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CAPACITY REGULATION
While fluid machines should run around their design capacity, in most applications the
capacity required by the system will not be the same as the design capacity of the
machines. In addition for various reasons the capacity required by the system may change
from time to time. Therefore regulating the capacity of fluid machines is an essential
issue. The various techniques used for regulating the capacity of fluid machines are
discussed in this chapter.
Figure 7.1 shows how capacity regulation is achieved through throttling. When the flow
area of the valve is reduced the resistance for flow increases and the system dynamic
head increases. The working point also changes accordingly. When the required capacity
is reached the throttling process is stopped.
187
Chapter 7 Capacity Regulation 188
Working point
after throttling Effect of
throttling
Q[m3/hr]
Figure 7.1 Capacity regulation by throttling
Discharge throttling
This is the simples, cheapest and most common method of capacity regulation for
systems using centrifugal pumps. A throttling valve is placed in discharge line and by
adjusting the opening of the valve the required capacity is achieved.
Regulation valve in
discharge line
Suction throttling is similar to discharge throttling except the fact that the valve is
placed in the suction line. Suction throttling is not advisable for pumps, since pressure
drop across capacity regulation valves is significant and can reduce the NPSHA making
the system susceptible for cavitation.
Regulation valve in
suction throttling
Capacity regulation can be easily shown using the characteristic curves of the pump and
the system. By similar analysis it can be shown that no appreciable capacity regulation is
achieved by throttling in systems with positive displacement pumps. The reader is
encouraged to check this.
Pump characteristic
curve at speed N2
N2>N1
H[m]
Pump characteristic
curve at Speed N1
System characteristic
curve
Q[m3/hr] Q1 Q2
Figure 7.4 Capacity regulation by speed
-
7.1.3 Bypass Regulation ( for pumps)
Running pumps at flow rates far below the design flow rate is not advisable. Besides
inefficiency it can also damage the pump since the flow medium serves as lubricant in
pumps most of the time and decrease in flow rate may result in inefficient lubrication and
cooling in cases when rotary elements come in contact with stationary parts. Bypass
regulation is a good alternative in such cases. Bypass regulation is in essence running the
pump at a higher flow rate and returning the rest to the source. Figure 7.5 shows a system
regulated using bypass method.
Chapter 7 Capacity Regulation 190
Bypass line
Pumps in series
The operating point of each pump can be obtained by drawing the overall characteristic
of the pumps in the system and the system characteristic. It should be noted that when
pumps (fans) work in parallel the head against which they are working will be the same
and total flow rate will be the sum of the flow rate of the pump at the working head. The
overall characteristic curve of the two pumps (or fans) working in parallel is obtained by
adding the flow rates for the same head. The procedure for drawing the overall
characteristic curve is as follows:
From the characteristics of the two pumps select heads common to both
pumps
Find the corresponding flow rate of each pump for those common heads
Chapter 7 Capacity Regulation 191
The total flow rate of the two pumps working in parallel for each common
head is the sum of the flow rate of each pump at that head
Draw the characteristic curves as shown in Figure 7.7
H[m]
Q1 Q[m3/hr] Q2 Q1+ Q2
Figure 7.7 Capacity regulation using two pumps working in parallel
Pumps in series
Series arrangement is used when it is desired to get increased head. When pumps are
working in series their volume flow rate is the same and their respective head is obtained
from their characteristic curve if the common flow rate is obtained.
Pumps in series
Their common flow rate is obtained by finding the intersection point of the overall
characteristic curve of the pumps working in series with the system characteristic curve.
The procedure for drawing the overall characteristic curve is as follows:
From the characteristics of the two pumps select flow rates common to
both pumps
Chapter 7 Capacity Regulation 192
Find the corresponding heads of each pump for those common flow rates
The total head of the two pumps working in parallel for each common
flow rate is the sum of the flow rate of each pump at that flow rate
Draw the characteristic curves
Example 7.1
The performance characteristic of two pumps is given in Table 7.1. The characteristic of
the system at which they are used is given in Table 7.2. Determine the capacity
i) The flow rate if the two pumps work in series
ii) The flow rate if pump1 works alone
iii) The flow rate if pump 2 works alone
iv) The flow rate if the two pumps work in parallel
Table 7.1 Performance characteristics of Pump1 and Pump 2
Q(m3/hr) common 0 50 110 180 220 270 300
H1(m) Head of pump 1 50 49 46 40 34 25 16
H2 (m)Head of pump 2 52 51 49 45 41 32 22
Solution
i) The overall performance characteristics if the two pumps work in series is found
by adding the heads for common low rates. Table 7.3 summarizes the values.
Table 7.3: The overall performance characteristics for the two pumps in series
Q(m3/hr) common 0 50 110 180 220 270 300
H1(m) Head of pump 1 50 49 46 40 34 25 16
H2 (m)Head of pump 2 52 51 49 45 41 32 22
H1+H2 102 100 95 85 75 57 38
Chapter 7 Capacity Regulation 193
The characteristic curves become as shown in Figure 7.9. Reading the graph at the
working point, the flow rate is obtained to be 230 m3/hr.
