CHE503 FLUID FLOW

CHAPTER 7
ROTATING EQUIPMENT

OUTLINES
Introduction
Types of Pumps
Performance of Pumps
Types of Compressor
Performance of Compressor

INTRODUCTION-PUMPING OF FLUID

a)

b)

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Mechanical pump is usually employed to pumping of

liquids or gases from one vessel to another or through long
pipes.
Eg:
The pumping of liquids such as sulphuric acid or
petroleum products from bulk store to process buildings.
The pumping of fluids round reaction units and through
heat exchangers.
The energy required will depends on;
The height through which the fluid is raised
The pressure required at delivery point
The length and diameter of the pipe,
The rate of flow
The physical properties of the fluid, particularly its
viscosity and density.

PUMPING EQUIPMENT FOR LIQUIDS

The liquids used in the chemical industries differ

considerably in physical and chemical properties, and
it has been necessary to develop a wide variety of pumping
equipment.

There are two broad classification of pumps :

1) Positive displacement pump
- Reciprocating piston
- Rotary gear
2) Centrifugal Pump.

PUMPING EQUIPMENT FOR LIQUIDS

Factors that influence the choice of pump for a particular
operation:
(1) The quantity of liquid to be handled affects the size of the
pump and its desirable to use a number of pumps in parallel.
(2) The head against which the liquid is to be pumped
difference in pressure, the vertical height of the
downstream and upstream reservoirs and by the frictional
losses which occur in the delivery line. The suitability of a
centrifugal pump and the number of stages required will
largely be determined by this factor.
(3) The nature of the liquid to be pumped the viscosity largely
determines the friction losses and hence the power required. The
corrosive nature will determine the material of construction both
for the pump and the packing. With suspensions, the clearances
in the pump must be large compared with the size of the particles.

PUMPING EQUIPMENT FOR LIQUIDS

(4) The nature of the power supply. If the pump is to be driven by

an electric motor or internal combustion engine, a highspeed centrifugal or rotary pump will be preferred as it can
be coupled directly to the motor. Simple reciprocating pumps can
be connected to steam or gas engines.

(5) If the pump is used only intermittently, corrosion problems

are more likely than with continuous working.

The cost and mechanical efficiency of the pump must always be

considered, and it maybe advantageous to select a cheap pump
and pay higher replacement or maintenance costs rather than to
install a very expensive pump of high efficiency.

TYPES OF PUMPS

A. POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS

Reciprocating Pumps

1. PISTON PUMP

Consists of a cylinder with a

reciprocating piston connected to
a rod which passes through a gland
at the end of the cylinder .
The liquid enters from the suction
line through a suction valve and is
discharged through a delivery valve.
Delivery will rise from zero as the
piston begins to move forward to a
max, and then deliver will gradually
fall off to zero.
There will be an interval during the
return stroke and deliver will
remain zero

Single Acting Piston Pump

DOUBLE ACTING PISTON PUMP

The delivery will be similar in the forward &

return strokes.
Constant delivery can be achived.

2. THE PLUNGER OR RAM PUMP

Same principle as the piston type but differs in that the

gland is at one end of the cylinder making its
replacement easier than with the standard piston type.
The sealing of piston and ram pumps has been much
improved but, because of the nature of the fluids frequently
used, care in selecting and maintaining the seal is very
important.
The piston or ram pump may be used for injections of
small quantities of inhibitors to polymerisation units
or of corrosion inhibitors to high pressure systems, and also
for boiler feed water applications.

3. THE DIAPHRAGM PUMP

The
diaphragm
pump
has
been
developed for handling corrosive
liquids
and
those
containing
suspensions of abrasive solids.
It is in two sections separated by a
diaphragm of rubber, leather, or plastics
material. In one section a plunger or
piston operates in a cylinder in which a
corrosive fluid is displaced.
The movement of the fluid is transmitted
by means of the flexible diaphragm to the
liquid to be pumped. The only moving
parts of the pump that are in contact
with the liquid are the valves, and these
can be specially designed to handle the
material.

