Pumps and Pumping

Systems

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SAHEEM KHAN
Classification of Pumps
Positive Displacement Pumps
One or more chambers are alternately
filled then emptied.
i. Reciprocating
ii. Rotary - gear, lobe, screw, vane
Roto-Dynamic Pumps
A tangential acceleration is imparted to
the fluid
i. Centrifugal
ii. Axial flow
iii. Mixed flow
Single acting reciprocating pump
Single acting reciprocating pump
Single acting reciprocating piston pump

Reciprocating
pump consists of
following parts.
Cylinder
Piston
Connecting rod

Crank
Suction Valve
Delivery valve
Double acting reciprocating pump
A double acting reciprocating pump each stroke of the piston carries out
both the functions, suction as well as delivery.
Thus it requires two suctions pipes and two delivery pipes for double-acting
pump.
When there is a suction stroke on one side of the piston, there is at the same
time a delivery stroke on the other side of the piston.
Thus for one complete revolution of the crank there are two delivery strokes
Double acting reciprocating pump
Effect of air chamber
• An air vessel usually fitted in the discharge pipe work to dampen out the
pressure variations during discharge.
• As the discharge pressure rises the air is compressed in the vessel, and as
the pressure falls the air expands.
• The peak pressure energy is thus stored in the air and returned to the
system when pressure falls.
Plunger Pump
• A plunger pump is a type of
positive displacement pump
where the high-pressure seal
is stationary and a smooth
cylindrical plunger slides
through the seal.
• This makes them different
from piston pumps and allows
them to be used at higher
pressures.
Diaphragm Pump
• A diaphragm pump is
a reciprocating pump
that uses a flexible
diaphragm in place
of a piston to
displace the liquid.
Wilden Pump
Gear Pump
• The pump consists of two gear
wheels (drive and idler) that
mesh together and are a close
fit in the casing.
• As the gears rotate they
separate on the intake side of
the pump, creating a void and
suction which is filled by fluid.
• The fluid is carried round
between the teeth and the
casing to the discharge side of
the pump, where the meshing
of the gears displaces the
fluid.
• These pumps are best suited
to pump oil.
Gear Pump
Gear Pump (Exploded View)
Internal Gear Pump
• “Gear within a gear”.
• The pump consists of
two toothed gear
wheels that mesh
internally.
• The spaces between
the gear teeth
transport the fluid on
either side of a
crescent to the
discharge side, and
then the gears re-
mesh to discharge the
fluid.
• Compact design.
• Can handle wide
range of viscosities.
Lobe Pump
Vane Pump
A rotary vane pump is a positive-displacement pump that
consists of vanes mounted to a rotor that rotates inside of a cavity.
The simplest vane pump has a circular rotor rotating inside a
larger circular cavity. The centers of these two circles are offset,
causing eccentricity.
Vanes are allowed to slide into and out of the rotor and seal on all
edges, creating vane chambers that do the pumping work.
Sliding Vane Pump
Flexible Vane Pump
Screw Pump
• A screw pump is a positive-displacement pump that uses one or more
screws to move fluids along the screws’ axis.
• The Archimedes screw consists of a screw (a helical surface surrounding a
central cylindrical shaft) inside a hollow pipe.
• As the shaft turns, the bottom end scoops up a volume of water. This water
is then pushed up the tube by the rotating helicoid until finally it pours out
from the top of the tube.
Screw pump
Double Screw
These pumps operates by using two intermeshing screws.
The pump is often equipped with timing gears located
outside the pumping chamber to ensure that the two
screws are not in direct contact with each other and
correct clearance is maintained at all times.
 This helps extend the life of the pump.
Triple screw pump
They utilize one driving
screw intermeshed with
the other two screws to
create pressure and move
fluid.
Outer screws driven by
fluid pressure – no timing
gear.
Work well at high
pressure with high
viscosity.
Single screw pump
Screw shaped stainless steel rotor.
Rubber stator having double internal screw threads.
During rotation, rotor tightens against the stator and
the enclosed fluid is displaced axially.
Roto-Dynamic Pump
A rotodynamic pump is a kinetic machine in which
energy is continuously imparted to the pumped fluid
by means of a rotating impeller, propeller, or rotor.
Centrifugal pump
Axial flow pump
Mixed flow
Centrifugal Pump
Centrifugal force is imparted to the liquid by the rotation of an impeller.
Liquid enters the eye of the impeller and move radially outwards from the center of
the impeller by centrifugal effect and discharges around the circumference.
The kinetic energy of the discharging fluid is partly converted to
pressure energy by the design of the casing.
As the liquid moves outward, suction is created at the eye of the impeller.
Centrifugal Pump - Impeller

