FUNDAMENTALS OF

FLUID MACHINES

Chapter 2
Hydraulic pump

Tesfaye Mukuro (MTech.)

Department of Aerospace Engineering
1

Ethiopian Defence University

 Hydraulic Pumps
Contents
Introduction
Centrifugal Pumps
Slip Factor
Pump Losses
The Effect of Impeller Blade Shape on Performance
Volute, Vaneless and Vaned diffuser
Cavitation in Pumps
Suction Specific Speed
Axial Flow Pump
Pump selection guidelines and pump system design
Methods for analysis existing and interaction pump
system
Multiple Pump Operation
 Introduction
 A Pump is a turbo machine that is used to raise the
pressure of a liquid (water, chemicals, petroleum, etc.)
 It takes Mechanical Energy from engine or electric
motor and converts in to Hydraulic Energy
 Centrifugal pump
The three important parts of centrifugal pumps are
1. The impeller
2. The volute casing
3. The diffuser

Pump Prime mover

 Centrifugal pump
The impeller
Impeller:- is the rotating part (member) of a
centrifugal pump which consists of a series of
‘curved vanes’. It is mounted on a shaft and driven
by means of a prime mover (Electric Motor, IC
Engine, etc.).

1. Open impellers
2. Semi-open impellers
3. Closed impellers
 Centrifugal pump
The fluid has a very high velocity at the outer
radius of the impeller
Volute Casing or Scroll Casing (Vaneless diffuser )
The kinetic energy of liquid at the outer radius of the
impeller is converted into pressure energy by the diffuser
action of the gradually increasing area of volute or scroll
casing.
 Centrifugal pump
Casing with stationary guide vanes(diffusers)
The fluid has a very high velocity at the outer radius
of the impeller, and, to recover this kinetic energy
by changing it into pressure energy, diffuser blades
mounted on a diffuser ring may be used. The
stationary blade passages have an increasing
cross-sectional area.

As the fluid moves through

them, diffusion action takes
place and hence the kinetic
energy is converted into
pressure energy.
 Centrifugal pump
 Centrifugal pump impeller with the velocity
triangles at inlet and outlet.
 For the best efficiency of the pump, it is assumed
that water enters the impeller radially, i.e., and = 0.
 Using Euler’s pump equation, the work done per
second on the water per unit mass of fluid flowing
E = = ( - )/g
 Where is the component of absolute velocity in
the tangential direction. E is referred to as the
Euler head and represents the ideal or
theoretical head developed by the impeller
only.
The flow rate(Q) = 2 = 2
 Centrifugal pump
 Where Cr is the radial component of absolute
velocity and is perpendicular to the tangent at the
inlet and outlet and b is the width of the blade.
 For shockless entry and exit to the vanes, water
enters and leaves the vane tips in a direction
parallel to their relative velocities at the two tips.
 Centrifugal pump
The work done on the water by the pump consists of the
following three parts:
1. The part represents the change in absolute kinetic
energy of the liquid (external effect)
2. The part represents the effect of the centrifugal head
or energy produced by the impeller (Centrifugal effect
(radius change))
3. The part represents the change in static pressure of
the liquid, if the losses in the impeller are neglected.
 Slip Factor
 From the preceding section, it may be seen that
there is no assurance that the actual fluid will
follow the blade shape and leave the impeller in a
radial direction. There is usually a slight slippage
of the fluid with respect to the blade rotation. Figure
2.2 shows the velocity triangles at impeller tip.
 β21 is the angle at which the fluid leaves the
impeller, and β2 is the actual blade angle
 Cw2 and Cw21 are the tangential components of
absolute velocity corresponding to the angles β2
and β21, respectively.
 Thus, Cw2 is reduced to Cw21 and the difference
ΔCw is defined as the slip.
 Slip Factor
The slip factor is defined as
Slip factor,
According to Stodola’s theory, slip in centrifugal pumps
and compressors is due to relative rotation of fluid in a
direction opposite to that of impeller with the same
angular velocity as that of an impeller.

The triangle illustrates

how the fluid's velocity is
affected by the impeller's
motion and the slip,
which reduces the whirl
component compared to
the ideal case.
 Slip Factor
Figure 2.3 shows the leading side of a blade, where there
is a high-pressure region while on the trailing side of the
blade there is a low-pressure region.