4. THE METERING PUMP

Driven by constant speed electric motors used when a constant

and controlled rate of delivery of a liquid is required, and they will
maintain this constant rate irrespective of changes in the pressure
against which they operate.
The pumps are ;
-For low throughput and high-pressure applications, usually the
plunger (piston) is used

-for large volumes and lower pressures a diaphragm is used.

The rate of delivery is controlled by adjusting the stroke of the

piston element, and this can be done whilst the pump is in operation.

These pumps may be used for;

the dosing of works effluents and water supplies

the feeding of reactants, catalysts, or inhibitors to reactors at

controlled rates

and although a simple method for controlling flowrate is provided, high

precision standards of construction are required.

B. ROTARY PUMP

1. GEAR PUMP AND LOBE PUMP

Gear and lobe pumps operate on the principle of using mechanical

means to transfer small elements or "packages" of fluid from the low
pressure (inlet) side to the high pressure (delivery) side.

General characteristics are similar with reciprocating piston

pumps, but the delivery is more even because the fluid stream is
broken down into so much smaller elements.
Capable of delivering to a high pressure, and the pumping rate is
approximately proportional to the speed of thSe pump and is not
greatly influenced by the pressure against which it is delivering.
The liquid is carried round in the spaces between consecutive gear teeth
and the outer casing of the pump, and the seal between the high and
low pressure sides of the pump is formed as the gears come into mesh
and the elements of fluid are squeezed out.
Gear pumps are extensively used for both
Newtonian liquids and non-Newtonian fluids.

high-viscosity

GEAR PUMP AND LOBE PUMP

The lobe-pump is similar as gear pump, but the gear teeth are replaced by
two or three lobes and both axles are driven; it is therefore possible to
maintain a small clearance between the lobes, and wear is reduced.

GEAR PUMP

LOBE PUMP

2. CAM PUMP

A rotating cam is mounted eccentrically in a cylindrical

casing and a very small clearance is maintained between
the outer edge of the cam and the casing. As the cam
rotates it expels liquid from the space ahead of it and
sucks in liquid behind it.

The characteristics again are similar to those of the gear

pump.

3. THE VANE PUMP

The rotor of the vane pump is mounted off centre in a

cylindrical casing (Figure 8.9). It carries rectangular vanes
in a series of slots arranged at intervals round the curved
surface of the rotor.

The vanes are thrown outwards by centrifugal action and

the fluid is carried in the spaces bounded by
adjacent vanes, the rotor, and the casing. Most of the
wear is on the vanes and these can readily be replaced.

3. THE VANE PUMP

The flexible vane pump

The pumps described above will not handle liquids

containing solid particles in suspension, and the
flexible vane pumps has been developed to overcome this
disadvantage.
In this case, the rotor (Figure 8.10) is an integral
elastomer moulding of a hub with flexible vanes
which rotates in a cylindrical casing containing a
crescent-shaped block, as in the case of the internal gear
pump.

4. The flow inducer or peristaltic pump

Consist of silicone rubber or other elastic tubing, typically

of 3 to 25 mm diameter, is compressed in stages by means of a
rotor.
The tubing is fitted to a curved track mounted concentrically
with a rotor carrying three rollers. As the rollers rotate, they
flatten the tube against the track at the points of contact.
These "flats" move the fluid by positive displacement, and the
flow can be precisely controlled by the speed of the motor.
These pumps have been
particularly useful for
biological fluids where
all forms of contact
must be avoided.

5. THE MONO PUMP

A special shaped helical metal rotor revolves eccentrically

within a double-helix, resilient rubber stator of twice the
pitch length of the metal rotor.
Gives a uniform flow and quiet in operation. It will pump
against high pressures.
The pump can handle corrosive and gritty liquids and
is extensively used for feeding slurries to filter presses. It
must never be ran dry. Its also can handle highly
viscosity liquid.

6. SCREW PUMPS

A highly viscous material is represented by the screw

extruder used in the polymer industry. Extruders in the
manufacture of simple and complex sections (rods,
tubes, headings, curtain rails, rainwater gutterings and a
multitude of other shapes).
However, the shape of section produced in a given material
is dependent only on the profile of the hole through which
the fluid is pushed just before it cools and solidifies.

