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Development of Head Capacity Curves for a Variable Speed,

Centrifugal Pump
Reinaldo Santiago
1

1
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rhode Island, RI 02881 E-mail: rsantiago@.my.uri.edu

Abstract: A pump-characteristic experiment was performed to determine the water horsepower
by calculating the different head losses at random selected flows for specific speeds at 1000,
1250, 1500 and 1750rpms using a variable speed centrifugal pump. A head-capacity (H-Q) curve
graph was plotted for the four requested speeds to observe the head loss and flow relationship as
the speed was increased 250rpms per speed interval. Six flows were randomly chosen (within a
range of 5gpm to 28gpm) to calculate the head losses (h
l
or h
p
) at each selected flow (Q) for each
specific speed (N
s
) examined by reading the differential pressure valves (P
1
and P
2
) in the
apparatus and taking the difference thereafter. Once all of the parameters were set in feet
dimensions, the water horsepower was determined for each flow along with the corresponding
head difference. The average water horsepower for the requested specific speeds of 1000, 1250,
1500 and 1750rpms are 0.012405, 0.018931, 0.031593 and 0.048122, respectively.


Introduction
Pumps are mechanical devices that move fluids at a constant rate by mechanical action. There
are many different pumps designed to satisfy any type of expectation or criteria depending on the
design of the pipe system that may requires it.
Pumps may also vary in speed. There are fixed speed pumps and variable speed pumps.
They both have their advantages and disadvantages. However, for the experiment performed, a
variable speed pump was used to fulfill the request of the research. A centrifugal pump basically
imparts the kinetic energy to the water and the kinetic energy is converted to pressure as it exits
the pump (Houghtalen, 2010).
Although different pumps differ in design, one major problem that all pumps encountered
is cavitation. Centrifugal pumps are one type of the pumps that confront it often and it is taken
into account seriously when using this type of pump.
Cavitation inside centrifugal pumps can cause more adverse results, such as weakening
the hydraulic performance (a drop in head-capacity and efficiency curves of the design pump),
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damage of the pump by pitting and erosion and structure vibration, resulting noise (DINA,
2003). During the experiment, as the pump speed was increased, the mechanical sound of the
pump also increased.
One unique characteristic about centrifugal pumps is that they have been used reversely,
in other words as a turbine. An experiment was performed to observe the performance of the
pumps working as turbines to determine the best efficiency point that the pumps can work on.
Correlations about direct (pump) and reverse (turbine) modes have been established because it is
important when selecting the proper machine (Derakhshan, 2008).
The scope of the experiment was to determine the water horsepower of the variable speed
centrifugal pump at random flows, ranging from 5gpm to 28gpm, providing different head
differences by using the differential pressures that were integrated in the apparatus tested.

Materials and Methods
The materials used in this experiment were a centrifugal pump, two differential pressures
measuring different (P
1
in terms of inches of water and P
2
in terms of psi), a pump speed
detector, and participants to read the differential pressures at each selected flow.
The sump tank had at least 20 gallons of clean water to start the experiment. The
pressure valves (P
1
and P
2
) were fully closed to not damage the pump. The needle valve (blue
valve) was opened at least halfway before turning the centrifugal pump on to avoid any damage
to the pump. Then, the speed control was turned all the way down to not damage the pump. The
pump was turned on and the brake switch was set to forward (FWD). The pump speed was then
set to the speeds indicated. The needle valve was adjusted to vary the flow. Next, the pressure
valves (P
1
and P
2
) were opened all the way to obtain the pressure readings. For each flow setting,
the pressures (P
1
and P
2
) and the flow were measured. Finally, the Differential Pressure vs. Flow
chart was plotted for the four speeds indicated.
The following equations were used to determine the parameters in question:
Head Loss:

Water Horsepower:

Power:

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Results
The following graph and table include the head capacity curves for the four specific speeds and
the calculated values for the head loss, power output and water horsepower requested in the
experiment for the pump:


Figure 1: Head capacity curve at 1000, 1250, 1500 and 1750rpms

Table 1: Data Results of Head Loss, Power output and Water Horsepower
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These parameters were determined by using the requested speed, randomly selected flows that
fell in the given range, measured pressures from the differential pressures and equations to obtain
the calculated head loss, power output and water horsepower.

