By: S.K.

Rastogi

Pump Type
Pumps can be classified according to their basic
principle as:-

Pumps

Dynamic
Centrifugal

Special
Effect

Displacement
Rotary

Reciprocating

When different design can be used the centrifugal

pump is generally the most economical followed by
rotary & reciprocating pump.

Why prefer centrifugal pump

Although the positive displacement is more
efficient than centrifugal pump, the benefit
of higher efficiency tends to be offset by
increased maintenance cost.
That is the reason for incorporating
Ammonia feed pump of reciprocating type
with centrifugal type in recent Urea plant .

A Brief introduction to centrifugal pump

Mechanism:
Rotation of the impeller
imparts energy to the
liquid causing it to exit the
impellers vane at a
greater velocity than it
possessed when entered.
The liquid that exits the
impeller is collected in the
casing
(volute/diffuser)
where its velocity is
converted to pressure.

A Brief introduction to centrifugal pump

Do you know: Centrifugal pump was developed in the
late 1600s. Its wide spread use, however has occurred
only in last seventy five years.
Theory:
In operation, a centrifugal pump slings liquid out of the
impeller via centrifugal force.
The flow and head developed in centrifugal pumps
depend on peripheral velocity of its impeller.

V =2gh

Performance Parameter of Pump

Head: The quantity used to express the energy
content of the liquid per unit weight of the liquid.
Head is expressed in m of liquid.
Capacity/Flow: Discharge delivered by the pump in
a unit time. It is expressed in m/h or Lps or gpm.
Hydraulic power: Theoretical power delivered to the
liquid by pump. [Mass flow(kg/s)*g (9.81m/s)*H(m)] Watt
BHP: Power delivered to the Pump shaft. [Hydraulic
Power/Pump efficiency]
Pump Efficiency: The ratio of energy delivered by
the pump to the energy supplied to the pump shaft.
[Hydraulic power/BHP]
NPSH: Net positive suction head. [m]

NPSH [Net positive suction head]

NPSH: The value by which the pressure in the pump suction
exceeds the liquid vapour pressure. It is expressed as head of
liquid. NPSH is an analysis of energy condition on the
suction side of the pump to determine if the liquid will
vaporize at lowest pressure point in the pump.
The value of NPSH needed at pump suction to avoid cavitation
in the pump is known as NPSHR.
NPSHR is a characteristic of pump design. As the liquid
passes from the pump suction to the eye of impeller the
velocity increases and pressure decreases. There are also
pressure loss due to shock and turbulence as liquid strike
the impeller.
A lower speed pump requires lower NPSH.
A double suction pump requires 2/3rd as much NPSH as
compared to similar rated single suction pump.
NPSH required increases with increase in flow.

NPSH Calculation

NPSH: Hs (m of fluid) = -P (suction piping) + (v1vs)/g + (z1-zs+H1)

Cavitation:
Cavitation begins as the
formation
of
vapor
bubbles at the impeller
eye due to low pressure.
The bubbles form at the
position
of
lowest
pressure at the pump
inlet (see Figure 1),
which is just prior to the
fluid being acted upon
by the impeller vanes,
they are then rapidly
compressed.

Cavitation:
The compression of
the vapor bubbles
produces
a
small
shock
wave
that
impacts the impeller
surface and pits away
at the metal creating
over time large eroded
areas and subsequent
failure. The sound of
cavitation
is
very
characteristic
and
resembles the sound
of gravel in a concrete
mixer.

Vapor pressure and cavitation

There are two ways to
boil a liquid. One way is to
increase the temperature
while keeping the pressure
constant until the
temperature is high
enough to produce vapor
bubbles.
The other way to boil a
liquid is to lower the
pressure. If you keep the
temperature constant and
lower the pressure the
liquid will also boil.

Centrifugal pump: Characteristic curve

BEP: Best efficiency point

NPSH
(M)

NPSH

Discharge flow in gpm

BEP: The point on head - capacity curve that align with
highest point on the efficiency curve.

