Pumping Plants

Types of Pumps
• Positive displacement pumps
– Rotary (gear, screw, etc.) 
– Reciprocating (piston, diaphragm, etc.)
– Used as injection and sprayer pumps, but not
for irrigation water
• Centrifugal pumps
– Rotating impeller converts mechanical energy
into hydraulic energy (show examples and
transparency)
Rotating Impeller Converts Mechanical
Energy to Hydraulic Energy
 Centrifugal Pump Impellers

Enclosed Impeller Semi-Open Impeller

 Centrifugal Pumps
• Horizontal
– Drive shaft is horizontal
– Often used when pumping from a surface
source (pond, lake, stream, etc.), Or for
boosting the pressure in an irrigation pipeline
(booster pump)
– Usually sold as completely assembled units
Typical Horizontal Centrifugal Pump Installation
 Horizontal
Centrifugal Pumps
 Centrifugal Pumps, Contd...
• Vertical Turbine
– drive shaft is vertical
– used when pumping from a well 
– normally custom built from components (with
multiple stages)
– submersible: electric motor below the lowest
stage
Vertical Turbine Pump
 Single-Stage Vertical Turbine Pump

Water Flow Path

Through a One-Stage
Vertical Turbine Pump
Two-Stage Vertical Turbine Pump

Water Flow Path

Through a Two-Stage
Vertical Turbine Pump
(Discharge Heads)

Gearhead for
engine drive

Holloshaft electric
motor
Submersible Water Pumps
- Same as vertical turbine
pump design
- Driven from below by
electric motor
- Good for deep wells
- High efficiency
- Wells as small as 4” diameter
Head Capacity Curve (Fig. 8.6)
 Pump Characteristics
• Head vs. discharge
– discharge (or capacity): volume of water
pumped per unit of time (gpm)
– head (or total head or total dynamic head):
– energy added to the water by the pump
– units of feet (energy per unit weight of water
 Pump Characteristics Cont’d…
• Pump Efficiency vs. Discharge
output power (or energy) water HP whp
Ep   
input power (or energy) brake HP bhp
Power = energy/time; 1 HP = 33,000 ft-lb/min
 
(Q)(TDH)
whp =
3960
- Q in gpm; TDH in ft, whp in horsepower
- whp = power added to the water by the pump
 Pump Characteristics Contd…
• Brake horsepower vs. Discharge
whp (Q)(TDH)
bhp = 
Ep (3960)(E p )
where: Q, (gpm); TDH, (ft); bhp & whp, (HP)

• Combined characteristic curves

– Horizontal centrifugal pump
– Vertical turbine pump
Vertical Turbine Pump Performance Curve
Horizontal Centrifugal Pump Performance Curve
 Affinity Laws
• Speed
– Law applies to virtually all irrigation pumps
2 3
Q 2 RPM 2 TDH 2  RPM 2  bhp 2  RPM 2 
    
Q1 RPM 1 TDH 1  RPM 1  bhp1  RPM 1 

– Ep may be affected a little, but not as predictable

– Ways of changing speeds:
pulleys, gear ratios, throttle, change motor
 Affinity Law Example
A pump operating at 1800 RPM delivers 200 gpm at a TDH of 150 feet
and requires 10 HP to operate. What will be its Q, TDH and BHP
conditions if it is sped up to 2000 RPM?

RPM1=1800 RPM2= 2000 RPM2/RPM1=1.11

Q2/Q1= RPM2/RPM1 Q2= Q1 x RPM2/RPM1 = 200 x 1.11= 222 gpm
TDH2/TDH1=[RPM2/RPM1]2 TDH2 = TDH1 x [RPM2/RPM1]2
TDH2 = 150 x [1.11]2 = 185 feet
BHP2/BHP1 = =[RPM2/RPM1]3 BHP2 = BHP1 x [RPM2/RPM1]3
BHP2 = 10 x [1.11]3 = 13.7 HP
 Affinity Laws Contd…
• Impeller diameter
– Law strictly applies only to horizontal centrifugal
pumps, but good approximation for vertical turbine
pumps 
2 3
Q2 D2 TDH 2  D 2  bhp 2  D 2 
      
Q1 D1 TDH1  D1  bhp1  D1 

• Ep may change a little 

• Diameter is changed by trimming the impeller
(law holds up to about 10-20% trim)
 Pumps in Series
• Booster pump
• Multi-stage turbine pump
•  Q1 = Q2
•  TDHtot = TDH1 + TDH2
(add heads at the same
discharge)
•  bhptot = bhpQ
1
+ (bhp
TDH2 tot )

Ep  3960
bhptot
Pumps in Series Cont’d…
Pumps in Parallel
 Pumps in Parallel Contd…

