Lecture No.

10

PUMPS

10.1 Introduction

Pumps Pumps (and compressors) are machine that impart energy

to the fluid flowing through them, typically increasing the
fluid’s pressure and/or velocity, which then enables the
fluid to overcome the resistance of the pipe through which
it subsequently flows. It operates by increasing the head of
the fluid flowing in a system at a desired rate.

Turbines Fluid motive devices that convert fluid power into

mechanical power.

Fans / Used for moving gases.

blowers

Major types of pumps

A. Positive displacement type

 Commonly used for delivery against high pressures and where nearly
constant delivery rates are required. Examples include reciprocating
piston pump and rotary pump.
 Reciprocating pumps may be used for both liquids and gases, and are
excellent for generating pressures. In the case of gases, the pump is
called a compressor.
 The rotary pump is good for handling viscous liquids; however, it
cannot be manufactured large enough for coping with high flow rates.

B. Centrifugal pumps, fans and blowers

 Capable of handling high volume flow rates and simpler in design;
depends on giving the liquid a high kinetic energy which is then
converted as efficiently as possible into pressure energy
 Centrifugal pumps are particularly suitable for handling large flow
rates, and also for liquids containing suspended solids.
Additional reading on “pumps”: Chapter 10 of Perry’s ChE Handbook, 7 th ed.

10.2 Terminology

The following terms are defined with reference to Figure 10.1.

Capacity The quantity of fluid discharged per unit time,

usually as volumetric flow rate.

Static head Static head for liquid being pumped is the difference
in elevation, in ft or m, between the datum line and

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 the liquid surface or the point of free delivery.

 For horizontal pumps, the datum line is the pump

centerline.

 See Z1 and Z2 in Figure 10.1.

Pressure head Given in ft or m and defined as

P1
presure head =


Velocity head u2 / 2gc

Static suction head Difference in elevation between the centerline of the

(Z1) pump and the liquid surface in the suction vessel.

Static suction lift When the liquid level in the suction vessel is below
the centerline of the pump, the difference in
elevation, between the liquid surface of the suction
vessel and the centerline of the pump is called the
suction lift.

P2

Z = Z2 - Z1

P1

Z2

Z1

Figure 10.1. Schematic for pumping system terminology

Pd
P
Total suction head Absolute pressure head in the supply vessel plus the
s
Zdg
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or lift static head minus the friction head

 TSH = Zpt ± Z1 – Zf (10.1)

 Use (-) in case of suction lift

 If the total suction head (or lift) is measured from

the reading of a pressure gage at the suction
flange of the pump:

Ps us2
TSH  
 2gc (10.2)

Static discharge This is the difference in elevation between the point

head of the free delivery of the liquid surface in the
discharge vessel and the centerline of the pump.

Total discharge Absolute pressure head in the discharge vessel plus

head the static discharge head plus the friction head.

 If the total discharge head is determined from the

reading of the pressure gauge at the discharge
flange of the pump, then:

Pd u2
Total discharge head   Zdg  d
 2gc (10.3)

Total dynamic head Also known as total head, TDH is the energy that has
to impart to the liquid in order to transport it to the
desired location.

 TDH = total discharge head – total suction head

P2 P1
TDH    Pf1  Pf2  Z2  Z1
  (10.4)

Shutoff head Head developed by a pump with discharge valve

closed

 Added to the suction head to determine the

maximum discharge pressure of the pump

Net positive suction NPSHA: total suction head that is available in

head (NPSH) excess of the liquid vapor pressure of liquid at the
pump suction flange.

 Required to move the liquid into the eye of the

impeller, for which the pump itself is not
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 responsible.

Cavitation When there is no sufficient NPSH at the pump

suction, the pressure of the liquid reduces to a value
equal to or below its vapor pressure, which causes
the liquid to vaporize resulting in the formation of
small vapor bubbles.

 To prevent cavitation: NPSHA > NPSHR

Specific speed (of an Revolutions per minute needed to produce 1 gpm at

impeller), NS 1-ft head.
1
nQ 2
NS  3
H4 (10.5)

n – impeller speed, rpm; Q – flow rate, gpm;

H – total dynamic head (TDH), ft

10.3 Selection of Pumps

The following factors influence the selection of appropriate pump for a

particular operation:

 Quantity of fluid
This determines the choice of pump size and desired number of pumps
and corresponding scheme, whether arranged in series or parallel.

 Head
This is determined by the difference in pressure, the height difference
between the supply and discharge reservoirs (upstream and
downstream tanks), and the frictional losses (skin and form) in the
system.

 Properties of fluid
For a given throughput, the viscosity largely determines the head and,
hence the power requirement of pump. The corrosive nature of the fluid
will determine the material of construction both for the pump and its
packing.

