Centrifugal Pumps

What is a centrifugal pump?

Centrifugal pumps are the most common type of pump, with dozen of different configurations
available including: fire pumps, end suction pumps, chopper pumps, grinder pumps, magnetic drive
pumps and many more.
Centrifugal pumps use one or more impellers which attach to and rotate with the shaft, providing the
energy that moves liquid through the pump and pressurizes the liquid to move it through the piping
system. They are usually quick to install, require less maintenance than other alternatives, and are
generally easy to repair.
Centrifugal pumps are usually the best choice for lower viscosity (thin) liquids and high flow rates.
They are also used in many residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal applications. Multi-stage
centrifugal pumps have more than one impeller, and are used for applications that require higher
pressure or head.
They generally work within the following ranges:
 Flow rate ranges between 5 and 200,000 gpm
 Total head (pressure) ranges between 10 and 7,500 ft
 Horsepower ranges between 0.125 and 5,000 hp
There are a wide variety of materials of construction, ranging from various plastics and cast iron or
stamped stainless steel for lighter duties - to bronzes, stainless steels, exotic alloys, and specialty
plastics for more corrosive, abrasive, hygienic, or other difficult applications.
Piping connections on centrifugal pumps are available with standard pipe threads on smaller sizes,
and flanges on larger sizes. Specialty connections are available from some pump manufacturers for
particular applications. The normal drivers supplied are A.C. induction motors, but some
manufacturers offer pumps with D.C. drives or adaptable to other power transmission devices such as
engines and gear boxes.

How do they work?

A centrifugal pump works by:
1. First the pump directs the liquid in the system into the suction port of the pump and from there
into the inlet of the impeller.
2. The rotating impeller moves the liquid along the spinning vanes, which increases the velocity
energy of the liquid.
3. The liquid then leaves the impeller vanes and then moves into the pump volute or diffuser
casing, where the high velocity of the fluid is converted into high pressure through a diffusion process.
4. The fluid is then guided into the discharge port of the pump and from there out into the
system, or on to the next stage in the case of a multi-stage pump.

The suction pipe of a centrifugal pump is not necessarily a larger bore

(diameter)than the discharge pipe. ... Suction lines are generally designed to keep friction
losses to a minimum. This is in order to ensure sufficient available Net
PositiveSuction Head (NPSHa) to meet the NPSH required (NPSHr) by the pump.

The suction pipe of a centrifugal pump is not necessarily a larger bore

(diameter)than the discharge pipe. ... Suction lines are generally designed to keep friction
losses to a minimum. This is in order to ensure sufficient available Net
PositiveSuction Head (NPSHa) to meet the NPSH required (NPSHr) by the pump.
Pumps develop differential head, or differential pressure. This means the pumptakes
suction pressure, adds more pressure (the design pressure), and generatesdischarge
pressure. So, the discharge pressure is equal to the suction pressureplus
the pump's design pressure. ... The pump is designed to add 40 psi ofpressure.
 Head Loss Calculator for Pump Selection
1. Enter flowrate delivered by the pump (gallons per minute).
2. Enter the total horizontal pipe length (feet) for your system.
3. Select nominal pipe diameter (inches) using the pull-down menu.
4. Enter total pumping lift or height (feet) water is pumped vertically.
5. Enter any misc.

there is and underground water tank for sprinkler system and it is  horizontally ~20 m
from pump room (technologically it is not possible to design it closer). Are there any
restrictions about maximum distance from sprinkler suction pumps to water tank? What
is the maximum horizontal distance allowed? What shall be evaluated in this design in
order to avoid system failure.Any information would help a lot

As per NFPA 20 is concerned, negative suction is not allowed for centrifugal pump.
Positive Suction:

If you are using Horizontal Pump for pumping water from Atmospheric tank, there will be a
positive suction pressure. But, we need to calculate the NPSH available. 

