PUMPS

Pumps and pumping machinery are required for the following purposes:
1. Lifting water from source to purification works or service reservoirs.
2. Boosting water from source to low service areas and to upper flows of multi-story buildings.
3. Transporting water through water and sewage treatment works where gravitational flow is not
possible
4. Pumping of concrete for placement onto high levels or to a distance.
5. Pumping fuels and gas
6. Pumping air to pressurize vessels or tires etc.

CLASSIFICATION OF PUMPS
Based on the mechanical principles involved, pumps can be classified as follows:-
i. Displacement pumps (reciprocating, rotary helical etc)
ii. Velocity pumps (centrifugal pumps)
iii. Buoyancy pumps (air lift pumps)
iv. Impulse pumps (hydraulic rams)

SELECTION OF PUMPS
Some of the important considerations for the selection of pumps are as follows:-
1. Nature of water.
The size and the nature of the solids suspended in the liquid will determine both the type of impeller
best suited for the purpose and the material to be used for the pump construction. For pumping clear
water, pumps with single or double suction, closed impellers are best suited. For dealing with saltish,
corrosion resistant materials are to be used.
2. The capacity, head and lifting involved.
Knowing the duty of the pump and also the performance or characteristic curve of the pump, a suitable
pump can be selected. For small units, a conventional type of centrifugal pump is more practical. Pumps
of large capacity are designed specially on the duty to be performed. Many of the manufacturers
produce a large number of pumps to cover different combinations of discharge and head by
modification of impeller size and sometimes the speed of the motor. The speed of the centrifugal pump
has a considerable effect on its performance. The efficiency improves with the increase in speed, but it
tends to increase the maintenance cost as well. A good study of the characteristics curve such as
characteristic head, discharge, and wattage curve has to be made before the final selection of the pump.

Selection of pump considerations

(i) Power – measured as energy per second and expressed in watts (W)
1W = 1 Joule /sec = 1Nms-1
1Kw =1.341HP
(ii) efficiency = Power output/power input = ρgQH/P and is expressed as a percentage.
(iii) Speed

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 (iv) Head.
(iv) Discharge

It is important that in selecting a pump that required discharge is obtained at a particular head without
loss of efficiency. The range of head and discharge influence the selection.

Fig 1 . (a) Positive Suction Head arrangement. (b) Negative suction Head arrangement

Fig. 2 Reciprocating Pump

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What is working principle of reciprocating pump?
The reciprocating pump operates on the positive displacement principle. The piston of a reciprocating
piston pump goes back and forth in a cylinder. With the help of a connecting rod, the piston is
connected to the crankshaft. The connecting rod moves as the crankshaft rotates, causing this piston to
move.
When piston will move towards right i.e. towards outer dead center, there will be fall in pressure of
liquid and hence due to reduction in pressure suction valve will be opened and liquid will enter in to the
cylinder. This movement of piston inside the cylinder will be termed as suction stroke.

When piston will move towards left i.e. towards inner dead center, there will be increase in pressure of
liquid and hence due to increase in pressure of liquid suction valve will be closed and delivery valve will
be opened and liquid under high pressure will flow through the delivery valve to delivery pipe of
reciprocating pump.

Discharge through a reciprocating pump

Let us consider the following terms as mentioned here for a reciprocating pump displayed above in
figure.

D = Diameter of the cylinder

A = Cross sectional area of the piston or cylinder
r = Radius of crank
N = R.P.M of crank
L = Length of the stroke = 2 x r
hs = Suction head or Height of the cylinder axis from the water surface in the sump
hd = Discharge head or height of delivery point from the cylinder axis

Volume of water delivered in one revolution = Area x Length of stroke

Volume of water delivered in one revolution = A x L
Number of revolution per second = N/60
Volume of water delivered per second = Volume of water delivered in one revolution x Number of
revolution per second
Volume of water delivered per second = A x L x N/60
Volume of water delivered per second = A L N/60

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CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

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Operating Principle of Centrifugal Pumps

In this section, we will discuss how a centrifugal pump operates. Centrifugal pumps work to produce
flow or raise a fluid from a lower level to a higher level. The working of these pumps is based on a
straightforward mechanism. A centrifugal pump turns rotational energy coming from a motor into
energy in a moving fluid.
The two main components responsible for this task are the impeller, and the casing, both of which
belong to the portion of the pump called the wet end. The impeller is the rotating part, and the casing is
the airtight path that surrounds the impeller.
The fluid in a centrifugal pump enters the casing, falls on the impeller vanes at the impeller eye, and
rotates radially outward until it exits the impeller through the diffuser (volute) of the casing. As it passes
through the impeller, the fluid gains both velocity and pressure.

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What is Pump Cavitation?
Pump cavitation is a destructive issue that can generate excess noise and energy usage to serious pump
damage. The problems of pump cavitation is not new and ever-growing. It seriously affects the pump
operation and lifespan. However, the pump cavitation can be easily avoided with the right planning and
troubleshooting.
Cavitation is an important term for rotating equipment engineers. The generation of vapour bubbles
or cavities in a fluid flow due to low pressure and its sudden collapse causing damages in the related
parts like impeller, pump housing, etc are termed as Cavitation. It is one of the major problems for
Centrifugal pumps. There are various criteria that can describe the occurrence of cavitation, extent and
impact of it.
Cavitation occurs when the liquid in a pump creates air bubbles because of the partial pressure drop of
the flowing liquid. Insufficient net positive suction head available is the main cause of generating air
bubbles. Changes in the liquid pressure in the pump turn the liquid into vapor. As the liquid moves by
the pump’s impeller spinning, the air bubbles move, instantaneously implode. The collapse of vapor
bubbles creates a shockwave that erodes the impeller surface. When a strong cavitation occurs at the
impeller inlet, the pump performance decreases, leading to even pumping failure.
Pump Cavitation is usually common with centrifugal pumps as these types of pumps work by changing
pressure inside the unit to create a vacuum, pushing the liquid into the unit as opposed to pulling it in.
Cavitation is submersible pumps are less frequent.

What Causes Cavitation?

When the suction pressure drops below a certain value, the performance of centrifugal pump
deteriorates. This suction pressure that is often decided with respect to vapour pressure at suction
temperature is called Net Positive Suction Head that is popular by its acronym NPSH. If this NPSH drops,
impeller inlet pressure may fall below the vapour pressure which causes vapour bubbles or voids to
generate. If the flowing liquid is then subjected to pressures above the vapour pressure, these voids can
implode causing damage, which is called cavitation.
The most well-known causes of cavitation are:

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1. Not meeting the required NPSH
2. The pump is installed at too high of a distance above the fluid source
3. Suction pipe diameter is too small
4. Pipe blockage on the suction side
5. Clogged or obstructed filters
6. Length of the Suction pipe is more.
7. Excessively high suction lift.
8. Poor piping design
9. Flowing liquid is having a very low vapour pressure
10. Fluid is overly heated to the point of vaporization.
11. The pump is running too far right on the pump design curve
12. The Pump Speed is more
13. Due to high-vacuum or low-pressure environment, the flow in the pump is not proper.
14. High discharge pressure.
15. Poorly specified pump.