CHAPTER 5 – ROTATING EQUIPMENT

(PUMP & COMPRESSOR)

PUMP :

The main features considered in this chapter are;

A) An understanding of the criteria for pump selection.

B) The positioning of pumps in relation to pipe systems.

C) The determination of size and power requirements.

THE POSITIONING OF PUMPS IN RELATION TO PIPE SYSTEMS

 Pumps may be arranged so that the inlet is under a suction head or the
pump may be fed from a tank. These two systems alter the duty point
curves as shown in Figure 8.27. In developing such curves, the normal
range of liquid velocities is 1.5 to 3 m/s.

a) Suction head- if the water to be pumped has its surface ABOVE the
center of the pump

systems with friction losses

THE POSITIONING OF PUMPS IN RELATION TO PIPE SYSTEMS

Duty (the job the pump has to do) point-

Intersection of pump H(head)-Q (flowrate) curve and the actual
system H-Q curve

The duty point should be chosen as close as possible to the point of optimum
efficiency.
THE POSITIONING OF PUMPS IN RELATION TO PIPE SYSTEMS

a) Suction lift- If the liquid level is BELOW the pump datum, as that is
additional elevation that the water has to lifted up to the pump zero
level.

Systems with suction lift and friction.

THE POSITIONING OF PUMPS IN RELATION TO PIPE SYSTEMS

How do pump operates??

 THE POSITIONING OF PUMPS IN RELATION TO PIPE SYSTEMS

- fluid moves from high P to low P

thus pump operates by creating low P at the
- inlet which allows the liquid to be pushed into the pump by
atmospheric pressure or head
pressure (the limits)
THE POSITIONING OF PUMPS IN RELATION TO PIPE SYSTEMS

What if P at inlet is as low as vapour pressure??

WHAT is vapour pressure??

THE POSITIONING OF PUMPS IN RELATION TO PIPE SYSTEMS

Vapour pressure is the pressure

required to boil a liquid at a given
temperature…
THE POSITIONING OF PUMPS IN RELATION TO PIPE SYSTEMS

 With the arrangement shown in Figure 8.27, there can be problems

in priming the pump (process of segregate the gas phase from liquid
phase) and it may be necessary to use a self-priming centrifugal
pump.

 For any pump, the manufacturers specify the minimum value of the
net positive suction head (NPSH) which must exist at the suction
point of the pump.

 The NPSH (Z) is the amount by which the pressure at the suction
point of the pump, expressed as a head of the liquid to be pumped,
must exceed the vapour pressure of the liquid. For any installation
this must be calculated, taking into account the absolute pressure
of the liquid, the level of the pump, and the velocity and friction
heads in the suction line.
 The NPSH must allow for the fall in pressure occasioned by the
further acceleration of the liquid as it flows on to the impeller and
for irregularities in the flow pattern in the pump.

 If the required value of NPSH (Z) is not obtained, partial

vaporisation or liberation of dissolved gas is liable to occur, with
the result that both suction head and delivery head may be
reduced. The loss of suction head is the more important because it
may cause the pump to be starved of liquid.
Based on figure above write up the NPSH available for both cases:
CAVITATION

 Moreover, if the liquid contains gases, these may come out of

solution giving rise to pockets of gas. This phenomenon is known as
cavitation and may result in mechanical damage to the pump as the
bubbles collapse.

 The tendency for cavitation to occur is accentuated by any sudden

changes in the magnitude or direction of the velocity of the liquid
in the pump. The onset of cavitation is accompanied by a marked
increase in noise and vibration as the vapour bubbles collapse, and
also a loss of head.
CAVITATION

 In designing any installation in which a centrifugal pump is used,

careful attention must be paid to check the minimum pressure
which will arise at any point.

 If this pressure is less than the vapour pressure at the pumping

temperature, vaporisation will occur and the pump may not be
capable of developing the required suction head.
CAVITATION
EXAMPLE 8.2

 A centrifugal pump is required to circulate a liquid of density 800 kg/m 3 and

viscosity 0.5 x 10-3 Ns/m2 from the reboiler of a distillation column through
a vaporiser at the rate of 0.004 m 3/s, and to introduce the superheated
vapour above the vapour space in the reboiler which contains a 0.07 m
depth of liquid. If smooth-bore 25 mm diameter pipe is to be used, the
pressure of vapour in the reboiler is 1 kN/m 2 and the Net Positive Suction
Head required by the pump is 2 m of liquid, what is the minimum height
required between the liquid level in the reboiler and the pump?
PUMPING EQUIPMENT FOR GASES-NEXT CLASS

 Essentially the same types of mechanical equipment are used for

handling gases and liquids, though the details of the construction
are different in the two cases.

 Over the normal range of operating pressures, the density of a gas

is considerably less than that of a liquid with the result that higher
speeds of operation can be employed and lighter valves fitted to
the delivery and suction lines.

 Because of the lower viscosity of a gas there is a greater tendency

for leakage to occur, and therefore gas compressors are designed
with smaller clearances between the moving parts.

 Fans, Blowers and compressors are used to increase pressure and to

cause the flow of air and other gases in ducts and piping systems.
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FANS, BLOWERS AND COMPRESSORS

 A fan is a gas pump with relatively low pressure

rise and high flow rate. Common examples
of fans are window fans, ceiling fans,
fans in computers and other electronics
equipment, radiator fans in cars.

