Final Design Report:

Centrifugal Pump for Irrigation

ME 340
Executive Summary:
Water in third world countries is a scarce resource, causing their citizens
to spend over 40 billion hours each year walking to obtain water.
Therefore a consumer need exists for an irrigation system, other than
the traditional irrigation by flooding, which aids citizens in the laborious
process involved in transporting water. Thus, a centrifugal pump is
proposed to supply water for a drip irrigation system.
The geographical locations of many of these countries rarely find
shortages of sunlight. This pump is therefore powered by a BP Solar
photo-voltaic array panel. It is run by a small carbon brush DC motor.
These two factors make it appealing on an environmental basis as well.
The overall design of the pump was chosen based on customer needs.
Flow rate, longevity, and efficiency were found to be the main focus of
our design. Achieving a flow rate of 20.15 gallon per hour and with a net
present value of $597986.10, the pump will be sold for $60.00. With its
ease of portability and lack of maintenance, this product is attractive and
innovative.

Colton Hinkle, Michelle Johnson, and Adam Willms

ME 340 Final Design Report |By:
Confidential
ME 340 Final Design Report
December 18, 2012

Centrifugal Pump

Table of Contents
1.

2.

3.

4.

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.1.

Problem Statement ..................................................................................................... 4

1.2.

Background Information ............................................................................................. 4

1.3.

Project Planning .......................................................................................................... 4

Customer Needs and Specifications ..................................................................................... 4

2.1.

Identification of Customer Needs ............................................................................... 4

2.2.

Design Specifications ................................................................................................... 5

Concept Development .......................................................................................................... 5

3.1.

External Search............................................................................................................ 5

3.2.

Problem Decomposition.............................................................................................. 6

3.3.

Design Concepts .......................................................................................................... 7

3.4.

Concept Combination.................................................................................................. 8

3.5.

Concept Selection........................................................................................................ 8

System Level Design ............................................................................................................. 9

4.1.

5.

Overall Description ...................................................................................................... 9

Detailed Design ................................................................................................................... 10

5.1.

Modifications to Proposal Sections ........................................................................... 10

5.2.

Theoretical Analysis................................................................................................... 10

5.3.

Component and material selection process ............................................................. 11

5.4.

Fabrication processes for the mass production unit ................................................ 11

5.5.

Industrial Design ........................................................................................................ 11

5.6.

Detailed Drawings ..................................................................................................... 12

5.7.

Economic Analysis ..................................................................................................... 12

5.8.

Unit Production Cost ................................................................................................. 13

5.9.

Business Case Justification ........................................................................................ 13

5.10. Safety ......................................................................................................................... 14

5.11. Test procedure .......................................................................................................... 14
6.

Construction of Beta Prototype.......................................................................................... 15

7.

Test Results ......................................................................................................................... 17

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Centrifugal Pump

8.

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 18

9.

References .......................................................................................................................... 19

10.

Appendices...................................................................................................................... 20

10.1. Appendix A Gantt Chart ......................................................................................... 20

10.2. Appendix B - QFD ...................................................................................................... 21
10.3. Appendix C AHP Matrix .......................................................................................... 22
10.4. Appendix D Concept Tree ....................................................................................... 23
10.5. Appendix E Full Black Box Model ........................................................................... 24
10.6. Appendix F Solar Panel Specifications.................................................................... 25
10.7. Appendix G Motor Specifications........................................................................... 27
10.8. Appendix H Concept Scoring .................................................................................. 28
10.9. Appendix I Analysis................................................................................................. 29
10.10. Appendix J Design for Environment ....................................................................... 33
10.11. Appendix K Net Present Value ............................................................................... 34
10.12. Appendix L Exploded View and Drawings .............................................................. 35
10.13. Appendix M Precautionary measures chart ........................................................... 37
10.14. Appendix N Alpha Prototype Test .......................................................................... 37
10.15. Appendix O Analysis for a 1 Impeller.................................................................... 38

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1. Introduction
1.1.

