Chapter 6

Pumps
Identify various types of pumps,

Explain how pumps work

Apply dimensional analysis (Scaling/Affinity Laws)

to design new pumps that are geometrically similar
to existing pumps.

Perform basic vector analysis of the flow into and

out of pumps

Use pumps specification for preliminary design

and selection of pumps
Objectives
• Identify various types of
pumps and understand how
they work
• Use specific speed for
preliminary design and
selection of pumps

Pump is used for:-

 Pump is used in processing
system, distribution system etc to
deliver liquid from low pressure
location to high pressure location
 Pump is required if an initial
energy not enough to overcome a
total losses exist in system
Categories

• Pump: adds
energy to a fluid,
resulting in an
increase in
pressure across
the pump.

• Turbine:
extracts energy
from the fluid,
resulting in a
decrease in
pressure across
the turbine.
 Pumps Classification

* There are two basic types of pumps:-

1. Positive Displacement Pumps (PDP)

2. Dynamic or momentum change pumps

* PDP force the fluid along by volume changes.

A cavity opens and the fluid is admitted
through an inlet. The cavity then closes and
the fluid is squeezed through an outlet. The
mammalian heart is a good example.

* A brief classification of PDP design is as

follows:

1. Reciprocating
- Piston or plunger
- Diaphragm
* 2. Rotary
a. Single rotor
- Sliding vane
- Flexible tube or lining
- Screw
- Peristaltic (wave construction)
b. Multi rotors
- Gear
- Lobe
- Screw
- Circumferential piston

* All PDPs deliver a pulsating or periodic flow

as the cavity volume opens, traps and
squeezes the fluid.

* Their great advantage is the delivery of any

fluid regardless of its viscosity.

• Since PDPs compress mechanically against a

cavity filled with liquid, a common feature is
that they develop immerse pressures if the
outlet is shut down for any reason
* Dynamic pumps add momentum to
the fluid by means of fast moving blades or
vanes or certain special designs.

* There is no closed volume

* The fluid increases momentum while

moving through open passages and then
converts its high velocity to a pressure
increase by exiting into a diffuser section

* Dynamic pumps can be classified as follows:

1. Rotary
- Centrifugal or radial exit flow
- Axial flow
- Mixed flow

* Dynamic pumps generally provide a higher

flow rate than PDPs and a much steadier
discharge but are ineffective in handling
high-viscosity liquids
• Dynamic Pumps include
– centrifugal pumps:
fluid enters axially, and
is discharged radially.

– mixed--flow pumps:
fluid enters axially, and
leaves at an angle
between radially and
axially.

– axial pumps: fluid

enters and leaves
axially.
Cavitation and Net Positive Suction Head
(NPSH)

When pumping liquids, it is possible for the

local pressure inside the pump to fall below
the vapor pressure of the liquid Pv.

Pv is also called saturation pressure and its

function to saturation temperature
When P < Pv, vapor-filled bubbles called cavitation
bubble appear. In other words, the liquids boil locally,
typically on the suction side of the rotating impeller blades
where the pressure is lowest.

After the cavitation bubbles are formed, they are

transported through the pump to regions where the
pressure is higher, causing rapid collapse of the bubbles.

It is this collapse bubbles that is undesirable, since it cause

noise, vibration, reduced efficiency and most importantly
damage to the impeller blades.

Repeated bubbles collapse near a blade surface leads to

pitting or erosion of the blade and eventually catastrophic
blade failure.
Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
* Since pressure is most easily measured or
estimated at the inlet of the pump, cavitation
criteria is typically specified at the pump
inlet.

* It is useful to employ a flow parameter

called Net Positive Suction Head
(NPSH), defined as the difference between
the pump’s inlet stagnation pressure head
and the vapor pressure head.

* NPSH is also defined as the head required

at the pump inlet to a the liquid from
cavitating or boiling.

* Pump manufacturers published a

performance parameter called required
net positive suction head
(NPSHrequired)
* In order to ensure that a pump does not cavitate, the
actual or available NPSH must be greater than
NPSHrequired.

