Why is the operating point or (operating discharge) of a

centrifugal pump called point of maximum discharge?

Operating point or duty point is

obtained from the intersection
between pipe system curve and
pump performance curve when
the discharge pipe is fully open.
That means no more flow can be
delivery for this particular pipe
system curve. At this point, the
pump may not be working at its
best efficiency.
Differentiate between shaft horsepower and brake
horsepower.

Shaft horsepower is how much horsepower it takes a pump to

pump a specific amount of water. Brake horsepower is the
measure of a pump's horsepower without the loss in power.
QH
Shaft hp 

2N
Brake hp  T
60
Why is it preferable to use relatively large pipe sizes for
the suction lines in pumping systems?

Using large diameter pipes at the inlet of the pump will minimize
frictional losses at the inlet. Thus the pressure drop at the inlet
of the pump will be minimized and consequently cavitation will
be avoided.
What is meant by B.E.P?

The highest efficiency of a

pump occurs at the flow where
the incidence angle of the fluid
entering the hydraulic passages
best matches with the blade
angle. The operating condition
where a pump design has its
highest efficiency is referred to
as the best efficiency point
B.E.P. All points to the right or
left of B.E.P have a lower
efficiency. The most stable area
is near or at the B.E.P.
Differentiate briefly between cavitation and air entraining
vortices.

In short, the major difference between cavitation and air entraining

vortices is that cavitation is a problem related to the suction pressure
and the evaporation of water inside the pump while air entraining
vortices is due to the decrease of water level in the supply reservoir
which will allow air to enter the pump and consequently may block the
operation of the pump.
What is N.P.S.H.?

The Net Positive Suction Head (N.P.S.H.) is the head at the suction
flange of the pump less than the vapour pressure converted to fluid
column height of the fluid. The N.P.S.H. is always positive since it is
expressed in terms of absolute fluid column height. The term "Net"
refers to the actual head at the pump suction flange and not the static
head. The N.P.S.H. is independent of the fluid density.
What is the difference between the N.P.S.H. available and
the N.P.S.H. required?

The N.P.S.H available can be calculated for a specific situation and

depends on the barometric pressure, the friction loss between the
system inlet and the pump suction flange, in addition to other factors.
The N.P.S.H. required is given by the pump manufacturer and depends
on the head, flow and type of pump. The N.P.S.H. available must
always be greater than the N.P.S.H. required for the pump to operate
properly.
What information do I need to order a centrifugal pump?

 total head
 flow rate
 fluid properties as temperature, pH,…etc
What is the best way to start a pump?

Starting the pump with a closed discharge valve is the best way to
start a pump. Thus, the power absorbed by the pump will be
minimized because this power will only be friction power.
What is meant by specific speed of the pump? And what is
its unit?

Pump designers like to use specific speed (dimensionless numbers),

because this allows them to analyze and compare pump performance
regardless of size . Otherwise, how would you compare a 6" pump
performance with a 10" pump? Also this value tells us something
about the type of pump.
N .Q1 / 2
Ns 
H3/ 4
What is meant by suction specific speed ?Does it change
when the pump speed change?

Suction specific speed is a number that is dimensionally similar to the

pump specific speed and is used as a guide to prevent cavitation.
While specific speed (NS) is mostly related to the discharge side of the
pump, the suction specific speed deals primarily with its suction (inlet)
side. The head (H) term in the denominator of the defining formula for
the NS is substituted by the NPSHR:
The Hydraulic Institute recommends that the suction specific speed be
limited to 8500 to avoid cavitation.
What is meant by unstable performance characteristic
curve of a pump?

API 610 states that “…pumps that have stable head/capacity curves
(continuous rise to shutoff) are preferred for all pumps applications .If
the pump curve is stable, there is always a unique point (“A”) – an
intersection of a pump curve and a system curve. If the pump curve is
unstable, the region between “B” and “F” has two possibilities – at
either flow Qb, or Qf.
Stable curve (left) has a single definition of an intersection between a
pump curve and a system curve. Unstable curve (right) has two flows
where a pump can operate, at the same head.
How to keep air pockets in the suction pipe out of
the pump?

 The suction pipe should be arranged with uniform slope upwards

from the sump to the pump.
 Suction valves should be installed with the stem horizontal so that
no air pockets are formed at the top of the valve.
 The gate valve should not be between the check valve and the
pump.
 Make sure that the inlet of the suction pipe is well submerged in the
sump
 Avoid the free fall of water at / or near the inlet of the suction pipe
as this can be a reason for the appearance of air bubbles. All suction
pipes should be well submerged.
Explain with the help of neat sketch how air entraining
vortices at the pump intake can be eliminated ?

