Experiment No.

1
Performance and Benefits of Pumps in Series/Parallel Operations
I.

Objectives
1. To show the performance and benefits of single pump and pimps connected in series
and in parallel operations.

II.

Materials/Equipments Needed
1. Series/Parallel Pump Test Rig
2. Water
3. Adjustable Counterweight

III.

Equipment Set Up

M
,
H

M
,
H

O C

R
P
M

M
,
H

M
,
H

L
/
S

B
P

To V
Notch

Series
Operatio
n

M
,
H

M
,
H

O C

R
P
M

M
,
H

M
,
H

L
/
S

B
P

To V
Notch

IV.

Parallel
Operatio
n

Theory

A hydraulic pump is a machine whose function is to convert mechanical energy into fluid
energy, principally the pressure energy component, thus facilitating the raisings of fluids
through pipelines and for boosting the flow in long pipelines. Hydraulic pumps have a wide
range of applications, e.g. in small heating systems, chemical process plants, sewage
disposal, water supply and ground water abstraction, drainage, construction site and mine
drainage.
There are three main types of pumps: reciprocating, rotary, and rotodynamic. The
reciprocating type consists of a piston moving in a cylinder and , although now largely
superseded by the rotodynamic type, is still used for small quantity, high pressure duties
where their efficiency of as much as 85% exceeds that of centrifugal pumos. In the rotary
pump, pressure is generated by means of intermeshing ears; this type is widely used for
lubricating duties.
In rotodynamic pumps, the pressure rise is created by an impeller, consisting of a number of
curve blades, which rotate in a housing shaped to give maximum efficiency. Rotodynamic
pumps may rather be sub-classified into radial flow, mixed flow and axial flow types
according to the predominant direction in which the liquid flows across the impeller blades

from inlet to outlet. For a given power input the radial flow pump would produce a relatively
high pressure with a small discharge compared with the axial flow pump which would
deliver a large flow but with a small pressure rise.
The centrifugal pump is the most widely used type of rotodynamic pump and is an example
of the radial flow type. The impeller consists of a number of curved blades mounted in a disc
or discs. The liquid enters at the center of the rotators impeller which imparts a centrifugal
action thus forcing the liquid radially outwards into the spirally-shaped volute casing which
converts a large portion of the velocity energy into pressure energy.
There is a wide range of centrifugal pumps commercially available to cover the range of
possible practical duties. In some pumping stations it may be desirable to install several
pumps each of which may be brought into operation by liquid level sensors and appropriate
electrical switchgear. Such an arrangement called parallel operation, would be able to deliver
variable flow such as is encountered in sewage schemes. The alternative would be to have a
single variable speed pump which may prove to be a more expensive arrangement.
Connecting pumps or pump stages, such that the discharge from one stage is directed to the
inlet of the next, produces a series of pressure rises while the same discharge passes through
each stage. In this way high pressure heads are produced for use in boreholes, e.g. this
arrangement is called series operation and is the basis of the multi stage pump. Since the
same discharge passes through each stage the combined characteristic is obtained by
summing the individual total heads at a number of discharges.
Pump Calculations:
Capacity, Q.
Capacity is the quantity of fluid discharged per unit time. In fps system, this is expressed
in gallons per min (gpm) for liquids

H
dz
y
x P
P d
s

Figure 1-3. Centifugal Pump

Total Suction Head or Lift.

This is defined as total suction head and is the absolute pressure head in the
supply vessel plus the suction head minus the friction head. If the total suction head is
measured from the reading of a pressure gauge at the suction flange of the pump, then
Total Suction Head =

H s=

PS
g

V s=

Q
As

PS V 2S
+
g 2 g

Total Suction Head = Hs +

Q 2
As
2g

( )

Where
P = Pressure
H = pressure head
Q = Discharge, rate of flow
A = Cross sectional are of pipe
V = Mean velocity in pipe
z = Height of delivery gauge above suction gauge
Suffix d = Delivery
Suffix s = Suction
g = Gravitational acceleration
= Specific mass of water
Total Discharge Head
The total discharge or delivery head is defined as the absolute pressure head in the
discharge vessel plus the static discharge head plus the friction head. If the total discharge
head is determined from the reading of the pressure gauge at the discharge flange of the
pump, then
Total delivery Head =

