AZeotropy 2018

Pump-It Problem Statement

Deadline for Abstract Submission: 11:59 pm, 4th February 2018
About
Working on the basic principle of conservation of energy, pumps serve in a wide range of
applications such as aeration, in the car industry for water-cooling and fuel injection, in the
energy industry for pumping oil or natural gas or for operating cooling towers. Pumps are
also used in the medical industry in artificial replacement of body parts such as artificial
heart and penile prosthesis. Centrifugal pumps are the most extensively used and hence
play an important role in industrial operations. Along with pumps, components like valves
help us to control the process variable of flow rate. Pump-It tries to accomplish the same
and gets your creative and competitive mind working, by providing you a challenging model
making competition wherein you get to drive the fluid. Come up with an innovative idea to
design a flow regulation mechanism by means of which we can get the desired flow rate.

Aim
Make a centrifugal pump powered by a voltage source and force the fluid through veins of
pipes. The objective of the competition is to make students understand the working of the
centrifugal pump, flow regulation and integration of process control in chemical plants.
Participants need to set the parameters of impeller diameter and battery voltage used to
get the flow rate in the desired range. The model should also pump the fluid to a desired
height into a container of specific volume and fill the container till Ho/2, after which height
of the fluid in the container should be maintained below Ho /2. (where Ho is the height of
the container)

Team Specification
1. Each team may consist of maximum 4 participants.
2. Students of different institutions can also form a team.
3. Participants can be from different departments of which at least one member should
be majoring in Chemical Engineering.
4. Teams should first register for Pump-It and get a unique Team ID exclusive for
Pump-It competition.
5. No participant can register for more than one team. In this instance, both the teams
will be subject to disqualification.
Model
Model Components:
1. Centrifugal pump (built from scratch) with the impeller diameter smaller than 12cm.
2. A section containing a motor, a battery (say V volts) and a switch to operate the
battery.
3. Valves or some pressure drop mechanism by which flow rate can be regulated.
(Compulsory: Reasoning of mathematical values like the angle at which valve is
positioned and other parameters need to be stated on the day of competition as
well as in the abstract with proper measurements or experimental data)
4. Transparent container with a feedback mechanism for maintaining the height of the
pumped fluid below Ho/2.

Diagram

Support with proper scaling

Sensor
60 cm

Container
(capacity of
Pipe Clip (1/2 inch) one litre) to
INLET be filled with
Flow pumped fluid
TANK regulator

Stand
Pipe Clip (1/2 inch)
Centrifugal
Pump
Pipe Clips must be used by participants to connect pipes. ALL pipe clips shown in the
diagram must be detachable on the event day. Only the inlet tank (filled with water) and
the stand will be provided on the event day. Pipe Clip here refers to anything connecting
two pipes.
Judging Criteria
A) Structure and Performance of the model – 60%

● Task 1: Crossing the threshold volumetric flow rate of 1 litre/min (with no

flow regulation) - 10%
Note: The volumetric flow rate should be in the range of 1-5 litre/min.
Hint: Set the voltage parameter such that it comes in that range.

● Task 2: Achieving a fixed volumetric flow rate with flow regulation on - 20%
Flow regulation percentage will be mentioned on the event day.
Example. If initial flow rate with no flow regulation is X and flow regulation
percentage is 40%, participants need to bring the flow rate from X to 0.6X.

Performance = 20 * (Achieved flow rate / Desired Flow Rate)

● Task 3:
a) Pumping water to a height of 60 cm (only one reading) - 10%
b) The pumped water needs to be stored in a container of 1 litre volume.
After the container is half filled, the height of the water needs to be
maintained below Ho/2 (Feedback Control using sensors) - 20%

Performance = 20 * (s/(Ho/2))
o Ho/2 is the height of the container of capacity 1 litre
o s is the height of the fluid in the container
o If s > Ho/2, Performance = 10 * (2-(s/(Ho/2))) and the height of the
fluid should either decrease or maintained at a constant value
The reading for s will be taken after 30 seconds from the start of Task 3b.

B) Innovativeness of the flow regulation mechanism – 15%

● The participants will be graded on how creative their flow regulation
technique is
C) Judge Overview – 25%
● The participants will be questioned about the working and the fundamental
concepts involved in their model
D) Bonus Points - 10%
● Innovativeness of the sensor and feedback control mechanism used for
maintaining the height of water in the container

Sample Ideas for sensors: Participants may use refractive index of water to design the sensor
Specifications
1. The outlet diameter of the pipe after the flow regulator must be of 1/2 inch.
2. The inlet pipe must fit into all pipe clips of 1/2 inch.
3. Volume of container to be filled with pumped fluid must be of 1 litre capacity.
The container used should be as uniform as possible.
4. Sensor must be used to maintain the height of water in the container below Ho/2
where Ho is the height of the container of capacity 1 litre.
5. Proper scaling must be mentioned on the support and the container in which water
needs to be pumped. 60cm is the vertical distance from the outlet of the pump.