* It is important to note that the value of NPSH varies

not only with flow rate but also with liquid and its
temperature, since Pv is function of temperature

* Figure below shows the maximum volume flow rate

that can be delivered by the pump without cavitation
 Suction
line Pump H

2
h
Discharge
1 line

Based on Bernoulli’s equation at point 1 and 2 only;

P1 v1 P2 v 2
2 2

 0    h  hL
g 2g g 2g

But v1 = 0 and P1 = Pa , the above equation becomes

Pa P2 v 2 2

   h  hL
g g 2g
P2 v 2 Pa
2

   h  hL
g 2g g
If vapor pressure head hv added in both side, then

P2 v 22 Pa
  hv   h  hL  hv
g 2 g g

The term P2 v 2 2

  hv
g 2g
is available net positive suction head (NPSHA).

Therefore,

Pa
NPSH Available   h  hL  hv
g
where
Pa : Absolute pressure at free surface of liquid
 : Liquid density
h : Pump height from free surface
hL : Total losses in suction line
hv : Liquid vapor pressure head
Example
A pump is installed where its center line
1.5 m above surface water in open vessel. If
the pump delivered water at 1 m/s in a
suction line and loss due to friction is 1.2 m,
determine NPSHAvailable if water temperature
is 40oC.

absolute

6.95 m
Example

Repeat the above example if the pump is installed

at 1.5 m below the vessel.

9.95 m
 Example

Manufacturer published a NPSH of

centrifugal pump is 7 m. Water at 20oC. If
head loss in a suction pipe is 2 m, what is
the pump location to avoid cavitation from
happening.
At
absolute

NPSHAvailable should be higher than NPSHRequired

Required

Required

It means that the pump location must be 1.1m or

less from above liquid surface in suction vessel
Pump Head
1. Net Head

2. Water horsepower

3. Brake horsepower

4. Pump efficiency
 Pump Performance
Characteristics

Pump is used to add a Bernoulli’s head

between suction and delivery section of the
system. So that, based on the Bernoulli’s

P1 v12 P2 v22
  z1  H A    z2
g 2 g g 2 g
*1 = inlet (suction)
2 = outlet (delivery)

where HA is an energy added to the fluid

per unit weight.

P2  P1 v22  v12
HA    ( z 2  z1 )
g 2g

If H is multiply to weight flow rate (w), its

becomes power gained by the liquid.
Pw  gQH A
 Generally power of pump is measured in horsepower
unit, which is

In US unit;

 gQ HA
Pf 
550
In SI unit;

 gQ HA
Pf 
746

Overall efficiency;

power gained by the fluid Pf QhA / 550

  
shaft power driving the pump Wshaft bhp
The overall pump efficiency is
affected by the hydraulic losses in the
pump, and in addition, by the
mechanical losses in the bearings and
seals.

There may also be some power loss

due to leakage of the fluid between the
back surface of the impeller hub plate
and the casing, or through other pump
components.

This leakage contribution to the overall

efficiency is called the volumetric loss.

The overall efficiency arises from

three source, the hydraulic efficiency,
ηh,,the mechanical efficiency, ηm ,, and
the volumetric efficiency, ηv
η=ηhηmηv
Example;

A pump used to pumped water

between two reservoirs. If water is
discharged at 0.1 m3/s through
diameter pipes of 150 mm (suction)
and 75 mm (discharge), determine
power gained by the water. Assume
the height between suction and
discharge point is 1 m, outlet pressure
is 70 kPa above inlet pressure and
water specific weight is 9810 N/m3.
Given
From Continuity Equation

Power gained by the water

The example is only based on

pump and not the whole system
Pump Scaling Law/Affinity Law

To use scaled models in designing turbo-

machines.

Two geometrically similar unit having similar

velocity vector diagram are homologous.
They will also have geometrically similar
streamlines.