SCREW PUMP

C. THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

The centrifugal pump is by far the most widely used type

in the chemical and petroleum industries. It will pump
liquids with very wide-ranging properties and suspensions
with a high solids content including, for example, cement
slurries, and may be constructed from a very wide range of
corrosion resistant materials.
The whole pump casing may be constructed from plastics
such as polypropylene or it may be fitted with a corrosion
resistant lining. Because it operates at high speed, it
may be directly coupled to an electric motor and it
will give a high flowrate for its size.

The centrifugal pump

In this type of pump (Figure 8.19), the fluid is fed to the

centre of a rotating impeller and is thrown outward by
centrifugal action. As a result of the high speed of
rotation the liquid acquires a high kinetic energy and the
pressure difference between the suction and delivery sides
arises from the interconversion of kinetic and pressure
energy.
The impeller (Figure 8.20) consists of a series of curved
vanes so shaped that the flow within the pump is as
smooth as possible. The greater the number of vanes on
the impeller, the greater is the control over the
direction of motion of the liquid and hence the smaller are
the losses due to turbulence and circulation between the
vanes.

Mechanisms:
1. Fluid enters the centrifugal pump
to the center of the pump impeller.

2. The impeller is continuously rotate

at high speed pushes the liquid to the
pump casing.
3. The force created from the impeller
will increase the liquid pressure
at the casing of the pump.
4. When the pressure of the fluid is
higher from the outside environment,
the fluid will flow out through outlet
pipe at the casing.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

(1) It is simple in construction and can, therefore, be made in a wide
range of materials.
(2) There is a complete absence of valves.
(3) It operates at high speed (up to 100 Hz) and, therefore, can be
coupled directly to an electric motor. In general, the higher the speed
the smaller the pump and motor for a given duty.
(4) It gives a steady delivery.
(5) Maintenance costs are lower than for any other type of pump.
(6) No damage is done to the pump if the delivery line becomes
blocked, provided it is not ran in this condition for a prolonged
period.
(7) It is much smaller than other pumps of equal capacity. It can,
therefore, be made into a sealed unit with the driving motor, and
immersed in the suction tank,
(8) Liquids containing high proportions of suspended solids are
readily handled.

THE DISADVANTAGES OF THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

(1) The single-stage pump will not develop a high pressure.
Multistage pumps will develop greater heads but they are very
much more expensive and cannot readily be made in corrosionresistant material because of their greater complexity. It is
generally better to use very high speeds in order to reduce the
number of stages required.
(2) It operates at a high efficiency over only a limited range of
conditions: this applies especially to turbine pumps.
(3) It is not usually self-priming.
(4) If a non-return valve is not incorporated in the delivery or suction
line, the liquid will run back into the suction tank as soon as
the pump stops.
(5) Very viscous liquids cannot be handled efficiently.

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

DISCUSSION

(20 MIN)

IDENTIFY THE ADVANTAGES AND

DISADVANTAGES OF RECIPROCATING PUMP
AND CENTRIFUGAL PUMP.

ADVANTAGES OF CENTRIFUGAL OVER

RECIPROCATING PUMP

Simplest centrifugal pumps are cheaper than the

simplest reciprocating pumps
Centrifugal pumps deliver fluid at uniform
pressure without shocks and pulsations (steady
delivery).
Can directly connected to motor derive without
the use of gears or belts.
They can handle wide range of fluid(eg: with
large amounts of solids in suspension or varies in
viscosities).
Simple in design and small in size but high in
capacity.

ADVANTAGES OF RECIPROCATING

OVER

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

Can be designed for higher heads than

centrifugal pumps
Are not subjected to air binding (presence of air
released from water) and the suction may be
under a pressure less than atmospheric without
necessitating special devices for priming.
They operate at nearly constant efficiency over a
wide range of flowrates.

PERFORMANCE
OF PUMPS

PERFORMANCE OF PUMP

Capacity of the pump/Volume flow rate;

Performance of the pump is characterize by net head,

H.
P

V2
V2

z
g 2 g

g 2 g

out
in

Water horsepower;

Brake horse power, bhp;

W water horsepower gQH

W
shaft Tshaft

Efficiency W

W
gQH
water horsepower
water horsepower
pump

W
bhp
Tshaft
shaft

PUMP PERFORMANCE CURVE

Free delivery

Shut off

H=0

Q=0

Is achieve when there is no flow

restriction at the pump inlet/outlet-no
load to the pump

Is achieve when the outlet port of

pump is blocked off.

