A single acting reciprocating pump having a cylinder diameter of 150 mm and stroke of

300 mm is used to raise the water through a height of 20 m. Its crank rotates at 60 r.p.m.
Find the theoretical power required to run the pump and theoretical discharge. If the
actual discharge is 5 litters/sec, find the percentage slip. If delivery pipe is 100mm in
diameter and is 15m long, find the acceleration head at the beginning of the stroke.
Solution:- Given diameter of cylinder (d) = 150mm = 0.15m
Area diameter of cylinder =

(d )2 = (0.15)2
4

= 0.01767m2
Stroke length (L) = 300mm = 0.3m
Speed of pump(N) = 60 r.p.m.
Delivery head hd = 20m.
Length of delivery pipe ld = 15m
Diameter of delivery pipe dd = 100mm = 0.1mm
Qactual = 5 litere/sec = 5 10-3 m3/sec.
(i) Theoretical discharge (Qth)
Qth =

A LN 0.01767 0.3 60
=
60
60

th = 5.301 10 3 m 3 / sec
= 5.301 lit/sec.
(ii) Theoretical power (Pth ) =

g Qth H
1000

1000 9.81 5.301 10 3 20

1000

Pt = 1.04kW
Q Qactual
100
(iii) Percentage of slip = th
Qth

5.301 5
=
100 = 5.6%
5.301
(iv) Acceleration head at beginning of delivery stroke.

had =

d =

ld A

2 r cos
g d

(
d ) = (0.1)
4
4

2
d

= 0.07854m 2

2N 2 N 60
=
= 2 rad / sec
60
60

r=

L 0. 3
=
= 0.15m
2
2

ld = 15m
15 0.01767
2
had =

(6.28) 0.15 cos

9.81 0.007854

So

had = 20.35065 cos

at beginning

= 0 so cos 0 = 1

had = 20.35065 cos 0 = 20.35m.

Example-2:- The suction pipe of a single acting reciprocating pump is 6.5m and 70 mm in
diameter. The stroke length is 300 mm and the piston diameter 100 mm. The pump is
located at the height of 5m from the sump water level. Determine the safe maximum speed
of the pump. Take Hsep = 2.5m of water absolute and Hatm = 10.3m of water.
Solution: - Suction pipe length Hsuction = 6.5m

Suction pipe diameter = Hsd = 70mm = 0.07m

Stroke Length = 300mm = 0.3m
Piston diameter d = 100m = 0.1m
Hsep = 2.5 m of water absolute
Hatm = 10.3 m of water
Hs =5 m

Hatm = Hs + Has max + Hsep

10.3 = 5.00 + Has max + 2.5
Has = 10.3-5-2.5
Has = 2.8m=

Ls ( A) 2
r
g s

 2
d
2
Ls 4 2N
2.8 =

r
g d d 2 60
s
4

6.5 0.1
2.8 =

9.81 0.07

4 2 N 2

0.15
3600

2.8 9.891 7 2 3600

N =
6.5 100 4 2 0.15
2

N = 35.49 rpm.
Example 3:- A three throw pump has cylinder of 25 cm diameter and stroke of 50 cm each.
The pump is required to deliver 100 lit/sec at a head of 100 m. Frictional losses are
estimated to be 1 m in suction pipe and 19m in delivery pipe. Velocity of water in the
delivery pipe is 1 m/sec, overall pump efficiency is 85% and slip is 3%. Determine the speed
of pump and the power required to run it.

Solution:- Theoretical discharge for single cylinder

2

LAN (0.25) 0.5 N

Qth =
=
60
4
60
because of three throw pump.
Total discharge
Qth Total = 3
% Slip =

(0.25)2 0.5 N
60

Qth Qactual
= 1.227 10 3 N
Qth

1227 10 3 N
0.3 =
1.227 10 3 N
actual discharge

Qactual = 0.1

0.3 =

1227 103 N 0.1

1.227 10 3 N

Hence N(speed) = 84 rpm

(ii) Total head
HTotal = hs + hfls + hd + hfd

vd 2
= (hs+hd) + hfls +
+ h fd
2g
= 100 + 1 + 19 +

12
= 121.05m
2 9.81

Power output = gQH = 9810 0.1 121.05 10 3 = 118750watt .

Power required to shaft =

118750
= 139.7 kW
0.85

Example-4- A single acting reciprocating pump has a piston diameter 0.15m, stroke 0.30.
The centre of the pump is 5 m above the level of water in sump and 33m below delivery
water level. The lengths of the suction and delivery pipes are 6.5 m and 39m respectively
and both pipes have the same diameter of 75mm. If the pump is working at 30 r.p.m., find
the pressure head on the piston at the beginning, middle and end of both suction and
delivery strokes and find the power required to drive the pump. Take atmospheric
pressure as 10.3m of water and friction factor for both the pipes as 0.04.

Solution:- Given d = 0.15m l = 0.30m N = 30 r.p.m.

Suction stroke:
(i) At the end of the suction stroke
head has =

ls A
r 2
g s

2
2
(0.15)
6. 5 4
2 30
=
0.15

9.81 (0.075)2 60
4

(ii) At the middle of the stroke-head

fls
has =
2g ds

A
r
s

2
(0.15)

0.04 6.5 4
2 30
=

0.15

2 9.81 0.075 (0.075) 60

= 0.628 m of water.

Total pressure at beginning = - (Hs +hlas)

= - (5+3.93) = - 8.93 m of water
or

10.3 8.93 = 1.37 m of water absolute

At

or

middle = (Hs +Hfs) = 5 + 0 6.28 = 5.628m (vacuum)

10.3 -5.628 = 4.672m of water absolute

At end

Hs Has = (5-3.92) = 1.08 m (vacuum)

= (10.3 1.08) = 9.22 m of water absolute.

Delivery stroke:
(ii) At the end of strokes
H as =

ld A

r 2
g d

( )

2
2
(0.15)
39 4
2 30
=
0.15

9.81 (0.075)2 60
4

= 23.55 m of water
Total pressure = Hd + Has = 33 + 23.55 = 56.55 (Gauge)
or

10.3 + 56.55 = 66.85m (absolute)

At middle

H fd

fld
=
2 g dd

r
d

0.04 39 4 (0.15) 2 30
=

0.15

2 9.81 0.075 (0.075)2 60

= 3.767 m of water.
Total head

= hd + hfd + Hatm
= 33 + 3.767 + 10.3 = 47.067 m (absolute)

At end

= Hd Has + Hatm
= 33 23.54 + 10.3
= 19.76m (absolute)