All the above specifications must be met and will be validated on the event day. Hence,
participants are advised to perform experiments on the above mentioned specifications
before the event day.

Size and Cost Constraints

1. The overall (assembled) size of the model presented on the event day should not
exceed 800mm * 300mm * 1500mm.
2. The centrifugal pump size should not exceed 150mm * 150mm * 50mm.
(a * b * c where a is the length, b is the width and c is the thickness or height)
3. The impeller diameter must be smaller than 12cm.
4. Diameter of the container for storing pumped water must be less than 10cm.
5. Cost of the model should not exceed INR 5,000.

Safety Measures and Instructions

● Participants are required to carry their own safety equipment like gloves and masks.
● The entry must leave no residue on the table or surrounding area.
● Participants are not required to construct an inlet water storage tank in the model.
They may carry a water container just for the experimental purpose on the event
day.

Structure of the competition

A) Registration
● Register for Pump-It at:
http://azeotropy.com/2018/competitions/pumpit.php
● After successful registration, each team will be allotted a unique Team ID which
would be used for all further correspondences.
B) Abstract Screening
It is mandatory for each team to submit an abstract of your model and progress
made until then to be eligible for participation on the event day. It serves as a brief
description of the model prototype. Based on abstract submissions, teams will be
shortlisted for the event day competition. A mail regarding your selection will be
sent to you.
Write an abstract with a detailed description of your model (word limit 1000, file
size not exceeding 1.5 MB).
The abstract should contain the following details:
o Name and contact information of the members and Team ID for Pump-It
o Properly labelled diagram specifying all the components in the model
o Specification of the components to be used in the model
o A short explanation of
▪ How the centrifugal pump was constructed
▪ Functioning and the calibration of flow regulating mechanism
▪ How height of the water in the container is maintained below a level
o Any advantageous/ innovative idea used for the competition
o The amount of each material and component used
o Cost analysis estimate of each material to be used for the model

NOTE:
a) Attaching images of your model is a plus for getting shortlisted though
not compulsory. You are not expected to complete the practical aspect of
the model in the first stage.
b) Upload your abstracts in PDF format only with file name as:
‘PumpIt_<team ID>.pdf’.
c) The decision regarding the selection of abstracts rests with Team
AZeotropy, IIT Bombay. No further correspondence shall be entertained
in this regard.
Deadline for the abstract submission is 11:59 pm, 4th February 2018.

C) Final Round on Event Day

The winners of the competition will be decided on the basis of results from Stage 1
(i.e. abstract selection), and the model presented on the event day and its
performance. The teams will be asked to give a brief overview about their model to
the judges. Based on their understanding and the performance of the model, they
will be graded.
Teams are required to bring a copy of their uploaded abstract (which they may refer
while giving the overview)
General Rules
1. The abstract should contain the original work of the participants and must not be
plagiarized.
2. Modified abstracts can be uploaded to the portal again, but the final abstract
submitted before 11.59 pm, 4th February 2018 will only be considered. Your Pump-It
model should be built based on the final abstract submitted.
3. The problem statement on the website on the abstract submission deadline will be
considered for all evaluations.
4. Any changes in the problem statement and updates regarding the competition will
be notified to the registered participants through emails.
5. Submission of similar abstracts by teams from the same institution or falsifying
information in the abstracts shall lead to immediate disqualification.
6. The decision regarding final selection of the team rests with team AZeotropy 2018.
7. No second attempts will be allowed for any team on the event day.
8. The judging criteria and specifications are subject to changes until the event day.
Team AZeotropy holds all the right to do the same.
9. Final decision making authority lies with Team AZeotropy, IIT Bombay.

Certificate Policy
1. Top 3 teams will be awarded Certificates and Cash Prizes.
2. Certificates and Cash prizes will also be awarded to a team with ‘Best Innovative
Model’ (apart from top 3 teams).
3. Certificate of Participation will be given to all qualified teams performing on the
event day.

Contact
For any doubts regarding the Problem Statement or Registrations, feel free to contact:
Aashutosh B
aashutosh@azeotropy.com
+91-7045800373