Problem Statement

Our task is to minimize water waste and physical labor often involved in the irrigation of
farms in third world countries. In order to achieve this goal, a micro pump will be designed
for a drip irrigation system, since a drip system is usually 90% efficient [1]. Since many of
these countries are geographically located where sun is abundant, a solar panel with a rated
power of 30 Watts will be used to provide power. Other potential customers that make up a
wide-ranging potential market include local farmers, plant nurseries, gardeners, and
agricultural researches. Cost, aesthetics, simplicity, choice of materials, and efficiency are
other constraints to be considered during the design process.

1.2.

Background Information

Six hundred million subsistence farmers lack irrigation water and live in poverty and could
benefit from an adequate irrigation system [2]. After gaining knowledge about the lifestyle of
these farmers and the environmental conditions in which they live, comparisons of different
pumps through design matrices funneled the decision down to a spring-loaded vane pump.
The team is confident their design will provide the customers with a pump that meets their
needs. The pump will have a target flow rate of 1.9 liters/minute and it will provide a 0.5
meter elevation change in order to function in a drip irrigation system.

1.3.

Project Planning

A Gantt chart (Appendix A) was created to organize tasks and their completion dates and to
keep the team on schedule throughout the project. Our goal was to follow the overall design
process, consisting of the following steps: planning, concept development, system level
design, detail design, test and refine, and production [3]. Specifically, steps include
researching customer needs and types of pumps, applying selection practices to decide upon
the type of pump to be designed, performing calculations to determine the size of pump and
motor that will yield maximum efficiency, create solid works models and prototypes of the
pump, test the prototypes and make final adjustments. Certain tasks were further broken
down into subtasks, which were then assigned to specific members of the team. This form of
organization is concise and easy to follow, making it an efficient medium for setting and
meeting deadlines as well as monitoring the teams progress.

2. Customer Needs and Specifications

2.1.

Identification of Customer Needs

Through a role-play interview of a farmer from a third world country and external research,
the importance of certain needs were determined to be stronger than others. Low cost,
simplicity, and durability were determined as the most critical needs. Many people living on
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Centrifugal Pump

rural farms will not have the financial capacity to afford an expensive pump or to replace one
if it were to break nor will they have special tools required to maintain it. A simple pump, for
which local resources can be used for maintenance, is desirable.
Performance is another important criteria customers consider. The pump must be efficient
and meet a flow rate requirement of (1.9 liters/minute). Farmers lack of experience with
pumps and the language barrier must be taken into account. Therefore, the pump should be
easy to use and have a simple user interface that can easily be taught to the farmers. Other
needs include safety, compactness, reliability, and aesthetics.

2.2.

Design Specifications

A Quality Function Deployment (QFD) chart was created to relate

customer needs to engineering specifications (Appendix B)
[3]. These engineering specifications allow us to see the needs of
the customer and put those needs to an engineering specification
which can be set as a goal during production.
The need for a durable and reliable pump relates to the flow rate
and longevity of the pump. This suggests that a prevention of
leakage, which also applies to the needs of safety and
performance, is important. The pump should be efficient, meeting
the requirements of simplicity and performance. The need for a
repair manual and for special tools to maintain the pump affects
both the simplicity and ease of use of the pump.
The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was utilized to weight the
specifications and rank their relative importance. Figure 1 to the
right is a chart of the specifications with their final weights (see
Appendix C for full AHP chart). [4]
Figure 1: Reduced AHP

3. Concept Development
A thorough amount of investigation, research, planning, and brainstorming went into the
selection and design creation of the rotary spring loaded vane pump. Multiple concepts were
evaluated in order to come to this decision and through this process, important details about
pumps and their creation were learned. This knowledge gave us the confidence that we could
innovatively design a pump that met our customers needs.

3.1.

