Title : Centrifugal Pump Performance Characteristic

Objective : To obtain performance characteristic of centrifugal pump for a variable

speed centrifugal pump operating at 3 different impeller speeds.
Introduction:
One of the most common radial-flow turbo machines in the centrifugal pump. This type
of pump has two main components: an impeller attached to a rotating shaft, and a
stationary casting (or housing) enclosing the impeller. chematic diagram of basic
elements of centrifugal pump is as shown below.
!asing, housing or volute
Figure1. "asic #lements of !entrifugal $ump
#nergy is added to the fluid by the rotating blade and doth pressure and absolute velocity
are increased as the fluid flows from the eye to the periphery of the blades. The %inetic
energy is converted into further increase in pressure as the fluid flows from the impeller
into the casting enclosing the impeller.
&ischarge
'ub plate
"lade
(mpeller
&ue to the general comple)ity of flow through a centrifugal pump, the actual
performance of the pump cannot be predicted on a comple)ity the theoretical basis.
*ctual pump performance is determined e)perimentally through tests on the pump and
the results are presented as pump performance curves.
$erformance characteristics foe a given pump geometry and operating speed are usually
given in the form of plots of head rise, efficiency and power versus flow rate (commonly
referred as capacity). This information is most helpful to the engineer responsible for
incorporating pump into a given pipe flow system.

Theory Performance Characteristics
!onsider the e)perimental arrangement for determining the head rise (or pressure rise)
gained by a fluid flowing through a pump, as shown schematically below.
Figure!. #)perimental arrangement for pump performance characteristic.
The pump head rise can be e)pressed using the energy e+uation as
hp, (p--p.) /0g 1 (2-12.) 1 (3-
-
-3.
-
) / -g
Typically the differences in elevations and velocities (between inlet and outlet) are so
small so that
hp, (p--p.) / 0g
The power, $f gained by the fluid is given by the e+uation
$f, 0g4hp
5--5.
(-).
(.).
The pump overall efficiency, 6, is the ratio of power actually gained by the fluid to the
shaft power supplied (7 shaft) as given by the e+uation
8,$f/7 shaft
Typical performance characteristics for a centrifugal pump of a given si2e operating at a
constant speed are shown below.
Figure". Typical $erformance !haracteristic of a !entrifugal $ump.
"ra%e horsepower
'ead
hutoff head
#fficiency
'
e
a
d
,

h
"
r
a
%
e

h
o
r
s
e
p
o
w
e
r
,

b
h
p
#
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y
,

8



9low rate, 4 :
#$perimental %pparatus:
The e)perimental set-up consists of:
i. 7ater-flow bench and centrifugal pump.
ii. (nstrumentation for data ac+uisition.
(nstrument panel- ;efer to the schematic diagram below.
i. peed control to change pump speed. $ump speed can be varied over range of :-
3::: rpm.
ii. $ump suction and delivery pressures
iii. Tor+ue measurement.
9low <easurement: using =3> notch wear.
i 9low rate in the system can be measured relating the height of water seen in the
sight glass to graph T. and reading off the flow rate in litter per minute. ee
attachment.
peed <easurement.
i $ump motor speed measurements are made using hand held digital tachometer.
$ump <otor peed !ontrol
<OTO; &;(3#
$?<$ ?!T(O@ $?<$ &#A(3#;
TO;4?# (@m)
T?;"(@# (@A#T
chematic of (nstrument $anel
#$perimental Procedures:
$reliminaries
.) $ump discharge and suction valves is turned to fully open and motor speed
control to 2ero.
-) #lectrical supply and motor drive switch is switched on. <otor control %nob is
slowly adBusted to around half way position. The system is ensured that there are
no lea%s. *ll gauges are chec%. The motor speed is reduced bac% to 2ero. The
apparatus is ready for testing.
*ctual #)periment
i. uction valves and close discharge valves is opened. The minimum speed @. is
selected by adBusting speed control to C:D.
ii. &ischarge is opened and water is allowed to circulate. The volume of flow
indicated is noted and suitable increments in flow to give ade+uate sample points
(about .C points between 2ero and ma)imum flow) are decided.
iii. The discharge valve is closed (corresponding to no flow). *ll the measurements
are read when the measured readings are steady.
iv. The discharge valve is opened slightly, to give the first increment in volume flow.
<easurements are ta%en when readings are steady.
v. tep (iv) is repeated. 3alve is fully opened corresponding to the final
measurements.
vi. The entire e)periment at pump speed corresponds to speed control position of
ECD and ma)imum speed, .::D is repeated.