Thicker the impeller – more water (higher flow rate)

Larger the diameter – more pressure
Higher the speed – more water and pressure
Centrifugal impellers
Centrifugal Pump – Types of Casings
Volute Casing

The volute of a centrifugal pump is the casing that receives the fluid
being pumped by the impeller, slowing down the fluid's rate of flow.
It is a curved funnel that increases in cross sectional area as it
approaches the discharge port.
The volute converts kinetic energy into pressure by reducing speed
while increasing pressure.
Diffuser Casing

Diffuser is a set of stationary vanes that surround the impeller. The

purpose of the diffuser is to increase the efficiency centrifugal pump
by allowing a more gradual expansion and less turbulent area for the
liquid to reduce in velocity.
The diffuser vanes are designed in a manner that the liquid exiting the
impeller will encounter an ever increasing flow area as it passes
through the diffuser. This increase in flow area causes a reduction in
flow velocity, converting kinetic energy into flow pressure.
Priming
A centrifugal pump cannot impart
enough energy to air and create
sufficient vacuum at the inlet of the
pump for the liquid to flow in.
The pump casing should be full of
liquid before starting (priming).
A positive displacement pump is able
to displace all air inside it and create
sufficient suction so that liquid can
flow in (self-priming).
Impeller Wear Ring
Sealing (Wearing) Ring
Wearing rings are
replaceable rings that
are attached to the
impeller and/or
the pump casing to
allow a small running
clearance between the
impeller and
the pump casing
without
causing wear of the
actual impeller or
pump casing
material.
Shaft Sealing
Requirement – The discharge pressure will force fluid back behind the
impeller, where it attempts to exit by way of the rotating drive shaft.
Some form of sealing method must be put in place to minimize the
leakage.
Shaft sealing can be effected by either mechanical seals or by packed
stuffing boxes
Gland Packing
• A gland is a type of stuffing
box that is used to seal a
reciprocating or rotating shaft
against a fluid.
• Resilient packing material is
packed tightly into suitably
placed grooves in the body .
• Maintenance is easy – packing
can be replaced without
dismantling the pump.
• Cheaper, as compared to
mechanical seals.
Mechanical Seal
Mechanical Seal
Mechanical seal is sometimes necessary to ensure
leak-free operation of the pump, even under the most
arduous service conditions.
Required when handling toxic or aggressive liquids.
Seals are cooled and lubricated by the pumped liquid.
Expensive.
Replacement requires full dismantling of the pump
Lantern Ring
 Lantern Ring
It is not always possible to use a
standard stuffing box to seal the
shaft.
The pump suction may be under a
vacuum so that outward leakage is
impossible.
The fluid may be too hot to
provide adequate cooling of the
packing.
A lantern ring is a perforated
hollow ring located near the
center of the packing box that
receives relatively cool, clean
liquid from either the discharge of
the pump or from an external
source and distributes the liquid
uniformly around the shaft to
provide lubrication and cooling.
Multi Stage Centrifugal Pump
 In multi-stage pumps, the fluid from one impeller is discharged
via suitable passages to the eye of the next impeller.
The total discharge pressure is the product of the pressure per
stage and the number of stages.
Axial flow
Suited for low heads and higher discharges
Mixed FLow
Compromise between radial and axial-flow pumps. The
fluid experiences both radial acceleration and lift.
Fluid exits the impeller somewhere between 0 and 90
degrees from the axial direction.
Operate at higher pressures than axial-flow pumps while
delivering higher discharges than radial-flow pumps.