 Power supply
If the pump is to be driven by an electric motor or internal combustion
engine, a high speed centrifugal or rotary pump will be preferred as it
can coupled directly to the motor.

 Frequency of use
Corrosion troubles are more likely to occur if the pump is used only
occasionally compared with pumps that are working continuously.
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 In theory, any type of pump may be used in any application by the use
of sufficient staging in order to achieve the required head.

In practice, there are distinct regions of operation to which each type is

most applicable. This region depends upon a combination of head and flow
rate and this may be expressed as a single number called the “specific
speed”.

10.4 Specific Speed (Ns) for a Centrifugal Pump

A dimensionless quantity defined as the speed of an ideal pump

geometrically similar to the actual pump, which when running at this speed
will raise a unit of volume in a unit of time, Q through a unit of head H. The
equation for evaluating specific speed has been given in equation 10.5.

Specific speed may be calculated at any point of operation but for

comparison purposes it is usually calculated at the point of maximum
efficiency.

Table 10.1 Specific speeds of different types of pumps (Table 10-8 of Perry’s
ChE Handbook, 7th ed.)

Pump type Specific speed range, rpm

Process pumps and feed pumps Below 2,000

Turbine pumps 2,000 – 5,000

Mixed-flow pumps 4,000 – 10,000

Axial-flow pumps 9,000 – 15,000

Figure 10.2. Impeller shapes by specific speeds (Figure 10-35 of Perry’s

ChE Handbook)

10.5 Pump Performance

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All pumps (even blowers and compressors) are rated in terms of the following
characteristics:

1. Discharge - the volumetric flow rate through the pump

2. Head - the total head developed by the pump; (in practice, potential
and velocity head are usually negligible so total head developed is mostly
pressure head)
3. Power (sometimes called break power) - (unqualified)
always means input or shaft power when using performance curves for a
pump
4. Efficiency - the overall efficiency, i.e., the ratio between the fluid
power developed and the input power to the pump
fluid power

Efficiency: input power (10.6)

g
PF  mH

Fluid power PF:
gc (10.7)
5. Speed - shaft speed in rpm

6. Net Positive suction Head Required (NPSH R) and Cavitation

The minimum required value of the total suction head at the inlet to the
pump in order to avoid cavitation. It is a function of the design of the
pump determined experimentally, usually expressed in m or equivalent
absolute pressure [kPa].

Each pump has a NPSHR. This is the minimum absolute pressure at the
suction nozzle at which the pump can operate. To avoid cavitation, the
NPSHA of the system must be greater than the NPSHR of the pump. In
other words, the available NPSH must be greater than the required.

NPSHA is calculated using the following equation:

NPSHA = Hp - Hvap + Hst - Hsf (10.8)

where:

Hp absolute system pressure at the surface of the liquid

supply

Hvap vapor pressure of the liquid at the pumping

temperature

Hst the static height difference between the liquid supply

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 surface and the established pump datum (usually the
height of the pump impeller center line); this quantity
is negative (-) if the pump datum is above the surface
of the liquid in the supply vessel

Hsf the sum of all suction line losses including entrance

losses, friction losses, valves, fittings etc

Problem 1

Determine the available NPSH for the following system: The centerline of
the pump is 1.8 m below in liquid level of a storage tank (with vent)
containing liquid with a vapor pressure of 200 mm Hg at the prevailing
temperature. The specific gravity of the liquid is 0.75. The pressure drop
due to friction caused by the pipe connecting the tank and the pump is 10
kPa. The atmospheric pressure is 1 atm

Solution

NPSHA = Hp - Hvap + Hst - Hsf

1000 N kg−m
2
1 2
101.325 kPa m s −N
= (101.325 kPa - 10 kPa - 200 mm Hg ( )( ¿( )(
760 mm Hg kPa m
9.8 2
s
1
kg ) + 1.8
750
m3

= 10.6 m

Cavitation

If a centrifugal pump is installed in any pipeline system, careful attention

must be done to check the minimum pressure which can arise at any
point. If this pressure is less than the vapor pressure at the pumping
temperature, vaporization is likely to occur and the pump may not be able
to develop the required suction head. Moreover, if the liquid contains
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 gases, these may come out of solution giving rise to packets of gas. This
phenomenon is known as cavitation and may result to serious
mechanical damage to the pump as the bubbles collapse. The onset of
cavitation is accompanied by a marked increase in noise and vibration as
the bubbles collapse, and a corresponding head loss.

