Introduction
A mechanical device called a pump is used for transferring fluids from one region to another, usually by raising the fluid's internal pressure
(piezometric Head). Giving the liquid energy is its primary purpose, which makes it an essential feature of many pressure-driven systems.
Water supply, flood control, irrigation, and industrial fluid systems are just a few of the many uses for pumps that are important to hydraulic
engineering. Pumps are produced in a variety of sizes and types to satisfy distinct operating needs because of their extensive use and
significance in both residential and commercial settings. When choosing a pump for a particular application, important factors including
flow rate, pressure head, efficiency, and size must be carefully considered (Chadwick, 2004).
The emphasis of this practical will be centrifugal pumps, one of the most often used kinds in fluid systems. Impeller blades inside the pump
casing rotate to transform electrical energy into kinetic energy, which powers centrifugal pumps. After then, this kinetic energy is
transformed into pressure energy, which causes fluid to move. This experiment's aim is also to examine the performance traits of a
centrifugal pump running at different speeds. The practical will examine the relationships between the pump's flow rate, pressure head,
rotating speed (RPM), and efficiency. (White, 1999)To gain a better understanding of how centrifugal pumps behave under various
operating conditions, the data gathered during the experiment will be utilized to create performance curves and establish relationships
between pertinent dimensionless parameters, such as the flow coefficient and head coefficient.
2.0. Apparatus
The experiment was carried out using the following tools and supplies:
Centrifugal pump with instrumentation, furnished with:
RPM gauge
Gauge of voltage
Gauge of current unit with variable speed control
Gauges of suction and delivery pressure
Pipes of 0.1m diameter
A flow control valve modifies the system pressure to change the flow rate.
Water Tank: providing the pump's water supply
The Hydraulic Workbench comprises:
reservoir of water
Accumulation tank with a gauge to measure flow discharge
A stopwatch is used to measure how long it takes to gather a certain amount of water.
3.0. Methodology
A centrifugal pump system with instrumentation for measuring electrical input, pressure, and flow was used for the experiment, which ran
for to determine the performance characteristics of a centrifugal pump under various power conditions and flow rates.
Initial Setup
The pump was primed to ensure smooth operation, the water tank was filled to an appropriate level, and the hydraulic workbench, including
the gauged accumulation tank, was prepared for flow measurement. Power Condition Adjustments and Flow Variations: The pump was
operated under three different power conditions, which corresponded to the following rotational speeds: 3000 RPM, 2100 RPM, and 1500
RPM.
Procedure that was taken for every power setting:
At the chosen RPM, the system was given time to stabilize. Recorded were the suction head, delivery head, voltage, and current. Four
different flow rates were produced at the same power condition by adjusting the flow control valve. 10 liters of water were gathered in the
gauged accumulation tank for every valve setting. A stopwatch was used to measure the amount of time needed to gather the ten liters. The
actual flow rate (in L/s) for each situation was computed using this data.
Repetition Across Power Levels:
To guarantee that consistent data was gathered under each power condition with four different flow settings per level, this same procedure
was done for each of the three RPM levels: 3000, 2100, and 1500 RPM.
This systematic methodology made it possible to thoroughly examine how variations in power input and flow rate impact a centrifugal
pump's performance, including pressure head, efficiency, and discharge characteristics.
4.0. Theoretical Background
In this experiment, a dimensional analysis was carried out to determine the main factors influencing a centrifugal pump's performance. The
primary performance indicators were determined to be the following variables:
Volumetric flow rate (discharge) measured by 𝑄
Δ𝑝: The increase in pressure across the pump
𝑃-Power the pump receives
The efficiency of the pump
These factors directly affect the pump's capacity to transport fluid effectively and efficiently, defining its fundamental
functioning features. Several secondary variables were found in addition to the primary variables, and they have an impact on
𝑛-Pump rotational speed (RPM)
pump performance as well, especially when examining behavior under various operating conditions:
D-A measure of the impeller's diameter
ρ-The mass density of the fluid in use
These secondary factors are important for assessing the pump using dimensionless metrics like the power, head, and flow coefficients.
Performance comparisons across various pump sizes and speeds are made possible by these metrics, which also provide a more
comprehensive understanding of pump behavior.
v
a) Flow rate: Q=
t
Where v is the volume of water and t is the time.
b) Power Input: P¿ =VI
Where V is the voltage and I is the current,
c) Power Output: Pout = ρg H p Q
Where ρ is the water density. G is the gravitational acceleration. H p is the pump head and Q as the flow rate.
d) Pump Head: H p=H d−H s
Where Hd is the supply head. Hs is the suction head and hf is the friction head.
P out
e) Efficiency: ր=
P¿
Dimensional Parameters
∆ hg
f) Head Co-efficient: C H = 2
nD
Q
g) Discharge Co-efficient: C Q= 3
nD
P
h) Pump Co-efficient: C p= 3 5
ρn D
Table 1: Results obtained in the Lab
Volume(m3 Time(s) Pressure Head(KPa) Voltage(v) Current(A) RPS
) Suction Supply
Trial 0.01 14,98 -20 65 200 1,6 50
1
0.01 16,16 -10 83 200 1,5 50
0.01 26,27 -2 93 200 1,4 50
0.01 35,51 0 99 200 1,3 50
Trial 0.01 17,73 -7 40 150 1,1 35
2
0.01 23,26 -2 45 150 1,1 35
0.01 31,06 0 49 150 1,1 35
0.01 36,91 1 51 150 1,0 35
Trial 0.01 24,79 -1 21 110 0,9 25
3
0.01 28,50 0 23 110 0,9 25
0.01 31,46 0 24 110 0,9 25
0.01 36,22 0 26 110 0,9 25
RPS ΔP(KPa) Hp Pin(W) Q Pout(W) Efficiency CH CQ Cp
(%)
Trial 1 50 85 8,66 320 0,00067 56,95 17,80 169,91 0,0134 0,256
50 93 9,48 300 0,00062 57,66 19,22 186,00 0,0124 0,24
50 95 9,68 280 0,00038 36,10 12,89 189,92 0,0076 0,224
50 99 10,09 260 0,00028 14 5,38 197,97 0,0056 0.208
Trial 2 35 47 4,79 165 0,00056 26,32 15,95 134,26 0,016 0.385
35 47 4,79 165 0,00043 20,21 12,25 134,26 0,0123 0,385
35 49 4,99 165 0,00032 15,68 9,50 139,86 0,0091 0,385
35 50 5,10 150 0,00027 13,50 9,00 142.95 0,0077 0,350
Trial 3 25 22 2,243 99 0,00040 8,80 8,89 88,02 0,016 0,634
25 23 2,344 99 0,00035 8.05 8,13 91,98 0,014 0,634
25 24 2,446 99 0,00032 7,68 7,76 95,98 0,0128 0,634
25 26 2,650 99 0,00028 7,28 7,35 103,99 0,0112 0,634
References
Chadwick, A. M. (2004). Hydraulics in Civil and Environmental Engineering. E&FN Spon.
White, F. (1999). Fluid Mechanics. (4th ed).