Dimensionless Pump Parameter:

i) Discharging = Capacity Coefficient = CQ

Q  AV and Q a v D2
Since area A a impeller diameter, D. As such,
velocity v a impeller rotation speed, ND (N
rpm of impeller), then;

(Equation1)
 ii) Pump Head, HA = Head Coefficient = CH

The discharge, Q through homologous unit can be

related to head H and a representative cross sectional
area A by the orifice formula. Based on Q = Av and v a
(H)1/2, then
Q
3
 cons tan t (Equation 2)
ND

Equation 1/Equation 2 yields;

H
 cons tan t
N D
2 2
(Equation 3)

iii) Power of Pump = Power Coefficient = CP

Power is proportional to QH. If we use equation (1)

and (3) yields P a N3D5 or;
(From Equation 1 and 3, yields;)

P
3 5
 cons tan t
N D
For constant Impeller Diameter D
Q1 N 1

Q2 N 2
2
H1  N1 
  
H2  N2 
3
P1  N1 
  
P2  N2 

For constant Impeller Speed N

3
Q1  D1 
  
Q2  D2 
2
H1  D1 
  
H2  D2 
5
P1  D1 
  
P2  D2 
The above equation is called Affinity Law
Example

A test result on centrifugal pump shows

that the pump is capable of providing
40 feet of head during discharging of
100 feed per minute (cfm) of fluid.
Pump is operated at 1100 rpm. What is
the pump head and its capacity if the
pump is operated at 1200 rpm.

Solution
Given,

N1 = 1100 rpm Q = 100 cfm

H = 40 ft
Find Q and H if N = 1200 rpm.
 Q1 N1

Q2 N 2

 N2   1200 
Q 2  Q1    100 cfm    109.1 cfm
 N1   1100 

2
H1  N1 
  
H2  N2 

2
N   1200 
H 2  H1  2   40 ft    47.6 ft
N
 1  1100 
Example
A pump with 1.5 m impeller diameter is operated at
1200 rpm. If the pump is upgraded to 1400 rpm, what
is the impeller diameter required to maintain it power.
3
P1  N1 
  
P2  N2 
but P1 = P2 then,
P
3 5
 cons tan t
N D
N13 D15  N 32 D 52
3
N 
D 52  D15  1 
 N3 
3/5 3/5
 N1   1200 rpm 
D 2  D1    1.5 m    1.367 m
 N3   1400 rpm 
Example
Fan of 15 inch diameter impeller is operated at 1600
rpm to generate 6 inch water head and deliver 120
cubic feet per minute. What is a diameter required for
the fan to generate 6 inch water head at 1300 rpm.
Calculate a new capacity of the fan.

or
For constant H,
Therefore
 Pump Specific Speed

* Pump specific speed is used to characterize the

operation of a pump at its optimum condition (best
efficiency point) and is useful for preliminary pump
selection.

* It is defined as the speed of a unit of a series of such

size that it delivers unit discharge at unit head.

* It is obtained by eliminating D in these equations and

rearranging ;

Q H
3
 Constant 2 2
 Constant
ND N D

N Q
 PumpSpecificSpeed  3/ 4
 Constant
H
 N (rpm) Q( gpm)
N sd 
[ha ( ft )]3 / 4

* For SI unit

N rpm  Qliter/hour 
Nsd 
g (m / s ) H (m)
2 3/ 4

* Each family or class of pumps has a

particular range of values of specific
speed associated with it.
* Pumps with low-capacity, high-head
characteristics will have specific
speeds that are smaller than high-
capacity, low-head characteristics.
Variation in specific speed with type of pump
 Suction Specific Speed
* This dimensionless parameter is useful in
determining the required operating
conditions on the suction side of the pump

* With an analysis similar to that used to obtain

the specific speed, the suction specific speed
Ss can be expressed as

US Unit;

N (rpm) Q ( gpm)
S sd  3/ 4
[ NPSH R ( ft )]
SI unit;

N Q
S sd  3/ 4
[ g ( NPSH R )]
 Example

A centrifugal pump operate at a speed of

3600 rpm is generated a head of 100 ft
while delivering water at 2000 gallon per
minute. Determine its specific speed and
type of pump probably to be used.

Solution

Given :

Find Ns and type of pump

Based on Ns value gathered then mixed type

of pump will be selected, operated at
maximum efficiency.