Centrifugal Pump characteristic

Capacity of the centrifugal pump decreases as
discharge pressure increases.
It is important to select a centrifugal pump that is
design to do a particular job.
The pump generate the same head of liquid
whatever be the density of liquid being pumped.
Even a small improvement in pump efficiency
could yield very significant saving of electricity as
it is least efficient of the component that
comprises a pumping system.

Centrifugal pump performance curve

Performance curve for family of pumps

Performance curve for different impeller

Multiple speed performance curve

System Characteristic

Static
head

Static Head

The objective of the pump is to transfer or circulate

the liquid.
A pressure is needed to make the liquid flow at
required rate and overcome head losses in the
system. Losses are of two type- 1. Static 2. Friction
Static head is simply difference of height of supply
and destination reservoir.

Flow

System Characteristic-frictional head

Friction Head

Friction head is the friction loss due to flow of liquid through

pipe, valves, fitting, equipments.
Frictional losses are proportional to square of the flow rate.
For given flow rate friction loss can be reduced by increasing
diameter of pipe, using improved fitting etc..
A close loop circulating system without a surface open to
atmospheric pressure, would exhibit only frictional losses and
would have a system resistance curve as below.

Flow

System Head vs flow- typical system

Most system are a combination of frictional head and
static head however the ratio of two head may vary
from system to system.

Static Head

Friction Head

Friction Head

Friction Head
Friction Head

Static Head

Flow

Flow

Pump operating point

The operating point will always be the intersection
point of System curve and Head-flow curve.

Head

Head vs Flow

System Curve

Flow

Operating
point

Pump Operating Point

If the actual system curve is different in reality as
compared to calculated, the pump will operate at a flow
and head different to expected.
An error in system curve calculation may lead to
selection of a centrifugal pump which will have efficiency
less than expected.
Ideally, the operating point should correspond to the flow
rate at the pumps Best Efficiency Point (BEP).
In many applications, some margin in the pump capacity
may be needed to accommodate transient changes.
However, it is generally desirable to limit over-sizing to
no more than 15-20%.
Adding too much safety margin may lead to inefficient
pump selection in actual operation.

Over designed pump

Effect on system curve with throttling

Power Requirement for Pump [Mgh]

You can use any of the following formulas to
make your calculations (for water only):
Hydraulic
Power (kW)
Hydraulic
Power (kW)

Hydraulic =
Power (kW)

Head (ft) X Capacity (gpm)

5308
Head (meter) X Capacity (m/h)
360
Head (meter) X Capacity (lps)
100

For fluids other than water multiply with sp. Gravity of fluid to
calculated power

Estimation of energy loss in oversized pump

Back

Power calculations
Assume that we need to pump 68 m3/hr. to a
47 meter head with a pump that is 60%
efficient at that point.
Liquid Power = 68 x 47 / 360 = 8.9 KW
Shaft Power

= 8.9 / 0.60 = 14.8 Kw

Using oversized pump

As shown in the drawing, we should be using impeller
"E" to do this, but we have an oversized pump so we are
using the larger impeller "A" with the pump discharge
valve throttled back to 68 cubic meters per hour, giving
us an actual head of 76 meters.
Now our hydraulic power will be =68 x 76 / 360
= 14.3 Kilowatts
and Pump input power
required to

=14.3 / 0.50 (efficiency)

= 28.6 Kilowatts
do this.

Loss in Energy
Subtracting the amount of kilowatts we should have
been using from the actual power used gives us
extra power used
=28.6 -14.8
= 13.8 extra kilowatts [ being
used to pump against the throttled discharge valve]
Extra energy used

=8760 hrs/yr x 13.8

= 120,880kw.
= Rs. 4,80,000/annum

In this example the extra cost of the electricity could

almost equal the cost of purchasing the pump.