&o.
'ater
height(
h
)mm*
Capacity(
+
)liter,min*
Inlet
pressure(
P1)m-!O*
.ischarge
pressure( P!
Tor/ue
T(
)&.m*
-ead(
m
bhp
#fficiency(
0 )1*
)psi* )m-!O*
. EF .GC -:.C . :.E: ..3 ..-:3 :.3C :.HI
- EF .GC -:.C - ..G. ..3 ..H:I :.3C :.HI
3 EC .3: -:.3 3 -... ..- -.G:F :.3- :.FH
G E- ..H -:.- G -.F. ..- 3.:.. :.3- :.EF
C IH .:C -:.. C 3.C. ..- 3.I.G :.3- :.II
I IG FF -:.:C I G.-- ... G.-IE :.3: :.CI
E CF E: : E G.H- ..: G.H-: :.-E :.GC
F : : :.:C F C.I- :.C C.CE3 :..G :
2#345T3:
Test 1 Pump speed( &1 6 17!1 rpm( 891
Test ! Pump speed( &! 6 !!1! rpm( :81
&o.
'ater
height(
h
)mm*
Capacity(
+
)liter,min*
Inlet
pressure(
P1)m-!O*
.ischarge
Pressure( P!
Tor/ue
T(
)&.m*
-ead(
m
bhp
#fficiency(
0 )1*
)psi* )m-!O*
. HG --F --.: 3 -... 3.: G..:F ..-I :.C:
- H- -.C -..F C 3.C. -.H C.3.G ..-- :.GF
3 H: -:C -..C E G.H- -.F I.G-: ...F :.GE
G FE .FF -... H I.33 -.E E.G-C ...G :.G3
C FG .E3 -..: .. E.E3 -.I F.E3. ...: :.3H
I F: .CG -:.I .3 H..G -.C H.E3E ..:C :.3C
E EC .3: -:.3 .C .:.CG -.3 .:.FG- :.HE :.3:
F IF .:- : .E ...HC -.: ...HGF :.FG :.-C
H : : :.. .H .3.3C ..: .3.-CG :.G- :
Test " Pump speed( &" 6 "9!; rpm( 1991
&o.
'ater
height(
h
)mm*
Capacity(
+
)liter,min*
Inlet
Pressure(
P1
)m-!O*
.ischarge
Pressure(P!
Tor/ue
T(
)&.m*
-ead(
m

bhp
#fficiency(
0 )1*
)psi* )m-!O*
. .:I 3.: -3.3 C 3.C. C.: I.F.G -.FF :.3G
- .:G -HC -3.: H I.33 G.H H.3-C -.F- :.3-
3 .:- -F: --.F .3 H..G G.F ...H3E -.EE :.3.
G HH -I: --.G .E ...HC G.E .G.3GF -.E. :.-F
C HC -3C --.: -. .G.EI G.C .I.ECH -.CH :.-I
I H: -:C -..G -C .E.CE G.- .F.HE. -.G- :.-3
E F3 .IH -:.F -H -:.3F 3.H -...F- -.-C :..H
F E- ..F -:.. 33 -3..H 3.3 -3.-H3 ..H: :..3
H : : :.. 3I -C.3: ..I -C.-:- :.H- :
3ample of Calculation:
($- psi ) IFHG.ECE) %g/ms
-
, 0 (%g/m
3
) ) g (m/s
-
) ) h (m)
.) IFHG.ECE %g/ms
-
, .:::(%g/m
3
) ) H.F.(m/s
-
) ) h (m)
h , ..G- m'-O
-ead
$. , 0gh
,.::: (%g/m
3
)