External Search

The first step in designing a high performance device is to evaluate and analyze existing
products. To gain background knowledge on the subject, an extensive external search was
performed on topics including pump types, solar panels, fluid dynamics, and motors. Some
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Centrifugal Pump

material was available to our group through Dr. Lamancusas references and handouts,
although much of this was introductory information that was used as building blocks to
further refine our search.
The teams research revealed a large selection of possible pump designs. This research
involved comparing and contrasting types of pumps, listing the advantages and disadvantages
to each, as well as patent searches. The options were then slowly narrowed down through
selection matrices, until a decision was reached to use a type of vane pump. A concept tree
following this process is shown in Appendix D. Three main vane pumps include flexible,
spring, and sliding. The patent searches on the three types aided in serving as a benchmark
for the quality required to surpass the competition. This provided design ideas and examples
of successes in the patent, off of which new ideas could be built with the incorporation of
new ways to fix the flaws. The three types of vane pumps are shown below along with their
unique disadvantages.
Table 1: Patent Search for Vane Pumps

Flexible

Disadvantages:
Large input power supply
(inefficient)
Flexible vanes are subject to wear
(longevity)
Friction

3.2.

Spring

Disadvantages:
Spring seals are relatively
expensive to produce (high
cost)

Sliding

Disadvantages:
Require extremely tight
tolerances/difficult to
manufacture

Problem Decomposition

A black box model was created to see the basic subsystems of our total design. Our design
can be boiled down into three major tasks:
a. Creation of electrical power
b. Conversion of electrical power to rotational motion
c. Accelerating of fluid
These three tasks form the basis of the three subsystems of our product which are: the solar
panel, the DC motor, and the pump. See Appendix E for full black box model.
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Centrifugal Pump
3.3.

Design Concepts

Through brainstorming, group discussion, and external research we were able to come up
with ideas as solutions to each of the subsystems we had determined.
Solar Panel:
The solar panel is to be provided for us by the course instructor. The panel provided is a BP
SX330. This panel is a multi-crystalline silicon nitride photovoltaic cell. See Appendix F for
specifications.
DC Motor:
Between the four offered Jameco motors a decision was made to use Jameco part number
2125528. This decision was based on the fact that this motor offers highest speed based off
the voltage that is achievable from our solar panel. (During the beginning stages of design,
the team assumed that a higher speed would generate a higher flow rate. Once analysis was
performed, we realized that motor speed and flow rate are not linearly related and therefore
our assumption was incorrect. The calculations of this analysis can be found in Appendix I.)
With a positive displacement pump, the flow rate is proportional to the rotor speed, which is
proportional to the motor speed. Therefore to achieve the highest flow rate we need a high
speed motor. See Appendix G for specifications.
Pump:
Our choice of pump design began with identification of our customer needs. A QFD chart then
matched the needs to engineering specifications so that the concepts could be ranked, which
provided more informed for brainstorming session. Some of the ideas developed through use
of the sticky note method of brainstorming include: submerged centrifugal pump, flexible
paddle vane pump, spring loaded flexible vane rotary pump, gear pump, and screw pump.
Table 2: Concept Pump Design Sketches
Centrifugal

Flexible Vane Pump

Screw Pump

Spring Loaded Vane Pump

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Centrifugal Pump

3.4.

Concept Combination

Our design is a spring loaded rotary vane pump driven by a DC motor and powered by a solar
panel. The major difference with this pump is the incorporation of design elements from the
flexible vane pump, which has the advantage of easily replacing the paddles once they wear
down. Finding a way to integrate this advantage into our design is crucial, as it will increase
the designs longevity. The ends of the solid paddles of our pump will be coated with a flexible
plastic tip (which will be replaceable), thereby achieving the desired longevity and creating a
better seal against the side wall of the chamber.

Figure 2: Concept Combination

3.5.

Concept Selection

A positive displacement pump was chosen over a centrifugal pump by a concept screening
matrix comparing the two types of pumps, with the positive displacement pump as the
control [3]. After doing external research on the varying types of positive displacement
pumps and ultimately narrowing the decision down to a Single Rotary Positive Displacement
Pump, the team continued research on the different types of pumps under this category. The
team discussed the findings from the research to limit the top three pumps to vane, gear, and
screw. These three pump types were then placed into a concept scoring matrix to compare
them against the selection criteria and determine the pump that would continue forward in
the design process (Appendix H).
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Centrifugal Pump

4. System Level Design

4.1.

