PUMP

Neeraj Adhikari
4. Pump
4.1 Centrifugal and Reciprocating Types
4.2 Theory of the Centrifugal Pump, Specific Speed, Pump Head
4.3 Pump Characteristics, Energy loss, Cavitation, Efficiency, Effect of
Viscosity, Series and parallel combination
4.4 Selection of Pumps
Positive Displacement Pump
Positive displacement means liquid is displaced in the same direction of
movement of pumping element.

In a positive displacement pump, a known quantity of liquid is pushed into

delivery pipe by exerting a thrust on it by means of moving pumping
element.

This is done by trapping a fixed amount of liquid between the moving

pumping element and stationary casing.

The moving pumping element may be a reciprocating type like piston or

plunger, diaphragm etc. or rotary type like gears, vanes, screws etc.
Positive Displacement Pump

POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT
PUMPS

RECIPROCATING
PUMPS ROTARY

GEAR PUMP
PISTION/
PLUNGER
VANE PUMP

DIAPHRAGM SCREW
PUMP etc.
Reciprocating Pump
Reciprocating pump is a positive displacement pump.
The fixed amount of liquid is trapped or collected between the piston and
stationary cylinder.
The trapped liquid is pushed to the discharge side by exerting a thrust on it
by the movement of piston inside the cylinder.
The piston reciprocates in a cylinder with the help of crank connecting rod
mechanism.
The inward reciprocating motion creates suction which helps to take the
liquid into the cylinder from the sump and through the suction pipe and
during return motion of the piston, high pressure liquid is discharged through
delivery pipe.
Classification of Reciprocating Pump
1. According to the water being in contact with piston
Single-acting Pump
Double-acting pump

2. According to number of cylinder

Single cylinder pump
Double cylinder pump
Triple cylinder pump
Duplex double cylinder pump
Components of Reciprocating
pump
Cylinder
Piston
Suction Valve
Delivery Vale
Suction Pipe
Delivery Pipe
Crank and Connecting Rod
1. Suction Pipe
Suction pipe connects the source of liquid to the cylinder of the reciprocating
pump. The liquid is suck by this pipe from the source to the cylinder.
2. Suction Valve
Suction valve is non-return valve which means only one directional flow is
possible in this type of valve. This is placed between suction pipe inlet and
cylinder. During suction of liquid it is opened and during discharge it is
closed.
3. Delivery Pipe
Delivery pipe connects cylinder of pump to the outlet source. The liquid is
delivered to desired outlet location through this pipe.
4. Delivery Valve
Delivery valve also non-return valve placed between cylinder and delivery
pipe outlet. It is in closed position during suction and in opened position
during discharging of liquid.
5. Cylinder
A hollow cylinder made of steel alloy or cast iron. Arrangement of piston and
piston rod is inside this cylinder. Suction and release of liquid is takes place
in this so, both suction and delivery pipes along with valves are connected to
this cylinder.
6. Piston and Piston Rod
Piston is a solid type cylinder part which moves backward and forward inside
the hollow cylinder to perform suction and deliverance of liquid. Piston rod
helps the piston to its linear motion.
7. Crank and Connecting Rod
Crank is a solid circular disc which is connected to power source like motor,
engine etc. for its rotation. Connecting rod connects the crank to the piston
as a result the rotational motion of crank gets converted into linear motion of
the piston.
Working of Reciprocating Pump
When the power source is connected to crank, the crank will start rotating
and connecting rod also displaced along with crank.
The piston connected to the connecting rod will move in linear direction. If
crank moves outwards then the piston moves towards its right and create
vacuum in the cylinder.
This vacuum causes suction valve to open and liquid from the source is
forcibly sucked by the suction pipe into the cylinder.
When the crank moves inwards or towards the cylinder, the piston will
move towards its left and compresses the liquid in the cylinder.
Now, the pressure makes the delivery valve to open and liquid will discharge
through delivery pipe.
When piston reaches its extreme left position whole liquid present in the
cylinder is delivered through delivery valve.
Then again the crank rotate outwards and piston moves right to create
suction and the whole process is repeated.
Generally the above process can be observed in a single acting
reciprocating pump where there is only one delivery stroke per one
revolution of crank.
But when it comes to double acting reciprocating pump, there will be two
delivery strokes per one revolution of crank.
Double Acting Reciprocating Pump
A double acting pump is one which has two suction
valves, delivery valves and two suction and delivery
pipes. In double acting reciprocating pump suction and
delivery strokes occur together.
When the piston moves forward, it makes the water to
move out from the cylinder through the discharge valve
at right side and the adjacent suction valve is closed in
position. At this moment, the suction will be created
inside the cylinder which draws the water into the
cylinder through left side suction valve whereas the
adjacent delivery valve is closed.
During the reverse stroke, the water moves out from the
cylinder through the delivery valve at left side, and the
adjacent suction valve is closed in position.
Discharge-Crank Angle Diagram

Discharge crank angle diagram of double acting pump

Single acting reciprocating pump
Volume of liquid sucked in during suction stroke

Discharge of the pump per second, Q

Weight of water delivered per second, W

Work done per second

Double acting Reciprocating Pump
Volume of liquid sucked in one revolution of crank

Discharge of the pump per second, Q

If d D, then

Weight of water delivered per second, W

Work done per second

Coefficient of Discharge of Reciprocating Pump
In a reciprocating pump, the actual discharge () is always slightly different
from the theoretical discharge ()
Leakage through the valves, glands and piston packing
Imperfect operation of the valves (suction and discharge)
Partial filling of cylinder by the liquid

The ratio between the actual discharge and theoretical discharge is known
as the co-efficient of discharge
Slip of Reciprocating Pump
The difference between the theoretical discharge and actual discharge is
called slip of the pump