Due to the lower pressure on the trailing face, there will

be a higher velocity and a velocity gradient across the
passage.
 Slip Factor
For purely radial blades, which are often used in
centrifugal compressors, will be and the Stodola slip
factor becomes
=1-
where n is the number of vanes.
The Stanitz slip factor is given by
=1-
When applying a slip factor, the Euler pump equation
becomes
=
Typically, the slip factor lies in the region of 0.9, while the
slip occurs even if the fluid is ideal.
The effect of impeller blade shape on
performance
The various blade shapes utilized in impellers of centrifugal
pumps/compressors are shown in Fig. 2.5. The blade shapes
can be classified as:
1. Backward-curved blades ()
2. Radial blades ()
3. Forward-curved blades ()
The effect of impeller blade shape on
performance
As shown in Fig. 2.5, for backward-curved vanes, the value
of Cw2 (whirl component at outlet) is much reduced, and
thus, such rotors have a low energy transfer for a given
impeller tip speed, while forward-curved vanes have a high
value of energy transfer.
Therefore, it is desirable to design for high values of (over),
but the velocity diagrams show that this also leads to a very
high value of C2. High kinetic energy is seldom required,
and its reduction to static pressure by diffusion in a fixed
casing is difficult to perform in a reasonable sized casing.
However, radial vanes () have some particular advantages
for very high speed compressors where the highest possible
pressure is required. Radial vanes are relatively easy to
manufacture and introduce no complex bending stresses
The effect of impeller blade shape on
performance
Con..
The effect of impeller blade shape on
performance
Illustrative Example 2.1:A centrifugal pump runs at a tip
speed of 12m/s and a flow velocity of 1.5m/s. The impeller
diameter is 1.2m and delivers 3.8m3/min of water. The outlet
blade angle is to the tangent at the impeller periphery.
Assuming that the fluid enters in the axial direction and zero
slip, calculate the torque delivered by the impeller.
The effect of impeller blade shape on
performance
Illustrative Example 2.2:
The impeller of a centrifugal
pump has outer diameter of
1.06m and speed is 56m/s.
The blades are backward
curved and they make an
angle of with the wheel
tangent at the blade tip. If
the radial velocity of the flow
at the tip is 7.5m/s and the
slip factor is 0.88.
Determine
(1) the actual work input per
kg of water flow and
(2) the absolute velocity of
fluid at the impeller.
The effect of impeller blade shape on
performance
Illustrative Example 2.3: A centrifugal pump impeller has 0.3m
inlet diameter and 0.6 m external diameters. The pump runs at
950rpm, and the entry of the pump is radial. The velocity of flow
through the impeller is constant at 3.5m/s. The impeller vanes are set
back at angle of to the outer rim. Calculate
1. the vane angle at inlet of a pump
2. The velocity direction of water at outlet
3. The work done by the water per kg of water
The effect of impeller blade shape on
performance
Cont..
The effect of impeller blade shape on
performance
Cont..

Assignment
1. A centrifugal pump discharges 50liters/second of water against a total
head of 40m. Find the horsepower of the pump, if the overall efficiency
is 62%.
2. A centrifugal pump impeller has a diameter of 1.2m; rpm210; area at the
outer periphery 0.65; angle of vane at outlet ,and ratio of external to
internal diameter 2:1. Calculate
 the hydraulic efficiency
 power
 Minimum speed to lift water against a head of 6.2m.
 Pump Losses
 Eddy losses at entrance and exit of impeller, friction
losses in the impeller, frictional and eddy losses in
the diffuser, if provided.
 Losses in the suction and delivery pipe. The above
losses are known as hydraulic losses.
 Mechanical losses due to friction of the main bearings,
and stuffing boxes. Thus, the energy supplied by the
prime mover to impeller is equal to the energy produced
by impeller plus mechanical losses.
 A number of efficiencies are associated with these losses.
 Pump Losses
Let be the density of liquid; Q, flow rate; H, total head
developed by the pump; Ps, shaft power input; Hi, total
head across the impeller; and hi, head loss in the impeller.

Then, the overall efficiency is given by:

= =

A hydraulic efficiency may be defined as

=

The head H is also known as manometric head.

 Pump Losses
IllustrativeExample2.4:The impeller of a centrifugal
pump has outlet diameter of 0.370m, runs at 800rpm,
and delivers 30l/s of water. The radial velocity at the
impeller exit is 2.5m/s. The difference between the
water levels at the overhead tank and the pump is
14m. The power required to drive the pump is 8hp, its
mechanical and volumetric effectiveness being 0.96
and 0.97, respectively. The impeller vanes are
backward curved with an exit angle of .