It is recommend to use vortex breaker and also keep the submersible

water high enough to prevent vortex formation.
Is it right to locate the gate valve between the check valve
and the pump or not ?

No as shown below the gate valve should be between the check valve
and the pump so that to avoid air pocket formation in the pumping
system
What is meant by pump iso-efficiency curve ?

As shown in the accompanied figure it is the line which connected the

best efficiency points at different rpm of the pump.
What is the purpose of a variable speed drive?

All systems require a means of flow control. The plant's output

requirements may change causing flow demand to vary and therefore
the various systems throughout the process must be able to modify
their output flow rate. To achieve this, pumps are sized for the
maximum anticipated flow rate. The most frequent means of
reducing the output flow rate is to have a line which re-circulates flow
back to the suction tank. Another method is to have a valve in the
discharge line which reduces the output flow rate when throttled.
Either method works well, but there is a penalty to be paid in
consumption of extra power for running a system which is oversized
for the normal demand flow rate. A solution to this power waste is to
use an electronic variable speed drive. For a new installation this
alternative should be considered. This provides the same flow control
as a valved system without energy waste.
How does a variable speed drive work?

The head and flow produced by a pump is the result of centrifugal

force imparted to the liquid by the impeller. Centrifugal force is
directly proportional to impeller diameter and rotational speed. We
can affect the centrifugal force by either changing the impeller
diameter, which is difficult, or varying the impeller speed, which of
course is what a variable speed drive does. The family of curves
shown on pump performance charts corresponds to the performance
of a pump at constant speed with various impeller sizes. If we keep
the impeller size constant and vary the speed of the pump, a similar
set of curves for different pump speeds is produced. Therefore, when
a variable speed drive is used, only the required pump head and flow
is produced resulting in an appropriate power consumption.
How can the same pump satisfy different flow
requirements of a system?

If a pump is sized for a greater flow and head that is required for the
present conditions, then a manual valve at the outlet of the pump can
be used to throttle the flow down to the present requirements.
Therefore, at a future date the flow can be increased by simply
opening a valve. This however is wasteful of energy and a variable
speed drive should be considered.
Describe with the help of neat sketch the difference between closed-couple end
suction pump, Frame-mounted end suction pump , Base-mounted horizontal
split case pump ,Vertical inline pump and vertical turbine pump.
What do you understand by the term “submersible
pumps”?

Submersible pumps are those pumps used in water wells. (pump is

immersed in water).
Differentiate between static Head & geodetic head in a
pumping system.

Static head is the vertical distance between water levels (that if we

assume both reservoirs top and ground are infinite reservoirs i.e.
there is no water level fluctuation due to pumping of water). Whereas
the geodetic head term is used in water wells when the water level in
the well drop sharply during the pumping operation.
Distinguish between semi-open impeller and open impeller
& enclosed impeller pumps.

 The open impeller consists only of blades attached to a hub.

 The semi-open impeller is constructed with a circular plate (the
web) attached to one side of the blades.
 The enclosed impeller has circular plates attached to both sides of
the blades. Enclosed impellers are also referred to as shrouded
impellers.

Enclosed impeller Semi-open Open impeller

impeller
Distinguish between single suction impeller & double
suction impeller pumps.

A single-suction impeller
allows liquid to enter the
center of the blades from
only one direction. A
double-suction impeller
allows liquid to enter the
center of the impeller
blades from both sides
simultaneously.
What benefit can we get from double suction pump?

Double-suction pumps are preferred in application over 1000 GPM

because its very high efficiency heavy duty casings, and can be
opened, inspected and serviced without disturbing the motor,
impeller or the piping connections. The pump case can be split axially
(parallel to the shaft) or vertically for servicing. This pump takes more
floor space than end suction pumps and is more expensive.
What is the risk of using a check valve on the delivery pipe
in a pumping system?

Check valve is necessary to be located in the delivery part of the pump

that to keep water in pipe and pump and as named it is non return
valves. However it can cause damage to pump if this valve is not
working properly .It can cause fluctuation in water pressure and may
cause water hammer.
Why is it harmful to run an axial pump with the delivery
valve closed?