NPSHa = Atmospheric pressure(converted to head) + static head + surface pressure head -

vapor pressure of your product - loss in the piping, valves and fittings

NPSHa > NPSHr = (Min.1m)

If the pump complying the above requirement, there is no cavitation. The pump will be safe.

Normaly, the pump will not suck the water. It will create the Vaccum. So, if the pump is
placed near the water source, then the pump will have more suction pressure. If the pump is
placed away from the water source, then there is a less suction pressure. Then we need to
select the suitable pump to avoid cavitation.

Negative Suction:
If we are using Vertical Turbine pump, there may a negative suction due to static suction lift
condition.
 We need to calculate the pressure drop and the suitable pump will be selected.

If suction lift is more high condition we can select the submersible pump.

It can be concluded that the suction pipe length will be limited by the system design on
suction side of pump.

Suction Pipeline Design

The root cause of many pump problems and failures can be traced
to poor upstream, suction-side, pipeline design. Common problems
to avoid are:

 Insufficient fluid pressure leading to cavitation within the

pump.

 Narrow pipes and constrictions producing noise, turbulence

and friction losses.

 Air or vapour entrainment causing noise, friction and loss of

performance.

 Suspended solids resulting in increased erosion.

 Poor installation of pipework and other components.

Cavitation
 A liquid’s boiling
point corresponds to the temperature at which its vapour pressure
is the same as the pressure of its environment. If water, for
example, is subjected to a sufficient drop in pressure at room
temperature, it will boil.

Across any pumping system there is a complex pressure profile.

This arises from many properties of the system: the throughput
rate, head pressure, friction losses both inside the pump and across
the system as a whole. In a centrifugal pump, for example, there is
a large drop in pressure at the impeller and an increase again within
 its vanes (see diagram). In a positive displacement pump, the fluid’s
pressure drops when it is drawn, essentially from rest, into the
cylinder. The fluid’s pressure increases again when it is expelled.

If the pressure of the fluid at any point in the pump is lower than its
vapour pressure, it will literally boil, forming vapour bubbles within
the pump. The formation of bubbles leads to a loss in throughput
and increased vibration and noise but the big danger is when the
bubbles pass on into a section of the pump at higher pressure. The
vapour condenses and the bubbles implode, releasing, locally, huge
amounts of energy. This can be very damaging, causing severe
erosion of the pump’s components.

To avoid cavitation, you need to match your pump to the fluid,

system and application. This is a complex area and you are advised
to discuss your application with the pump supplier.

Understanding NPSH
To avoid cavitation, the pressure of the fluid must be maintained
above its vapour pressure at all points as it passes through the
pump. Manufacturers specify a property referred to as the Net
Positive Suction Head Required or NPSH-R – this is their
minimum recommended fluid inlet pressure, expressed in metres.
The documentation supplied with your pump may contain charts
showing how NPSH-R varies with flow.

In fact, NPSH-R is defined as the suction-side pressure at which

cavitation reduces the discharge pressure by 3%. So, in designing
the suction-side pipework for your system, you must ensure that it
exceeds the manufacturer’s NPSH-R rating for the operating
conditions. Your calculated value is termed the NPSH-
Available (NPSH-A).

Remember, a manufacturer’s NPSH-R rating is

the minimum recommended inlet head pressure: a pump is already
experiencing cavitation at this pressure. Consequently, it is
important to build in a safety margin of 0.5 to 1m to take account of
this and other factors such as:

 The pump’s operating environment – is the temperature

constant?
 Changes in the weather (changes in temperature and
atmospheric pressure).

 Any increases in friction losses that may occur occasionally or

gradually during the lifetime of the system.

   

               

Turbulence and Friction

Pumps, and especially centrifugal pumps, work most efficiently
when the fluid is delivered in a surge-free, smooth, laminar flow.
Any form of turbulence reduces efficiency and increases wear and
tear on the pump’s bearings, seals and other components.

