RECIPROCATING PUMPS

Classification according to method of driving the water piston or plunger

1. Direct-acting reciprocating pumps
The direct-acting pump is motivated by the forces of steam on the steam
piston. The steam and water pistons are connected by a rod. Any force applied on
the steam piston is transmitted to the water piston.
Steam and water pistons of direct-acting pumps are normally double-acting,
i.e., every stroke of the water piston is a delivery stroke.
When the pump is direct-acting, there must be a steam cylinder for each
water cylinder.
2. Indirect-acting reciprocating pump
The indirect-acting pumps have their water pistons driven by either an electric
motor, internal combustion engine, steam turbine, gas turbine, or steam engine.
They are also called power pumps. They have high efficiency and constant speed
because of the type of drive. They are capable of delivering constant quantity of
fluid against variable head, a feature neither direct-acting nor centrifugal pumps
possess.
Classification according to the number of water cylinders contained in the
pump
1.Simplex pumps – one water cylinder
2.Duplex pumps – two water cylinders
3.Triplex pumps – three water cylinders
 Cylinders and stroke dimensions for direct-acting reciprocating pumps are
normally in millimeters with the steam cylinder diameter first, the liquid diameter
next, and the length of stroke last. A 150 mm x 100 mm x 250 mm pump would
have 150 mm diameter steam cylinder, 100 mm diameter water cylinder, and a
250 mm stroke of both.
Reciprocating pumps may have their water cylinders fitted with either
pistons or plungers. A water cylinder has a piston if the packing is fastened to the
piston and carried along with it throughout the stroke. When the packing is
stationary, the water cylinder has a plunger and the pump is of the plunger type.
The advantage of the plunger pump is that any undue leakage of fluid past the
packing may be readily detected since the packing is on the outside of the pump.
In a direct-acting pump where there is a steam cylinder for every water
cylinder, the steam pressure acting on the face of the piston produces a force
which causes the piston to move. This pressure must be sufficient enough to move
the piston throughout the entire stroke since no flywheel is attached to provide the
necessary inertia.
The force produced and acting on the piston rod is equal to the piston
area times the difference in steam pressure acting on the two faces of the piston.
Only a portion in actual practice is transmitted to the liquid piston due to
frictional resistance of the packing around the shaft and probably due to steam
leakage past through the piston rings. The transmitted force is:
Ps
Ds Dw

Pe
Steam cylinder water cylinder
Where
Fs = force
Ds = steam piston diameter
Ps = inlet steam pressure
Pe = exhaust steam pressure
Ps – Pe = mean effective pressure
Dw = water piston cylinder
Pd = discharge pressure of water cylinder
Psu = suction pressure of water cylinder
Pd – Psu = mean effective pressure in the water cylinder
e = mechanical efficiency
Advantages of direct-acting over centrifugal pumps
1.Design is simpler and pumping action is readily understood by the average
mechanic.
2.Operation is more flexible.
3.No need for separate driving motor or turbine.
4.Operation is fairly quiet and can be set on simple light foundation.
5.Comparatively low initial cost up to capacity of several hundred liters per minute.
Disadvantages
6.Oily exhaust steam
7.Low thermal efficiency
8.More inspection and maintenance required
 Except for the effect of slip, i.e., leakage past piston or plunger packing or
through discharge valves of the water pump, the delivery of a slow-speed
reciprocating pump equals the piston displacement. However, any pump can be
operated high enough but it may impair the volumetric efficiency. Therefore,
commercial speeds for rated capacity should be low enough to provide the water
time to fill the cylinder on each suction stroke.
The approximate commercial speeds can be determined by the following
equation where:
V = piston speed, m/min
L = length of stroke, mm
Ft = temperature correction factor
= 1.00 for cold water
= 0.85 for 32.2oC water
= 0.71 for 65.5oC water
= 0.55 for 204.4oC water
PD = piston displacement, m3/min
Dw = diameter of water piston, m
V = piston speed, m/min
n = number of water cylinders
= 1 for simplex
= 2 for duplex
= 3 for triplex
The steam used to operate a direct-acting pump does not expand which accounts
for a high steam rate. Due to initial steam condensation and clearance, the steam
consumed exceeds the product of piston displacement and throttle steam density.
The steam rate is so high rendering the thermal efficiency too low so that the
thermal performance is gauged by a term called “Pump Duty” defined as the work
done in the water cylinders expressed in Newton-meter (N-m) per million joules
chargeable to the steam end or in Newton-meter per 1000 kg dry steam.
 For indirect-acting pumps

For direct-acting pumps considering the diameter of the connecting rod in

the water cylinder
 The following are the test results for a 254 mm X 152 mm X 306 mm
duplex, direct acting pump.
Time of test: 1hr
Steam used at 1.4 Mpa, Saturated: 568 kg
Steam exhaust pressure: 0.10 Mpa
Piston speed: 38 strokes per cylinder
Water pumped: 22,700 kg
Pump Total Dynamic Head: 76m
Water temperature: 82°C
Determine:
(a) Pump duty
(b) Pump discharge rate
(c) Pump volumetric efficiency
(d) Water power
(a) Pump duty
pump duty = ()
pump duty =
pump duty = 573,332.3077 J/s

(b) Pump discharge rate , Q

in steam table, @ 82°C
Vf = 1.0305 x
 970.40
Q = = Q = .39

(c.) pump volumetric efficiency ,

= LNn
=
= 0.422 /min
=% = %
= 92.42 %

(d) Water power,

=
= (970.4 kg/)(9.81m/)(0.3976m)
= 4,702.69 W
 Results of a test on 245 mm X 152 mm X 305 mm duplex, direct-
acting pump are as follows:
Test time: 60 minutes
Steam used: 567 kg at 1.373 Mpa
Exhaust at: .101 Mpa
Speed: 38 strokes per minute per cylinder
Water pump: 22608 kg
Total Dynamic Head (TDH): 67 m at 72.2°C water
Determine:
1.) Volumetric efficiency
2.) Water power
Determine:
1.) volumetric efficiency
2.) water power
Solution:
1.) @ 72.2°C in steam table
Temperature (
72°C 1.0240
72.2°C
73°C 1.0247
=
= 1.02414 x
= 1/ , = 1/ 1.02414 x =976.43kg/

Q= , Q= = 0.386 /min
= LNn
=
= 0.421/min

=% = %
= 91.67%
2.) water power

=
= (976.43 kg/)(9.81m/)(0.386m)
= 4,128.77 W