• Qtot = Q1 + Q2
(add discharges at the same head)
• bhptot = bhp1 + bhp2

( Qtot ) H
Ep  3960
bhptot
Pumps in Parallel Contd…
 Pump Selection
• System Head
•  Definition:
– Total head imposed on a pump by the irrigation
system also called TDH (Total Dynamic Head),
total pumping head, etc.
• Components
• Static Head (Elevation Head): elevation
difference between water level on the inlet side
and the water delivery point
 Components Cont’d…
• Pressure Head: difference in water pressures between the
source and the delivery point
•  Friction Head: total friction loss between the source and
the delivery point
• Velocity Head: V2/(2g) (usually considered negligible)
•  System Head =
Static + Pressure + Friction (units of feet)
Components of Total System Head
(or Total Dynamic Head, Total Pumping Head)
 System Head Curve
• H increases with increasing Q because of:
– drawdown (wells)
– friction
– pressure at nozzles
•  System head can also vary with time:
– water table fluctuations
– changes in the irrigation system
– pipe aging
System Head Curve
 Pump Operating Point
• As indicated by its TDH-Q curve, a pump
can operate at many possible points
•  A pump will operate at a Q and TDH
determined by the point where the pump
curve and the system head curve cross
• The same pump is likely to operate at two
different TDH-Q combinations when
placed in two different irrigation systems
Pump Operating Point in a System
Different Pumps in the Same System
 Matching a Pump to the System
• General
– buyer specifies desired Q and TDH (usually not
the entire system head curve)
– supplier specifies operating characteristics
(including pump curves)
– obviously want a high Ep
– can fine tune a match by adjusting speed and/or
trimming the impeller
Matching a Pump to the System Contd…
• Horizontal Centrifugal Pumps
– provide correct Q and TDH at a high Ep
– usually buy off-the-shelf unit
• Vertical Turbine Pumps
– choose a bowl and impeller to provide the desired
Q at a high Ep
– determine the number of bowls required to provide
the desired TDH (pumps in series)
A vertical turbine pump is needed to deliver 400 gpm from a well
that will have a static pumping lift of 237 feet, plus an operating
pressure of 55 psi at the pump head. Is the WLR 10JKH pump
below a good choice? If so, how many stages are required?
TDH= 237+(55psi*2.31 ft/psi)=364 ft
@ Q=400 gpm:
TDH=52 ft/stage for 7.7” & Ep=79.5%
TDH=41 ft/stage for 7.13” & Ep=77.5%
TDH=30 ft/stage for 6.56” & Ep=72%
364 ft/52 ft/stage=7 stages
The best choice is the 7.7” diameter
impeller at 52 ft/stage, because it not
only requires the fewest stages (low
initial cost), but has the best efficiency
(low operating cost) near 80%.
A vertical turbine pump is needed to deliver 400 gpm from a well
that will have a static pumping lift of 237 feet, plus an operating
pressure of 60 psi at the pump head. Is the WLR 10JKH pump
below a good choice? If so, how many stages are required?
TDH= 237+(55psi*2.31 ft/psi)=364 ft
@ Q=400 gpm:
TDH=52 ft/stage for 7.7” & Ep=79.5%
TDH=41 ft/stage for 7.13” & Ep=77.5%
TDH=30 ft/stage for 6.56” & Ep=72%
364 ft/52 ft/stage=7 stages
The best choice is the 7.7” diameter
impeller at 52 ft/stage, because it not
only requires the fewest stages (low
initial cost), but has the best efficiency
(low operating cost) near 80%.
 Net Positive Suction Head
• Suction lift and cavitation
•  Handout
•  Pump does not "suck" or "pull" water
•  Impeller causes partial vacuum
• Atmospheric pressure forces water up to the
impeller
• Theoretical vs. practical lift
• Describe cavitation
Schematic For NPSHA Versus Atmospheric Pressure
 NPSHa
• NPSHa = AP - SL - FL - VP
– AP = atmospheric pressure
– SL = suction lift (vertical distance)
– FL = friction loss on suction side
– VP = vapor pressure
– all have units of feet
Atmospheric Pressure at Various Altitudes
Altitude (feet) Absolute Pressure(psi) Absolute Pressure(ft)
0 14.7 34.0
500 14.4 33.3
1000 14.2 32.8
1500 13.9 32.2
2000 13.7 31.6
2500 13.4 31.0
3000 13.2 30.5
3500 12.9 29.8
4000 12.7 29.4
5000 12.2 28.2
6000 11.8 27.3
7000 11.3 26.2
8000 10.9 25.2
9000 10.5 24.3
10,000 10.1 23.4
Vapor Pressure at Various Temperatures
Temperature 0F Vapor Pressure (Feet)
50 0.4
60 0.6
70 0.8
80 1.2
90 1.6
100 2.2
110 3.0
130 5.2
150 8.7
170 14.2
190 22.3
210 34.0
 NPSHr

