Lecture 10

Negative slip, Flow separation conditions, Air

vessels













NEGATIVE SLIP

The difference between the theoretical discharge and the actual discharge of a
reciprocating pump is known as, slip.
Slip =
t
-
u

Usually slip is expressed as percentage slip which is given by, the ratio between the
leakage discharge (difference between the theoretical discharge and the actual discharge)
and the theoretical discharge of a reciprocating pump.

t
-
u

t
X1uu
= _1 -

t
_ 1uu
= |1 -C
d
]1uu
The slip is usually positive, but in reciprocating pumps, it is possible to have a negative
slip.
This may be due to that fact that when the suction valve remains open during the delivery
stroke of the piston and some quantity of water goes directly from the suction pipe to the
delivery pipe, which leads to, actual discharge more than the theoretical discharge.
FLOW SEPARATION CONDITIONS
For the satisfactory working of a reciprocating pump, the pressure inside the cylinder at
any instant must not be less than the vapour pressure of the liquid.
If the pressure inside the cylinder is less than or equal to vapour pressure of the fluid,
then separation will occur.
There are two situations of the piston where this (separation) can happen. One is at the
beginning of the suction stroke and the other is at the end of the delivery stroke.
Maximum speed in the case of reciprocating pump is determined based on above-
mentioned condition, i.e., pressure inside the cylinder during suction and delivery stroke
should not fall below vapour pressure of the flowing fluid in the suction and delivery
pipe.
The pressure at which separation takes place is known as separation pressure and the
head corresponding to separation pressure is called separation pressure head, h
sep
.
Maximum speed during suction stroke can be obtained from the following expression.
b
s
+b
us
= b
utm
-b
scp

We have b
us
=
I
s
g
X
A
A
s

2
r
l
s
g
X
A
A
s

2
r = b
utm
-b
s
-b
scp

Knowing the value of , from the equation above speed, N, can be determined by
=
2nN
60

Maximum speed during delivery stroke is obtained as
b
ud
= (b
utm
+b
d
) -b
scp

We have b
ud
=
I
d
g
X
A
A
d

2
r
(b
utm
+b
d
) -b
scp
=
l
d
g
X
A
A
d

2
r
From above equation we get, , and hence, speed, N can be calculated by =
2nN
60

Air vessels
Air vessel is a closed chamber (cast iron closed chamber) having an opening at its base,
through which water flows into the vessel, or from the vessel, and fitted on the suction as
well as on the delivery side, near the pump cylinder to reduce the accelerating head.
Development of acceleration head in the reciprocating pump is undesirable, since it
becomes an extra head against which the pump has to work.
It is also known that higher the speed and longer the pipe, higher is the acceleration head
however, there is a limit to the speed with which the pump may work from the Cavitation
point of view.
To reduce acceleration heads, air vessels are used on both suction and delivery pipes as
close to the cylinder as possible.
The vessel is fitted with compressed air, which can contract or expand to absorb most of
the pressure fluctuations. An air vessel in a reciprocating pump acts like a flywheel of an
engine.
Whenever, the pressure rises, water in excess of the average discharge is forced into the
air vessel.
As the level of the liquid in the air vessel rises, the air held in air chamber gets
compressed. When the water pressure in the pipe falls, the compressed air ejects the
excess water out.

Figure 6.19. Typical Air vessel ( From: Chandramouli, et al., 2012)
The main purpose of providing air vessels are:
a. To run the pump at higher speed.
b. To reduce the possibility of separation in suction side.
c. To ensure constant rate of discharge.
d. To save power required to drive the pump.
These vessels are capable of absorbing fluctuations in pressure or velocity, it is assumed
that the velocity in suction and delivery pipes between air vessels and the cylinder are
fluctuating and there is a uniform velocity in pipes beyond the air vessels.
When the mean velocity of water in the suction pipes is less than the instantaneous
velocity of water in the suction pipe between the air vessel and the cylinder, the required
Airvessel
Airvessel
Deliverypipe
Suctionpipe
Piston Pistonrod
Cylinder
Suctionvalve
Deliveryvalve
Flowdirection
excess water goes out of the air vessel to the cylinder, and when the mean velocity is
more than the instantaneous velocity, the excess water goes into the air vessel.
Similarly, for the delivery side, when the mean velocity of water is less than the
instantaneous velocity the excess water goes into the air vessel and vice versa.
The velocity in the suction pipe between the foot valve and the air vessel will be uniform
and is given by :
mcun
=

A
s
=
ALN
60A
s
also N =
60o
2n

Therefore, :
s(mcun)
=
A
A
s
o
n

Similarly, :
d(mcun)
=

A
d
=
ALN
60A
d
=
A
A
d
o
n

The velocity between the air vessel and the cylinder is
Ao sIn0
A
s
onJ
Ao sIn0
A
d

Usually, the air vessel is installed as close to the cylinder as possible, so that the velocity
or pressure fluctuations are neglected. Thus, the effect of acceleration head in the pipe is
negligible and the loss of head due to friction is represented by a straight line, since the
velocity is constant throughout the stroke
The pressure head due to acceleration in the suction pipe of length l
s1
(that is, between air
vessel and cylinder) is b
us1
=
I
s1
g
X
A
A
s

2
r cos 0
The loss of head due to friction in the suction pipe is, b
]s1
=
4]I
s1
[
A
A
s
o sIn0
2
2gd
s

Loss of head due to friction in the suction pipe for the remaining length (i.e. length below
the air vessel) is, b
]s2
=
4]I
s2
2gd
s
[
A
A
s
o
n

2

Pressure head due to acceleration in the delivery pipe of length l
d1
(that is, between air
vessel and cylinder) is given by, b
ud1
=
I
d1
X AX o
2
cos 0
gA
d

Loss of head due to friction in the delivery pipe for the length l
d1
is
b
]d1
=
A]I
d1
2gd
d
[
A
A
d
r sin0
2

Loss of head due to friction in the delivery pipe for the remaining length (that is, beyond
the air vessel) is given by b
]d2
=
4]I
d2
2gd
d
[
A
A
d
o
n

2