Elementary

Pump Theory
Dr. P. I. Ayantha Gomes

Water
out

Do always water in
and out over a blade
is like this???

Water in

Water
out

May be water in and out

can be like this!!!

Water in

Water
out

Does always water

move along the blade
like this???
Water in
between inlet
and out let
Water in

Water
out

Perhaps, the water

move like this (e.g.
localised jumps)!!!?

Water in

generally flow
along the blade.
# Nevertheless,
turbulences,
eddies, localised
jumps that are not
visible to naked
eye are obvious
# It is assumed
there are infinite
number of blades
and the gap
between two
blades are
extremely close,
when deriving
equations
#Also, this does
not mean velocity
will be tangential
to the blade, it will
have a resultant
direction that is in
many cases
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unknown, unless

Water particles (say

streamlines) will be
at different directions

V (water, earth) = V (water, blade) + V

(blade, earth)
v1 =
w1
+
Water
out u1

w
1
1

v1

w
Water
in1

1
u1

u1 = r1

V (water, earth) = V (water, blade) + V

(blade, earth)
v1 =
w1
+
Water
out u1

v1

w1

u1

Now we will introduce two

more velocities.
1) The absolute (i.e., relative
to earth) circumferential
velocity of water
2) A radial velocity
component (radial means it
is perpendicular to the
circumferential
component)
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V (water, earth) = V (water, blade) + V

(blade, earth)
v1 =
w1
u1

w1

u1

1
Now we will introduce two
more velocities.
1) The absolute (i.e., relative
to earth) circumferential
velocity of water
2) A radial velocity
component (radial means it
is perpendicular to the
circumferential
component)

11

V (water, earth) = V (water, blade) + V

(blade, earth)
v1 =
w1
+
u1

Vn1

w1

Vt1
u1

Vn1 is the absolute normal velocity component of

the water. Sometimes refer as radial velocity as
this component crosses the center of the impeller
Vt1 is the absolute circumferential velocity of water
Both these are velocities of water, and nothing to
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do with the blade of the impeller

Does Vn1 is actually

a radial velocity?

v1

v1

Vn1
u1

w1

Vn1

w1
1

u1

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By angular momentum
theory
Vt1 and Vt2 are absolute circumferential velocity
components of the flow; then Power delivered to fluid
can be calculated as

Referred as Euler equations for pumps. It shows torque,

power and head are functions of rotor-tip velocities (u)
and absolute fluid velocities (v) only; in other words
independent of any axial velocities through the
machine
Bernoulli equation in
rotating coordinates
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 As radial velocity Vn can be

expressed as

Therefore, by continuity equation

power of the pump can be
expressed as :
b1 and b2 are inlet and outlet
blade widths. This equation
also can be used to calculate
the design flow rate and
usually estimated assuming
the flow enters exactly normal
to the impeller (i.e. 1 is 90)

Example:

Given are the following data for a

commercial centrifugal water pump: r1= 4 in, r2 = 7 in,
1= 30, 2= 20, speed = 1440 r/min. Estimate (a) the
design-point discharge, (b) the water horse power, and
(c) the head if b1 = b2 = 1.75 in.
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