CHAPTER TWO
Centrifugal Pump
What is Centrifugal Pump?
• A centrifugal pump is a mechanical device that uses a rotating
impeller to move fluids by converting rotational energy into the
fluid's kinetic energy.
• As the impeller spins, it draws fluid in at its center and flings it
outward, increasing its velocity and pressure before it exits the
pump.
• These pumps are commonly used for tasks like water supply,
irrigation, and in various industrial processes.
Components of Centrifugal Pumps
Impeller
• A rotating wheel fitted with a series of backward curved vanes
or blades mounted on a shaft connected to the shaft of an
electric motor. Due to rotation of impeller centrifugal force is
produced on the liquid, which produces kinetic energy in the
liquid. Water enters at the centre of the impeller and moves
radially outward and then leaves from outer periphery of the
impeller with a very high kinetic energy.
Casing
It is an airtight chamber, which accommodates the rotating
impeller. The area of flow of the casing gradually increases in
the direction of flow of water to convert kinematic energy into
pressure energy.
• Suction pipe
It is the pipe through which water is lifted from the sump to the
pump level. Thus the pipe has its lower end dipped in the sump
water and the upper end is connected to the eye or the inlet of the
pump. At the lower end, a strainer and a foot-valve are also fitted.
i. Strainer
It is a screen provided at the foot of the suction pipe, it would not
allow entrance of the solid matters into the suction pipe which
otherwise may damage the pump.
ii. Foot valve
It is a one direction valve provided at the foot of the suction
pipe. It permits flow only in one direction i.e. towards the
pump. Foot valve facilitates to hold the primed water in the
suction pipe and casing before starting the pump. Priming is
the process of filling of water in centrifugal pump from foot
valve to delivery valve including casing before starting the
pump.
• Delivery pipe
Delivery pipe is used for delivery of liquid. One end connected to
the outlet of the pump while the other delivers the water at the
required height to the delivery tank. It consists of following
components:
i. Delivery gauge
This gauge connected on the delivery side of the pump to measure
the pressure on the delivery side.
ii. Delivery Valve
It is a gate valve on the delivery side of the pump to control the
discharge
• Shaft
It is a rotating rod supported by the bearings. It transmits
mechanical energy from the motor to the impeller.
• Air Relieve Valve
These are the valves used to remove air from casing while
priming.
Working of centrifugal pump
• Works on the principle that when a certain mass of fluid is rotated
by an external source, it is thrown away from the central axis of
rotation and a centrifugal head is impressed which enables it to
rise to a higher level.
• In order to start a pump, it has to be filled with water so that the
centrifugal head developed is sufficient to lift the water from the
sump. The process is called priming.
• Pump is started by electric motor to rotate the impeller.
• Rotation of impeller in casing full of water produces forced
vortex which creates a centrifugal head on the liquid.
• The delivery valve is opened as the centrifugal head is
impressed.
• This results in the flow of liquid in an outward radial direction
with high velocity and pressure enabling the liquid to enter the
delivery pipe.
• Partial vacuum is created at the centre of the impeller which
makes the sump water at atmospheric pressure to rush through
the pipe.
• Delivery of water from sump to delivery pipe continues so long
as the pump is on.
In General;
• A motor drives a shaft connected to an impeller with vanes
inside a casing.
• The impeller's rotation creates a low-pressure area at the
center (the eye), which draws the fluid in.
• Centrifugal force pushes the fluid from the center to the
outside of the impeller, increasing its velocity and kinetic
energy.
• The fluid then enters a volute or diffuser, a chamber that
slows the fluid down, converting the kinetic energy into
pressure energy.
• The fluid is finally discharged through an outlet at a higher
pressure than when it entered.
Heads of a Pump
1. Static Head
It is the vertical distance between water levels in the sump and
the reservoir.
Let Hst = Static head on the pump
hs = Height of the centre line of pump above the sump level
(Suction head)
hd = Height of the liquid level in the tank above the centre line
of pump (Delivery head)
Then, Hst = hs + hd
2. Total Head
It is the total head which has to be developed by a pump to
deliver the water form the sump into the tank. Apart from
producing the static head, a pump has also to overcome the
losses in pipes and fittings and loss due to kinetic energy at
the delivery outlet.
Let H = Total head
hfs = Losses in suction pipe
hfd = Losses in delivery pipe
hf = Total friction loss in pipe = hfs + hfd
Vd = Velocity of liquid in delivery pipe.
Then H = hs+ hd + hfs + hfd + Vd2/(2g)
• Losses in the casing and the impeller are not taken into
account in the total head.
3. Manometric Head
• It is usually not possible to measure exactly the losses in the
pump casing. So, a term known as manometric head is
introduced. It is the rise in pressure energy of the liquid in the
impeller of the pump.
• If two pressure gauges are installed on the suction and the
delivery sides as near to the pump as possible, the difference in
their reading will give the change in the pressure energy in the
pump or the manometric head.
Hm = Manometric head of the pump
Hms = Reading of the pressure gauge on the suction side
Hmd = Reading of the pressure gauge on the delivery side.
Then Hm = Hmd - Hms
Losses and Efficiencies
1. Hydraulic Efficiency
Hydraulic losses are the losses the occur between the suction
and the delivery ends of a pump.
Hydraulic efficiency varies from 0.6 to 0.9.
2. Manometric Efficiency
Manometric efficiency is defined as the hydraulic efficiency of
an ideal pump.
3. Volumetric Efficiency
• The pressure at the outlet of the impeller is higher than at the
inlet. Thus there is always a tendency on the part of water to
slip back or leak back through the clearance between the
impeller and the casing.
• There can also be some leakage from the seals. These are
called volumetric losses.
• Volumetric efficiency is the ratio of the actual discharge to the
total discharge.
Q = Amount of discharge
Let ∆Q = Amount of leakage.
ηv = Q / (Q+ ∆Q)
Its value lies between 0.97 and 0.98.
4. Mechanical Efficiency
Mechanical losses in case of a pump are due to
(a) Friction in bearings
(b) Disc friction as the impeller rotates in liquid.
Mechanical efficiency is the ratio of the actual power input to
the impeller and the power given to the shaft.
Let P = Total power input to the shaft
∆ P = Mechanical losses
ηm = (P - ∆ P) / P
Its value lies between 95% - 98%.
5. Overall Efficiency
It is the ratio of the total head developed by a pump to the total
power input to the shaft.
ηo = (ρQgH) / P
Range of overall efficiency is between 0.71 to 0.86.
Problem: A centrifugal pumps delivers 50 liters of water per
second to a height of 15m through a 20 m long pipe. Diameter of
the pipe is 14 cm. Overall efficiency is 72 %, and the coefficient
of friction 0.015. Determine the power needed to drive the pump.
Solution:
Hs = 15m We have,
Q=0.05 m3/s ηo = (ρQgH) / P
l = 20 m H = Hs+ Hf + Vd2/(2g)
f = 0.015
d = 0.14 m
ηo = 72%
Solution:
For which Vd is given by,
Q = π/4 d2 Vd
0.05=π/4(0.14)2 Vd
Vd = 3.25 m/s
And hf = (4 f l Vd2) / (2 g d)
hf = (4x0.015 x 20x3.252)/(2 x9.81x0.14)
hf = 4.61 m
H=15+4.61+ 3.252/(2x9.81)= 20.15m
Power to drive pump can be calculated as follows:
ηo = (ρQgH) / P
0.72 = (1000x0.05x9.81x20.15) / P
Or P = 13726 W = 13.726 k W.