Experimental setup:

Figure-1: Experimental setup for study of pump characteristics

Observed Data:
Room temperature= 31.5 0C
Water temperature= 30 0C
Length of water reservoir= 83 cm
Width of water reservoir= 32 cm
2 pipes internal diameter, d= 2 inch
Distance between motor shaft and torque arm d= 9 inch= 0.2286 m
Gravitational accelerations, g = 9.81 ms-2
At 30 C, Density of water = 995.647 kg/m3 [Elementary Principle of Chemical Process]
At 31.5 C, Density of CCl4 = 1559.68 kg/m3 [Calculating from Perrys Chemical Engineering
Handbook]

Table -1: Observed data for pump characteristics curves

Motor

Height of

Time of

Suction

Discharge

Suction

Mass of

speed

water level

water

Head

pressure

pressure

the load

(rpm)

h (m)

collection

(in CCl4)

head

head

M (g)

(m H20)

(inch)

1.5

0.66447797

1.9

0.60081541

0.40584882

1.9

0.77588745

2.5

0.65652015

4.8

0.42574337

0.78782418

0.69630925

0.46155356

t (sec)

2000

2200

2400

150

10.4

120

10.3

70

10.4

163

10.2

145

10.4

95

10.3

170

10.5

145

10.4

95

10.4

16.7
15.1
10.2
19.5
16.5
10.7
19.8
17.5
11.6

720
700
575
800
800
725
850
850
800

Calculated data:
Area of the tank =8332 cm2 = 0.2656m2
Cross sectional area of each of the 2 4 inch diameter pipes = 8.10310-3 m2
Distance between motor shaft and torque arm=9 inch =

m=0.2286m

Table-2: Calculated data for volume of the tank, volumetric flow rate, suction
head and developed head.

Motor speed
(rpm)

Angular

Volume of

Volumetric

Suction head

Developed

velocity of

the tank

flow rate,

With respect

head

motor

occupied by

to Water

(sec-1)

water

(m3/s)

(m)

(m)

0.037409

0.003597

0.66447797

0.835522

0.029927

0.002906

0.60081541

1.299185

0.017458

0.001679

0.40584882

3.594151

0.040651

0.003985

0.77588745

1.124113

0.036162

0.003477

0.65652015

1.84348

0.023692
0.042397
0.036162

0.0023
0.004038
0.003477

0.42574337
0.78782418
0.69630925

4.374257
1.212176
2.303691

0.023692

0.002278

0.46155356

5.538446

(m3)

2000

209.44

2200

230.384

2400

251.328

Table-3: Calculated data for finding output and input power and thus
efficiency

Angular

Downward

Moment of

Power input

Power

Efficiency

velocity

force, F

torque

(w)

output

(%)

(sec-1)

(N)

(N.m)

7.0632

1.614648

338.1718

29.35437

8.680312

6.867

1.569796

328.7781

36.87576

11.216

5.64075

1.289475

270.0677

58.94153

21.82472

7.848

1.794053

413.3211

43.75349

10.58583

7.848

1.794053

413.3211

62.60623

15.14712

7.11225

1.62586

374.5722

98.26674

26.23439

8.3385

1.906181

479.0767

47.80864

9.979329

8.3385

1.906181

479.0767

78.2354

16.33045

7.848

1.794053

450.8957

123.2299

27.33002

209.44

230.384

251.328

(w)

Sample calculation:
Area of the tank, A= 8332cm2=83x32x10-4 m2 = 0.2656 m3
Cross-sectional area of 4 inch pipe dia. = x (2x2.54/100)2 =8.103x10-3m3
Distance between motor shaft and torque arm=9 inch =

m=0.2286m

For 4th observation:

Height of water,
h = 163 mm
= 0.163 m
Volume of tank occupied by water,
V= A x h
= (area of tank- 2 area of cross-section of 4 inch diameter pipe) h
= (0.2656 -2 8.10310-3) 0.163 m3
=0.040651 m3
Time of taking water, t = 10.2 seconds
Flow rate of water,
Q = V/t
= 0.040651/10.2 m3/s
= 0.003985 m3/s
Discharge pressure head = 1.9 m

Suction pressure head = 19.5 in (of CCl4)

= 19.52.54/100 m (of CCl4)
= (19.50.0254) 1559.68/995.647 m (of water)
= 0.77588745 m (of water)
Developed head,
H = Discharge head - Suction head
= (1.9 0.77588745) m
= 1.124113 m
Downward force at the end of torque arm,
F=Mg
= ((8009.81)/1000) N
= 7.848 N
Moment of the torque,
= Fd
= (7.848 0.2286m)
= 1.794053 N.m
Angular velocity,
= 2f
= 2 2200/60
= 230.384 sec-1

Power input,
Pi = x
= 1.794053 230.384
= 413.321106 W
Power output,
Po = HQg
= 1.124113 0.003985995.6479.81
= 43.75349 W

Efficiency = ((power output)/(power input)) 100 %

= ( 43.75349 )/413.321106 100%
= 10.58583 %

Results:
Motor speed

Developed

Volumetric

Power input,

Power

Efficiency

(rpm)

head

flow rate,

Pi

output, Po

(%)

(w)

(w)

(m)

(m3/s)

209.44

230.384
251.328

0.835522

0.003597

338.1718

29.35437

8.680312

1.299185

0.002906

328.7781

36.87576

11.216

3.594151

0.001679

270.0677

58.94153

21.82472

1.124113

0.003985

413.3211

43.75349

10.58583

1.84348

0.003477

413.3211

62.60623

15.14712

4.374257

0.0023

374.5722

98.26674

26.23439

1.212176

0.004038

479.0767

47.80864

9.979329

2.303691

0.003477

479.0767

78.2354

16.33045

5.538446

0.002278

450.8957

123.2299

27.33002

10

Discussions:
The objective of this experiment was to study the characteristic curves of a centrifugal pump.
We applied three different speeds, 2000 rpm, 2200 rpm and 2400 rpm. For each speed we noted
readings for 3 different power inputs. Using the observed data we plotted graphs of head vs.
flow rate, fluid power vs. flow rate and efficiency vs. flow rate. The different graphs are
discussed below.
1. Head vs. fluid flow:
With increasing fluid flow the pressure head decreases. The curves were supposed to be linear
the same relationship is revealed for all three speeds but the structure of the graph fluctuated
slightly from the general convention due to some instrumental error.
2. Fluid power vs. flow rate:
Generally the fluid power increases as the flow rate increases from zero. At one point it reaches a
peak and then it decreases with increasing fluid flow. But our graph seems a little bit different.
This may be due to some machineries problem like the voltage power supply controller was not
accurate in reading
3. Efficiency vs. flow rate:
Efficiency varies with fluid power in the same way as fluid power. We found that the efficiency
was very small. . And the main reason of this low efficiency is different types of energy losses
such as
1. fluid friction in the passages & channels of the pump
2. shock losses due to the sudden change in direction of the liquid leaving the impeller and
joining the streams of liquid traveling circumferentially around the casing.
3. leakage loss
4. reciprocating loss
5. mechanical loss
6. hydraulic loss etc

11

There may also have been experimental errors while taking readings. For example,

The time counting may have not been very accurate.

The discharge pressure was also fluctuating making it difficult to take an accurate
reading.

the pump that we used in the laboratory have some problem and controlling the constant
speed with the help of a tachometer was really a tough job.

In addition, some error could be introduced in the weight readings due to the parallax
error of our eyes.

12

References:
1. Fluid Mechanics with Engineering Applications. (SI Metric Edition) by Robert L.
Daugherty, Joseph B. Franzini and E. John Finnemore
2. www.fluidscience.com/centrifugalpump/curves

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