Water Ring Air Pump
Water Ring Air Pump
The rotor revolves in a special variable shaped chamber which is
supplied with fresh water from a reservoir in the air pump casing.
Due to the casing shape the water is made to flow from and towards
the rotor center during each revolution.
The water motion is utilized to act as suction and discharge for the
air through appropriate sets of ports. The rotor casing is
continuously cooled by a closed water circuit from the pump suction.
 The air pump can be placed in or out of operation by a control cock
on the front of the air pump casing.
The principle of operation is referred to as the 'water ring principle'.
As the impeller vanes pass the suction port, air is drawn in and
trapped between the water ring and the pump shaft. This 'slug' of air
is carried around and are delivered to the discharge port, hence this
pump is a positive displacement type.
Advantages of central priming system
The advantages of the system are:
1. Saving in total power since each pump does not have
its own exhauster or priming unit operating all the
while the pump is operating.
2. Reduced capital cost.
3. Simplified maintenance.
4. Automatic-takes care of any minor leaks that may
be present in the suction side of a centrifugal pump.
Gear Pump
Advantages
High speed
High pressure
No overhung bearing loads
Relatively quiet operation
Design accommodates wide variety of materials
Disadvantages
Four bushings in liquid area
No solids allowed
Fixed End Clearances.
Lobe Pump
Lobe pumps are frequently used in food applications
because they handle solids without damaging the
product. Particle size pumped can be much larger in
lobe pumps than in other PD types. Since the lobes do
not make contact, and clearances are not as close as in
other PD pumps.
Advantages
No metal to metal contact.
able to transfer slurries.
Long term dry run.
Disadvantages
Suction is low and highly viscous liquids require reduced
speeds to attain satisfactory performance.
Required timing gears
Vane pump
Advantages
Handles thin liquids at relatively higher pressures
Compensates for wear through vane extension
Sometimes preferred for solvents, LPG
Can run dry for short periods
Develops good vacuum
Disadvantages
Complex housing and many parts
Not suitable for high pressures
Not suitable for high viscosity
Not good with abrasives
Screw pump
Used for high flows at relatively low pressure.
Advantages
High Volumetric efficiency
intrinsically smooth and quiet
High tolerance to contamination.
Disadvantages
unsuitable for solids or abrasive media
only suitable for fluids with at least some inherent
lubricity
Centrifugal Pump
Advantages
High flow rate - small size
Ease of maintenance
No danger created if discharge valve is shut
Very low noise
Disadvantages
High NPSHR – low suction.
May require priming.
Cannot deal with high viscosity fluid.
Double eye impeller
Double suction – allows
for lower NPSHR
Axial hydraulic balance
is achieved, thus
reducing the size of
thrust bearing.
Bigger, heavier casing.
Pumping system characteristics
Head:
Head is the height at which a pump
can raise water up.
Resistance in the system that the
pump has to overcome.
Static and dynamic
Static Head
Difference in height between source and
destination
Independent of flow
Friction Head
Resistance to flow in pipes and fittings
Depends on flow rate, nature of liquid
Proportional to the square of the flow rate
Closed loop system has only friction head – no
static head.
Total System Losses
HTOTAL = HFRSUCT + HFRDIS + HDISTANK + HSUCTTANK

HFRSUCT = friction head loss in suction piping

HFRDIS = friction head loss in discharge piping
HDISTANK —height of discharge tank level above pump
HSUCTTANK= height of suction tank level above pump
(negative when tank level is below pump suction)

All values are in meters of liquid.