Characteristic curve of
120 the two pumps
working in series
Working point of
100 the overall system
H [m] 80
60
40
20
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
3
Q [m /hr]
Figure 7.9 Characteristic curves of two pumps working in series
ii) Since the system characteristic curve doesnt have intersection point with
pumps characteristics pump 1 doesnt deliver any liquid if it works alone. The
energy requirement is larger than the energy that the pump can deliver.
iii) The same as (ii)
iv) If the pumps work together in parallel there will not be increase in head. The
system characteristics still will be above the pumps overall characteristics.
Therefore no liquid will be delivered in this case also.
gHQ1 gHQ2
N b,1 N b, 2 N b,1 N b, 2
With
r N b, 2 / N b,1
1 2
1 r 1 1/ r
1 r 2
(7.2)
1 r
Overall Efficiency of Pumps Working in Series
Similar analysis leads us to the result
1 r 2
1 r
Therefore the formula is the same when the pumps work in parallel and series.
When the pumps have equal brake power
r=1
1 1.2 1 2
(7.3)
11 2
Therefore if the pumps have equal brake power the overall efficiency will be the
arithmetic mean of the efficiency of the pumps.
Example 7.2
The efficiencies of two pumps P1 and P2 working in parallel are 0.76 and 0.68
respectively. The brake power of P1 is 3.5 kW and P2 is 4.2 kW. Determine the overall
efficiency of the pumps when they work together in parallel or series.
Solution
1=0.76
2=0.68
0.76 (4.2 / 3.5)0.68
0.716 71.6%
1 (4.2 / 3.5)
Therefore the overall efficiency of the two pumps working together in parallel or
series is 71.6%
Chapter 7 Capacity Regulation 195
7.2 FANS
The capacity of fans can be regulated by speed, multiple pumps in series and parallel,
throttling with a damper, and inlet guide vanes. The principles used in the first three types
of regulations are the same as centrifugal pumps. The remaining two are discussed below.
Dampers in open
position System Characteristics
H(m)
Dampers
closing
Q(m3/hr)
Figure 7.10 Effect of dampers on fan characteristics
H[m]
Working point
Before throttling
System characteristic
curves
Q[m3/hr]
Figure 7.11 No appreciable capacity regulation is achieved by throttling
for systems with positive displacement pumps.
The capacity regulation methods commonly used for positive displacement pumps are:
Regulation by speed, bypass regulation and regulation by stroke length adjustment (for
reciprocating pumps).
System characteristic
curves
Q[m3/hr]
Figure 7.12 Capacity regulation by speed for PD pumps.
Chapter 7 Capacity Regulation 197
Q D Sn vol
2
(5.1)
4
Q (m3/hr)
Figure 7.12 Effect of guide vanes on performance characteristics of
centrifugal compressors
Capacity regulation by guide vanes is very efficient procedure but the vanes are
expensive and need auxiliary parts for adjustment. Proper cost analysis should be carried
out before selecting this technique.
that it is simple makes it applicable for small duty compressors where efficiency is not a
critical issue.
Some of the most commonly used capacity regulation methods for systems using
reciprocating compressors are speed regulation, opening the inlet valve, clearance
variation and bypass regulation.
Attaching variable clearance volume to the head of the cylinder. This consists
of a volume of bottle with a movable piston and normally a manually operated
spindle to move the piston. Leakage is a problem in variable clearance volume.
REVIEW EXERCISE
1. Why is discharge throttling more appropriate than suction throttling in pumping
systems using centrifugal pumps?
2. Explain why in system using pumps with steep characteristic curves bypass
regulation is more advantageous than discharge throttling.
7. Which drives are appropriate when capacity regulation by speed in a wider range
is intended?
8. The efficiencies of two pumps P1 and P2 working in parallel are 62% and 68.3%
respectively. The brake power of P1 is 20.5 kW and P2 is 18 kW. Determine the
overall efficiency of the pumps when they work together.
9. Two fans having the nearly equal brake power have efficiencies of 78% and 82%
determine the overall efficiency when the two fans work in parallel and in series.
Chapter 7 Capacity Regulation 202
10. A centrifugal fan running at a speed of 1500 rpm is used to move air at 250C and
1 atm (101.325 kPa) through a duct. The head capacity curve and efficiency curve
of the fan and the characteristic curve of the system are given in Figure E1. If the
speed is increased to 2000 rpm and made to work at the best efficiency point what
will be the flow rate, head and coupling power.
40 0.8
35 0.7
30 0.6
25 0.5
Efficiency
H[m]
20 0.4
15 0.3
10 0.2
5 0.1
0 0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Q [m3/hr]
REFERENCES
[7.1] Matley,J., Fluid Movers: Pumps, Compressors, Fans and Blowers,
1979,McGraw-Hill
[7.2] Karassik, I.J., Krutzsch,W.C., (etal ), Pump Handbook, 2nd Edition, 1986,
McGraw-Hill.
[7.3] Karassik, I.J., McGuire, T., Centrifugal Pumps, Chapman &Hall, 1998
[7.4] Cherkassky: Pumps, Fans and Compressors, Mir Publisher,1977.
[7.5] Hanlon, P.C., Compressor Handbook, McGraw-Hill, 2001
[7.6] Bleier,F.P., Fan Handbook, McGraw-Hill,1998