Overall Description

Paddle

Spring
Outlet

Inlet
Plastic shell

Water tight
chamber

Central shaft to motor

Figure 3: Initial Spring-Loaded Vane Pump Design

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Centrifugal Pump

5. Detailed Design
5.1.

Modifications to Proposal Sections

With the original design of the spring-loaded vane pump, it was discovered that, with the size
of our motor, friction was a significant problem. When the blades made contact with the side
walls of the chamber there was not enough force to overcome the friction, so their motion
would cease. This unexpected problem led the team to decide to move the rotor to the
center of the chamber, thus allowing clearance for the blades to spin freely.
This first alpha design prototype is pictured below.

Figure 4: Alpha prototype picture

After performing tests and speaking with the professor it was determined that the team had
in reality created a low efficiency centrifugal pump. This low efficiency would be unacceptable
for the project standards and therefore it was decided to start over with a different design.
With this change the team needed to return to earlier design and analysis procedure. The
schedule therefore was modified to include extra steps that were not initially accounted for.
Furthermore, the process had to be modified because the pump type changed from positive
displacement to centrifugal. Different equations, sizing, and material considerations were
applied to accommodate a centrifugal pump design.

5.2.

Theoretical Analysis

Using the performance specifications for Little Giant Pump model 1-42 and affinity rules for
pumps, the flow rate and head were found for three corresponding points for our pump,
which has a 0.75 inch impeller diameter. These points yielded equations that were then
plotted with the system curve to find where they intersected for varying speeds of the motor
(see Appendix I for final plot). Since the mechanical power must equal the flow power, the
torque at each speed was found with an assumed pump efficiency of 50%. The curve for
torque versus speed for the pump was then plotted against the torque versus speed for the
motor at varying voltages (see Appendix I for final plot). Since mechanical power must equal
electrical power, the current could then be found for each voltage of the motor. These points
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11

then plotted with the current and voltage output of the solar panel (see Appendix I for final
plot). This intersection point at 3.5 volts and 0.466 amps was the point at which the system
will operate. Therefore, by working backwards through the previous graphs, it was found that
the system operates at a speed of 4160 rpm, a torque of 1.86 mN-m, a flow rate of 20.15 gph,
and a head of 0.515 meters. From these calculations it was found that the pump will have an
overall efficiency of 37.5%. To improve this efficiency percentage, the team would choose a
smaller motor and increase the impeller diameter to 1 inch.

5.3.

Component and material selection process

The material selection for the construction of this pump must take into account the
environmental impact of our chosen materials. Therefore the maximum amount of
biodegradable or recyclable material is used, shown in the table below.
Table 3: Material Selection
Component

Material
Recyclable
Biodegradable

Clamshell
chamber

Rotor

ABS Plastic
yes
no

ABS
Plastic
yes
no

Housing

Wiring

Motor

PET
yes
yes

THW
over
copper
yes
no

Various
semi
no

ABS plastic is the plastic in which the 3-D printers print; PET is polyethylene terephthalate,
which is a biodegradable and recyclable plastic; and THW is a thermoplastic used to cover
wiring. As seen above, our components are all recyclable or biodegradable, except for the
motor. The inner components of the motor could in theory be recycled after disassembly,
which would not be worth the cost. Since this part is a manufactured assembly it would be
more economically feasible to throw the part away after use. The team developed a design
for environment (DFE) incorporating each of the life stages of the pump to further detail and
support the sustainability of the pump [3]. The full DFE chart can be found in Appendix K.

5.4.

Fabrication processes for the mass production unit

A standard mold for the body of the pump will be used to create a bulk amount at a time
using injection molded plastic. The motor, solar pane, and inlet and outlet tubing will be
purchased in bulk and added to the pump in an assembly line style. The pump will be sealed
and water-proofed then packaged in the factory, making it ready to be delivered.

