RECIPROCATING PUMP

The reciprocating pump is a positive displacement pump as it sucks and raises the liquid
by actually displacing it with a piston that executes a reciprocating motion in a closely fitting
cylinder. The amount of liquid pump is equal to the volume displaced by the piston.

MAIN PARTS AND WORKING OF A RECIPROCATING PUMP:

Main parts of a reciprocating pump:

1. A cylinder with a piston, piston rod, connecting rod and a crank

2. Suction pipe
3. Suction valve
4. Delivery pipe
5. Delivery valve

Working of a reciprocating pump:

A single acting reciprocating pump consist of a piston which moves forward and backward in
a closed fitting cylinder. The movement of the piston is obtained by connecting the piston rod
to crank by means of a connecting rod. The crank is rotated by means of an electric motor.
Suction and delivery pipes with suction and delivery valves are connected to the cylinder. The
suction and delivery valves are one-way valves or non-return valves which allow the water to
flow in one direction only. Suction valve allows water from suction pipe to the cylinder which
delivery valve allows water from cylinder to delivery pipe only.

When Crank starts rotating, the piston moves to and fro in the cylinder. When Crank is at A,
the piston is at the extreme left position in the cylinder. As the Crank is rotating from A to C
(i.e from θ=00 to 1800) the piston is moving towards right in the cylinder. The movement of
the piston towards right creates a partial vacuum in the cylinder. But on the surface of the
liquid in the sump, atmospheric pressure is acting which is more than the pressure inside the
cylinder. The liquid is forced in the suction pipe from the sump. This liquid opens the suction
valve and enters the cylinder.
When crank is rotating from C to A (i.e from 1800 to 3600) the piston from its extreme right
position starts moving towards left in the cylinder. The movement of the piston towards left
increases the pressure of the liquid inside the cylinder more than atmospheric pressure.
Hence, suction valve closes and delivery valve opens. The liquid is forced into the delivery
pipe and is raised to a required height.

DISCHARGE THROUGH A SINGLE ACTING RECIPROCATING PUMP:

Consider a single acting reciprocating pump
Let,
D=diameter of the cylinder
A=cross sectional area of the piston or cylinder
r=radius of crank
N=RPM of the Crank
L=length of the stroke=2×r
hs=height of the axis of the cylinder from water surface in sump (also called suction head)
hd=height of delivery outlet above the cylinder axis (also called delivery head)
Volume of water delivered in one revolution or disorders of water in one revolution
=Area× length of stroke
=A×L
Number of revolution per second=N/60
Discharge of the pump per second,
Q=discharge in one revolution ×number of revolution per second
=ALN/60
Weight of water delivered per second,
W=ρgQ
=ρg ALN/60

Work done by reciprocating pump:

Work done per second=weight of water lifted per second× total height through which water is
lifted
=W×(hs+hd)
Where (hs+hd)=total height through which water is lifted
Therefore work done per second=ρ g ALN×(hs+hd)/60
Power required to drive the pump in kilowatt,
P= work done per second/1000
= ρ g ALN×(hs+hd)/(60×1000)

DISCHARGE, WORK DONE AND POWER REQUIRED TO DRIVE A DOUBLE

ACTING PUMP:
In case of double acting pump the water is acting on both sides of the piston. We require two
suction pipes and two delivery pipes for double acting pump. When there is a suction stroke
on one side of the piston, there is at the same time a delivery stroke on the other side of the
piston. For one complete revolution of the crank, there are two delivery strokes and water is
delivered to the pipes by the pump during these two delivery strokes.
Let D=diameter of the piston
d=diameter of the piston rod
Therefore area on one side of the piston
A=π/4 ×D2
Area only other side of the piston where piston rod is connected to the piston
A1= π/4×( D2-d2)
Volume of water delivered in one revolution of crank=A× Length of stroke+ A1× Length of
stroke
= [ π/4 ×D2+ π/4×( D2-d2)] × L
Discharge of pump per second,
Q=Volume of water delivered in one revolution× number of revolution per second
=[ π/4 ×D2+ π/4×( D2-d2)] × L×N/60
If the diameter of the piston rod is very small as compared to the diameter of the piston then
it can be neglected and the discharge of pump per second,
Q= [ π/4 ×D2+ π/4×D2]× L×N/60
=2× π/4 ×D2 × L×N/60
=2×A× L×N/60

Work done by double acting reciprocating pump

Work done per second=weight of water delivered× total height
=2ρg×A× L×N/60× (hs+hd)

Power required to drive the double acting pump in kilowatt,

P= Work done per second/1000
=2ρg×A× L×N× (hs+hd)/(60×1000)

Slip of reciprocating pump:

Slip of a pump is defined as the difference between the theoretical discharge and actual
discharge of the pump. The actual discharge of a pump is less than that of theoretical
discharge due to leakage. The difference of the theoretical discharge and actual discharge is
known as slip of the pump. Mathematically,
Slip=Qth - Qact
But slip is mostly expressed as percentage slip which is given by
Percentage slip=[ (Qth - Qact )/ Qth ] ×100
𝑄𝑎𝑐𝑡
=(1- ) ×100
𝑄𝑡ℎ

=1-Cd
Where Cd=coefficient of discharge

Negative slip of the reciprocating pump:

Slip is equal to that difference of theoretical discharge and actual discharge. If actual
discharge is more than that theoretical discharge, the slip of the pump will become negative.
In that case the slip of the pump is known as negative slip. Negative slip occurs when
delivery pipe is short, section pipe is long and pump is running at high speed.