 A blower is a gas pump with relatively moderate to high pressure rise and
moderate to high flow rate. Common examples of blowers are leaf blowers,
hair dryers, air blowers in furnaces and automobile ventilation systems.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FANS, BLOWERS AND COMPRESSORS

 A compressor is a gas pump designed to deliver a very high

pressure rise, typically at low to moderate flow rates. Common
examples of compressors are tire pumps, refrigerator and air
conditioner compressors.
Fans and rotary compressors
 Fans are used for the supply of gases at relatively low pressures (<3.5
kN/m2), often at very high flowrates.

 They may be of the axial flow type in which the curved blades directly
impart an axial motion to the gas, or of the centrifugal type.

 Centrifugal fans, which operate on the same principle as centrifugal

pumps for liquids, depend upon the conversion of the kinetic energy of the
gas into pressure energy and are capable of developing somewhat higher
pressures.
Fans and rotary compressors

 Rotary blowers are of the positive displacement type, and a typical

lobe-type of machine is shown in Figure 8.34.

 Machines of this type are capable of developing pressure differentials

of up to 100 kN/m2; they are made in a wide range of sizes, with
maximum throughputs of up to 20,000-30,000 m3 /hr.
CENTRIFUGAL AND TURBOCOMPRESSORS

 These depend on the conversion of kinetic energy into pressure

energy. Fans are used for low pressures, and can be made to handle
very large quantities of gases.
 For the higher pressure ratios now in demand, multistage centrifugal
compressors are mainly used, particularly for the requirements of
high capacity chemical plants.
Figure 8.37: Multistage centrifugal compressor
 THE RECIPROCATING PISTON COMPRESSOR

 This type of compressor is the only one capable of developing very high
pressures, such as the pressure of 35 MN/m2 required in the production of
polyethylene.

 Compressors may be either single-stage, or multiple-stage where very high

pressures are required.

 A single stage two-cylinder unit is illustrated in Figure 8.38. The cylinders

are fitted with jackets through which cooling water is circulated, and inter
stage coolers are provided on multistage compressors which may consist of
anything from 2 to 12 stages.
THE RECIPROCATING PISTON COMPRESSOR

 Cooling is essential to avoid the effects of excessively high

temperatures on the mechanical operation of the compressor, and in
order to reduce the power requirements.

 The calculation of the power required for compression, and how

this is affected by clearance volume, is considered in Section 8.3.4.
With recent developments in rotary compressors, the use of piston-
type compressors is generally restricted to applications where
very high pressures are required.
 In practice, it is not possible to expel the whole of the gas from the cylinder at
the end of the compression; the volume remaining in the cylinder after the
forward stroke of the piston is termed the clearance volume. This clearance
will have a significant effect on the work done per cycle.

 The volume displaced by the piston is termed the swept volume.

 Therefore the total volume of the cylinder is made up of the clearance

volume plus the swept volume.

 The clearance c is defined as the ratio of the clearance volume to the swept
volume.
COMPRESSION OF GASES- SINGLE STAGE COMPRESSION CYCLE- NO CLEARANCE.

POINT 1: The initial condition of the gas (P1, V1)

Line 1-2: The compression of gas to pressure P2, V2
Line 2-3: The expulsion of the gas at a constant P2
Line 3-4: A sudden reduction in the pressure in the
cylinder from P2 to P1, As the whole of the gas has been
expelled, this can be regarded as taking place instantaneously
Line 4-1: The suction stroke of the piston, during which volume V1
admitted at constant pressure P1

The work done by the compressor during each phase are given by:
TOTAL WORK DONE ON FLUID PER CYCLE- ideal Gas
COMPRESSION OF GASES-SINGLE STAGE COMPRESSION CYCLE-WITH CLEARANCE

Point 1: The initial condition of the gas (P1, V1)

Line 1-2: The compression of the gas to a pressure
P2 and volume V2
Line 2-3: Expulsion of gas at constant pressure P2,
so that the volume remaining in the
cylinder is V3
Line 3-4: An expansion of this residual gas to
the lower pressure P1 and volume V4
during the return stroke
Line 4-1: The introduction of fresh gas into the
the cylinder at constant pressure P1
The work done by the compressor during each
phase are given by:
 COMPRESSION OF GASES.

The work done per cycle is therefore;

TOTAL VOLUME

Where,
Vs= volume swept
C= clearance percentages/ratio
= isentropic ratio

TOTAL WORK DONE ON FLUID PER CYCLE

The factor known as theoretical volumetric efficiency and is a measure of

the effect of the clearance on an isentropic compression. Can be neglect since
gas is frequently cooled during compression, work done is less than calculated.
EXAMPLE 8.3

 A single-acting air compressor supplies 0.1 m3/s of air measured at,

273 K and 101.3 kN/m2 which is compressed to 380 kN/m2 from 101.3
kN/m2. If the suction temperature is 289 K, the stroke is 0.25 m, and
the speed is 4.0 Hz, what is the cylinder diameter?

Assuming the cylinder clearance is 4 per cent and compression and re-
expansion are isentropic (y = 1.4), what are the theoretical power
requirements for the compression?