University of Kurdistan-Hewler

Lab 5 – Pump characteristics

General instructions
1. The apparatus is designed for engineering students and must be handled with care. It can
easily be broken. Follow instructions carefully.

2. This experiment generates high pressures and there have been cases when water escapes
at a high velocity. Whilst care will be taken to avoid any such incidents, students must be
aware of this possibility. The University will not be responsible for any damage caused by
water to mobile phones or other items that are left exposed near the apparatus.

3. These instructions are to be added to your report as an annex.

Introduction
This exercise is concerned with the flow delivered by pumps working against various heads. It
comprises three parts –
 two similar pumps, each working alone,
 the two similar pumps in parallel, and
 the two similar pumps in series.

The flow is measured in two ways –

One of the pumps to be used is mounted in the base of the hydraulic bench. The other is a
separate unit on the floor next to the hydraulic bench. The pumps are connected in various
ways using flexible tubing which is clamped to the spigots using Jubilee clips. Connections will
be made by the instructor.

Pressures are measured by pressure gauges which indicate the pressure in meters of water.
Since we are concerned with the total energy of the water we must also consider elevations
and velocity heads. (However, if we are considering differences in energy and the pipe
diameters are the same at each gauge, the velocity heads cancel out.)

While the data will be the same for each student within a group, any indication of copying from
the work of another student will be penalised – the work of the originator as well as the work
of the person copying.

You are advised to consider carefully the significance of each graph that you draw, and the
reasons why your results may deviate from what you would expect.

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Objectives
1. Determine the head-flowrate characteristics of each of the pumps working alone.

2. Determine the head-flowrate characteristics for the pumps in parallel, and compare your
results with the results calculated from the characteristics of the pumps when working
alone.

3. Determine the head-flowrate characteristics for the pumps in series, and compare your
results with the results calculated from the characteristics of the pumps when working
alone.

Procedure
Before each experiment prepare a table for recording your data. Draw diagrams that clearly
show the names or identification given to each of the three pressure gauges.

1. Pumps alone (the bench and the floor pump)

Connect the outlet of the bench pump to the outlet control. Open fully the bench valve
and close the top control valve. Start the bench pump and open the control valve fully
until no more air is coming out from the pump. Then close the control valve and record
the reading of the pressure gauge. Measure the vertical distance between the water
surface in the tank and the floor.

Fully open the control valve. Measure the flow using the volumetric tank. If the flowrate
is too high for using this method, fit the orifice ring into the outlet of the measuring tank
and read the level in the tank when the reading of the level gauge is constant. (To
convert the elevation of the water surface to the flowrate you will need to use the orifice
calibration table in Annex A.) When using the orifice, check that the water level is
constant before recording the scale reading. Record the reading(s) of the pressure
gauge(s). (To obtain the total energy at the outlet you will need to use the fact that the
internal diameter of the outlet is 21mm.) Determine whether the reading of the pressure
gauge(s) depends on whether the volumetric measuring tank is full or empty.

Divide the difference in the readings of the pressure gauge on the bench (for no flow and
maximum flow) into five equal steps and measure the pressures and flows at pressures
that are approximately equal to these five steps, so that you will have six points on your
graph. When you have done this, close the control valve and turn off the pump.

For the report you will need to plot a graph of the increase of total head (on the y axis)
against flow (on the x axis).

1.b Floor pump

Connect the suction side of the floor pump to the drain of the hydraulic bench and
connect the outlet of the pump to the outlet control on top of the bench. Open the drain
valve at the base of the hydraulic bench and the outlet control valve on the top, and close
the valve on the side of the hydraulic bench. Start the floor pump. With the top control
valve fully open, run the pump until no more air is passing along the delivery pipe. Close
the outlet control valve and record the readings of the three pressure gauges when there
is no flow. Make sure to note carefully (draw diagrams if necessary) where the gages are
located.

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 Fully open the control valve. Measure the flow using the volumetric tank. Follow the
instruction for reading the flowrate in Section 1(a). Record the readings of the three
pressure gauges. (The elevations of these gauges is given in Annex B.)

Divide the difference in the readings of the pressure gauge on the bench into three equal
steps and measure the pressures and flows at pressures that are approximately equal to
these two intermediate points, so that you will have four points on your graph. When
you have done this, close the control valve and turn off the pump.

Sketch a diagram of how the pump is connected to the bench via pipes and show the
important elevations on the diagram.