There should be at least 5 pipe diameters’ worth of straight piping

connecting to the pump. Never connect an elbow, reducer, valve, or
strainer within this final run of pipework. If you connect an elbow
directly to the pump flange, the fluid is effectively centrifuged
towards the outer curve of the elbow and not directed into the
centre (the eye) of the impeller. This creates stress on the pump’s
bearings and seals which often leads to wear and premature failure.

Sometimes, it’s just not possible to make provision for a sufficient

settling distance in the pipework before the pump. In these cases,
use an inline flow conditioner or straightener.

It’s standard practice to employ suction-side piping one or two sizes

bigger than the pump inlet - you should certainly never use any
piping that is smaller than the pump’s inlet nozzle.

Small pipes result in larger friction losses, which means it costs

more to run your pumping system. On the other hand, larger
diameter pipes are more expensive – so you need to weigh up the
increased cost with the likely energy saving resulting from reduced
friction losses.

It also makes sense to keep the run of pipework to a minimum by

positioning the pump as close as possible to the fluid source.

Larger pipework means that you’ll need a reducer before the pump
inlet. A reducer is a constriction and requires careful design to avoid
both turbulence and the creation of pockets where air or vapour
might collect. The best solution is to use an eccentric reducer
orientated to eliminate the possibility of air pockets.

As a general rule of thumb, suction pipe velocities should be kept

below 2 m/s. At higher velocities, the greater friction causes noise,
higher energy costs and increasing erosion, particularly if the fluid
contains suspended solids. If your system contains any narrow pipes
or other constrictions, bear in mind that the pipe velocity will be a
lot higher at these points.
     

Air or Vapour Entrainment

It’s best to keep air or vapour out of the pipework. Entrained gases
cause a loss in pump performance, increase noise, vibration and
component wear and tear. It’s therefore important to position the
feed pipe correctly in the tank or vessel. It should be fully
submerged. If it’s too close to the surface of the fluid, the suction
creates a vortex, drawing air (or other vapours) into the liquid and
through the pumping system. The feed pipe should also be clear of
any other pipes, agitators or stirrer-paddles – anything that might
drive air into the fluid. In shallow tanks or ponds, it may be
advisable to use a baffle arrangement to protect the feed pipe from
air entrainment.

Suspended Solids
You should also make sure that the feed pipe isn’t too close to the
bottom of the tank or pond. If it is, the suction may draw up solids
or sludge instead of air or vapour! The fluid may contain suspended
solids in any case.

Some displacement pumps can cope with a mixed phase supply

without any damage or major loss in performance. Centrifugal
pumps are not so robust and must be protected from solids. In this
situation you’ll need to install a filter or strainer. Filters can create a
large pressure drop and be responsible for cavitation and friction-
loss. The filter screen should have at least three times the free area
of the pipe cross-section. Use a differential pressure gauge across
the screen to look out for any increased pressure drop before
clogging problems arise. This will also help in the accurate
assessment of NPSH-A.

Installation
Obviously, pumps should be securely located - but so should the
pipework. Don’t use one to support the other. All other components
must be just as securely located and create no stresses or strains on
any other parts of the system. Ensure that the pipe connecting to
the pump’s inlet flange is aligned precisely with it. If you need to
install non-return valves or flow control valves fit them on the
discharge side of the pump, and never in suction-side pipework.

Summary
Problems in suction side pipework often have damaging
consequences for the system pump and can be avoided by following
these guidelines:
 Ensure that conditions do not favour cavitation, particularly if
you are using a centrifugal pump. This requires careful selection of
the pump, its positioning and the head pressure.

 Position the feed pipe to minimize entrainment of air/vapour

and solids.

 Minimize friction and turbulence by choosing appropriate pipes

and components:

 Use pipes with a diameter twice that of the pump’s suction

side flange.

 Ensure that the pipework is aligned with the pump’s flange and
straight for at least 5 pipe diameters.

 Use an eccentric reducer orientated to eliminate air pockets.

 Keep the pipe velocity below 2m/s.