NPSH
Net Positive suction head (NPSH) is the difference
between the absolute pump inlet pressure and the
vapour pressure of the liquid, and is expressed in
metres of liquid.
Vapour pressure is temperature dependent and
therefore NPSH should be given for the operating
temperature of the liquid.
Vapour Pressure
The vapor pressure of a fluid is the pressure, at a
given temperature, at which a fluid will change to a
vapor.
Each fluid has its own vapour pressure/temperature
relationship.
NPSH (contd)
NPSH Available (NPSHA): The absolute pressure at the
suction port of the pump. This is a function of the
system and must be calculated.
NPSH Required (NPSHR): The minimum pressure
required at the suction port of the pump to keep the
pump from cavitating. Ths is a function of the pump
and must be provided by the pump manufacturer.
NPSHA MUST be greater than NPSHR for the pump
system to operate without cavitating. Put another way,
you must have more suction side pressure available
than the pump requires.
NPSHA calculation
NPSHA = HA ± HZ - HF + HV – HVP
Term Definition

HA The absolute pressure on the surface of the liquid in the

supply tank

HZ The vertical distance between the surface of the liquid in the

supply tank and the centerline of the pump

HF Friction losses in the suction piping

HV Velocity head at the pump suction port

HVP Absolute vapor pressure of the liquid at the pumping

temperature
 Characteristic curve of centrifugal pump
The performance of a centrifugal pump can be shown graphically on a characteristic
curve.
The characteristic curves of centrifugal pumps plot the course of the following parameters
against flow rate (Q): head (H), power input (P), pump efficiency (η) and NPSHR.
H-Q Curve: Head is plotted in y axis while Flow is plotted in x axis. Shut off head is the
Head developed by the pump at zero flow. Head curve will fall for increased flow rates.
Efficiency Curve: The Centrifugal pump Efficiency curve starts from zero at zero flow
and goes like a trajectory having a Best Efficiency point and then the efficiency starts
falling for increased flow rates. Best Efficiency Point – BEP is the point on a pump
performance curve corresponding to the flow rate with the highest possible efficiency.
Energy Curve: Brake Horse power is plotted against the Flow to obtain energy curve in a
centrifugal pump performance curve. It is a simple straight line. There will be minimum
power consumed by the pump even at zero flow which is used to develop shut off head of
the pump. Brake horse power rises with the flow.
NPSHR Curve: Net Positive Suction Head Required is plotted against the Flow rate.
NPSHR curve is a flat curve till the BEP of the pump and then it rises sharply beyond the
Best efficiency point. Net Positive Suction Head. Available must be greater than the Net
Positive Suction Head Required to avoid Cavitation of the pump. NPSH Available is
calculated based on the friction losses in the system while NPSH Required is specified by
a pump vendor.
Cavitation
In pumps carrying liquids a phenomenon known as cavitation
occurs.
Low pressure regions occur in the flow at points where
high local velocities exist. If vaporization occurs due to these low
pressure areas then bubbles occur, these expand as they move with
the flow and collapse when they reach a high pressure region.
Such formation and collapse of bubbles is very rapid and collapse
near a surface can generate very high pressure hammer . blows
which results in pitting, noise, vibration, and fall off in the pump
efficiency.
 Pump Affinity Laws
Law 1
With impeller diameter (D)
held constant:

Law 1a
Flow (Q) is proportional to
shaft speed (N).
Law 1b
Pressure or Head (H) is
proportional to the square of
shaft speed (N).
Law 1c
Power (P) is proportional to
the cube of shaft speed (N).
Pump Affinity Laws (cont)
 Law 2
 With shaft speed (N) held
constant:
 Law 2a
 Flow (Q) is proportional to
impeller diameter.
 Law 2b
 Pressure or Head (H) is
proportional to square of
impeller diameter.
 Law 2c
 Power (P) is proportional to the
cube of impeller diameter.
Slip (positive displacement pump)

Slip is a loss of flow rate.

