1

TURBOMACHINES
PUMPS PERFORMANCE
2
Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
On the suction side of a pump, There is a possibility of
cavitation occurring within the pump due to low
pressures.
cavitation occurs when the liquid pressure at a given
location is reduced to the vapor pressure of the liquid .
This causes loss in efficiency as well as structural
damage to the pump.
Potential for cavitation is characterized with the
difference between the total head on the suction side,
near the pump impeller inlet,
And
the liquid vapor pressure head,
reference for the elevation head passes through the
centerline of the pump impeller inlet.




3
Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
This difference is called the net positive suction head
NPSH



There are actually two values of NPSH of interest.
NPSH
R
, required NPSH, that must be maintained, or
exceeded, so that cavitation will not occur.
Determined from the above equation
NPSH
A
, available NPSH, which represents the head that
actually occurs for the particular flow system.
This value can be determined experimentally, or
calculated if the system parameters are known.

4
The energy equation applied
between the free liquid
surface, where the pressure is
atmospheric, P
atm
and a point
on the suction side of the
pump near the impeller inlet
yields
head available at the pump impeller inlet is
so that
5
Absolute pressures are normally used since the vapor
pressure is usually specified as an absolute pressure. For
proper pump operation it is necessary that
as the height of the pump impeller
above the fluid surface, z
1
, is
increased, the NPSH
A
is
decreased.
Therefore, there is some critical
value for z
1
above which the pump
cannot operate without cavitation.
if the reservoir is above the
pump, z
1
will be negative in
and the NPSHA will increase
as this height is increased.
Pump Curves
Pump manufacturers supply performance curves for
each of their pumps. These are normally referred to as
pump curves. These curve are generally developed
using water as the reference fluid.
The following can be read directly from a pump curve:
Head vs. flow rate information for any fluid
Pump efficiency for any fluid
Pump horsepower for system operating with water
Pump Performance Curves
Developed
Head
Impeller
Diameter
Efficiency
Flow Rate
NPSH
Horsepower
Example
Q = 300 gpm
D
i
= 10
Head(ft) = 95 ft
(%) = 70
P(hp) = 10HP
Power Input
fluid
water
fluid
water
fluid
Gr Sp
P
P
. . = =

Note: A less dense fluid requires less horsepower

NPSH
Do not use NPSH to size or select a pump unless all else
fails. Pump selection is governed by H vs. Q requirements
of system. When NPSHA is too small, it might be increased
by:
Increasing source pressure (not usually feasible)
Cooling liquid to reduce vapor pressure (not usually
feasible)
Raise elevation of source reservoir
Lower elevation of pump inlet
Raise level of fluid in reservoir

EXAMPLE
Estimate
(a)the design-point discharge,
(b)the water horsepower, and
(c)the head if b1 = b2 =1.75 in.
Given are the following data for a commercial centrifugal water
pump:
From the inlet-velocity diagram, Fig.
with
the discharge is
Solution Part (a)
The angular velocity is
the tip speeds are
Example -Part (b)
The outlet radial velocity follows from Q
This enables us to construct the outlet-velocity diagram as in Fig.
given
The tangential component is
Part (b)
The power is then computed from Eq.
with
at the design point
Part (c)
The head is estimated from
If NPSHA Cant Be Increased
If the pump must be modified to achieve proper NPSH:
Larger slower-speed pump
Double suction impeller
Larger impeller eye
Oversized pump with an inducer
Pump Selection from Many Choices of
Characteristic Curves
1. Examine pump curves to see which pumps operate
near peak efficiency at desired flow rate. This
suggests some possible pipe diameters.
2. Compute system head requirement for a few
diameters.
3. Compute V for some diameters. For water V in the
range of 1 10 ft/s is reasonable (see ahead).
4. Re-examine pump curves with computed head and
pipe diameters. This may give a couple of choices.
5. Pick pump with highest efficiency.
Remember
Maximize pump efficiency
Power input (hp) should be minimized if possible
Selected impeller diameter should not be largest or
smallest for given pump. If your needs change
switching impellers is an economical solution
NPSH required by the pump must be less than
NPSHA
19
Effect of Operating Pumps
in Series, in Parallel
Pumps can be arranged in series or in parallel to provide
for additional head or flow capacity.
When two pumps are placed in series, the resulting
pump performance curve is obtained by adding heads at
the same flowrate.
both the actual head gained by
the fluid and the flowrate are
increased, but neither will be
doubled if the system curve
remains the same.
The operating point is at (A)
for one pump and moves to
(B) for two pumps in series.
20
Effect of Operating Pumps - in Parallel
For two identical pumps in parallel, the combined
performance curve is obtained by adding flowrates at the
same head, as shown in Fig
The flowrate for the system will
not be doubled with the addition
of two pumps in parallel (if the
same system curve applies).
However, for a relatively flat
system curve, as shown in
Fig. a significant increase in
flowrate can be obtained as
the operating point moves
from point (A) to point (B).
21
Dimensionless Parameters and Similarity Laws
Characteristics of pumps are usually determined
experimentally,
dimensional analysis and similitude considerations will be
useful in the study and documentation of these
characteristics.
The principal, dependent pump variables are the actual
head rise, ha, shaft power, W
Shaft
, and efficiency, .
incompressible fluids - compressibility effects not
Considetred