• NPSHr is a pump characteristic (increases

as Q increases)
• If NPSHa > NPSHr:
Design is OK
• If NPSHa < NPSHr:
Cavitation will be a problem
(good idea to have a factor of
safety)
 Power Units
• Electric motors
– direct coupled
• High Efficiency drive (Edrive=100%), but Fixed Speed
– belt drive
• Variable Speed, but Lower Efficiency drive (Edrive= 90%)
– rated by output HP
power or energy out (shaft)
Em 
power or energy in (electricity)
– Em's  90% are common
– Em doesn't vary much with load
(unless it's significantly under-loaded)
 Internal Combustion Engines
• Fuels
– Natural gas
– Diesel fuel
– Propane
– Gasoline
• Right-angle Gear Drives
– Convert power in horizontal engine shaft to
power in vertical pump line shaft
– Edrive  95% (5% loss through the gear drive)
Internal Combustion Engines Contd…

power or energy out (shaft)

Ee 
power or energy in fuel used
• Ee varies with engine speed and with the
load on the engine
• Ee's rarely exceed 30%
 Pumping Costs
Fixed Costs vs. Operating Costs

• Fixed: pump, motor/engine, well, other equipment

(total cost is the same regardless of use)
• Operating: energy, maintenance, repairs, labor
(total cost increases with increasing use)
Overall Pumping Plant Performance
Overall pumping plant efficiency, (Eo):
output power or energy (supplied to water)
Eo 
input power or energy (electricity or fuel)

Electric Motor Driven

– Eo = Ep x Em x Edrive
Internal Combustion Engine Driven
– Eo = Ep x Ee x Edrive

Efficiencies are expressed in decimal for this calculation, (%/100)

Typical Values of Overall Efficiency for Representative
Pumping Plants Expressed as Percent
Power Maximum Recommended as Avg Values
Source Theoretical Acceptable from Field Tests
Electric 72-77 65 45 – 55

Diesel 20 – 25 18 13 – 15

Natural 18 – 24 15 – 18 9 – 13
Gas
Butane, 18 – 24 15 – 18 9 – 13
Propane
Gasoline 18 – 23 14 – 16 9 – 12
 Annual Pumping Energy Cost
Electric Powered Pumping Plant
– V = volume of water pumped per year, acre-feet
– TDH = total system head, feet
– Eo = overall pumping plant efficiency = %
– Ce= electricity price, $/kilowatt-hour

1.373 HP-hr V ac-ft TDH ft 0.746 kwh $Ce

x x x x  $/yr
ac-ft ft ( Eo / 100%) HP-hr kwh
 Annual Pumping Energy Cost
Natural Gas Engine Driven Pumping Plant
– V= volume of water pumped per year, acre-feet
– TDH = total system head, feet
– Eo = overall pumping plant efficiency, %
– Cg = natural gas price = $/1000 cubic feet of gas

1.373 HP-hr V ac-ft TDH ft ft 3 2545 BTU $Cg

x x x x x 3
 $/yr
ac-ft ft (Eo/ 100%) 1000 BTU HP-hr 1000 ft
 Annual Pumping Energy Cost
Simplified Equations
Total Seasonal Energy Costs Unit Energy Costs
Nat. Gas: Energy Cost, $/yr = V x TDH x Cg Energy Cost, $/ac-in = TDH x Cg
2.862 x Eo 34.691 x Eo

Propane: Energy Cost, $/yr = 3.698 x V x TDH x Cp Energy Cost, $/ac-in = TDH x Cp
Eo 3.278 x Eo

Diesel: Energy Cost, $/yr = 2.496 x V x TDH x Cd Energy Cost, $/ac-in = TDH x Cd
Eo 4.856 x Eo

Electric: Energy Cost, $/yr = 102.4 x V x TDH x Ce Energy Cost, $/ac-in = 8.448 x TDH x Ce
Eo Eo
Cg = cost of natural gas, $/Mcf
Cp = cost of propane, $/gal V = volume of water pumped, acre-feet
Cd = cost of diesel, $/gal TDH = total pumping head, ft
Ce = cost of electricity, $/kWh Eo = overall pumping plant efficiency, %
 Nebraska Pumping Plant Performance
Criteria
• “Target" for a system that is well designed and
operated (can be exceeded)
•  Calculated based on reasonable values for E p,
Em, Ee, Edrive, energy content of fuel, etc.

energy output water horsepower - hours

PC  
energy input energy unit
 Nebraska Pumping Plant Performance
Criteria Contd…
• “energy unit" :
– kilowatt-hour (electricity)
– gallon (diesel, propane, gasoline)
– 1000 cubic feet (mcf) (natural gas)
• performance rating = PR = (actual performance) /
(performance criteria)
 Nebraska Performance Criteria
• Q = 800 gpm
• TDH = 218 feet
• diesel fuel consumption = 4 gallons per hour
• performance rating? -- Equation 7.12
• gallons of fuel per acre-inch of water pumped? --
Equation 7.14
(800 gpm)(216 ft)
 44 whp
3960
Nebraska Performance Criteria Contd…
• performance = (44 whp) / (4 gal/hr) = 11
whp-hr/gal
• performance criteria = PC = 12.5
whp-hr/gal
• performance rating = PR = 11 / 12.5 = 0.88
TDH 218
E = = = 2.26 gal / ac - in
(8.75)(PC)(PR) (8.75)(12.5)(0.88)
Head Capacity Curve for Centrifugal Pump With Various Pump Speeds