Flow versus speed

If the speed of the impeller is increased
from N1 to N2 rpm, the flow rate will
increase from Q1to Q2 as per the given
formula:
Q1
Q2

N1
=

N2

Example: Affinity law

The affinity law for a centrifugal pump with the
impeller diameter held constant and the speed
changed:
Flow:
Q1 / Q2 = N1 /N2
Suppose a pump delivers 100 m/h at 1750 pump
rpm. What will be the capacity at 3500 rpm?
Solution:
100 / Q2 = 1750/3500
Q2 = 200 GPM

Affinity law: Head vs Speed

The head developed (H) will be proportional to

the square of the pump speed, so that

H1
=

H2

N1
N2

Affinity law: Head vs Speed [Example]

Problem:
A pump is developing 30 meter head at 1750
rpm of pump, what will be the head at 3500 rpm
of pump.

H1
=

H2
Therefore

30/H2

N1
N2

= (1750/3500)

H2

= 30X(3500/1750)

H2

=120 meter

Affinity law: Power vs Speed

The Power consumed

(BHP) will be
proportional to the cube of the pump speed, so
that

BHP1
=

BHP2

N1 3
N2

Affinity law: Power vs Speed [Example]

Problem:
A pump is consuming 30 kW power at 2000 rpm
of pump, what will be the power at 4000 rpm of
pump.

BHP1
=

BHP2
Therefore

30/BHP2

N13
N23
= (2000/4000)

BHP2

= 30X(4000/2000)

BHP2

=240 kW

Effect of speed variation

The affinity law for a centrifugal pumpfor change in impeller diameter

with the speed held constant and the impeller
diameter (D) changed:
Flow:
Q1 / Q2 = D1 / D2
Example: 100 / Q2 = 80/60
Q2 = 75 GPM
Head:
H1/H2 = (D1/D2)
Example: 100 /H2 = (80 / 60)
H2 = 56.25 Ft
Horsepower (BHP): BHP1 / BHP2 = (D1 / D2)
Example: 5/BHP2 = (80 / 60)
BHP2 = 2.1

Effect of changing impeller diameter

Solution of over designed pump

Reduce the speed / Trim the impeller

Blue pump curve shows either of these option

Flow control strategies-by varying speed for

system with friction loss

Flow control strategies-by varying speed for

system with high static head

Head

Flow control for permanent flow reduction

Flow

Situation Before Impeller Trimming

Head

Flow control for permanent flow reduction

Flow

Situation After Impeller Trimming

Flow control strategies-Parallel

pump operation

Head

Flow control strategies-Parallel pump

operation

Flow

Flow control with control valve

Flow Control Strategies

By-pass control: The pump runs continuously at
almost maximum load with a permanent bypass line
attached to outlet. When lower flow is required the
surplus liquid is passed.
This system is even less efficient than throttling control.

Start-stop control: This is a effective way to minimize

energy consumption where intermittent flow are
acceptable.
e.g. Pumps in Raw water reservoir
Pumps for sanitary water
Pumps for fire water
** Note: Frequency of start/stop cycle should be
within the motor design criteria.

Head

Variable speed drives

Flow

Best practices in pumping system

Ensure adequate NPSH at site of installation
Ensure availability of basic instruments at pumps like
pressure gauges, flow meters.
Operate pumps near best efficiency point.
Modify pumping system and pumps losses to minimize
throttling.
Adapt to wide load variation with variable speed drives
or sequenced control of multiple units.
Stop running multiple pumps - add an auto-start for an
on-line spare or add a booster pump in a problem
area.
Use booster pumps for small loads requiring higher
pressures.

Best practices in pumping system

Increase fluid temperature differentials to reduce
pumping rates in case of heat exchangers.
Repair seals and packing to minimize water loss by
dripping.
Balance the system to minimize flows and reduce
pump power requirements.
Use siphon effect to advantage: Avoid pumping head
with a free-fall return.
Conduct water balance to minimise water
consumption.
In multiple pump operations, judiciously combine the
operation of pumps and avoid throttling.

Best practices in pumping system

Provide booster pump for few areas of higher
head.
Replace old pumps by energy efficient pumps.
In the case of over designed pump, provide
variable speed drive, or downsize / replace
impeller or replace with correct sized pump for
efficient operation.
Optimize number of stages in multi-stage pump
in case of head margins.
Reduce system resistance by pressure drop
assessment and pipe size optimization.

Specific speed