If you compare both performance curves (centrifugal & axial) you will
see clearly that at no flow, axial pump has to work against very high
Bhp power whereas centrifugal pump can operates at no flow for very
short time since the Bhp is low.
AXIAL CENTRIFUGAL

PERCENT OF HEAD AT DESIGN POINT

PERCENT OF BHP AT DESIGN POINT

PERCENT OF BEST EFFICIENCY

HEAD

BHP

EFF

PERCENT OF DESIGN FLOW

How can a vapor bubble damage pump impeller during
cavitation?

The initial bubble of water vapor will collapse forming a micro jet that
hits the pump’s impeller. The repletion of this process at a very high
rate will cause cavitation.

The pitting effect is illustrated schematically

As follows:
What is meant by air lift pump?

Figure below shows an example of air lift pump. It is none mechanical

pump category since it has no mechanical movements or parts as in
the case of rotary or PD pumps. It is used for lift water sand mixture or
for dewatering . It requires air flow jet to lift water. It is low efficiency
pump system.
What is meant by Shut off head run out point and
operating point?
Why is it necessary to prime the centrifugal pump before
operation? Describe the operation of self priming pumps.

To remove air . For that reason, centrifugal pumps must be filled with
the liquid to be pumped before starting.
As described in figure below, this kind of pumps has the ability to
evacuate air without any special external suction devices. They can
handle water and air mixture. The pump is filled with water before
starting it, and due to the presence of the non-return valve, the water
will retain within the pump body after the pump is switched-off. Due
to their specific construction, the efficiency of this kind of pump is low
comparing with the other types of centrifugal pumps.
Describe with the help of neat sketch the function of self
priming pump?
Discuss the effect of pumped liquid viscosity on the
efficiency of a centrifugal pump.

 The brake horsepower

requirement will increase.
 Reduction in the head the
pump.
 Reduction in capacity will
occur with moderate and high
viscosities.
 Lowers the pump's efficiency.
What is meant by dynamic head deficiency?

The minimum pressure does not exactly occur at the inlet of the
pump, but there is an additional pressure drop inside the pump due to
the change in flow direction from axial to radial at very high rotational
speed of the impeller. This action leads to an increase in eddy losses
and sudden increase in flow velocity followed by reduction in pressure
at the vane of the impeller as shown in figure below.
Why should not safety factor be used when calculating the
head required by the pump?

Most engineers used safety factor in their calculation to avoid missing

some uncounted fittings , aging effect etc.. (it is facto of dis-
knowledge). However if high safety factor was used you may end up
with large flow and head that means large pump and absorb power
which is non-economical solution. Usually we used 5% for flow and
10% for head .
Effect of density or specific gravity on centrifugal pumps:

 No change in head of the pump, but the pressure will be

proportional to the liquid Sp. Gravity
 No change in discharge but the weight rate will be proportional to
Sg.
 No change in pump efficiency
 Power will changes and it is proportional to Sg.
What does “Centrifugal “ refer to in a centrifugal pump?

A centrifugal pump consist of an impeller rotating within a fixed casing or

volute. Because the impeller blades are curved, the fluid is pushed in a
tangential and radial direction. A force which acts in a radial direction is
known as a centrifugal force. This force is the same one that keeps water
inside a bucket which is rotating at the end of a string.
The rotation of the impeller causes the liquid contained in it to flow towards
the periphery because of the centrifugal force generated. The center or eye
of the impeller is thus evacuated and liquid from the suction line then flows
in to fill the void inside the pump.
The job of a centrifugal pump is to generate enough pressure to overcome
system hydraulic resistance. But it is the “responsibility” of the liquid to get
to the pump. If the suction pressure is too low, the hydraulic losses can “eat
away” enough pressure so that it could drop below the liquid vapor pressure.
What does “Centrifugal “ refer to in a centrifugal pump?

Experiment with Centrifugal Force

What information is required to determine the number of
identical pumps in a pumping system?
In which situation could we use two pumps in parallel with
different rating?

It is not recommended to use two non identical pump in series or

parallel. But it happens that you have a large pump and you decide to
add another one to increase the flow and it was difficult to find the
same manufacturer of your old pump .In this case we may use two
non identical pumps.
How is the number of stages of a multistage pump
calculated?

Similar to pump in series.

Multi-stage turbine pump
Q1 = Q2 & TDHtot = TDH1 + TDH2 (add heads at the same
discharge)
Number of stages = TDH/TDH of a single stage
How can you determine the shaft power of a system having
two identical pumps in Series?
How can you determine the shaft power of a system having
two identical pumps in parallel?