INDICATOR DIAGRAM:
The indicator diagram for a reciprocating pump is defined as the graph between the pressure
head in the cylinder and a distance travelled by piston from inner dead centre for one
complete revolution of the Crank. As the maximum distance travelled by the piston is equal
to that stroke length and hence the indicator diagram is a graph between pressure head and
stroke length of the piston for one complete revolution. The pressure head is taken as ordinate
and stroke length is abscissa.
Ideal indicator diagram
The graph between pressure head in the cylinder and stroke length of the piston for one
complete revolution of the crank under ideal conditions is known as ideal indicator diagram.
In the figure shows the ideal indicator diagram in which line EF represents the atmospheric
pressure head equal to 10.3 m of water.
Let,
H atm=atmospheric pressure head
=10.3 meter of water
L=length of the stroke
hs=suction head
hd=delivery head
During suction stroke depression head in the cylinder is constant and equal to suction head
which is below the atmospheric pressure head by height of h s .The pressure head during
suction stroke is represented by horizontal line AB which is below the line EF by height of hs.

During delivery stroke, the pressure head in the cylinder is constant and equal to delivery
head hd which is above the atmospheric head by height of hd. The pressure head during
delivery stroke is represented by horizontal line CD which is above the line EF by height of
hd for one complete revolution of the Crank. The pressure head in the cylinder is represented
by the diagram A-B-C-D-A. Diagram is known as ideal indicator diagram.
Area of indicator diagram=AB×BC
=AB×(BF+FC)
=L×( hs+ hd )
Work done by pump is directly proportional to the area of indicator diagram.

AIR VESSEL:
An air vessel is a closed chamber containing compressed air in the top portion and liquid or
water at the bottom of the chamber. At the base of the chamber there is an opening through
which the liquid or water may flow into the vessel or out from the vessel. When the liquid
enters the air vessel, the air gets compressed further and when the liquid flows out the vessel,
the air will expand in the chamber.
An air vessel is fitted to the suction pipe and to the delivery pipe at a point close to the
cylinder of a single acting reciprocating pump:
 1) To obtain a continuous supply of liquid at a uniform rate.
2) To save a considerable amount of work in overcoming the frictional resistance in the
suction and delivery pipes.
3) To run the pump at a high speed without separation.

Problem1:
A single acting reciprocating pump running at 50 RPM delivers 0.01 m3/sec of water. The
diameter of the piston is 200 mm and stroke length 400 mm. Determine:
i) the theoretical discharge of the pump
ii) coefficient of discharge
iii) slip and percentage slip of the pump.
ANS:
Given,
Speed of the pump, N= 50 RPM
Actual discharge Qact=0.01 m3/sec
Diameter of piston, D=200mm=0.2 m
Area of the piston, A= π/4 ×D2 = π/4×(0.2)2 =0.031416 m2
Stroke length, L=400 mm=0.4m

i. Theoretical discharge for single acting reciprocating pump is given by,

Qth=ALN/60
=(0.031416×0.4×50)/60
=0.01047 m3
ii. Coefficient of discharge is given by,
Cd= Qact / Qth
=0.01 /0.01047
=0.955
iii. Slip= Qth - Qact
=0.01-0.01047
=0.00047 m3/sec
Percentage slip=[ (Qth - Qact )/ Qth ] ×100
=(0.00047/0.01047) ×100
=4.489%

Problem2:
A double acting reciprocating pump running at 40 RPM is discharging 1m3 of water per
minute. The pump has a stroke of 400 mm. The diameter of the piston is 200 mm. The
delivery and suction head are 20 m and 5 m respectively. Find the slip of the pump and power
required to drive the pump.
Ans:
Given,
Speed of pump, N=40 RPM
Actual discharge Qact=1 m3/min=1m3/60s=0.01666 m3/s
Stroke, L=400mm=0.4m
Diameter of piston, D=200mm=0.2m
Area, A=π/4 ×D2 = π/4×(0.2)2 =0.031416 m2
Suction head, hs=5m
Delivery head,hd=20m
Theoretical discharge for double acting pump is given by,
Qth=2ALN/60
=(2×0.031416×0.4×40)/60
=0.01675 m3/s
Slip= Qth - Qact
=0.01675-0.0166
=0.00009 m3/s
Power required to drive the double acting pump is given by,
P=2ρg×A× L×N× (hs+hd)/(60×1000)
=[2×1000×9.81×0.031416 ×0.4×40×(5+20)]/60000
=4.109 KW.

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