22
Dimensionless Parameters and Similarity Laws
head rise coefficient.
power coefficient
Reynolds number that
represents the relative
influence of viscous effects.
23
Dimensionless Parameters and Similarity Laws
At high Reynolds numbers, the effect of the Reynolds
number can be neglected.
The relative roughness, /D, can also be neglected in pumps
since the highly irregular shape of the pump chamber is
usually the dominant geometric factor rather than the
surface roughness.
All pertinent dimensions, l
i
scaled by a common length scale
The dependent pi terms are functions of only Q/D
3
, so
that
24
Dimensionless Parameters and Similarity Laws
C
Q
= Q/D
3
the flow coefficient
These three equations provide the desired similarity
relationships among a family of geometrically similar
pumps.
25
Dimensionless Parameters and Similarity Laws
It follows then
where the subscripts 1 and 2 refer to any two pumps
from the family of geometrically similar pumps.
If two pumps from the family are operated at the same value of flow
coefficient
With pump scaling laws it is possible
to experimentally determine the performance characteristics of one
pump in the laboratory
and then use these data to predict the corresponding characteristics
for other pumps within the family under different operating conditions.
26
Dimensionless Parameters and Similarity Laws
shows some typical
curves obtained for a
centrifugal pump (12
inch dia, at 1000 rpm.
shows the results plotted in
terms of the dimensionless
coefficients, C
Q
, C
H
, C
P
,
and .
27
From these curves shown in Figure
the performance of different-sized, geometrically similar
pumps can be predicted, as can the effect of changing
speeds on the performance of the pump from which the
curves were obtained.
It is to be noted that the efficiency, , is related to the
other coefficients through the relationship = C
Q
C
H
C
-1
P
.
Dimensionless Parameters and Similarity Laws
28
Special Pump Scaling Laws
Two special cases related to pump similitude commonly
arise.
In the first case we are interested in how a change in the
operating speed, , for a given pump, affects pump
characteristics. For the same flow coefficient (and
therefore the same efficiency) with D
1
= D
2
(the same
pump)


The subscripts 1 and 2 now refer to the same pump
operating at two different speeds at the same flow
coefficient.
29
Special Pump Scaling Laws
Also





Thus, for a given pump operating at a given flow
coefficient, the flow varies directly with speed, the head
varies as the speed squared, and the power varies as
the speed cubed.
These scaling laws are useful in estimating the effect of
changing pump speed when some data are available
from a pump test obtained by operating the pump at a
particular speed.

30
Special Pump Scaling Laws
In the second special case we are interested in how a
change in the impeller diameter, D, of a geometrically
similar family of pumps, operating at a given speed,
affects pump characteristics.
for the same flow coefficient with
1
=
2







31
Special Pump Scaling Laws
The effects of viscosity and surface roughness have
been neglected
But as the pump size decreases these effects more
significantly influence efficiency because of smaller
clearances and blade size.


In general,
The similarity laws will not be very accurate with other fluid
being highly viscous as tests on a model pump uses water
the fluid physics involved with oil Low Re # is different from
the higher Re # flow associated with water.
32
Specific Speed
A useful pi term can be obtained by eliminating diameter
D between the flow coefficient and the head rise
coefficient.



The dimensionless parameter N
s
is called the specific
speed.
In dimensional form.
33
Suction Specific Speed
In dimensional form
With an analysis similar to that used to
obtain the specific speed pi term, the
suction specific speed, S
s
can be
expressed as
This dimensionless parameter is useful in determining the
required operating conditions on the suction side of the pump.
Pump Performance Curves
Developed
Head
Impeller
Diameter
Efficiency
Flow Rate
NPSH
Horsepower
Power Input
For fluids other than water:
q
W
m P

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