5.5.

Industrial Design

Industrial design should consist of five critical goals appealing to the ergonomics and
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Centrifugal Pump

aesthetics of the product: utility, appearance, ease of maintenance, low cost, communication
[3]. This pump is easy to use with a simple on/off switch. Since the motor is sealed inside the
housing, and the electrical parts are sealed and waterproofed, it is safe for the user to
submerge the pump in the water as required. The pump is also small in size and light in
weight so it is easy to handle and carry, causing little physical stress. This small size makes it
aesthetically pleasing as well, along with its neutral color and simple form. These aspects
furthermore keep the cost from increasing due to complexity of design. There are few parts
incorporated in the pump and they can be replaced if they malfunction, making the
ergonomics of the pump easy and straightforward for the user.

5.6.

Detailed Drawings

Figure 5: CAD Drawing of Centrifugal Pump

Four screws are used to hold the housing together. The tight fit of all the parts prevents the
water from entering the motor chamber and the outer housing is applied with a water-proof
sealant. For exploded view and dimensioned drawings see Appendix L.

5.7.

Economic Analysis

Development cost is based off of an estimation of the amount of money we spent, and on the
amount of time in which it was spent. Once this value was established we then scaled this
value to the level of production that is specified by the problem statement. The ramp up cost
was estimated based on the initial cost that would ensue if this product were to be put into
production. This value includes: the purchasing of land and a facility, furnishing the facility,
purchasing equipment, paying fees and other startup costs. Our initial sale price was set at
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Centrifugal Pump

13

$60. This price is based off of a rounded 200% markup, which is common among machinery
and technology. As a new company we predict that our sales volume will be low at first, but
they will continue to grow as word of mouth spreads about our product. Also, since the
company is new, it is predicted that the sales will cap out at three quarters of our amount of
production until we prove ourselves as a manufacturer of quality products. This trust from the
cliental is not predicted to occur until after this four-year prediction shown. Finally, the
marketing and support cost is estimated at $5000 in advertising costs, employee payment,
and customer support services. Based off of these figures it is predicted that the company will
be producing a profit by our third year business. For further detail, see Appendix K.

5.8.

Unit Production Cost

Using the Design for Manufacturing (DFM) process, the team was able to find ways to reduce
the overall cost of creating the pump and determined the final Unit Production Cost [3]. The
first step was to estimate the manufacturing cost, including component, assembly, and
overhead costs. A bill of materials (BOM) was developed, concluding with a total cost of
$28.97 (see below for BOM with assumed annual production volume of 100,000 units). From
there the team investigated where prices could be reduced, for example by purchasing parts
in bulk. The areas targeted for reduction were the costs of components, assembly, and
supporting production. One example of reducing assembly costs was to make the top of the
housing self-aligning in order to speed up production. Iteration of these steps was required
to maximize savings. Finally, the impact of these decisions made during the DFM process had
to be evaluated to ensure they didnt create unwanted consequences, such as delaying time
of manufacturing or deducting from the quality of the pump.
Table 4: Bill of Materials

5.9.

Business Case Justification

Similar to the economic analysis in section 5.7, much of our business justification comes from
fiscal benefits of the pump. Based off the BOM, a net present value (NPV) chart (Appendix K)
was created to estimate the future flow of money. All initial costs were exaggerated, or
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Centrifugal Pump

padded to serve as a barrier for any unforeseen problems or uncalculated costs. If setup and
production were to run smoothly, the actual value of these startup costs would be roughly
40% less. As a new company we predict that our sales volume will be low at first, but that
they will continue to grow as word of mouth spreads about our product. Also, it is assumed
that, since the company is new, the sales will cap out at three quarters of the amount of
production. This trend is predicted to continue until consumers accept the company as a
manufacturer of quality products. This trust from our cliental is not predicted to occur until
after this four-year prediction shown. Finally, for marketing and support there is a $5000
estimated cost in advertising costs, employee payment, and customer support services. Based
off of these figures it is expected that the company will be producing a profit by our third year
business.