In percentage

The percentage slip of the pumps which maintained good condition is 2% or

even less
Negative slip:
If actual discharge of pump is more than the theoretical discharge, the slip of
the pump is negative. In that case the slip of the pump is called negative
slip.
Condition of negative slip:
When length of the suction pipe is very long, short delivery pipe and pump is
running at high speed.
The slip will be negative when there is direct flow of liquid from suction side
to delivery side before end of suction stroke. This happens if the momentum
of liquid is large enough to open delivery valve before beginning of delivery
stroke.
A single acting reciprocating pump, running at 60 rpm delivers 0.53 m3 of
water per minute. The diameter of piston is 200mm and stroke length 300
mm. The suction and delivery head are 4 m and 12 m respectively.
Determine:
(i). Theoretical discharge
(ii). Coefficient of discharge
(iii). Percentage of slip of the pump
(iv). Power required to run the pump

(0.00785 m3/s, 0.937, 6.24%, 1.155 kW)

Air Vessel
An Air vessel is a closed chamber having an
opening at the base which contains
compressed air in the top portion and the liquid
to be pumped at the bottom of the chamber.

When the liquid enters the air vessel, the air

gets compressed further and when the liquid
flows out of the air vessel, the air will expand in
the chamber.
Function of Air Vessel
(1).The working of reciprocating pump, with simple harmonic motion, is of
pulsating and intermittent nature. Air vessel is fitted to obtain continuous flow
of liquid and to reduce the fluctuation of discharge(to obtain uniform
discharge).
(2). By fitting the air vessel as close to pump cylinder as possible, the length
of suction and delivery pipe in which acceleration takes place is reduced.
This reduce the acceleration head and the pump can run at higher speed
without any danger of separation.
(3). The power required to drive the pump is saved by fitting the air vessel.
Centrifugal Pump Reciprocating Pump

It’s functioning basically depends on the It’s functioning depends on the change of
principle of fluid dynamics volume of a certain amount of fluid
It uses kinetic energy of impeller It is a positive displacement type pump
which is forced by piston
It continuously discharge the fluid It doesn’t discharge the fluid continuously

Efficiency of these pumps are low compared Efficiency is high compared to centrifugal
to reciprocating pump pump
It gives higher discharge at low heads It gives higher heads at low discharge

They are lighter and required less They are heavier and required higher
maintenance maintenance
Priming is required in centrifugal pump Priming is not required in reciprocating
pump. They have self priming
Indicator Diagram
The indicator diagram of a reciprocating pump is the diagram which shows
the pressure head of the liquid in the cylinder corresponding to any position
during suction and delivery strokes
It is a graph between pressure head and stroke length of the piston for one
complete revolution
Pressure head is taken as ordinate and stroke length as abscissa
Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
Net Positive Suction Head is defined as “ The
difference between the net inlet head and the
head corresponding to the vapor pressure of the
liquid”

Also,

Combining above equations

= Total suction head =

NPSH may also be defined as “The net head that is required to make the
liquid flow through the suction pipe from the sump to the impeller”

The term has significance only when cavitating liquids are handled

The minimum NPSH depends upon the pump design, its speed and the
discharge
Cavitation
Cavitation is the phenomenon of formation of vapor bubbles of a flowing
liquid in the region where the pressure of the liquid fall below this vapor
pressure. When vapor goes to the high pressure region bubbles collapse, a
very high pressure is created which causes pitting action on the surface and
thus cavity are formed on metallic surface
Cavitation in centrifugal pump
Cavitation is likely to occur at the inlet to the pump, since the pressure there
is the minimum and is lower than the atmospheric pressure by an amount
that equals the vertical height above which the pump is situated from the
supply reservoir (known as sump) plus the velocity head and frictional losses
in the suction pipe
Thoma’s cavitation factor is used to indicate the beginning of cavitation.
For pump Thoma’s cavitation factor is given by:

σ =

The cavitation will occur if the Thoma’s cavitation value is less than critical
value.
Factors responsible for cavitation:
High impeller speed
Small diameter of suction pipe and inlet of impeller
Too high specific speed
High temperature of flowing liquid

Harmful effects of cavitation

Pitting and erosion of surface
Noise and vibration
Sudden drop in head efficiency
Find the height from the water surface at which a centrifugal pump may be
installed in the following case to avoid cavitation. Atm pressure=1.01 bar,
vapour pressure=0.022 bar, inlet and other losses in suction pipe=1.42 m,
effective head of pump=49 m, and cavitation factor= 0.115.
(Hint: use σ = = =3.01m)
Priming
The process of filling the suction pipe, casing of the pump and portion of the
delivery pipe up to delivery valve completely from the outside source with
the liquid to be pumped, before starting the pump, to remove air from these
part of the pump is called priming of a centrifugal pump.
If a centrifugal pump is not primed, air pockets inside the impeller may gives
rise to vortices and causes discontinuity of flow.
Further dry running of pump may result in rubbing and seizing of the wearing
rings and causes serious damage.
Small pumps are usually primed by pouring liquid into the funnel provided for
this purpose.

Large pumps are primed by evacuating the casing and suction pipe by
vacuum pump or by ejector.

The internal construction of some pumps is such that special arrangements

containing a supply of liquid are provided in suction pipe due to which
automatic priming of pump occurs.
Pumps are selected in the basis of their essential data
1. No. of units required
2. Nature of liquid to be pumped
3. Capacity
4. Suction condition
5. Discharge condition
6. Total head
7. Service
8. Power
9. Space, weight, transportation
10. Location of installation
11. Others: special requirements as design, construction and performances