Lecture 11

Indicator diagram and its variation

INDICATOR DIAGRAM AND ITS VARIATION
 The indicator diagram for a reciprocating pump is defined as the graph between the

pressure head in cylinder and the distance travelled by the piston from inner dead centre

for one complete revolution of the crank.

 It defines the work done by the reciprocating pump during one complete cycle.

 Pressure is plotted on vertical ordinate while stroke length is plotted on horizontal

abscissa as shown in Fig below

Delivery stroke
d c

hd

e f
Pressure

hs
L
hatm
a b
Suction stroke

Stroke length

Figure 6.20:- Simple indicator diagram

 The acceleration and friction losses in pipe are neglected.

 The horizontal line ‘ef’ represents atmospheric pressure. The line ‘ab’ represents the

pressure in the cylinder during suction stroke. It is below the atmospheric line by amount

hs. The line ‘cd’ represents the pressure in the cylinder during delivery stroke. It is above

the atmospheric line by an amount hd.

  Therefore, the area of the indicator diagram ‘abcd’ represents the work done per

revolution of the crank for single acting reciprocating pump.

 If the pump is double acting, then the work done is approximately twice this amount to

some scale.

 Work done per second,

γ
L h h

γ
Or, ∗ Area of indicator diagram

 The theoretical suction head is limited to 10.3m of water. In practice, however, it is

limited to 7.7m of water. But there is no limitation on the delivery head.

EFFECT OF ACCELERATION
 The piston is connected to the rotating crank by a crankshaft.

 The piston will move to and fro with simple harmonic motion. Therefore, velocity of the

piston will not be uniform at all points; it will be zero at its extreme ends and whereas, it

will be Maximum at its centre

Crank shaft
Piston r
A O
x

Rotating crank

Figure 6.21: Crank Mechanism

  Due to this velocity variation there will be acceleration at the beginning and a retardation

at the end of each stroke. This will also lead to variation in the pressure in the cylinder

with transmission of the water in the suction and delivery pipe.

 Let, A = area of piston or plunger; As = area of the suction pipe; Ad= area of the delivery

pipe; angular velocity of the rotating crank in radians/sec; r= radius of the rotating

crank; ls = length of the suction pipe; ld= length of the delivery pipe; and t = time taken

by the crank to rotate throughout the angle . Subscript s and d stands for suction and

delivery stroke respectively.

Acceleration head Beginning of the stroke Middle of the stroke End of stroke
has θ=00 θ=900 θ=1800

=0

had =0

r
had
d c
had
hd s
e f
Pressure

q
hs
has
a b
Atmospheric has
pressure head p
O
Stroke length

Figure 6.22 : Indicator diagram with acceleration head

 At the beginning of the suction stroke, the acceleration head , is positive and

should be added to the suction head. (as water to be accelerated and vacuum is to be

increased) This is done by setting up ap = has

 At the centre of the stroke, the acceleration head is zero. Finally at the end of the stroke,

water is retarded which causes positive pressure on the piston there by it reduces the

vacuum in the cylinder by the amount has. This is done by setting up bq = has

 pq represents the pressure variation during suction stroke, which is a straight line

variation. Work done during the suction stroke is given by, the area pqfe.

 During the delivery stroke, the pressure is increased from fc to fr at the beginning of the

stroke (that is,had is +ve and hence the pressure head in the cylinder will be (hd+had)

above the atmospheric pressure head), zero at the centre of the stroke ( that is, had=0, and

hence the pressure head in the cylinder equal to hd above the atmospheric) and is reduced

from ed to es at the end of the stroke (that is, hd is –ve and hence, the pressure in the

cylinder will be (hd-had) above the atmospheric pressure head.

Effect of friction in suction and delivery pipes on indicator diagram

 Whenever, the fluid is flowing through a pipe, there is always some loss of head due to

friction of the pipe, which offers resistance to the flow of fluid.

 The loss of head due to friction in the suction pipe is given by,

4 4
2 2

Similarly, for the delivery pipe,

 4
2

 It is evident that, the curves describing frictional losses are parabolic in nature as shown in

Fig. below.

