Experiment No 07: 7.1.1 Series Combination

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Experiment No 07

To determine the operating characteristics of two-way centrifugal pump in series combination

7.1 Introduction
7.1.1 Series combination:
Many pumping applications require fluids to be transported over long distances and against high
static heads or total heads which are well in excess of the head that can be developed by a single
pump. Examples of such scenarios would be, pumping tailings, power station ash, underground fill
and pumping concentrates. Centrifugal pumps are occasionally installed in series to increase the
operating range and standby capacity of the plant. Multi-stage pumps can be considered as a series
type installation of single-stage pumps. However, single stages in multi-stage pumps cannot be
decoupled.
If one of the pumps in a series type installation is not operational, it causes considerable resistance to
the system. In an effort to overcome this, a bypass with non-return valve could be installed as shown
in Figure.

Fig: how pumps works in series

The head associated with a given flow rate for pumps installed in series can be determined by adding
the single heads vertically as shown in Figure. [1]

7.1.2 The limitations and benefits:


The term Pumping in Series means that 1 pump acts as a booster to feed another pump. The purpose
of pumps operating in series is that, at the same flowrates, the Head (differential pressure) of both
pumps is additive. So, each of these 2 Pumps in Series is lower cost, lower power, and potentially
more reliable as a system than a single larger pump that produces the same heads as the total of the
two smaller Series pumps.

7.1.2.1 Operating Two Identical Pumps in Series


The schematic of 2 identical pumps connected in Series is shown below:
As you can see in the above schematic, the Pump-B Suction pressure is the Discharge pressure of
Pump-A. So, it is important that Pump-B is rated for the higher Suction and Discharge Pressures.
Even though Pump-B is identical to Pump-A in differential pressure and flow rate, the higher suction
pressure it experiences means that care must be taken to select a pump that can meet the higher
working pressure. Mechanical seals and thrust bearings must also be reviewed on the B pump when
operating in series.[2]
The correct starting technique, once the Pump-A and Pump-B and the interconnected piping are
primed full of the pumping liquid, is to first start Pump-A which is the booster pump feeding Pump-
B. Then start Pump-B with its discharge throttle valve previously opened to approximately 30-40%,
which should then be gradually opened, to ensure that Pump-A & Pump-B produce the Rated
flowrate.
The schematic below shows the Head & Flow curves plotted for Pump-A, and the Series Curve
which is plotted by totaling the Heads of Pump-A and Pump-B at the same Flowrates. The actual
Rated flowrate of Pump-A and Pump-B is where the System Resistance Curve crosses the Series
Curve as shown below, not where it crosses the individual Pump Curves:
When Pumps are operating in Series, the effects of Pump failure is more serious than Pumps which
are set to operate in Parallel.
If the failed pump is Pump-B, then Pump-A would suddenly have a serious System Resistance
causing its flowrate to be very low or even zero. This resistance might be caused by the system or by
the stationary Pump-B.
But if it is Pump-A that fails, then this would eliminate the suction flow to Pump-B, which would
result in cavitation or even loss of prime if Pump-B wasn’t immediately stopped.
A means of protecting Pump-A and Pump-B against damage due to a pump failure, would be to
connect each Motor driver with a PCM (Power Control Monitor). This would detect when a Pump
failed and would stop the Motor if its power was either very low, or due to seizure of Wear Rings in
the pump, became very high. So, immediately, when 1 Motor was stopped, the other PCM would
stop the other Motor, to prevent damage to the pump that was still operating ok.

7.1.2.2 Operating Two Different Sized Pumps in Series


When operating in Series, the size difference of the 2 Pumps means that Pump-B can be a larger
pump producing higher Heads or can even be a multi-stage pump producing much higher Heads.
But it is essential that the Flowrates of both Pump-B and Pump-A must be the same.
The Series setup is shown below:
Once again, the Rated Flowrate is the flowrate where the System Resistance Curve crosses the
combined Series Head-Flow curve, as shown below:

7.1.3 Working Principle


 Imagine two (or more) centrifugal pumps lined up one after the other. The discharge (outlet) of
the first pump feeds directly into the suction (inlet) of the second pump, and so on.
 Each pump imparts energy to the fluid, increasing its pressure. The total pressure gain achieved is
the sum of the pressure increases from each individual pump.
 This is analogous to a multi-stage centrifugal pump, where multiple impellers within a single
casing achieve a high head (pressure) in stages. [3]