Q is very large, but H=0; the pump

efficiency is zero because the pump
did not do any useful work.

H is very large but

efficiency is zero

For given piping system, major

+minor losses, elevation changes,
etc., it caused the required net
head increase with the volume flow
rate.
Available net head of pumps
decreases with flow rate.

Q =0, the pump

The pump efficiency reach the maximum value between

shut off condition and the free delivery condition. (Note as
H*, bhp* and V@Q *)
For steady condition, the pump can operate only along the
performance curve

 Operating point of a piping system is established as the

volume flow rate where the system curve and the pump
performance curve intersect.
BEP should be close to operating point for best
efficiency.

 In unfortunate situations the system curve and the pump

performance curve intersect at more than one operating
point.
It can happen when the system curve is almost flat & meet a
pump that has a dip on its net head performance curve.
This situation should be avoided because the system may hunt
for an operating point, leading to unsteady flow situation

Required net head, H required

H required hpump,u

P2 P1 2V22 1V12

( z2 z1 ) hturbine hL ,total
g
2g

This equation is evaluated from inlet(upstream) to

outlet (downstream).

1.

2.

3.

4.

Pump head delivered to the fluids

does 4 things:It increase it static pressure of the
fluid from P1 to P2
It increases the dynamic pressure of
the fluid from P1 to P2
It raises the elevation of the fluid
from P1 to P2
It overcomes irreversible head
losses in the piping system

Static, dynamic and elevation can be ve/+ve, but head

losses always +ve.
Thus at operating point:-

H required H available

PUMP CAVITATIONS

When pumping liquids, it is possible for the local

pressure inside the pump to fall below the vapor
pressure of the liquid, P Pv
When P Pv
, vapor filled bubbles called
cavitations bubbles appear. In other words, the liquid
boils locally.
After cavitations of bubbles are formed they are
transported through the pump region where the
pressure is higher, causing collapse of the bubble.

Repetition of bubble collapse leads to erosion of the

blade and causing blade failure.
This will cause noise, vibration, reduce efficiency and
damage to impeller blades.
To avoid cavitations , pressure of the pump should
above vapor pressure. P Pv

CAVITATION

NPSH

NPSH- net positive suction head, define as the

difference between the pump inlets stagnation pressure
head and the vapor pressure head.
P
Pv
V2

NPSH

2
g
g

pumpinlet
Minimum NPSHrequired necessary to avoid cavitations
in the pump.

NPSHrequired increases with volume flow rate.

 At the point whereby the NPSH and NPSH required

intersect, the maximum volumetric flowrate can be
estimated
To make sure there is no cavitations , actual NPSH
should be higher then NPSHrequired.
Value of NPSH varies not only with flow rate, but also
with temperature and type of the liquid being pump.

How to increase available NPSH?

Lower the pump/ raised the inlet reservoir level.
Use larger diameter of pipe.
Reroute the piping system such that fewer
minor losses (to decrease minor losses)
Shorten the length of the pipe upstream of the
pipe
Use smoother pipe (to decrease minor losses)
Use elbow with minor loss coefficient.

EXAMPLE 8.2

A centrifugal pump is required to circulate a liquid of density 800

kg/m3 and viscosity 0.5 x 10-3 Ns/m2 from the reboiler of a
distillation column through a vaporiser at the rate of 0.004 m3/s,
and to introduce the superheated vapour above the vapour space
in the reboiler which contains a 0.07 m depth of liquid. If smoothbore 25 mm diameter pipe is to be used, the pressure of vapour in
the reboiler is 1 kN/m2 and the Net Positive Suction Head
required by the pump is 2 m of liquid, what is the minimum
height required between the liquid level in the reboiler and the
pump?

