Unit-3, Chapter 5

Centrifugal Pumps

Centrifugal Pumps
A Centrifugal Pump is a turbomachine, which converts mechanical
energy into pressure energy by means of centrifugal action on the
liquid and raises the liquid from a lower level to a higher level.
When a certain quantity of liquid is rotated by external means (prime
mover) inside the pump casing, a forced vortex is set up, which
raises the pressure head of the rotating liquid purely by centrifugal
action.
First step in starting a centrifugal pump is to
prime the pump. Priming is the operation of
filling the suction pipe, casing and a portion of
the delivery pipe with the liquid to be pumped.
The pump can be started after priming. On
opening the delivery valve, the liquid flows in
an outward radial direction. When liquid is
discharged to the delivery side, a partial
vacuum is created near the eye of the impeller
which draws more liquid from the sump into the
impeller, thus maintaining a continuous flow.

Main parts of a single stage centrifugal Pump

Bearings
Prime move
interface

Impeller

Delivery side
flange

Liquid seal

Volute
casing
Shaft
Bearing
oil sump

Foundation
bolts

Suction side
flange

Multi-stage centrifugal Pump

Delivery side flange

Cross-over passage
casing

Impellers

Liquid seal

Prime move
interface
Bearing

Bearing

Liquid seal
Suction side
flange

Foundation bolt

Main parts of a Centrifugal Pump system

Impeller: Connected to a prime mover,
rotates within the casing.
Casing: An air tight chamber
surrounding the impeller. Types of
casing are: Volute, Volute with
vortex
chamber, Diffuser casing
Suction pipe, foot valve and
strainer

Delivery
pipe
Delivery
head
Centrifugal
pump
Suction
pipe

Valve
Base

Suction head

Delivery pipe
Delivery valve or check valve or
regulating valve

Foot valve
and filter

Diffuser
Inlet
Impeller

Inlet

Volute casing

Diffuser casing

Impeller

Centrifugal Pumps - Terminology

Suction head (hs): It is the vertical distance between the pump centre line
and the liquid surface in the sump. It is also called as suction lift.
Delivery head (hd): It is the vertical distance between the pump centre line
and the delivery pipe outlet.
Static (or total) head (Hs): It is the distance between the liquid level in the
sump and the outlet of the delivery pipe. Hs = (hs+hd)
Manometric head (Hm) or Effective head: It is the total head or lift that must
be produced by the pump to satisfy the external requirements. It includes
all the losses like frictional losses, leakage losses etc. If there is no loss,
then the manometric head = Euler head.

H m u2Vw 2 loss of head in impeller and volute

H m H Euler losses

Vd2
H m hs hd h fs h fd
Also,
2g
Vd2
H m H s h fs h fd
2g

Where,
hfs is the frictional loss in the suction pipe
hfd is the frictional loss in the delivery pipe
Vd is the velocity of liquid in the delivery pipe
Assuming no pre-whirl at inlet of pump

Centrifugal Pumps Losses

Following are the predominant losses in centrifugal pumps:
Hydraulic losses: These are,
Shock and Eddy losses at entry and exit of the impeller
Frictional losses in the impeller
Frictional losses in the guide vanes / Volute / Diffuser casings
Frictional and minor losses in suction pipe
Frictional and minor losses in delivery pipe
Mechanical losses: These are,
Disc friction between the fluid and the rotor
Mechanical friction at the bearings and seals
Leakage losses: There will always be some fluid that slips out and never
passes through the delivery pipe. This carries away some amount of energy
with it and is wasted in eddies. This loss of energy is called leakage loss.

Centrifugal Pumps Efficiencies

Efficiency of a centrifugal pump can be expressed in many ways:
Manometric efficiency or Hydraulic efficiency (m or H)
Mechanical efficiency (mech)
Volumetric efficiency (vol)
Overall efficiency (o)
Manometric efficiency (m) is the ratio of the manometric head developed by
the pump to the head imparted by the impeller (Euler head).

Hm
gH m
Hm
H Euler losses
m

H Euler u2Vw 2 H m losses

H Euler
Water power at outlet
m
Power input to the impeller

Centrifugal Pumps Efficiencies

Mechanical efficiency (mech) is the ratio of the power developed by the
impeller to the power supplied to the impeller by the shaft from the prime
mover.

mech

u2Vw 2
Euler Power

u2Vw 2 Mech. losses Input power to the shaft

Volumetric efficiency (vol) is the ratio of the amount of liquid delivered by the
delivery pipe to the actual amount of water entering the pump through the
suction pipe. Due to leakages, all the water sucked into the impeller does not
pass through the delivery pipe.

vol

Qdelivered
Qd

Qdelivered Qleakage Qs

Overall efficiency (o) is the ratio of hydraulic energy output by the pump to
the shaft power input to the pump.

o m mech vol

Centrifugal Pumps Classification

Centrifugal Pumps expression for work done

Work done by the impeller is given by

W .D. Vw 2u2 Vw1u1

J / kg

For maximum work done, Vw1=0

W .D. Vw 2u2

Vr2

Power absorbed by the pump is

P W .D Q

Where
Q = Discharge = d1b1Vf1 = d2b2Vf2
= Density of the fluid
1

b = Width of the impeller

Vf = Flow velocity

Vr1

Centrifugal Pumps pressure rise

Applying Bernoullis equation between inlet and outlet, we get
Energy at inlet + work done by the impeller = Energy at outlet
Assuming V1 = Vf1 and ignoring losses as well as elevation difference
between inlet and outlet, we get

p1 Vr21 u 22 u12
p2 Vr22

g 2 g
2g
g 2 g

or ,

p2 p1 Vr21 Vr22 u22 u12

g

2g

2g

Substituting for Vr1 and Vr2 on the RHS and simplifying, we get

p2 p1 V f21 Vw22 V f22 2Vw2u2

g

2g

Pressure rise & minimum starting speed

Substituting for Vw2 and simplifying, we get

p2 p1 V f21 u22 V f22cosec2 2

g

2g

This is the head rise (m)

Minimum starting speed for pumps

When the pump is started, there will not be any flow until the pressure
developed is able to overcome the manometric head.
If the impeller is rotating and there is no flow, then the water is in a forced
vortex created by the impeller.
2
2
Centrifugal head for zero flow is

u1
2g

Unless this pressure head is equal to or more than the manometric head,
the pump will not deliver water. By this, the minimum speed for a pump
can be determined.

Minimum starting speed

The flow will commence only if

That is,
2

1 d 2 N
1 d1 N

2 g 60
2 g 60
gH m
mano
Vw 2u2
2

u12
Hm
2g

2
2

Hm

1 d 2 N
1 d1 N

2 g 60
2 g 60

Vw 2u2
Vw 2 d 2 N
mano
mano

g
g 60

For minimum speed, using the equal sign,

V d N
2 N 2 d 22 d12

mano w 2 2
2 g 3600
g 60
N

120 manoVw 2 d 2
d 22 d12

or ,

This is the minimum speed for a centrifugal pump