Discussion
The previous graph showed a relationship between specific speeds, head, and flow. It was
observed that as the specific speed is increased, the pump had a different starting head loss for
same given flows. The slope of each head-capacity curved seemed to be constant.
The calculated values provided in the previous table were based upon the dimensions of
flow and head loss required, which were in terms of gallons per minute (gpm) and feet (ft),
respectively.
According to Table 1, in comparison with the parameters involved, it was observed that
as the flow was increased, the differential pressure readings (P
1
and P
2
), head loss, in terms of the
pump or horsepower (H
p
) decreased. However as the flow was increased, the power output (P
out
)
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and the water horsepower (WHP) were decreasing, then increased a little and back to decreasing
no matter the specific speed that the pump was set on to. However, as the specific speed
remained constant and the flow increased, the differential pressure reading (P
1
) had a faster
pressure rate than the differential pressure reading (P
2
) at same increased flows. For example,
flow at 20gpm for specific speed of 1500rpms, the differential pressure readings (P
1
and P
2
) were
recorded at 1.00in of water and 2.75psi (0.001335 and 6.34ft), respectively, whereas the
differential pressure readings at a flow of 22gpm, were recorded at 0.00 and 2.26psi (0.00 and
6.04ft), respectively. This was a direct relationship between each pressure reading and the
specific speed.
It was also observed that P
1
would experience a pressure drop and P
2
would experience a
pressure increase as the specific speed increased, stating a direct relationship between the
pressures and specific speed. With this information exposed, a great difference of head loss was
observed between the two differential pressure readings (P1 and P2). This could be a potential
interpretation of head loss of the pump from before the water enters the pump to after the water
exits the pump, which determines the horsepower of the pump, which is the power that the pump
must provide to move the fluid, with those parameters given.
Furthermore, at same flow rates, as the specific speed was increased, the differential
pressure readings (P
1
) would start at lower pressures and the differential pressure readings (P
2
)
would start at higher pressures. Using the previous example, flow at 20gpm, the pressure
readings for P
1
and P
2
at 1500rpms were 1.00in of water and 2.75psi (0.001335 and 6.34ft),
respectively, whereas the pressure readings for P
1
and P
2
at 1750rpms were 0.00in of water and
4.40psi (0.000000 and 10.15ft), respectively. It was observed that the pressure started lower for
P
1
and started higher for P
2
at same given flows with different specific speed. This was a direct
relationship between specific speed and pressure.
As for every hands-on experiment, sources of error were considered during the
experiment.
One initial source of error was the device that was reading the centrifugal pumps speed.
The device was used to set the speed of the pump at the four requested speeds. However, the
device had a tendency to be slightly off the speed the pump was set to. Therefore, the speed
value that was obtained from the pump speed detector was the assumed speed of the pump since
every time it was measured, a different value was recorded.
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Another possible error was the differential pressure readings. They were both measuring
in different dimensions; one in inches of water and the other in psi. Although both pressure
readings were converted to feet dimensions to calculate the parameters in terms of feet, the
values recorded could have been slightly off due to the different scale readings.
Another source of error could have been a mechanical source of error. The pump used
could have been utilized for other purposes rather than in the laboratory. Without knowing what
the pump had been used for, according to the journal found by DINA, the pump could have
been used incorrectly and ultimately damaged the pumps design head-capacity and efficiency
curve, providing erroneous results at the end since the pump had been used inappropriately. In
other words, the pump would have had a lower head-capacity and efficiency values than when it
was purchased brand-new.
To determine the efficiency of the pump, the brake horsepower could be determined by
measuring the pumps ability to completely stop the water flow. This could be done by reversing
the forward button (FWD) of the apparatus so the pump can ultimately stop the water flow.
Knowing the water horsepower value, it can be divided by the brake horsepower to obtain the
efficiency of the pump.

Conclusion
The objective of this lab was successfully met. The studnet was able to execute the lab's primary
and secondary purposes. The primary purpose of this experiment was to understand the use of
centrifugal pumps and to determine the water horsepower that the pump must provide to move
the water at different specific speeds. The secondary purpose was to plot a head-capacity curves
for three specific speeds, 1200rpms 1500rpms & 1750rpms. Once ploted the student had to
compare their head-capacity plot with the manufacturerer's head-capacity and discuss their
similarities.
It was observed that as the speed increased, the head of the pump had increased as well.
Also, it was observed that the head loss decreased in proportion yo the but all of the curves had
similar slopes and trends.
Although sources of error were encountered, the results were fairly accurate considering
that the pump retained its design head-capacity and efficiency curves. Minor adjustments could
have been made like providing a better speed detector.
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This experiment expanded the physical knowledge of hydraulic engineering to better
understand and analyze the characteristics of a pump. In addition, the scenario presented can be
applied to real life situations such as the required specific speed a pump must be set to satisfy the
demand for a certain area in a pipe system or network.
Another way to perform the experiment would be having two different centrifugal pumps
with different design head-capacity and efficiency curves and discuss the difference or compare
them or have two similar centrifugal pumps one older than the other and observe the different
head-capacity and efficiency curves and compare them and understand the change of the curves
and discuss the reasoning as to why the older pump curves changed.

References
DINA, M. (2003). "Detection of cavitation phenomenon in a centrifugal pump using audible
sound." Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Vol. 17, no. 6, 1335-1347.

Derakhshan, Shahram, and Ahmad Nourbakhsh, (2008). "Experimental study of characteristic
curves of centrifugal pumps working as turbines in different specific speeds." Experimental
thermal and fluid science, Vol. 32, no. 3, 800-807.

Houghtalen, R.J., Akan, O.S., and H.C. Hwang, N. (2010). Fundamentals of Hydraulic
Engineering Systems, 4
th
Ed. Upper Sadle River, New Jersey.

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