JV FACILITIES MONTHLY FORUM

ENGR. AJIBOLA HABEEB OLASUNMBO, PMP

Centrifugal Pump Design

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PRESENTATION CONTENT

 INTRODUCTION

 BASIC DEFINITION

 DESIGN CALCULATION

 CONCLUSION

Q&A

Centrifugal Pump Design

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Pump: ‘generates head”

Pump Types
Centrifugal Positive Displacement
• Volute • Reciprocating
• Diffuser – Piston
– Plunger
• Rotary
– screw
– Gear

Centrifugal Pump Design

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Basic Theory: Operation

Centrifugal pump
operates on
Kinetic Energy
(Impeller rotation,
centrifugal force)
conversion to Pressure
Energy (Volute
contraction and
enlargement)

November 23, 2010 Pump & System Characteristics

4
Centrifugal Pump Design
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Pump Curve and System Resistance

Operating Point
Head, H

Pump Head

Friction
Losses

Static Head

Flow rate, Q
Centrifugal Pump Design
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Net Positive Suction Head

• NPSH is equal to the total press head above vapour press at pump
inlet
• NPSH av = Diff between press in pump suction & vapour press
• NPSH req = Press in pump suction at which a cavitation criterion
(often 3% head drop occurs)
• Cavitation effects: Head drop, Efficiency drop, Noise, Vibration
• Low NPSH available indicates presence of cavitation
• Condition Specified by DEP: NPSH av > NPSH req by at least 1m
Centrifugal Pump Design
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Calculation of Net Positive Suction Head

Friction Head = hf
Pressure Head ( suction system )
= h p = Ps / ρ g
Pressure = Ps ( in Suction vessel )
Vapour Head = hv = Pv / ρ g
( at pumped temperature )
Fluid Density = ρ
Static Head = hs
Vapour Pressure = Pv
( liquid level ) Safety
Margin
NPSHa
( available )
NPSHr
( required )

Centrifugal Pump Design

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Pressure drop
in impeller eye

Bernoulli:
Pstatic+Pdynamic =
Constant
Pstatic + V2/2g =
Constant
If V↑ → Pstat↓
Pstat < Pvapor:
Cavitation

Centrifugal Pump Design

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Prevent NPSH Problems: NPSH req is a fn of pump configuration

while NPSH av is a fn of system config.

NPSH Required NPSH Available

• Double suction impeller
• Enlarged eye impeller
• Lower speed
• Suction inducer
• Raise suction liquid level ( hs )
• Increase suction pressure ( Ps )
• Booster pump
• Reduce suction friction ( hf )
• Cool liquid ( reduce Pv )

Centrifugal Pump Design