𝑄2 (8a)
𝑚 = 𝜌1 𝐴1 𝑐1 = 𝜌2 𝐴2 𝑐2 (8b)
• For incompressible fluid,
𝐴1 𝑐1 = 𝐴2 𝑐2 (9)
Where
𝑚 = mass flow rate [kg/s]; Q = Volume flow rate [m3/s]
𝑐 = velocity of the flow medium [m/s]; A = Flow Area [m2]
 Temperature Scales:
 There are two temperature scales in common use.

5
℃= ℉ − 32
9

9
℉ = ℃ + 32
5

• Absolute temperatures,

• Degree Kelvin (K): 𝐾 = ℃ + 273.15

• Degree Rankine (°R): °𝑅 = ℉ + 460

 Ideal Gas Law: 𝑃𝑉 = 𝑛𝑅𝑇

• Where
P= Absolute Pressure [Pa] ; V = Volume of gas [m3]
n = number of moles of the gas [kmol] ; R = universal gas constant =8314.3 J/kmol K.
Applications of Fluid Machines
 Pumps

Fig. A pumping system

• The amount of energy required by a flow medium:

(10)

where
Y = The specific energy that should be transferred from fluid machine to flow medium.
P2 - P1= The static pressure difference between the suction and discharge end of the pumping system
c1, c2 = The average flow velocities at point 1 and 2 respectively.
e = The elevation difference between 1 and 2.
F = Energy loss due to fluid friction.
 = Density of the flow medium at the flow condition.

• The energy loss due to fluid friction in simple pipes is the sum of the friction losses in the straight pipe and
minor losses in the pipe fittings like elbows, valves and losses due to sudden contraction and sudden
expansion.
 The straight pipe friction loss:

𝐿 𝑐2
𝐹𝑠𝑡,𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒 = 𝑓 (11)
𝐷 2

The minor losses:

𝑐2
𝐹𝑠𝑡,𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒 = 𝑘𝑖 (12)
2

• It is not only the energy that is a requirement of the pump.

• In most processes it is required to transport a defined amount of liquid per unit time.

Hence, the capacity, i.e., the volume the pump delivers per unit time is other important performance
characteristic of the pump. volumetric flow rate.

• The rate of energy transfer is known as power and the power that should be transferred from the fluid
machine to a flow medium is the product of the mass flow rate and the specific energy. 𝑁 = 𝑚𝑌
 There are various types of pumps.

• Their difference is mainly due to the fact that different liquid properties and performance requirements
result in different types of design.

• For example, screw pumps are more effective in pumping viscous liquids than centrifugal pumps.

• Similarly, temperature, vapor and gas content and solid content are important fluid properties in this
respect.

• On the other hand, the capacity and head, uniformity of delivery, price, operating cost, maintenance cost,
space requirement, and weight are some of the important process requirements that may lead to different
choices of pumps.
 Example 1

 Water at 200C should be pumped from Tank 1 to Tank 2 at the rate of

120m3/hr. The total length of the straight pipe is 45m. Determine the specific
mechanical energy, head and power that should be transferred to the flow
medium to move the water.(Take 12.32J/kg for total loss due to friction.)

Fig. A pumping system

 Fans
• There are various industrial processes that involve movement of air and other gasses without significant
increase in the static pressure.

Ventilation and air conditioning,

feeding of reactors,

removal of exhaust gases,

feeding of drying air are some of these.

• The movement of gasses may be through pipes, tunnels and equipment or may be just in a room for moving
air without piping as in a simple ventilation.
• To achieve such movement of gasses, energy should be added to the gas in the form of mechanical
energy to cover for the net increases in energy due to difference in potential energy, kinetic energy,
pressure energy and energy loss in the form of fluid friction.

The machines used to transfer mechanical energy to gases at low discharge pressure are known as fans.

• The calculation of total pressure (specific energy requirement) and power requirement of systems
for moving gasses with fans is similar to pumps.
 Example 3

 A fan is used to deliver 1300m3/hr (measured at the inlet) of methane. The

specific energy requirement of the system is calculated to be 5.4 kJ/kg. The
inlet temperature and pressure are 120C and 100 kPa respectively. Determine
the total pressure and the useful power that should be transferred to the flow
medium.
The types of fans in common industrial use are not as many as pumps. However, there are still various types
of fans.