 The loss of head at the beginning and at the end of the suction and delivery strokes, are

zero. At the beginning of the stroke, 0. Therefore, the velocity of water in the pipe is

zero. Consequently, there is no loss of head due to friction.

 Loss of head is Maximum at the middle of stroke as shown in Fig below That is at the

middle of the stroke, 90 .

 At the end of the stroke, 180 , hence, the velocity of water in the pipe is zero.

Consequently, there is no loss of head due to friction.

 The area of the parabola ‘aqb’ and ‘cgd’ represents the work done against friction in

suction and delivery pipes.

g
hfd c
d
h
hd

e f

hs
90
p
a b
hatm 0 hfs 180
q

Fig 6.23.: Effect of friction on indicator diagram

Effect of acceleration and friction in suction and delivery pipes on indicator

diagram

 The loss of head at the beginning and at the end of the suction and delivery strokes, are

zero.

 At the beginning of the stroke, 0, hence, the velocity of water in the pipe is zero.

Consequently, there is no loss of head due to friction.

 If we consider, in addition to acceleration, the effect of friction in the suction pipe, then

in the beginning of the suction stroke, the pressure head will be below the atmospheric

pressure head by (hs+has), because hfs is zero. Loss of head is Maximum at the middle of

stroke as shown in Figure below.

 The loss of head due to friction is,

 In the middle of the stroke, the pressure head will be below the atmospheric pressure

head by (hs+hfs), because, has is zero. At the end of the stroke, 180 the velocity of

water in the pipe is zero. Consequently, there is no loss of head due to friction. At the end

of the suction stroke, the pressure head will be below the atmospheric pressure head by

(hs-has), because hfs is zero.

 Similarly, at the beginning of the delivery stroke, the pressure head will be above the

atmospheric pressure head by (hd+had), because, hfd is zero. In the middle of the delivery

stroke, the pressure head will be above the atmospheric pressure head by (hd+hfd),

because, had is zero. At the end of the delivery stroke, the pressure head will be above

atmospheric pressure by (hd-had), because, hfd is zero.

 It is clear from the indicator diagram that the loss of head due to friction in suction and

delivery pipes increases the area of the indicator diagram and hence, total work required

also increases.

Discharge
r
had
hfd
d
c
had
hd
s
Pressure head

e f

q
hs
has
hatm
a b
Atmospheric has hfs
pressure head Suction
p
Stroke length

Fig 6.24.: Effect of acceleration and friction on indicator diagram

Example 6.10: - The cylinder bore diameter of a single acting reciprocating pump is 150

mm and its stroke is 300 mm. the pump runs at 60 rpm and lifts water through a height of

25 m. The delivery pipe is 22 m long and 100 mm in diameter. Find the theoretical

discharge and the theoretical power required to run the pump. If the actual discharge is

4.5 L/s, find the percentage slip. Also, determine the acceleration head at the beginning

and middle of the delivery stroke.

Solution:
Diameter of the cylinder =0.15 m
Area of the cylinder, A=0.01767 m2

Stroke length, L=0.3 m

Crank radius, r=0.15 m

Speed of the pump, N=60 rpm

Total height through which water is lifted =25 m

Length of delivery pipe =22 m

Diameter of the delivery pipe =0.1m

Actual discharge, Qa=0.0045 cumec

Theoretical discharge is given by the relation,

60

Upon substitution, we get,

0.01767 0.3 60
60

Therefore,

0.00528

The percentage slip is,

100

Upon substitution, we get,

0.00528 0.0045
100
0.00528
 14.77%

Theoretical power, Pt is given by,

1000

Substituting the values,

9810 0.00528 25
1000

1.294

Acceleration head at the beginning of delivery stroke:

Acceleration head in the delivery pipe is given by,

cos

But,

Upon substitution, we get,

2 60
60

6.28

At the beginning of the stroke,

0 cos 1

Therefore,

22 0.01767 6.28 0.15

9.81 0.007854
 29.84

At the middle of the delivery stroke,

90 cos 0

Therefore,