Calculate
1. Ideal Head developed with no slip and no hydraulic
losses
2. The hydraulic efficiency.
 Pump Losses
Con..
 Pump Losses
Con..
 Cavitation in pump
 Cavitation is caused by local vaporization of the fluid,
when the local static pressure of a liquid falls below the
vapor pressure of the liquid.
 Small bubbles or cavities filled with vapor are formed,
which suddenly collapse on moving forward with the
flow into regions of high pressure.
 These bubbles collapse with tremendous force, giving
rise to pressure as high as 3500atm.
 In a centrifugal pump, these low-pressure zones are
generally at the impeller inlet(upstream), where the
fluid is locally accelerated over the vane surfaces.
 In turbines, cavitation is most likely to occur at the
downstream outlet end of a blade on the low-pressure
leading face.
 Cavitation in pump
When cavitation occurs, it causes the following undesirable
effects:
 Local pitting of the impeller and erosion of the metal
surface.
 Serious damage can occur from this prolonged
cavitation erosion.
 Vibration of machine and noise is also generated in
the form of sharp cracking sounds when cavitation
takes place.
 A drop in efficiency due to vapor formation, which
reduces the effective flow areas.
 Cavitation in pump
The avoidance of cavitation is essential tasks for both pump
and turbine designers. This cavitation imposes limitations on
the rate of discharge and speed of rotation of the pump.
A cavitation parameter is defined as pump total inlet head
above vapor pressure/head developed by the pump or at
the inlet flange
=
The numerator of Eq. (2.18) is a suction head and is called
the net positive suction head (NPSH) of the pump. It is a
measure of the energy available on the suction side of the
pump, and H is the manometric head.
 Cavitation in pump
The cavitation parameter is a function of specific speed,
efficiency of the pump, and number of vanes. Figure 2.11
shows the relationship between and Ns. It may be
necessary in the selection of pumps that the value of does
not fall below the given value for any condition of
operation.
 Suction Specific Speed
 The efficiency of the pump is a function of flow coefficient and suction
specific speed, which is defined as
Nsuc = N√Q/[g(NPSH)]3/4
Thus, η = f (Q, Nsuc)
 The Cavitation parameter may also be determined by the following equation
Ns/Nsuc =(NPSH)3/4/H3/4
= σc3/4
Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH):
 Simply, NPSH is the minimum suction condition (pressure) required to

prevent pump cavitation. Conceptually, NPSH can be imagined as the

pressure drop between the pump inlet flange and the point inside the pump
where the fluid dynamic action, as it leaves the impeller, causes a pressure
rise.
 Sufficient NPSH allows for pumping without liquid vaporizing in the pump

first-stage impeller eye as the fluid pressure drops due to pump suction
losses.
 Axial flow pump
 In an axial flow pump,
pressure is developed by
flow of liquid over blades of
airfoil section. It consists of a
propeller-type of impeller
running in a casing.
 The advantage of an axial
flow pump is its compact
construction as well as its
ability to run at extremely
high speeds.
 The flow area is the same at
inlet and outlet and the
minimum head for this type
of pump is the order of 20m.
 Pumping system design
 The duty point of the pump is determined by the
intersection of the system curve and the pump curve.
 The duty point is the pump's designed optimal operating
condition (flow and pressure) for a specific application,
ensuring efficient performance under typical operating
demands.
The pump curve
represents the pump's
capability (head and flow)
at various operating
points, while the system
curve illustrates the
system's demand
(pressure required at
different flow rates).
 Pumping system design
 Typical pump characteristics are defined by flow rate
(volume moved), head (pressure generated), (input
power) and efficiency (power conversion to fluid
movement).
 Adequate net positive suction head (NPSH) is also
crucial to prevent cavitation and ensure proper
operation.
 Multiple pump operation
The most common type of pumping station has two or more
pumps operating in parallel. This provides flexibility of
operation in coping with a range of flow conditions and
allows maintenance of individual units while other units are
in operation.
 Discharge of pumps connected in
parallel
Q = Q1 + Q2 +…..+ Qn
 Head of pumps connected in parallel
H = H1=H2 =….= Hn= constant
 Head of pumps connected in series
H = H1+H2 +….+ Hn
 Discharge of pumps connected in
series
Q = Q1=Q2=…..= Qn= constant
 Multiple pump operation
Design Example 2.5: A centrifugal pump is required to be
made to lift water through 105m heights from a well.
Number of identical pumps having their designed speed
900rpm and specific speed 700rpm with a rated discharge
of 5500l/min are available. Determine the number of pumps
required and how they should be connected?
 Worksheet
1. A centrifugal pump impeller has 0.6m outside diameter
and rotated at 550rpm. Vanes are radial at exit and
8.2cm wide. Velocity of flow through the impeller is
3.5m/s, and velocity in the delivery pipe is 2.5m/s.
Neglecting other losses, calculate head and power of the
pump
2. A two stage centrifugal pump is designed to discharge
55l/s at a head of 70m. If the overall efficiency is 76%
and specific speed per stage about 38,
Find
1 the running speed in rpm
2 the power required to run pump.
 Assignment
Use your textbook (indicate page number)
Clear, short and precise answer is valid
1. Why we use pump? Discuss rotodynamic pump with
respect to pressure head and flow rate.
2. What is importance of Volute, Vaneless and Vaned
diffuser
3. Explain Euler head and slip factor
4. Discuss the effect of impeller blade on performance of
the centrifugal pump
5. What is the difference between the mechanical and
hydraulic losses in pump?
6. What is pump cavitation, and what is its cause?
7. Draw typical pump characteristics and explain
8. Discuss multiple pump operation