For the report you will need to plot graphs of the increase of total head (on the y axis)
against flow rate (on the x axis). There are two ways of measuring the head across the
floor pump. Method (i) is to use the level of the water in the tank and the outlet control
gauge and method (ii) uses the suction and delivery gauges on the floor pump and the
elevations of these gauges (Annex B). On one graph plot the results from part 1(a)
against the results for this part (1b) using method (i). On another graph, plot the results
for this part (1b), plotting one curve using method (i) and another curve using method
(ii).

2. Pumps in parallel
Using the tee piece, connect the outlet of the floor pump to the delivery pipe of the
bench pump and connect them both to the outlet control valve. Repeat the experiment,
starting with the removal of air from the pipes. If the flowrate is too high to be
measured by filling the volumetric tank, fit the orifice ring into the outlet of the
measuring tank and read the level in the tank when the reading of the level gauge is
constant.

Sketch the arrangement of the pipes, taking care to draw correctly the orientation of the
tee piece.

3. Pumps in series
Close the drain valve of the bench tank. Connect the outlet of the bench pump to the
suction side of the floor pump and the delivery side of the floor pump to the outlet
control valve. Repeat the experimental procedure, starting with the removal of air from
the pipes. Sketch the arrangement of the pipes.

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Report
Attach these instructions to your report as an annex.

State briefly the objectives of this assignment.

It is not necessary to describe the procedure for this exercise because the instructions are
provided in this handout that is to be attached as an annex.

Sketch a clear diagram of arrangement of the pump, bench, and pipe connections for each
stage of this experiment. In the diagram, make sure to include all necessary heights and
important locations such as height and location of each pressure gage, height of the water line
in the bench, and so on.

Show all the data – raw data and calculated values – in tables. Make sure that the location of
each pressure gauge is clearly defined and explained. The location of the pressure gages in the
table can be made clear by referring to your diagram. Show sample calculations for each type
of calculation, explaining any choices that you make. Ensure that your presentation of the
calculations is concise – avoid repetition and wasting space.

Mention any difficulties that you experienced in making accurate measurements.

Plot four graphs…

In your plots, make sure to plot the difference in total head (not just pressure) against
flowrate.

For stage 1 plot two graphs – the first comparing the heads across the bench and floor
pumps when calculated in the same way, and the second comparing the two methods
of calculating the head across the floor pump.

For stages 2 (pumps in parallel) and 3 (pumps in series), show the synthesised curves
for parallel and series configurations (synthesised by adding together the results for the
pumps alone) with the curves obtained experimentally – one graph for the parallel
configuration and one for the series configuration.

Discuss the results for each of the graphs individually. (This is an important part of the report
so think and write carefully.)

For plot 1 on stage 1 which compares the two pumps, discuss whether or not you think
the pumps are similar pumps? Why or why not? Suggest reasons for any errors or
differences.

For plot 2 on stage 2, discuss which method you think is more accurate to determine
the head across the pump. Also state why in plot 1, when you compared the two
pumps, you used method 1 rather than method 2 for the floor pump. Suggest reasons
for any errors or differences.

For plot 3 (parallel) on stage 3, discuss the effects on total head and flowrate when
pumps are added in parallel. Also discuss any reasons for differences in the synthesized
curves verses the curve obtained experimentally. Suggest reasons for any errors or
differences.

For plot 4 (series) on stage 3, discuss the effects on total head and flowrate when
pumps are added in parallel. Also discuss any reasons for differences in the synthesized
curves verses the curve obtained experimentally. Suggest reasons for any errors or
differences.

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Annex A Calibration curve for orifice ring
(Note: The upper scale on the hydraulic bench should be used.)
Scale Flowrate Scale Flowrate Scale Flowrate
reading litres/s reading litres/s reading litres/s
“litres” “litres” “litres”
0 1.41 14 1.84 28 2.19
1 1.44 15 1.86 29 2.21
2 1.48 16 1.89 30 2.23
3 1.51 17 1.92 31 2.25
4 1.54 18 1.94 32 2.27
5 1.57 19 1.97 33 2.29
6 1.60 20 2.00 34 2.31
7 1.63 21 2.02 35 2.33
8 1.66 22 2.05 36 2.35
9 1.69 23 2.07 37 2.37
10 1.72 24 2.09 38 2.39
11 1.75 25 2.12 39 2.40
12 1.78 26 2.14 40 2.42
13 1.81 27 2.16

Annex B Differences in elevation

Datum to delivery gauge of floor pump 0.41 m

Datum to suction gauge of floor pump 0.26 m

Datum to inlet of bench pump 0.24 m

The floor of the laboratory is the datum for these measurements.