Hd=

Pd
g

V d=

Q
Ad

Pd V 2d
+ +z
g 2 g

Total Suction Head = Hd +

Q
Ad
2g

( )

+z

Manometric or Total Dynamic Head, Hm

This is the energy of liquid that the pump has to impart to the liquid in order to
transport it to the desired location. It can be calculated from

Hm = Total Delivery Head total Suction Head

Q 2
Q 2
Ad
As
Hm = Hd +
+ z Hs +
2g
2g

( )

Hm = [Hd Hs] + z + [Hs +

( )

1
1
( Q )2
+ 2
2
][
Ad As ]
2g

Hydraulic Efficiency of the Pump,

= 100 * (Ideal Work or Power) / (Actual Work or Power)
= 100 * (Input power to the Pump) / (Hydraulic Power of the Pump)
= 100 * (Wi/Wa)
Input Power to the Pump, Wi:
Wi = Power Output of the motor (WM) Transmission Losses (WL)
WM = T
T = MgL
2 N
=
60
WL = 0.10 kW, assumption
2 N
Wi = (MgL) *
0.1 kW
60

( )

Where:
T = Torque
M = mass (kg) applied to torque arm
L = Lever arm (meters)
= Angular velocity of shaft
N = Rotational speed
Hydraulic Power of the Pump, Wa:
Wa = Q * Hm *
Where

(s . g)
3960

Q = Pump capacity, gpm

Hm = Required total dynamic head of the pump, ft
s.g. = Specific gravity of the fluid
Wa = Hydraulic power of the pump, hp
Note: Wa is derived from energy balance around the pump or by applying Bernoullis
Equation around the pump.
Specific Speed
The specific speed of an impeller is defined as the revolutions per minute needed
to produce 1 gpm at 1 ft head. The specific speed is related to the capacity, head, and
impeller speed by
1

Ns =

NQ 2
3

H4

Where
Ns = Specific speed of the pump impeller, rpm
H = Hm = Total dynamic head, ft of flowing fluid
Q = flow, gpm
Geometrically similar rotodynamic machines have the same specific speed when
operating at maximum efficiency restricts the range of head and discharge, and hence
specific speed, for each type. Table below shows the range of specific speeds appropriate
to the three main types of rotodynamic pump. The physical interpretation of specific
speed, as can be seen from the mathematical expression, is that it is the rotational speed
of a geometrically scaled pump which will deliver 1 liter/s at 1 m head. In the case of
multi-speed pumps, the specific speed is that computed for each single stage.
.

Specific Sped/Pump Type Relationships

Pump Type

Centrifugal

Mixed Flow

Axial Flow

Specific Speed Range

(Q,L/s ; H,m)

40 4000

2000 5000

4000 10000

Performance Curves
A plot of the head developed versus the pump capacity is called the performance
curve. It is called the head capacity or the HQ curve. The head developed is the net head

obtained after subtraction of the vane and shock losses. For a given pump, the head
capacity curve is unique.

Performance of Single Pump at Different Speeds With Iso-Efficiency Curves

Pump Affinity Laws
These are the relationships among the capacity Q, head H, power Wa, impeller
diameter D, and speed of revolution (in revolutions per minute) of centrifugal pumps and
fans.
Effect of Speed Change When D is Constant:
Capacity:

Head:

Power:

Q2 N 2
=
Q1 N 1

H2 N 2
=
H1 N 1

( )

Wa2 N 2
=
Wa1 N 1

( )

NPS H 2 N 2
=
NPSH 1
N1

( )

Where
NPSH = Net Positive Suction Head
Pumps in Series or Parallel Operations
In series operations the discharge passes through both pumps but the heads
developed augment each other. The total head developed in theoretically obtained by
adding together the head of each pump corresponding to the relevant discharge but in
practice together the head of each pump corresponding to the relevant discharge but in
practice small losses occur in the interconnecting pipe work.