5.10.

Safety

The EU directive 2006/42/EC states that mechanical systems must not be hazardous to the
user of the machinery in any manner, within the realm of its intended application [6]. Failure
modes must be foreseen and precautions must be taken to prevent dangerous situations.
The table below details possible failure methods and the planned precautionary measure to
be taken to prevent that failure. By creating these safety precautions, the EUs standards
defining safe machinery will be fulfilled. For more information about precautionary measures
to prevent failure, see Appendix M.

5.11.

Test procedure

Flow rate and efficiency are the key features to measure. Therefore the tests, which were
performed on the alpha prototype of the spring-loaded vane pump, were designed to test
these features. These quantities can be determined with one simple experiment. Two liters
of water were measured out, then timed to see how long it took the pump to move a fixed
amount of fluid. When the 2 Liters of water is divided by the time it takes to move the water,
the volumetric flow rate is found. The kinetic energy can be calculated from the volumetric
flow rate. The next step is to calculate the electrical energy input by the motor. The kinetic
energy of the fluid is then divided by the electrical energy input to find the efficiency of the
pump system. Once the efficiency and flow rate are known a decision about any needed
changes can be made.
Applying this process it was found that 2 Liters of water was moved in 36 seconds (.4min).
The tubing had a inch (or .0127 m) inner diameter, which is used to find a flow rate of 3.48
Liters per minute. The kinetic energy of the fluid is found to equal 0.207 Joules. Based off of a
measured current and source voltage, the power supplied is 5.34 J/s and 185.3 Joules of
energy is supplied by the power source over a measured time of 34.7 seconds. From this
analysis, the pump will yield an efficiency of 0.11%. This low efficiency shows that the
positive displacement pump that was designed for the alpha prototype will not yield
acceptable results. Therefore the team must change to a new type of pump for our beta
design. For picture of test performed see Appendix N.

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Table 5: Testing Procedures

Name of Prototype

Purposes

Level of
Approximation

Experimental Plan

Schedule

Pump for Drip Irrigation System

Evaluate if the prototype will be able to create pressure
differences to drive a flow for a positive displacement pump
Evaluate if the prototype will be able to produce the 1.9
liters/min flow rate required
Evaluate that the pump has a way to prime itself
2 level alpha and beta prototypes
Assemble alpha prototype
Test to evaluate if performance is up to par with flow rate and
efficiency by pumping a known quantity of water and timing
Make necessary changes to prototype or start with a new style
for next prototype
Assemble beta prototype
Test to evaluate if performance is up to par with flow rate and
efficiency
Finalize pump for final submission
9-Nov Begin alpha prototype construction
14-Nov Have complete alpha to turn in
15-Nov Make appropriate changes or reworks for beta
3-Dec Beta Prototype completed
10-Dec Final product demonstration and presentation

6. Construction of Beta Prototype

The construction of the centrifugal design of the beta prototype began with the creation of
the housing components. The upper snail shell chamber and its respective top piece were
created from ABS plastic by using the rapid prototype machine. The next step was to create a
base and four side walls for the housing, which was accomplished with the use of a laser
cutter. The last major component produced was the impeller, also created with the rapid
prototype machine. Once all the components are produced they can be assembled by
following the listed steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Drill and tap holes in housing pieces and chamber pieces

Cut PVC pipe to length of motor
Secure motor to the bottom chamber piece by press fitting
Attach impeller to motor shaft
Secure PVC pipe to the bottom chamber piece by adhesive
Attach leads to motor and drill holes in housing base for leads to exit housing
Secure PVC pipe to housing base with adhesive
Screw in housing sides, thus attaching all housing and chamber pieces together
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9. Attach on off switch to leads

10. Place pipe tubing in between chamber clamshell pieces and attach top piece to seal
exit
11. Check that there is a solid seal between all parts before submerging

Figure 6: Outer housing component

Figure 7: Motor housing with inlet tube

Figure 8: Wire connection to motor

Figure 9: On/off switch

Figure 10: Outlet tubing

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Figure 10: Completed housing with screws

