ENSC3003 Fluid Mechanics - 2015

Assignment 6
Pumps & Pipework Systems / Flow in Porous Media
Questions 4 and 7 are to be submitted for Marking
Assignment Due : Before 4:00 pm on Monday, May 25th, 2015.
The assignment must be submitted to LMS in a pdf file < 10 MB in size
1.

A centrifugal pump is delivering water at a volumetric flow rate of 250 l/s. During a
test, gauges on the suction and discharge flanges of the pump measure (absolute)
pressures of 80 kPa and 340 kPa respectively.
(a) Assuming that the pump suction is the same diameter as the pump discharge,
calculate the hydraulic power delivered by the pump.
(b) If the pump efficiency is 76%, calculate the power that must be supplied to the
pump (the pump power) to achieve the stated duty.
(c) If the pump suction diameter is 250 mm, and the pump discharge diameter is
200 mm, calculate the hydraulic power (assuming the same flow rate and
pressure change)

2.

A positive displacement pump is delivering a lime dosing solution at a volumetric

flow rate of 0.32 litres per minute. The change in pressure across the pump is 80
kPa. The efficiency of the pump is 80%. The specific gravity of the solution is 1.25.
(a) Assuming that the pump suction is the same diameter as the pump discharge,
calculate the pump power required at the stated duty point.
(b) It becomes necessary to double the flow rate delivered by the pump. How would
you achieve this ?

3.

A centrifugal pump transfers water from one reservoir to another via the pipework
illustrated in the figure attached overleaf. The pump curve is also attached.
(a) Calculate the system curve, and plot it on the pump curve provided. Determine
the duty point for the system.
(b) A design review suggests reducing the flow rate by 8 %. Suggesting a method
by which this could be achieved.

QUESTION 3

33 feet

Swing Check
Valve

P
All bends;
90 degree
Long radius

Fully Open
Gate Valves

Pipework
Length 600 metres
Diameter 200 mm
Roughness 0.15 mm

Pump Curve - Question 3

140
120
100

80
60
40
20
0
0

0.05

0.1
0.15
0.2
Flow rate (cubic metres/second)

0.25

4.

A centrifugal pump is to be installed to transfer water (=1000 kg/m3, =0.001

Pas) from a reservoir to an elevated tank, as shown in the diagram below. To meet
operational demands, the system must deliver a minimum volume flow rate of 220
litres/sec.
(a)

The manufacturers pump curves for the proposed pump are attached
overleaf. Calculate the system curve (calculating a minimum of 3 points on
the curve will be sufficient), plot it on the chart provided, and determine the
duty point and impeller diameter needed to achieve the minimum specified
duty. Charts for the fitting loss factors and pipe friction factor are attached.
(NB please detach the finished chart and submit it with your assignment)

(b)

For the duty point and impeller diameter determined in part (a), calculate
the power that must be supplied by the motor (in Watts).

(c)

If it is assumed that the friction losses in the inlet pipework and fittings may
be regarded as negligible for the purposes of determining NPSHA, is the
proposed pump safe from cavitation at the proposed duty point? The
vapour pressure of water at 293 K can be taken to be 0.238 m (H2O).

(d)

Future plans for the system mean that in the long term the minimum
required flow can be reduced to 180 l/s. Determine the new duty point for
the system, and describe the key modification to the system that you would
recommend to achieve the reduced duty.

Pump Curve for Question 4

5.

A centrifugal pump draws water at a flow rate of 0.14 m3/s from a tank via the
pipework illustrated in the attached figure. At this flow rate, the pump requires a net
positive suction head (NPSHR) of 7.2 metres (H2O). The vapor pressure of water at
20C is 17.535 mm Hg.
(a) Calculate the NPSHA at the pump. Is cavitation likely ?
(b) If cavitation is likely, how would you propose reconfiguring the system to provide
sufficient NPSHA to avoid cavitation ?

90 degree bend
R/D = 0.7

Gate Valve
Fully Open

Pump
Centreline

Reducer

4.0 metres

Pipework
(Total) Length 35 metres
Diameter 200 mm
Roughness 0.1 mm

Pipework
(Total) Length 1 metre
Diameter 150 mm
Roughness 0.1 mm

6.

A reservoir holds water. The water flows by gravity through a sand filter housed in
the exit pipe, as illustrated in the diagram below. At the end of the filter, the flow
exits at atmospheric pressure. The sand grains are uniform, with an effective
diameter of 1.25 mm. The void fraction in the filter is 0.32, and the filter extends
over a length of 20 feet. Calculate the volume flow rate in the exit pipe (in m3/s).

H = 20 ft

Pipe D = 1 ft
20 ft

7.

A domestic water system incorporates an ion exchange resin water softener, as

illustrated in the diagram below. Inlet water enters via the top of the softener - the
initial pressure head of 40 m (H2O) at the entrance to the softener. The water exits
via the bottom of the softener, with a pressure head of 30 m (H2O) at the softener
exit.
Within the softener, the water passes through a vertical (ie aligned with gravity)
cylindrical column that is 4 inches in diameter and 3 feet long. The column is
packed with spherical resin beads, each bead being 4 mm in diameter, to a total
solid fraction of 0.64. The softener incorporates entry and exit volumes to ensure an
even distribution of flow, as illustrated below.
For the inlet and outlet pressures prescribed above, determine the volume flow rate
of water (in m3/s) passing through the softener.

8.

Natural gas is being extracted from an underground rock/soil formation. Over time,
the formation has eroded near the well, so that it has become less dense
approaching the well, as illustrated in the diagram below. The permeability of the
formation is accordingly a function of position within the bed, and, if the bed is
modelled as one-dimensional, is given by
"
x %
K D = K o $1 '
# K1 &
where K0 and K1 are constants, and L is the length of the formation. The pressures
at the entrance and exit to the formation, P0 and PL, may be regarded as constant.
Use the differential form of Darcy's Law to derive an equation giving the volume
flow rate of crude oil through the formation as a function of;
the length L of the formation
the cross-sectional area of the formation (A)
the inlet and outlet pressures P0 and PL
the constants K0 and K1
the viscosity of the crude oil
It may be assumed that the overall cross-sectional area of the formation is constant
along the length of the formation, and that the flow is one dimensional and aligned
with the X direction.

9.

For spherical sand particles, with Dp = 0.015 in and SG = 2.2, and assuming
e=0.35:
(a)
(b)

Estimate the minimum fluidizing velocity if the fluid is air (Assume that the
density of air is 1.2 kg/m3, and the viscosity is 1.8 x 10-5 Pa s at standard
atmospheric conditions).
Estimate the minimum fluidizing velocity if the fluid is water (Assume that the
density of water is 1000 kg/m3, and the viscosity is 0.001 Pa s)