Fluid Dynamics

Assignment no. 5 Solution

Solved by Moosa Naseer

What are characteristic curves?

A pump is usually designed for one speed, flow rate and head, but in actual practice the
operation may be at some other condition of head or flow rate, and for the changed conditions
the behaviour of the pump may be quite different. For instance, if the flow through the pump
is less than the designed quantity, the magnitude of flow velocity through the impeller will be
changed, thereby changing the head developed by the pump, and at the same time the losses
will increase so that the efficiency of the pump will be lowered. Therefore, in order to predict
the behaviour and performance of a pump under varying conditions, pump tests are performed,
and the results of the tests are plotted. The curves thus obtained are known as the
‘characteristics curves ‘of the pump.

How these are used in calculations?

In the simplest words, pump performance curve is a graph of 'differential head' developed by
the pump, plotted against the operating flow rate.
When more fluid is pushed through the pump, it is generally going to develop less differential
head (given the mechanical and power constraints).
The same can be observed on the pump performance curve. For any given impeller diameter,
pump generates the maximum differential pressure or differential head near the shut off point,
when there is very little fluid getting pushed through the pump.
As the flow rate is increased, we move to the right of this graph. And you can find that for the
same impeller diameter, differential head starts to drop as the flow is increased.

But, even as the diff. head drops down the resulting output given by the pump in terms of flow
rate multiplied by differential head goes up because of increasing flow rate. As this happens,
the pump also consumes more and more power to push more fluid while trying to maintain
similar level of differential pressure (or differential head).
As a result, there is a point of optimal efficiency where the pump can operate at highest ratio
of output power / input power. This point is known as the best efficiency point for that pump
and clearly visible on 'Pump Efficiency Curve' plotted on the same chart, against operating
flow rate.
Values of NPSH required (NPSHr) are also provided by the pump maker, in the form of another
graph plotted on the same chart.

Surging and Best efficiency Point:

If a pump doesn't have a minimum flow it will build up discharge pressure. When this
discharge pressure gets high enough the pump cannot overcome it any more and the water starts
to flow backwards. When the water starts to flow backwards, the pump slows down. The
impeller will start to spin backwards building up pressure again. The water inside the pump
will shift back and forth wreaking havoc with your pump impeller. This cycle of spinning
forwards and backwards will repeat itself and will destroy your thrust bearing and destroy your
pump. This backward flow is called surging.
The Best Efficiency Point is defined as the flow at which the pump operates at the highest or
optimum efficiency for a given impeller diameter. When we operate a pump at flows greater
than or less than the flow designated by the BEP, we call this “operating pumps away from the
Best Efficiency Point”.

Effect of Impeller diameter on characteristic curve:

It does not decrease NPSHR and flow cannot stay the same. Single speed Cetrifugal Pumps
operate at the intersection of the system curve and impeller diameter. VFD operation,
increasing or decreasing the motor RPM is the same as increasing or decreasing impeller
diameter. If you modify a system pump and install a larger diameter impeller the power will
increase. The pressure will increase. The flow will increase. All according to the affinity laws
which are reflected in the system curve plotted on the specific mfgs pump curve. The larger
impeller’s point of operation will be to the “right” of the smaller impeller. “Falling down the
curve.” This increases Net Positive Suction Head Required.

Effect of flow rate on characteristic curve:

The pump curve illustrates the available total head at a given flow rate of the pump. Generally,
more head is available in the pump as flow rate decreases. Generally, more head is required
as flow rate increases due to frictional forces and other losses in the system. So, as the flow
rate increases, the performance curve falls down towards right due to loss of available head.

Effect of Head on characteristic curve:

The head is not independent parameter, so it will be vague to define effect of head on
characteristic curve. Head changes in frame of characteristic curves but never increases. Head
is always lost during operation of a pump. So, head will decrease and characteristic curve will
bend as a general consideration.

Effect of efficiency:
The pump characteristics curve have a single best efficiency point. The efficiency depends on
a particular flow rate and differential head and thus efficiency map can show lift up or down
the position of BEP on characteristic curves for a desired NPSH and flow rate including
impeller diameter.
Numerical Example for Assignment:

EXAMPLE 14–11 Design of a New Geometrically Similar Pump

After graduation, you go to work for a pump manufacturing company. One of
your company’s best-selling products is a water pump, which we shall call
pump A. Its impeller diameter is DA _ 6.0 cm, and its performance data
when operating at nA _ 1725 rpm (vA _ 180.6 rad/s) are shown in Table
14–2. The marketing research department is recommending that the company
design a new product, namely, a larger pump (which we shall call
pump B) that will be used to pump liquid refrigerant R-134a at room temperature.
The pump is to be designed such that its best efficiency point
occurs as close as possible to a volume flow rate of VB _ 2400 cm3/s and at
a net head of HB _ 450 cm (of R-134a). The chief engineer (your boss) tells
you to perform some preliminary analyses using pump scaling laws to determine
if a geometrically scaled-up pump could be designed and built to meet
the given requirements. (a) Plot the performance curves of pump A in both
dimensional and dimensionless form, and identify the best efficiency point.
(b) Calculate the required pump diameter DB, rotational speed nB, and brake
horsepower bhpB for the new product.
Reference:
Fluid Mechanics by yonus cengal, chapter 14, example 14.11
Pumps can be arranged and connected in serial or parallel to provide additional head or flow
rate capacity.
Pumps in Serial - Head Added
When two (or more) pumps are arranged in serial their resulting pump performance curve is
obtained by adding their heads at the same flow rate as indicated in the figure below.

Centrifugal pumps in series are used to overcome larger system head loss than one pump can
handle alone.
 for two identical pumps in series the head will be twice the head of a single pump at the
same flow rate - as indicated with point 2.
With a constant flowrate the combined head moves from 1 to 2 - BUT in practice the combined
head and flow rate moves along the system curve to point 3.
  point 3 is where the system operates with both pumps running
 point 1 is where the system operates with one pump running
Note that for two pumps with equal performance curves running in series
 the head for each pump equals half the head at point 3
 the flow for each pump equals the flow at point 3
Operation of single stage pumps in series are seldom encountered - more often multistage
centrifugal pumps are used.
Pumps in Parallel - Flow Rate Added
When two or more pumps are arranged in parallel their resulting performance curve is obtained
by adding the pumps flow rates at the same head as indicated in the figure below.

Centrifugal pumps in parallel are used to overcome larger volume flows than one pump can
handle alone.
 for two identical pumps in parallel and the head kept constant - the flow rate doubles
compared to a single pump as indicated with point 2
Note! In practice the combined head and volume flow moves along the system curve as
indicated from 1 to 3.
 point 3 is where the system operates with both pumps running
 point 1 is where the system operates with one pump running
In practice, if one of the pumps in parallel or series stops, the operation point moves along the
system resistance curve from point 3 to point 1 - the head and flow rate are decreased.
Note that for two pumps with equal performance curves running in parallel
 the head for each pump equals the head at point 3
 the flow for each pump equals half the flow at point 3
Note - for parallel operation
 zero flow or “shut valve” heads must match for the pumps
 unstable pump curves must be avoided
 steeper pump curves are preferred