One Hour Centrifugal Pump University

What is a Centrifugal Pump?

Developing Kinetic Energy Pressure is Resistance to Flow Head Converting Head to Pressure Impeller Diameter and R.P.M.

Reading a Performance Curve.

Pump Speed (RPMs) Flow Head Trimmed Impeller curves Duty point Brake Horsepower End of Curve Horsepower Pump Size.

Cavitation and NPSH

Cavitation NPSH.

Affinity Laws
Affect of Changes in Pump Speed Affect of Changes in Impeller Diameter

http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

Lesson One - What is a Centrifugal Pump?

Contents

Developing Kinetic Energy Pressure is Resistance to Flow Head Converting Head to Pressure Impeller Diameter and RPMs

Developing Kinetic Energy

A centrifugal pump is a device which converts driver energy to kinetic energy in a liquid by accelerating it to the outer rim of a revolving device known as an impeller. The key idea here is that the energy created is kinetic energy. The amount of energy given to the liquid corresponds to the velocity at the edge or vane tip of the impeller.The faster the impeller revolves or the bigger the impeller is, then the higher will be the velocity of the liquid at the vane tip and the greater the energy imparted to the liquid. Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson One

Pressure is an Indication of Resistance to Flow

The kinetic energy of a liquid coming out of an impeller is harnessed by creating a resistance to the flow. The first resistance is created by the pump volute (casing) which catches the liquid and slows it down. When the liquid slows down in the pump casing some of the kinetic energy is converted to pressure energy. It is the resistance to the pump's flow that is read on a pressure gauge attached to the discharge line. Note!!! A pump does not create pressure, it only creates flow! Pressure is a measurement of the resistance to flow. Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson One

Head
In newtonian fluids (non-viscous liquids like water or gasoline) we use the term head to measure the kinetic energy which a pump creates. Head is a measurement of the height of a
http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

liquid column which the pump could create resulting from the kinetic energy the pump gives to the liquid (imagine a pipe shooting a jet of water straight up into the air, the height the water goes up would be the head). The main reason for using head instead of pressure to measure a centrifugal pump's energy is that the pressure from a pump will change if the specific gravity (weight) of the liquid changes, but the head will not change. So we can always describe a pump's performance on any newtonian fluid, whether it's heavy (sulfuric acid) or light (gasoline) by using the term head. Remember, head is related to the velocity which the liquid gains when going through the pump. Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson One

Converting Head to Pressure

To convert head to pressure the following formula applies:

Newtonian liquids have specific gravities typically ranging from 0.5 (light, like light hydrocarbons) to 1.8 (heavy, like concentrated sulfuric acid). Water is a benchmark, having a specific gravity of 1.0. Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson One

Impeller Diameter and RPM

The two main factors in determining how much head a pump creates are: The Impeller Diameter The RPM of the Impeller (revolutions per minute) Impeller Diameter If the speed (revolutions per minute) of the impeller remains the same then the larger the impeller diameter the higher the generated head. Note that as you increase the diameter of the impeller the tip speed at the outer edge of the impeller increases commensurately. However, the total energy imparted to the liquid as the diameter increases goes up by the square of the
http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

diameter increase. This can be understood by the fact that the liquid's energy is a function of its velocity and the velocity accelerates as the liquid passes through the impeller. A wider diameter impeller accelerates the liquid to a final exit velocity greater than the proportional increase in the diameter. RMPs (Revolutions Per Minute) As the number of revolutions per minute of an impeller increases, the velocity (and head) imparted to the liquid passing through it increases as well. As the impeller revolves more rapidly the rate of increase in the liquid velocity is higher than the rate of rpm increase. In other words, an impeller spinning at 2000 RPMs generates more than twice the head of the same impeller spinning at 1000 RPMs.

Lesson Two: Reading a Pump Performance Curve

Contents

Pump Size Pump Speed (RPMs) Flow Head Trimmed Impeller curves Duty Point Brake Horsepower End of Curve Horsepower

Return to Table of Contents

Let's take a look at a pump curve, the common way of showing a centrifugal pump's performance.

http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

Pump Size Number

The size of the pump, 1-1/2 x 3 - 6 is shown in the upper part of the pump curve illustration. Note that the size number 1-1/2 x 3 - 6 indicates that the pump has a 1-1/2 inch discharge port, a 3 inch suction port, and a maximum nominal impeller size of 6 inches. This type of nomenclature is common, with some companies putting the 3 in the first position instead of the 1-1/2. In either case, standard procedure is that the suction port is the larger of the first two numbers shown and the largest of the three numbers is the nominal maximum impeller size. Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson Two

Pump Speed in RPMs

Also in the upper right hand corner notice that the curve indicates performance at the speed of 3450 RPM (a common electric motorspeed in 60 hz countries). All the information given in the curve is valid only for 3450 RPM. Generally speaking, curves which indicate RPM to be between 3400 and 3600 RPM are used for all two pole (3600 RPM nominal speed) motors applications.

http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson Two

Flow
The pump's flow range is shown along the bottom of the performance curve. Note that the pump, when operating at one speed, 3450 RPM, can provide various flows. The amount of flow varies with the amount of head generated. As a general rule with centrifugal pumps, an increase in flow causes a decrease in head.

Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson Two

Head
The left side of the performance curve indicates the amount of head a pump is capable of generating.

Trimmed Impeller Curves

Notice that there are several curves which slope generally downward as they move from left to right on the curve. These curves show that actual performance of the pump at various impeller diameters. For this pump the maximum impeller diameter is shown as 6 inches and minimum is 3 inches. Impellers are trimmed in a machine shop to match the impeller to the head and flow needed in the application.

Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson Two

Duty Point
The point on the curve where the flow and head match the application's requirement is known as the duty point. A centrifugal pump always operates at the point on it's performance curve where its head matches the resistance in the pipeline. For example, if the pump shown above was fitted with a 6 inch impeller and encountered 100 feet of resistance in the pipeline, then it would operate at a flow of approximately 240 gallons per minute and 100 feet of head. It is important to understand that a centrifugal pump is not limited to a single flow at a given speed. Its flow depends on the amount of resistance it encounters in the pipeline. To control the flow of a centrifugal pump it is normally necessary to restrict the discharge pipeline, usually with a valve, and thus set the flow at the desired rate. Note: Generally speaking, do not restrict a pump's flow by putting a valve on the suction line. This can cause damage to the pump!

Return to Table of Contents

http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

Return to Top of Lesson Two

Brake Horsepower (BHP)

Along the bottom of this performance curve are brake horsepower lines sloping upward from left to right. These lines correspond to the performance curves above them (the top performance curve corresponds to the top BHP line, and so on). These lines indicate the amount of driver horsepower which is required at different points of the performance curve. The lines correspond to a BHP horsepower scale on the lower right hand corner of the page. In our example operating point at 120 gpm and 150 feet of head we observe that the corresponding BHP line equals about 6.8 horsepower. See the chart below.

Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson Two

End of Curve Horsepower

When sizing a motor driver to fit an application it is necessary to consider whether the pump will ever be required to operate at a flow higher than the duty point. The motor will need to be sized accordingly. If the pump may flow out to the end of the curve (if someone opens the restriction valve all the way, for example) it is important that the motor does not become overloaded as a result. Therefore it is normal practice to size the motor not for the duty point, but for the end of curve (EOC) horsepower requirements. In the example shown below, a 7-1/2 hp motor would

http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

adequately power the pump at a duty point of 120 gpm at 150 feet. But notice that the end of curve brake horsepower requires that a 10 hp motor be used.

Lesson Three - Cavitation and NPSH

Contents

Cavitation NPSH

Cavitation
Cavitation is a phenomena which occurs when a liquid vaporizes as it passes through a pump and then quickly turns back into a liquid. The collapse of the vapor bubbles creates destructive microjets of liquid strong enough to damage the pump. Vaporization occurs if the pumped liquid drops below its vapor pressure. As a liquid accelerates through a pump it loses pressure (Bernoulli's Principle). If the pressure drops below the vapor pressure of the liquid then gas bubbles will instantly form as the liquid vaporizes. These bubbles just as quickly collapse, causing cavitation to occur. To prevent cavitation the pressure (more correctly the head) of the liquid entering the pump must be high enough to prevent the subsequent liquid pressure drop from reaching liquid vapor pressure.

Return to Table of Contents Return to Top of Lesson Three

http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

NPSH
A minimum amount of suction pressure (head) is needed for a pump to operate without cavitating. The term used to describe this suction pressure is Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH). The amount of NPSH the pump requires to avoid cavitation is called NPSHR. The amount of NPSH available to the pump from the suction line is termed NPSHA. The chart shown below has NPSHR lines highlighted in green. When selecting a pump it is necessary to see how much NPSH it requires at the duty point and make sure the NPSH available exceeds that amount. For example, in the curve below, a pump operating at 60 gpm and 120 feet of head would require nearly 6 feet of NPSH available at the suction port to avoid cavitation. It is normal practice to have at least 2 feet of extra NPSH available at the suction flange to avoid any problems at the duty point. Also, if the pump were inadvertently operated at a flow higher than the rating point then a higher NPSH would be required to avoid cavitation.

Lesson Four - The Affinity Laws

The affinity laws of centrifugal pump performance express the effect on pump performance due to changes in certain application variables. The affinity law variables which affect pump performance are: 1) Pump speed in pump revolutions per minute (RPM). 2) Impeller diameter. Changing the Pump Speed (RPM):
http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

When the impeller diameter of a centrifugal pump is held constant the effect of changing the speed (RPM) of the pump is in accordance with the following: Capacity: Q1/Q2 = N1/N2 Head: H1/H2 = (N1/N2)2 BHP: BHP1/BHP2 = (N1/N2)3 Where subset number 1 shows performance at the initial speed and subset number 2 shows performance at the new speed, and: Q = Capacity, GPM H = Head, Feet BHP = Brake Horsepower N = Pump Speed,RPM Analysis: As shown from the above equations, changing the speed (RPM) of a pump affects the flow, head and input brake horsepower of the pump in different proportions. Changing the speed affects the flow through the pump by a proportion equal to the increase or decrease in speed. The pump head is changed by the square of the proportion of speed change, while the brake horsepower is changed by the cube of the proportion of speed change. Changing the Impeller Diameter: When the speed (RPM) of a centrifugal pump is held constant the effect of changing the impeller diameter (D) is as follows: Capacity: Q1/Q2 = D1/D2 Head: H1/H2 = (D1/D2)2 BHP: BHP1/BHP2 = (D1/D2)3 Where subset number 1 shows performance at the initial impeller diameter and subset number 2 shows performance at the new impeller diameter, and: Q = Capacity, GPM H = Head, Feet BHP = Brake Horsepower D= Impeller Diameter Analysis:
http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm

Analysis: As shown from the above equations, changing the diameter of a pump impeller affects the flow, head and input brake horsepower of the pump in different proportions. Changing the impeller diameter affects the flow through the pump by a proportion equal to the increase or decrease in diameter. The pump head is changed by the square of the proportion of diameter change, while the brake horsepower is changed by the cube of the proportion of diameter change.

http://www.pricepump.com/pumpschool/Column_With_Contents.htm