International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Energy Engineering 2012

01-02 February, 2013, Khulna, BANGLADESH

MIE12-089

Effect of Nominal Diameter and Nozzle to Throat Area Ratios on

Suction Lift of Water Jet Pumps
Mohammad Mashud*, Maruf Hasan Rakib, Srabani Karmakar and Md. Rasedul Islam
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Khulna University of Engineering &Technology (KUET), Khulna-9203, BANGLADESH

ABSTRACT
An experiment was carried out to study water jet pumps with different diameters and nozzle-to-throat area ratios. Six
different jet pumps of two different nominal diameters each of three different nozzle-to-throat area ratio were made to carry
out this experiment. The results revealed that the nozzle-to-throat area ratio was an important parameter to characterize the
suction lift of the jet pumps, but nominal diameter had a negligible play role.
Keywords: Nominal Diameter, Nozzle to Throat and Water Jet Pumps

1. Introduction
A jet-pump is a device that uses the venturi effect of a
converging-diverging nozzle to convert the pressure
energy of a motive fluid into velocity energy which
creates a low pressure zone that draws in and entrains a
suction fluid. These accessories are used to suck and
elevate liquids, gases or granular solids. The efficiency
of jet pumps is usually lower than that of conventional
pumps but these accessories have some advantages over
conventional pumps such as reliable operation, no
moving parts, low maintenance cost, long equipment
life, low noise level, and feasibility to operate under
several ranges of pressure and flow rate.
Jet pumps exhibit the beneficial characteristic of being
able to convert a high energy, low volume flow into a
low energy, high volume flow. They are also able to
pump fluids containing high levels of abrasive material
which would quickly destroy the moving parts of a
conventional pump. When used to pump well water, jet
pumps also have the advantage of locating all the
moving parts of the pump on the surface with only the
venturi section underground.
Most experimental study was conducted in this field to
get the maximum efficiency but very few were done on
suction lift. In many cases suction lift is more important
than maximum efficiency. To do so, an afford was made
to get the effect of nominal diameter and nozzle to
throat area ratio on suction lift of water jet pumps.

2. Working Principle
A centrifugal pump delivered water from a feed
tank to the jet pump. The pressure head of water
converts into kinetic energy & there is a considerable
drop of pressure at the end of nozzle. Due to this
pressure drop suction is created which causes the
entrainment of another fluid and accomplishes the
pumping of another fluid. The suction fluid in general
differs from the driving fluid.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +88-01713255226
E-mail address: mdmashud@yahoo.com

Now to explain the working principle of jet pump we

have to focus on the components of jet pump. Basically
jet-pumps are composed of five components. The
driving nozzle, suction nozzle, suction chamber, mixing
chamber or throat and diffuser, as schematically shown
in Fig. 2.1. The motive fluid comes out through the
driving nozzle converting pressure energy into velocity,
which creates a low pressure zone in the suction
chamber? Due to these low pressure suction fluid
entrances at the suction chamber, then mixes with
driving fluid at the mixing chamber. After passing
through the mixing chamber, the mixed fluid expands
and the velocity is reduced. This results in
recompressing the mixed fluids by converting velocity
energy back into pressure energy. The motive fluid may
be a liquid, steam or any other gases, the entrained
suction fluid may be a gas, a liquid, slurry or granular
solids.

Figure 2.1: Components of a jet-pump.

3. Design Procedure
To evaluate the effect of diameter to characterize the
suction lift of the jet pumps, it is needed at least two

different nominal diameter jet pumps of same nozzle to

throat area ratios. On the other hand to evaluate the
effect of nozzle-to-throat area ratio to characterize the
suction lift of the jet pumps, it is needed jet pumps of
several nozzle to throat area ratios of same nominal
diameter. Based on these considerations following
dimensional jet pumps were made. The construction of
jet pump was fully carried out by lathe machine. Nylon
was the material of construction. Following are the
dimensions of jet pump constructed.

Figure 3.1: Schematic view of a Jet Pump.

Table 3.1: Dimensions of Jet Pumps
Jet
Pumps
JP1
JP2
JP3
JP4
JP5
JP6

D(mm)

25
200
32

100

49.00
43.90
38.30
50.00
44.70
39.20

4. Experimental Setup
A centrifugal pump acted as a feed pump. This pump
drew water from a reservoir. The pump delivered fluid
at a rate of 2.0 litre/sec and at a manometric head of
29m(H2O). A jet pump connected with the pipeline
where pressure drop occurred which resulted the
suction of fluid. A pressure gauge used at inlet of the
jet pump to get the pressure head of driving fluid. A
vacuum gauge used at suction entrance to measure the
suction pressure created by jet pump.

Dn/D

0.25

(Dn/Dt)2

Lt/D

Ld/D

Ljp/D

0.53
0.35
0.25
0.53
0.35
0.25

1.72
2.10
2.50
1.72
2.11
2.50

2.67
2.24
1.78
2.67
2.23
1.78

7.30
7.07
6.91
7.26
7.04
7.26

5. Result & Discussion

For different inlet pressure, value of discharge for
different jet pumps (of different nominal diameter &
nozzle-to-throat area ratio) were enlisted, which
graphical representation is given below.

Figure 5.1: Inlet Pressure Vs Discharge graph for all 6

Jet Pumps.

Figure 4.1: Experimental Setup of Jet Pump.

For different inlet pressure, value of suction pressure

for different jet pumps (of different nominal diameter
& nozzle-to-throat area ratio) were enlisted, which
graphical representation is given below.

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and Technology 25 (2) (2011) 391~394.
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Figure 5.2: Inlet Pressure Vs Suction Pressure graph
for all six Jet Pumps.
Figure 5.1 is the representation of Inlet Pressure Vs
Discharge of all six jet pumps of nominal diameter
25mm & 32mm in a single graph. This graph of Figure
5.1 shows that with the increase of nominal diameter
discharge of a jet pump increases significantly.
Figure 5.2, which represents the graph of Inlet Pressure
Vs Suction Pressure of all six jet pumps of nominal
diameter 25mm & 32mm in a single graph, it can
easily been seen that Jet Pump of same nozzle to throat
area ratio but of different nominal diameter gives
almost same Suction Pressure at different Inlet
Pressure. But with the increase of nozzle to throat area
ratio there is a significant increase in Suction Pressure
for same nominal diameter jet pump at different Inlet
Pressure. It indicates that nozzle to throat area ratio has
the important aspect on characterization of Jet Pumps
than the nominal diameter.

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Horizontal injection of gas-liquid mixtures in a water
tank. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, ASCE, 134
(12) (2008) 1722-1731.

6. Conclusion
An experimental study was performed on water jet
pumps with different nominal diameters and nozzle-tothroat area ratios. The results showed that the Suction
Pressure is directly dependent on the Inlet Pressure or
motive pressure head for all jet pumps. It is interesting
to observe that similar behaviors were obtained with
the jet pumps with the same nozzle-to-throat area ratios
but with different nominal diameters (D). So, the
nozzle-to-throat area ratio was found to be an
important geometrical parameter to characterize the
suction lift of the jet pumps, while their nominal
diameter had a negligible impact.
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