7.1.4 Applications of series combination of the pumps


Centrifugal pumps are a common type of pump that uses a rotating impeller to convert rotational
energy into hydraulic energy. In simpler terms, they spin water to make it flow. They are efficient for
moving liquids at moderate to high flow rates.
One way to achieve increased pressure or head (the height a liquid can be pumped) is to connect
centrifugal pumps in series.
Here are some applications of centrifugal pumps in series combination:
 High-pressure systems: In applications that require very high pressure, such as boiler feed in
power plants, reverse osmosis systems, and multi-story building water supply, centrifugal pumps
can be connected in series to achieve the necessary head.
 Long pipelines: When transporting liquids over long distances, the friction in the pipes can
cause significant head loss. Connecting centrifugal pumps in series can overcome this head loss
and ensure adequate flow at the end of the pipeline. This is commonly used in irrigation systems
and oil and gas pipelines.
 Multistage pump alternative: Instead of using a single, large multistage pump, some systems
may use multiple smaller centrifugal pumps connected in series. This can be more cost-effective,
easier to maintain, and offer some redundancy if one pump fails.

7.2 Literature Review


7.2.1 Analytical Review
Pump station engineering is a water conservancy project used for long-distance water transfer,
irrigation and drainage, and urban living and industrial water supply. Centrifugal pumps are one of
the main pump types commonly used in pumping stations, and their operation is of considerable
importance for the safety, stability, and efficient operation of pumping stations. This paper takes a
large pumping station with seven centrifugal pump units as the research object and combines
experimental research and numerical simulation. The axial flow velocity uniformity, average cross-
sectional deviation angle, and hydraulic loss of the pump inlet section are evaluated, and the internal
flow characteristics of the pump under different startup combination conditions are analyzed based
on entropy generation and vorticity. This study also explores the operational performance of the
pump station under different startup combination conditions, revealing the mutual influence
mechanism between different startup combinations of pump stations and the internal and external
characteristics of centrifugal pumps and introducing the optimal startup combination scheme for the
pump station system. Research results indicate that the difference in energy loss of centrifugal pumps
under different startup combinations is mainly manifested in the impeller and guide vane flow
channels. For the two existing inlet flow channel structures in the pump station, the unit effectively
operates when the inlet flow channel is tilted to the left. The optimal startup combination method of
the pump station under different startup combinations is determined. [5]

7.2.2 Modeling and Simulation


The external characteristic curves of SPCP are shown in Fig. 6. The simulation results are in good
agreement with the experimental results. The errors in the head, power, and efficiency of SPCP under
the serial operating conditions are 3.78 %, 4.15 %, and 3.55 %, and those in the head, power, and
efficiency of SPCP under the parallel operating conditions are 2.87 %, 3.51 %, and 5.36 %,
respectively. The computational head and efficiency curves are slightly higher than the experimental
curves, and the computational power curves are slightly lower than the experimental curves because
of the neglect of volume loss and mechanical friction loss in the calculation [18]. Computational
accuracy can fully meet the requirements in the engineering application, and the CFD can accurately
predict the internal flow pattern of the pumps.

7.2.2.1 Non-uniform flow analysis of SPCPs


The distributions of the non-uniform flow deviation angle γi at the inlet and exit of the impeller of
SPCPs at the designed flow rate under the serial operating condition are shown in Fig. 7, and the
cross-section is presented in Fig. 1 c. The cross-section I-I is a free pressure inlet in the first-stage
impeller, the cross-section II-II is a pressure inlet in the second-stage impeller, and the cross-section
III-III and cross-section IV-IV are the pressure outlets located in the first-stage impeller and the
second-stage impeller, respectively. The value of γ1 increases before the flow arrives at the second-
stage impeller inlet because of the influence of the exit flow non-uniformity of the first-stage
impeller. Comparing the values of γ2 between cross-section III-III and cross-section IV-IV, the
magnitude of γ2 at the back impeller exit is slightly larger than that of the front impeller exit, thus
indicating that the flow-deviation phenomenon at the second-stage impeller exit is much evident.

a) Cross section I-I b) Cross section II-II c) Cross section III-III d) Cross section IV-IV

The distributions of the flow deviation angle γi at the inlet and exit of the impeller of SPCPs at the
designed flow rate under the parallel operating condition are shown in Fig. 8. The suction conditions
of the cross-section I-I are the same as those of the cross-section II-II. The distributions of γ1 of the
cross-section I-I and the cross-section II-II are symmetrical and slightly different because of the
influence of the different exit constructions. The distributions of γ2 of the cross-section III-III and the
cross-section IV-IV are also symmetrical. Moreover, the distribution pattern is similar to that of the
first-stage impeller, in which the flow- deviation phenomenon near the suction side of the impeller
exit is evident.