The expanding cavity on the
inlet side of a positive
displacement pump creates a
low pressure area that is
normally filled with fluid
from the inlet line .
However, if slip occurs, the
cavity will also be partly
filled with fluid flowing back
through the pump clearances
from the outlet side.
Slip (centrifugal pump)
The angle at which the fluid leaves the impeller may not be the same as the actual
blade angle. This is due to a phenomenon known as fluid slip, which finally results
in a reduction in  the tangential component of fluid velocity at impeller outlet.
Slip (centrifugal pump)
There occurs a difference in pressure and velocity between the
leading and trailing faces of the impeller blades.
On the leading face of a blade there is relatively a high pressure and
low velocity, while on the trailing face, the pressure is lower and
hence the velocity is higher.
This results in a circulation around the blade and a non-uniform
velocity distribution at any radius.
The mean direction of flow at outlet, under this situation,
changes from the blade angle at outlet β2 to a different angle β’2
as shown in the previous figure. Therefore the tangential velocity
component at outlet Vw2is reduced to V’w2 , as shown by the
velocity triangles, and the difference Vw is defined as the slip.
Performance Curve of a Positive displacement pump
Performance Curve of a Roto Dynamic pump
System Curve + Performance Curve
Centrifugal vs Positive Displacement Pumps
1. Flow Rate and Pressure Head
The Centrifugal Pump has varying flow depending on the system
pressure or head
The Positive Displacement Pump has more or less a constant flow
regardless of the system pressure or head. Positive Displacement
pumps generally makes more pressure than Centrifugal Pump's.

2. Capacity and Viscosity

In a Centrifugal Pump the flow is reduced when the viscosity is
increased.
In a Positive Displacement Pump the flow is increased when
viscosity is increased
Liquids with high viscosity fills the clearances of Positive Displacement Pumps causing
higher volumetric efficiencies and Positive Displacement Pumps are better suited for
higher viscosity applications. A Centrifugal Pump becomes very inefficient at even
modest viscosity.
Centrifugal vs Positive Displacement Pumps
3. Mechanical Efficiency
Changing the system pressure or head has little or no effect
on the flow rate in a Positive Displacement Pump
Changing the system pressure or head may have a dramatic
effect on the flow rate in a Centrifugal Pump

4. NPSH.
In a Centrifugal Pump, NPSH varies as a function of flow
determined by pressure
In a Positive Displacement Pump, NPSH varies as a function
of flow determined by speed. Reducing the speed of the
Positive Displacement Pump pump, reduces the NPSH.
Short answer type Questions
1. Name the different types of pumps and their applications in marine systems (3)
2. What is cavitation? Explain the effects of cavitation in centrifugal pumps.(3)
3. What is the function of a lantern ring?(3)
4. Discuss relationship between impeller diameter with Flow, head and power. (3)
5. Discuss relationship between pump speed (rpm) with Flow, head and power. (3)
6. Explain NPSHA and NPSHR and the relationship between them (4).
7. Why priming is required for centrifugal pumps (3)?
8. What is a wearing ring in a centrifugal pump and where is it fitted (2+1)?
9. What is a lantern ring in a centrifugal pump (3)?
10. Name three types of reciprocating pumps. What is the advantage of a plunger
type pump (2+1).
11. Explain the principle of operation of a twin screw pump.(3)
12. What is the advantage of double eye impeller (3)?
13. What is head? Explain static and dynamic head. (3)
14. What are the advantages of central priming system?(3).
15. What is slip in a positive displacement pump?(3)
Long answer type questions
1. Describe the characteristic curve of a centrifugal pump.(7)
2. Compare centrifugal pump vs positive displacement pumps (8)
a) Flow rate and pressure head. b) Capacity and Viscosity c) Mechanical efficiency
c) NPSH.
3. Explain with a diagram the working principle of sliding vane pump (7).
4. Sketch and describe the working principle of a Gear Pump. Explain how flow
rate is controlled.(14)
5. Explain with the help of a sketch the principle of operation of a water ring
air pump (7).
6. Describe the working principle of centrifugal pump with a suitable sketch.
Explain with the help of sketches – volute casing and diffuser casing. (8+6)
7. Sketch and describe a double acting reciprocating pump. What is the use of
the air vessel in the discharge pipe? (10+4).
8. Why is shaft sealing required in a pump and how can it be achieved? Sketch
and label the parts of a mechanical seal. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of mechanical seals? (3+7+4)
9. Explain the principle of operation of a water ring air pump.
10. Describe with the help of a sketch a central priming system.