CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS (Prepared 2/09/02) Total Head. The total head developed by a centrifugal pump, which represents the energy added to the liquid passing through the pump, is equal to the following (subscripts s and d to refer to conditions at the points of measurement in the suction and discharge lines, respectively) : Cpa Va, H=| Ps, Cay, (fee or Pan Ps Cg) 2g 2g Zt hygthy where H = total (pump) head, ft (m) P = absolute pressure at the point of measurement, psia (kPa abs) Cy = 144 (2) (for constants, number outside parentheses for use with USCS units, number in parentheses for SI units) Y= specific weight of the pumped liquid at the pumping temperature, bf/ft3 (KN/m3) V = average liquid velocity at the point of pressure measurement, ft/s (m/s) hg = head loss from friction and turbulence in piping, valves, and fittings from the pump to the point of Pressure measurement, ft (m) = acceleration from gravity, 32.2 ft/s? (9.81 m/s?) nq elevation at the point of pressure measurement above (+) or below (-) the standard datum (usually the centerline of the first-stage impeller), ft (m) sg = liquid specific gravity at pumping temperature based on 1.00 for fresh water at 68 F (20 C)C2 = 0.433 (9.789) Specific Speed. An impeller’s flow orientation (radial-flow, mixed-flow, or axial-flow, where these classifications refer to the primary orientation with respect to the shaft axis of flow at the impeller‘s discharge) can often be predicted from the specific speed, which is equal t: (Qanr)°* Han where Ng = specific speed N= pump operating speed, rpm Hpgp = total pump head developed by the pump (total head per stage for a multistage pump) during operation at its best efficiency point (BEP), ft Qpgp = total capacity delivered by the pump during operation at its BEP, U.S. gpm Ng is the speed at which a geometrically similar impeller would have to be operated if it were sized to deliver a capacity of one U.S. gpm and develop a total head of one ft. Ngm is often used to identify values of specific speed calculated using Qggp in m3/s and Hpgp in m. The relationship between Nsm and Ng is An approximate correlation between flow orientation and specific speed isFlow Orientation Ng Nem Radial (single suction) < 4200 < 81 (double suction) < 6000 <116 Mixed (single suction) 4200 to 9000 81 to 174 Axial (single suction) > 9000 > 1m Power. The brake power required to drive a pump shaft equals ~H@)sq Pe One where Pp = power required to drive the pump, hp (kW) #H total head developed by the pump, ft (m) Q = total capacity delivered by the pump, U.S. gpm (m3/hr) Ca = 3960 (367.6) Ne = pump efficiency, %/100 Affinity laws. If effects on pump efficiency, which are generally small, are ignored, the capacity delivered (Q), total head developed (#), and power required (Pp) by a centrifugal pump being operated at a new speed or with impeller(s) having a new outside diameter can be predicted using values from the pump’s original performance curves and the following: Na 22-0] 7 where N = pump operating speed, rpm@ = average diameter of the pump’s impeller, in. (mm) subscript 1 refers to conditions with the original speed and impeller diameter subscript 2 refers to corresponding conditions with the new speed and impeller diameter. Net positive suction head. The suction condition for a centrifugal pump is often expressed in terms of net positive suction head (NPSH, which is the anount by which the total suction pressure of the fluid entering the pump exceeds the fuid’s exue vapor pressure at the pumping temperature. Tf the net positive suction head available to a pump is less than the amount required (i.e., NPSHA < NPSHR), cavitation can occur, which is the formation of vapor bubbles due to flashing of sone of the liquid entering the impeller followed by the collapse of the bubbles as they travel into higher pressure regions of the impeller. NPSHA equale: Pe- Prone V3 NPSHA~ +7. 2x89) “29 “* Ny where NPSHA = net positive suction head available at the inlet to the pump, £t (m) Pg = absolute suction pressure at point of measurement, psia (kPa. abs) Pvapor = true vapor pressure of fluid entering the pump, psia (kPa absolute) C2 = 0.433 (9.789) Zs = elevation of point of suction pressure measurement above (+) or below (-) the standard datum, ft (m) Vg = fluid velocity at point of suction pressure measurement, ft/s (m/s)hgg = head loss due to friction and turbulence from the point of suction pressure measurement to the pump inlet, ft (m/s) Values of NPSHR are frequently those that result in a 3% reduction in total head. Suction Specific speed. Suction specific speed, which is a characteristic number based on a centrifugal pump’s suction capability, can be calculated using the following: ga N(Qnen)'? (NPSHR oy, ver)" where S = suction specific speed N= operating speed, rpm Opgp = capacity pumped at the BEP, U.S. gpm. NPSHR3y, pgp = net positive suction head required at the BEP based on a 3% drop in total pump head, ft Values of Qggp and NPSHR34, pgp used to calculate S are generally based on the capacity delivered and the NPSH required with a full-diameter impeller. In addition, because $ is an index of the impeller's suction performance, when a pump has a double-suction first-stage impeller, the value of Qggp used in the above equation should be only one half of the total capacity delivered at the BEP. Sm is often used to identity values of suction specific speed calculated using Qpgp in m3/s and NPSHR34, 5gp in m. The relationship between Sp and S is as followsREFERENCES 1 Hydraulic Institute Standards for Centrifugal, Rotary and Reciprocating Pumps, Hydraulic Institute, Cleveland, OH, 1983. 2 Pump Handbook, I.3. Karassik, et Al., eds., McGraw Hill, New York, 2001 3 Modern Marine Engineer's Manual, Vol. I, 3rd ed., B.C. Hunt, ed., Cornell Maritime Press, 1999. 4 Marine Engineering, Roy L. Harrington, ed., SNAME, 1992.