a) Cross section I-I b) Cross section II-II c) Cross section III-III d) Cross section IV-IV

7.2.2.2 Analysis on non-overload characteristics


To simplify the calculations of the 3D turbulence flows, the flow deviation angles of the impeller
inlet and exit under different operating conditions are averaged in this section. These deviation
angles can convert complex 3D problems into simple 1D problems to obtain their solutions. At
present, this method is widely used in hydraulic machinery. For example, when evaluating the
hydraulic performance of the inlet passage in large pumping stations, the two parameters of axial
velocity distribution and velocity-weighted average swirl angle are introduced, and the complex 3D
turbulent flows are transformed into a simple 1D flow. In this paper, this method is used, and the
calculated results are substituted into Eqs. (7) and (8) in section 3.2 to obtain the non-overload
characteristics under different operating conditions.
The effects of non-uniformity on the non-overload hydraulic performance of SPCPs are listed in
Table II. Where  1 and  2 are the weighted average of the γ1 and γ2 in different sections, respectively.
The CFD simulation is in good agreement with the experimental results when the non-uniform flow
deviation angles are considered. When  1 = 12.18° and  2 = 5.27°, the calculated error values of Q'St

2
and PSmax under the series operating conditions are larger than the experimental values, which are
1.30 % and 4.89 %, respectively. When  1 = 10.92° and  = 4.15°, the calculated error values of
Q'Pt and PPmax under the parallel operating
conditions are larger than the experimental values, which are 1.32 % and 4.15 %, respectively.
Consequently, the flow deviation angle plays a significant role in the non-overload characteristics of
SPCPs.
In Table, when the SPCPs are under the serial operating condition, the value  1 of the second-stage
impeller inlet becomes large, i.e.,  1 = 5.27°. Satisfying the non-overload characteristics is easy.
When Q'St = 0.0246 m³/s, the pump reaches the maximum value of power under the series operating
condition; when Q'Pt = 0.0502 m³/s, the pump reaches the maximum value of power under the
parallel operating condition. Moreover, because the flow rate under the parallel operating conditions
is twice that of SSMPs, the maximum value of the power appears only when Q' t = 0.0251 m³/s. When
a distinct non-uniform flow phenomenon exists in the impeller inlet cross-section and exit cross-
section, the head of the pump is reduced and a premature arrival at the maximum value on the power
curve occurs. The head of the pump rapidly decreases when the distinct non-uniform flow
phenomenon appears in the impeller inlet cross-section and exit cross-section, thus causing the
power curve to reach the maximum point. Therefore, the larger the  i is, the earlier the possible
appearance of the non- overload characteristics of the pump. In addition, the pump is more likely to
achieve the non- overload characteristics with a larger  i. [6]

Parameters  i (°) Q'St or Q'Pt (m³/s) PSmax or PPmax (W)


SPCPs
Non- Non- Non-
Cross section Uni. Uni. EXP. Uni. EXP.
Uni. Uni. Uni.
Series I-I 0 12.18
0.0370 0.0246 0.0249 37.510 48.980 51.500
operating III-III 0 5.27
condition Error (%) — — 50.34 1.30 — 45.67 4.89 —
Parallel I-I, II-II 0 10.92
0.0740 0.0528 0.0503 75.020 54.610 53.900
operating III-III, IV-IV 0 4.15
condition Error (%) — — 47.26 5.15 — 39.18 1.32 —

7.2.3 Experimentation

 Two centrifugal pumps with similar or identical flow capacities.


 Hydraulics bench with a closed-loop piping system.
 Variable speed control unit for each pump.
 Pressure gauges (for pump inlet and outlet of each pump).
 Flow meter installed at the system outlet.
 Data acquisition system for recording measurements.

An experiment can be conducted to analyze how centrifugal pumps perform when connected in
series. This setup aims to achieve a higher-pressure output compared to using a single pump. The
experiment involves connecting two pumps with a closed-loop piping system. Pressure gauges are
placed at the inlet and outlet of each pump, and a flow meter measures the combined flow rate at the
system outlet. By varying the control valve downstream and recording pressure, flow rate, and
potentially power consumption at different valve positions, researchers can establish the relationship
between system head (total pressure increase) and flow rate. This data is used to create a system
head-flow rate curve, analyze the impact of pump speed on performance, and calculate the overall
efficiency of the series configuration compared to individual pumps. The experiment sheds light on
how series connections boost pressure but might decrease efficiency due to additional system losses,
and also highlights potential cavitation risks at pump inlets.