) H.F. (m/s
-
) ) (-:.C) (m'-O)
, - GH:C @/m
-
. psi , IFHG.ECE$a (@/m
-
)
Therefore, $- , . psi ) IFHG.ECE
, IFGH.ECE @/m
-
h, ($- - $.)
0g
h.,IFHG.ECE - (- GH:C)
.::: ) H.F.
,..-:3 m
<rea= -orsepo>er
"rea% horsepower, bhp. , T ) @.
C-C-
, ..3 ) .G-.
C-C-
, :.3C
#fficiency
8 , $f / 7shaft
, 0g4h / T@
8. , .::: (H.F.) ( .GC ) .:
-3
/I:) ( :.:EF ) ) .::D
..3 (.G-.J-K/I:)
, :.HI D
?2%P-:
&1 6 17!1 rpm( 891
&! 6 !!1! rpm( :81
&" 6 "9!; rpm( 1991
.I3C433IO&
"elow are the important details for 3 different speeds of pump.
9or the pump speed, &1 6 17!1 rpm:
The efficiency is proportional to the flow rate and it is increase until the
ma$imum value of 9.@;1.
The head of pump is decrease slowly from 8.8:" m to 1.!9" m.
The bra=e horsepo>er is proportional to the flow rate and it is increased from
9.17 bhp until 9.78 bhp.
9or the pump speed, &! 6 1A99 rpm:
The efficiency is proportional to the flow rate and it is increase until the
ma$imum value of 9.891.
The head of pump is decrease slowly from 1".!87 m to 7.19A m
The bra=e horsepo>er graph increase slowly between nine points from 9.7! bhp
to 1.!; bhp.
9or the pump speed &" 6 !999 rpm:
The efficiency is proportional to the flow rate and it is increase until the
ma$imum value of 9."71.
The head of pump is decrease slowly from !8.!9! m to ;.A17 m.
The bra=e horsepo>er is proportional to the flow rate and it is increased from
9.7! bhp until 1.!; bhp.
9rom our inspection, it is found that the overall efficiencies of centrifugal pumps are
high, of the order of H:D in the range. They tend to fall of rapidly at lower type numbers,
mainly because of the increased frictional losses in the long interblade passages of these
narrow impellers.
*lso, the efficiencies depend upon the si2e of the machine and, hence, the capacity
handled. The larger the machine, the higher is the efficiency.
(t is found that the best operating range for the pump is at speed &1 which is e+ual to
17!1 rpm. This is base on the characteristics of the pump at that instant speed. 9rom our
analysis, the average efficiency is e+ual to 9.;;1. 7hile for bra=e horsepo>er the
average value is 9."9 bhp and the head is "."; meter. 9rom the three average of that
value, it is found that the flo> rate( + is between the ranges of 9 to 178 )liter,minutes*.
Therefore due to this factor, we have chosen that the pump will operate efficiently
between this range compare to the other two speeds.

CO&C543IO&
9rom the e)periment, we can conclude that the best performance of this centrifugal pump
to operate is at speed &" 6 17!1 rpm and flo> rate( + between the range of 9 to 178
)liter,minutes*. "y doing this e)periment also, all the characteristics of this pump which
is efficiency( brea= horsepo>er and the head can be defined by using a different speed
of pump, and thus the obBective of this e)periment is achieved already. Therefore it can
be acceptable in order to define any centrifugal pump characteristics.
2eferences:
.) 9luid <echanics (G
th
edition), Lohn 9. &ouglas, Lanus2 <. Masiore%, Lohn
*. waffield, $rentice 'all -::..
-) 9luid <echanics (G
th
edition), 9ran% <. 7hite, <cMraw 'ill (nternational
#dition.