• Fan and blower selection depends on the volume flow rate, pressure, type of material handled, space
limitations, and efficiency.

• Fan efficiencies differ from design to design and also by types.

Fans fall into two general categories: centrifugal flow and axial flow.

(a) Centrifugal fan (b) Axial fan

• The property of the gas (temperature, pressure, dust content, etc.) and performance
requirements (capacity, total pressure, noise level, total pressure-capacity relation, space
requirement, simplicity for cleaning,) are some of the factors that determine the type of fan
to be used.
 Common Blower Types

• Blowers can achieve much higher pressures than fans, as high as 1.20 kg/cm2.

• They are also used to produce negative pressures for industrial vacuum systems.

• Major types are: centrifugal blower and positive-displacement blower.

• Centrifugal blowers look more like centrifugal pumps than fans.

• The impeller is typically gear-driven and rotates as fast as 15,000 rpm.

• In multi-stage blowers, air is accelerated as it passes through each impeller.

• In single-stage blower, air does not take many turns, and hence it is more efficient.

• Centrifugal blowers typically operate against pressures of 0.35 to 0.70 kg/cm2, but can achieve higher
pressures.
 Compressors

• Compressed air is one of the most common utility in process industries.

• Among other purposes it is used for most automatic control systems and for cleaning, pneumatic
conveying.

• In liquefaction of gasses and process that depend on them (like separation) compression is a very
important step.

• Various gas phase reactions that take place at high pressures are also core in some chemical
production, like ammonia production.
• Compression process requires large amount of energy.

• The machines used to transfer mechanical energy in compression process to gasses are known as
compressors.

• The energy requirement in compression process depends on the type of compression.

Types of Ideal Compression

Isothermal Compression Adiabatic Compression

T=const
 Adiabatic Compression

 AC is carried out with no heat transfer between the gas and the surrounding.

 The adiabatic compression specific energy for compressing a gas from a suction temperature T1 and

pressure P1 is given by equation:

where Yad = The adiabatic compression specific energy requirement

R = Universal gas constant = 8314.3 J/kg K
T1= The suction temperature
M = Molecular weight of the gas to be compressed
P2 = Final pressure
P1 = Initial pressure
P1/P2 = compression ratio
k = ratio of specific heats, k = cp cv

• The power requirement in adiabatic compression is given by : 𝑁𝑎𝑑 = 𝑚𝑌𝑎𝑑

 Isothermal Compression
T = constant
• IC is carried out under constant temperature.
• The specific energy requirement for compressing gas under isothermal compression is given by Equation:

• For the same compression ratio and flow medium isothermal compression requires less compression
energy than adiabatic compression.

<
Isothermal Compression Compression Energy Adiabatic Compression

• The power requirement for isothermal compression of a gas is given by equation:

𝑁𝑖𝑠𝑜 = 𝑚𝑌𝑖𝑠𝑜
 Example 4
 It is required to compress 0.02 k mol/s of air from 1 atm and 250C to 6 atm.
Calculate the specific energy requirement and the compression power for:
(i) adiabatic compression
(ii) isothermal compression.
• In general, adiabatic compression consumes more energy than isothermal compression and the difference
in the energy increases as the compression ratio increases.
• On the other hand, to bring a compression process close to isothermal condition we need an effective
cooling system.
• Based on the property of the gas to be compressed, performance and safety requirements there are various
types of compressors that are effective.
• The most important gas properties are composition, temperature, molecular weight, specific heat ratio.
• Flow rate, compression ratio (Discharge Pressure/ Suction Pressure), discharge temperature are some of
the most important performance requirements.
• Compression processes involve increase in temperature and if the compression ratio is very high, the
increase in temperature becomes unsafe hence the design of compressors in such cases must ensure that the
safety limit is not exceeded.
End of unit one

Thank you!!

???