 The system head-flow rate curve for pumps in series will be steeper than the individual pump
curves, indicating a higher pressure rise for a given flow rate.
 Increasing pump speed should generally lead to a higher system head at all flow rates.
 The overall efficiency of the series configuration might be lower compared to individual pumps
due to additional energy losses within the system. [7]

7.3 Methodology
7.3.1 Experimental Setup
 Hydraulic Bench
 Two centrifugal pumps in series combination
 Stopwatch
 Input and output pressure head gauges
 System head gauge

voltmeter

Ammeter

Output head
RPM meter

Input head
System Head
Flow control
valve

7.3.2 Procedure
 Set up closed-loop test bench with two centrifugal pumps, piping, gauges, flow meter, valves,
and data acquisition system (optional).
 Connect pumps in series, discharge of pump 1 to inlet of pump 2.
 Install pressure gauges at inlet and outlet of each pump.
 Place flow meter at discharge of second pump.
 Close all control valves, fill system with working fluid, bleed air, ensure electrical connections
and safety.
 (Optional) Run individual pump baseline test collecting head-flow data for each pump.
 Start both pumps in series, adjust control valve for different flow rates.
 Record discharge pressure from each pump's gauge and total flow rate for each setting.
 Repeat for various flow rates including near zero and maximum.
 Analyze data: calculate head gain across each pump at each flow rate.
 Plot head-flow curves for combined pumps compared to individual pumps (if baseline data
exists).
 Analyze how combined performance differs from single pump configuration.
 Gradually close control valve, stop pumps, drain working fluid.

7.4 Observation and Calculation

Motor Datu
Volum Flowrat Input Outpu Manifol Voltag Curren Total Efficienc Power Power
Rpm Time m
e e Head t Head d Head e t Head y Output Input
Speed Head

Watt Watt
rpm m3 s m3/s m m m V A m m
s s
10.3 0.48 x 0.69
3000 0.005 0 0.698 0.517 200 1.4 0.8 16% 45 280
7 10-3 8
0.34 x 1.08
3000 0.005 14.7 0 1.086 1.034 200 1.4 0.8 18% 50 280
10-3 6
0.17 x
3000 0.005 29.7 0 1.42 1.422 200 1.4 1.42 0.8 12% 33 280
10-3
0.064 x 1.60
3000 0.005 78 0 1.603 1.551 200 1.4 0.8 9% 25 280
10-3 3
7.5 Result and Discussion

Flow rate vs Total Head


2

1.5
Total Head

0.5

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
Flow rate x10^-3

Flow rate vs Efficiency


20%

15%
Efficiency

10%

5%

0%
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
Flow rate x10^-3
7.6 Conclusion
7.7 References
1. Ballun, J. HOW TO OPERATE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS IN SERIES OR PARALLEL.
January 22, 2015]; Available from: https://blog.craneengineering.net/operating-centrifugal-
pumps-in-series-or-parallel#:~:text=Putting%20your%20centrifugal%20pumps%20in,a
%20multi%2Dstage%20pump%20works.
2. Limitations and benefits of centrifugal pumps in series. October 25, 2018; Available from:
https://www.pumpworks.com/operating-two-pumps-series/.
3. Series combintion of pumps. January 6, 2022; Available from:
https://smartservice.center/blog/general/combination-of-pumps.
4. Parallel and Series Pump Application. Available from:
http://documentlibrary.xylemappliedwater.com/files/2012/07/TEH-1109A.pdf.
5. Cooper, Paul, George Tchobanoglous, Richard O. Garbus, Robert J. Hart, Carl W. Reh,
Lowell G. Sloan, and Earle C. Smith. "Performance of centrifugal pumps." In Pumping
Station Design, pp. 10-1. Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008.
6. Li, Q., H. Yan, H. X. Shi, X. X. Han, and H. Y. He. "Simulation of non-overload
characteristics of serial-parallel centrifugal pumps." International Journal of Simulation
Modeling 15, no. 4 (2016): 688-698.
7. Utah Valley University's Applied Fluid Mechanics course: "[Experiment #10: Pumps –
Applied Fluid Mechanics Lab Manual]

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