TYPES
OF COMPRESSOR

PUMPING EQUIPMENT FOR GASES

Essentially the same types of mechanical equipment

are used for handling gases and liquids, though the
details of the construction are different in the two cases.
Over the normal range of operating pressures, the density
of a gas is considerably less than that of a liquid with
the result that higher speeds of operation can be employed
and lighter valves fitted to the delivery and suction
lines.

Because of the lower viscosity of a gas there is a greater

tendency for leakage to occur, and therefore gas
compressors are designed with smaller clearances
between the moving parts.
Fans, Blowers and compressors are used to increase
pressure and to cause the flow of air and other gases in
ducts and piping systems.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FANS, BLOWERS AND

COMPRESSORS

A fan is a gas pump with relatively low pressure

rise and high flow rate. Common examples of fans
are window fans, ceiling fans,
fans in
computers and other electronics equipment,
radiator fans in cars.

A blower is a gas pump with relatively moderate to

high pressure rise and moderate to high flow
rate. Common examples of blowers are leaf
blowers, hair dryers, air blowers in furnaces
and automobile ventilation systems.

A compressor is a gas pump designed to deliver a

very high pressure rise, typically at low to
moderate flow rates. Common examples of
compressors are tire pumps, refrigerator and air
conditioner compressors.

Fans and rotary compressors

Fans are used for the supply of gases at relatively low

pressures (<3.5 kN/m2), often at very high flowrates.
Centrifugal fans, which operate on the same principle as
centrifugal pumps for liquids, depend upon the conversion of
the kinetic energy of the gas into pressure energy and are capable
of developing somewhat higher pressures.
Rotary blowers are of the positive displacement type, and a
typical lobe-type of machine.
Machines of this type are capable
of developing pressure differentials
of up to 100 kN/m2; they are made
in a wide range of sizes,
with maximum throughputs of up
to 20,000-30,000 m3 /hr.

CENTRIFUGAL AND TURBOCOMPRESSORS

Multistage centrifugal compressors are mainly used for the

higher pressure ratios and particularly for the
requirements of high capacity chemical plants.

THE RECIPROCATING PISTON COMPRESSOR

Capable of developing very high pressures, such as the pressure

of 35 MN/m2 required in the production of polyethylene.
Compressors may be either single-stage, or multiple-stage where
very high pressures are required.
For a single stage two-cylinder unit, the cylinders are fitted with
jackets through which cooling water is circulated, and inter stage
coolers are provided on multistage compressors which may consist
of anything from 2 to 12 stages.
Cooling is essential to avoid the effects of excessively high
temperatures on the mechanical operation of the compressor, and
in order to reduce the power requirements.

PERFORMANCE
OF COMPRESSOR

POWER REQUIRED FOR COMPRESSION

In practice, it is not possible to expel the whole of the gas from the
cylinder at the end of the compression; the volume remaining in
the cylinder after the forward stroke of the piston is termed the
clearance volume. This clearance will have a significant effect on
the work done per cycle.
The volume displaced by the piston is termed the swept
volume.
Therefore the total volume of the cylinder is made up of the
clearance volume plus the swept volume.
The clearance c is defined as the ratio of the clearance volume to
the swept volume.

COMPRESSION OF GASES.

COMPRESSION OF GASES
TOTAL VOLUME
1

V1 V4 Vs 1 c c
P

Where,
Vs= volume swept
c= clearance percentages/ratio
= isentropic ratio
TOTAL WORK DONE ON FLUID PER CYCLE

P2

P1Vs

1 P1

P2
1 1 c c
P

COMPRESSION OF GASES

Work of compressor in a compressor (Isentropic

condition)
1

P2

P1V1

1 P1

Work of compressor in a compressor (Isothermal

condition)
P2
P1V1 ln
P

Work of compressor in a compressor in n stages

P2

nP1V1
1 P1

1
n

EXAMPLE 8.3

A single-acting air compressor supplies 0.1 m3/s of air

measured at, 273 K and 101.3 kN/m2 which is compressed to
380 kN/m2 from 101.3 kN/m2. If the suction temperature is
289 K, the stroke is 0.25 m, and the speed is 4.0 Hz, what is
the cylinder diameter?
Assuming the cylinder clearance is 4 per cent and
compression and re-expansion are isentropic (y = 1.4), what
are the theoretical power requirements for the compression?