REMEDY:

 Reduced (from the design itself) by avoiding sudden changes in

direction or section, reducing roughness and turbulence parameters;
 By ensuring the pressure at the inlet as high as possible (often
diameter at inlet is made larger than outlet to reduce flow losses;
 Throttling valves never be placed at the inlet side of the pump but
always on the outlet side;
 Temperature of the liquid pumped be kept as low as possible.

10.6 Performance Curves

The performance of the pump is usually expressed by the pump

manufacturers by means of curves called characteristic curves, which are
usually for water. At constant pump speed, the total head is plotted against
discharge on the x-axis. The following characteristic curves are lifted from
Perry’s ChE handbook, 7th edition (Figure 10-28 and 10-29).

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Performance curve is a plot of the head developed versus the pump capacity
such as shown in Figure 10.3.

 For a given pump, the performance curve is unique.

 For a given pump and piping arrangement, a system curve can be

prepared and superimposed on the performance curve. The system
head curve is a function of the system’s static head, pressure head,
and frictional head. Only the frictional head varies with the flow.

 The point of intersection of the system curve with the performance

curve is the operating point. This is the only flow rate the pump will
deliver.

System curve
H
Operating point

Performance curve
Q
Figure 10.3. Operating characteristics and operating point for a
centrifugal pump

10.7 Affinity Laws for Centrifugal Pumps (or Fans)

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The Affinity Laws of a centrifugal pump or fan express the effect on capacity,
head and power consumption of a pump or fan due to:

 different speed - revolutions per minute (rpm)

 geometrical similarity - impeller diameter

Changing the speed (N, rpm) of pump or fan

Q1 N1

Capacity (Q)
Q2 N2 (10.9)
2
H1  N1 
 
H2  N2 
Head (H) (10.10)
3
P1  N1 
 
P2  N2 
Power (P) (10.11)

Changing the impeller diameter (D) for a given speed

Q1 D1

Capacity (Q)
Q2 D2 (10.12)
2
H1  D1 
 
H2  D2 
Head (H) (10.13)
3
P1  D1 
 
P2  D2 
Power (P) (10.14)

Important notes:

 At the point of maximum efficiency all geometrically similar impellers

have the same specific speed.

 At the point of geometric similarity (called corresponding point)

efficiency, specific speed, flow coefficient (Q/ND3), head coefficient
(H/N2D2), and power coefficient (P/N3D5) are the same for the pumps.

Problem 2

A centrifugal pump operating at 1800 rpm is to be designed to handle a liquid

of specific gravity 0.9375. To check its performance, a half-scale model is to
be tested, operating at 1000 rpm, pumping water. The scale model is found
to deliver 45 m3/h, with a head increase of 6.5 m. Assuming dynamic

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similarity, what will be the corresponding flow rate (m3/h) and head increase
(m) for the full-size pump?

Given: Full size Pump : N = 1800 rpm, sp. Gr fluid = 0.9375

Half-scale model: N = 1000 rpm, Q = 45 m3/h, H = 6.5 m

Required: Q and H of full size pump

Solution:

For half-scale model we expect that D = ½ D of full size pump

Q1 Q2
3 =
N 1 D1 N 2 D 23

Q1 =
45
3
1800( D ) (1000)¿ ¿

Q1 = 648 m3/h

H1 H2
2 2
=
N 1 D1 N 22 D 22

H1 6.5
=
1000 (0.5 D)2
2 3 2
1800 D

H1 = 84.24 m

10.8 Pumps in Series and Parallel

Single pump

The head increase (H, ft) for a certain type of centrifugal pump is related to
capacity (Q, gpm) by the following equation:

H  a  bQ2 (10.15)

where a and b are constants that have been determined by tests on the
pump.
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 Q Q Q
(a) (b) (c)

Figure 10.4. Centrifugal pump arrangements: (a) a single pump, (b) 2 pumps
in series, (c) 2 pumps is parallel

Series arrangement

The head increases are additive. For a system consisting of two pumps is
series (Figure 10.4b),

Hs  2 a  bQ2 
(10.16)

Parallel arrangement

For a system consisting of two pumps in parallel (Figure 10.4c), where the
flow through each pump is ½ Q, the head increase is
2
Q b
Hp  a  b    a  Q2
 2 4 (10.17)

Assignment

1. Water at 30 oC is in an open tank at atmospheric pressure. The pump is 4.9 m

above the open level. The friction head loss in the pipe has been calculated as
1.5 m. Calculate the available Net Positive Suction Head.

2. Water is transported at a capacity of 200 gpm at a head of 100 ft using

a centrifugal pump running at 3450 rpm with an impeller diameter of 5
inches. Calculate the head, capacity, speed and specific speed if the
pump was replaced by 2 identical homologous pump arranged in (a)
series and in (b) parallel.

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