P1
+
P2 P
P1 2
Q

The overall efficiency of the pumps, P1and P1 at the discharge Q.

Whence
=

H1+ H2
H1 H2
+
1 2

In the case of pumps connected in parallel the head across both pumps is the same but the
individual discharges may be different unless the pumps are identical. The total discharge
corresponding to a particular head is the sum of the discharges through each pump at that
head.

P1
P2 +
P1 P2
Q

The combine efficiency of the system is given by

Q Q
=gH ( + )
( Q +Q
)

gH

Whence
= ( Q1+Q 2)

Q1 Q2
+
1 2

Pu
Pu
mp
3 1
mp
H
0 v2 Q
H
Pu
vQ
mp
1
20 1Eff.2
5 6
5
vQ
2
0
1
5

Hv
Q
Ser
ies

-1
0
0

Efcienc
y%

3
5

-3

----5
0
--

1
0

---

--0

Nomenclature

Hs = Suction Pressure Head (m)

Hd = Delivery Pressure Head (m)
Ps = Suction Pressure (Pa)
Pd = Delivery Pressure (Pa)
x = difference in elevation between suction and delivery pressure tapping
y = height of suction gauge above delivery pressure tapping (m)
z = height delivery gauge above suction gauge (negligible in this case, m)
H = Pressure head (m)
Q = Discharge (Rate of Flow, m3/s)
P1 = Pump 1
P2 = Pump 2
V.

Procedure

VI.

Results and Discussion

VII.

Conclusion

VIII.

References

Appendices
Appendix A: Experimental Data
Test at _________ rev/min

Pump

Pump no. 1

Pump no. 2

V Notch
Head (mm)

Discharge
(L/s)

Suction Head
(m)

Delivery
Head (m)

Torque Mass
(g)

Arrangemen
t

V
Notch
Head
(mm)

Discharg
e (L/s)

Pump no. 1

Pump no. 2

Test at _________ rev/min

Suction Head (m)

P1

P2

Delivery Head (m)

P1

P2

Torque
Mass (g)

Pump

V Notch
Head (mm)

Discharge
(L/s)

Suction Head
(m)

Delivery
Head (m)

Torque Mass
(g)

Pump no. 1

Pump no. 2

Arrangemen
t

Pump no. 1

V
Notch
Head
(mm)

Discharg
e (L/s)

Suction Head (m)

P1

P2

Delivery Head (m)

P1

P2

Torque
Mass (g)

Pump no. 2

Test at _________ rev/min

Pump
Pump no. 1

V Notch
Head (mm)

Discharge
(L/s)

Suction Head
(m)

Delivery
Head (m)

Torque Mass
(g)

Pump no. 2

Arrangemen
t

Pump no. 1

Pump no. 2

V
Notch
Head
(mm)

Discharg
e (L/s)

Suction Head (m)

P1

P2

Delivery Head (m)

P1

P2

Torque
Mass (g)

Additional Data:
Impeller Diameter: 120 mm; Pump Type = open Impeller Centrifugal
Transmission Losses = 0.1 kW (Assumption)
Suction Pipe Diameter = 31.75 mm
Delivery Pipe Diameter = 25.4 mm
Motor Rating = 2.2 kW at 2900 rev/min
Torque Arm Radius = 0.25 m
Flow Over 90 V Notch Weir, Q in m3/s = (8/15)*(2g)0.5Ce(h + kh)5/3
Where:
g = Gravitational Acceleration
Ce = 0.5765
h = measured head in meters
kh = 0.00085 m

Appendix B. Tabulated Results

Test at ______rev/min
Pump/
Arrangement

Pump no. 1

Pump no. 2

Discharge
(L/s)

Total Head
(m)

Power Input
(W)

Power Output
(W)

Efficiency
(%)

Series

Parallel

Test at ______rev/min
Pump/
Arrangement

Pump no. 1

Pump no. 2

Series

Discharge
(L/s)

Total Head
(m)

Power Input
(W)

Power Output
(W)

Efficiency
(%)

Parallel