Hydraulic Machines III

Centrifugal Pump
JS Demosthenous
21220767
TS Mtetwa
21302898

Contents
Aim

Introduction

Equipments used

Procedure

Raw Data

Table of Readings

Calculations and Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Recommendations

References

10

Aim:
The aim of this experiment is to study the performance characteristics and applications of centrifugal
pump since there is a variety of head, flow rate and efficiency due to the speed of pump.

Introduction:
The centrifugal pump is the machine that is used to transfer energy to a fluid. It contains a set of
rotating vanes enclosed within a casing. Due to the rotation of vanes (impeller) the centrifugal force is
exerted on the fluid by the vanes. The kind of energy that is added to the fluid is kinetic energy, where
that energy is known as the ability to do work. In this kind of pump we also have different kinds of heads
that is the Euler head (He), it is the potential head of the fluid, and it is also known as the virtual head,
the ideal head or the theoretical head. There is a total head which is also known as the manometric
head, this head is the sum of suction head to the manometer and the discharge head from the
manometer. There are some of the heads that are lost to the impeller vanes and the diffuser vanes. The
diffuser vanes are also enclosed in the casing with the impeller.

Equipments used:
Single stage centrifugal pump
Water tanks, (i.e. suction and delivery tank)
Venturi meter
Mercury differential manometer
Impeller fitted on the pump
Direct Current (D.C.) motor with tachometer
Trunnion bearings for the motor
Spring balance
Vacuum gauge and
Pressure gauge

Procedure:
Check that the suction valve is not closed, and the pump must not run at the closed valve position for
more than a minute to prevent the pump gland from being damaged.
The pump was initially set to a speed of 1800 rpm and the speed was maintained constant
throughout the test.
The delivery valve was closed and readings of the delivery gauge, the suction gauge, the
manometer and dynamometer were taken. It was ensured that the pointer on the
dynamometer spring was floating and not against one of the stops.
The delivery valve was fully opened and the readings were recorded on the suction gauge,
delivery gauge, the manometer and the dynamometer load.
Manometer difference was decreased by different increments until eight readings were
recorded, while the delivery valve was gradually closed.
When all the above procedure was completed, the delivery valve was re-opened fully, the speed
was increased 1800 to 2800 rpm and the above procedure was repeated with a constant speed
throughout maintained at 2800rpm.

Raw Data:
Q = Delivery flow rate (l/s)
= Efficiency (%)
N = Rotational speed of the pump (rpm)

= Total head (m H2O)

= Suction head (m H2O)

= Delivery head (m H2O)

= Motor power (W)

F = Dynamometer load (N)

= Hydraulic power (W)

.g = Gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s2)

= Density of water (1000 kg/m3)

Table of Readings:
PRESSURE
Suction (kPa)
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
0
0
0

-10
-10
-8
-7.5
-5.4
-3
-1.2
0

AT LOWER
SPEEDTEST
(1800rpm)
Delivery (bar)
0.2
0.25
0.27
0.3
0.325
0.35
0.35
0.39

AT HIGHER
SPEED TEST
(2800rpm)
0.51
0.6
0.65
0.78
0.8
0.85
0.95
1

Dynamometer Venturi
Load
Manometer
(N)

(N)

5.1
5
4.9
4.7
4.4
4
3.4
2.8

239
220
180
160
130
90
50
10

2.1
2
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.5
1.3

95
80
65
50
40
30
20
10

Calculations and Results:

1. Sample calculations:
I.

Q = 0.0919(h) 0.5
Q = 0.0919 (98) 0.5
Q =0.91 l/s

II.

H total = H d +H s
= 0.095+2.0387
=2.1337m

III.

Motor Power= Dynamometer loadPump speed /53.35

= 2.1*1800/53.35
= 70.6146W

IV.

Hydraulic Power=gpQH total

= 9.81* 1000* 0.0008957*2.134
= 18.7494W

2. Table of Results:
1800rpm
Volumetric flow
rate Q (l/s)

Total or
Manometric
head Htotal (m
H2O)

Motor Power
Pm (W)

Hydraulic power Efficiency

PH (W)
(%)

0.8957
0.8220
0.7409
0.6498
0.5812
0.5034
0.4110
0.2906

2.1340
2.6280
2.8170
3.1080
3.3530
3.5980
3.6080
3.9860

70.6146
67.2520
63.8894
60.5268
60.5268
57.1642
50.4390
43.7138

18.7494
21.1946
20.4773
19.8137
19.1179
17.7656
14.5475
11.3624

26.5517
31.5151
32.0512
32.7353
31.5859
31.0782
28.8417
25.9928

5.4380
6.3360
6.8060
8.0600
8.2850
8.7550
9.7340
10.2040

274.3882
261.5356
256.3049
245.8435
230.1513
209.2285
177.8442
146.4599

75.7888
84.7277
82.3201
91.9147
85.1620
74.8761
62.0527
29.0898

27.6210
32.3962
32.1180
37.3874
37.0026
35.7868
34.8916
19.8620

2800rpm
1.4207
1.3631
1.2330
1.1625
1.0478
0.8718
0.6498
0.2906

3. Graphs:
1800rpm test
Pump Curves

Head

1800rpm
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

Flow

Efficiency Vs Flow
Total Head Vs Flow
Input Powe Vs Flow

2800rpm test
Pump Curves

Head

2800rpm
12

300

10

250

200

150

100

50

0
0

1
Flow

Efficiency Vs Flow
Total Head Vs Flow
Input Powe Vs Flow

Discussion:
When we consider the graphs at the minimum speed of 1800rpm the pump and the system curve
bisects at the volumetric flow rate of 0.425m 3 /s and the pump head of 3.95m H2 O. Operating at an
efficiency of 35%. Thus giving us the working head and flow rate.
Considering the graphs at the maximum speed of 2800rpm the volumetric flow rate is 0.8m 3/s and the
pump head is 9.4m H2O, operating at an efficiency of 49%. Thus giving us the working head and flow
rate.
There for this shows that the speed of the pump increases the flow rate output by the pump, ie: the
flow rate depends on the speed of the pump. As the efficiency is dependent on the flow rate, that
means it is also dependent on the speed of the pump, since it is also increasing with an increase of the
pump speedup to a certain point. At the minimum speed the maximum motor power is 70.85 W, while
at the maximum speed there is a maximum motor power of 267.67W.
This implies that the motor power is directly proportional to the speed of the pump.

Conclusion:
According to the results obtained it can be seen that flow rate increases with an increase in pump speed,
as does the efficiency until a maximum is reached, the efficiency then drops as flow rate continues to
rise.

Recommendations:
The pressures of the centrifugal pump machine are not easily readable because of their scale, perhaps a
more user friendly scale could be incorporated.

10

References:
Fluid Mechanics 3rd edition. Authors: J.F. Douglas, J.M. Gasiorek and J.A. Swaffield. (Reprinted 1995).
Page754.
www.thomasnet.com/articles/pumps-valves.../centrifugal-principles (centrifugal pumping principlesThomas Net). 08 September 2014
Centrifugal pumps. Second edition. Authors: Igor J.Karassik and Terry McGuire (Copyright 1998
Chapman & Hall) page 3
Application of Fluid Mechanics part 2. Author: C.F. Meyer. (December 1995), CM Tek Lecture Materials
cc