Centrifugal Pump

17

7. Test Results
After the completion of the beta prototype, the model was tested to determine the
efficiency, flow rate, and maximum total head at which the product would still pump water.
To determine these variables, multiple tests were conducted that differed slightly from earlier
tests run on the alpha prototype.
The first test that the group performed was to measure the flow rate. The pump was placed
in a tank filled with water, with the output hose in an empty container. The pump was held
closer to the surface as to minimize the vertical distance the hose needed to pump the water.
After being connected to a 9V battery, the pump was run for one minute. The amount of
water in the container was then measured to determine the flow rate in gallons per minute as
opposed to previously measuring the amount of time it took for 2 liters of water to be
transferred. The test was repeated multiple times and an average was taken of the data to
determine the flow rate. Data from the testing can be seen below.
Table 6: Testing Results
Test Run

Amount of water(gal)

1
2
3
4
5
Average

0.76
0.83
0.86
0.79
0.83
0.814 gpm

Determining the max head required a separate test. The pump was placed in a bucket of
water that had a measuring stick taped vertically to it. The group began by running the pump
with the output hose placed at a vertical distance of 10 inches. If water was able to flow from
the output, the pump was shut off and the vertical distance was raised. This process was
repeated until water was unable to be pumped from the output. This maximum height was
found to be 24 inches (approximately 0.6 meters).
At standard operating conditions, 0.5m head, the pump was run to determine efficiency.
Using a volt meter, the voltage was found to be 4.3 V with a current of 0.435 A. Using these
numbers and ones previously calculated, an efficiency of 38% was found.
This number was lower than expected, and is most likely due to a combination of factors.
The first improvement that should be made to our design would be to use a smaller motor.
Increasing the diameter of our impeller from 0.75 inches to a diameter between 1-1 inches
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Centrifugal Pump

would also have proved helpful in increasing our efficiency and flow rate as can been seen by
in Appendix O, analysis of a 1 impeller.

8. Conclusion
Knowledge can be gained through failure, as the team saw through the testing of the
ultimately inefficient alpha prototype. After the preliminary steps of project planning and
organization, defining customer needs and engineering specifications, and brainstorming
preliminary design concepts, the team initially decided to design a spring-loaded vane pump.
The testing of the alpha prototype proved this design inefficient, forcing the team to
reconsider the type of pump chosen. A unanimous agreement was made to change to a more
efficient centrifugal pump. This new design of the beta prototype created a sufficient flow
rate while still being efficient. The final design maintained these qualities, with simply a few
modifications made to the outer housing.
The choice of materials and components make this design environmentally friendly, leaving
minimal impact on its surroundings. It has been determined that these choices are also
economically feasible for the company to be able to gain profit after two years of production.
There are some design aspects that could be changed to improve the pump. One feature is to
design backward-inclined blades for the impeller in order to gain maximum efficiency.
Another aspect is to use injection molding to form the outer housing in order to make the
casing one piece.
A number of skills were learned through the process of designing and creating this pump.
These skills include: how to use a rapid prototype machine, a laser cutting machine, and a mill
machine; how to set up gantt chart and design process, address customer needs, and think
about long term implications of putting product into mass production; and how to readjust
the design and be quick-thinking when failure in inevitable. A few suggestions for this project
are to allow more shop days throughout the semester (for example one class designated to
work on alpha prototype), more detailed guidelines for project memos and meeting minutes,
and starting the project earlier in the semester.

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump

19

9. References
[1] Colorado department of Ag., Irrigation Pump Systems Colorado Attorny
General. October, 4 2012. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/index.html
[2] Vallabh, Rao. "Dowser - The Site for Solution Journalism." Driptech: How
Affordable Irrigation Can Transform Small -plot Farms . N.p., Oct.-Nov. 2011.
Web. 6 Oct. 2012. <http://dows er.org/driptech -how-affordable-irrigation-cantransform-small-plot-farms/>.
[3] Ulrich, Karl T., and Steven D. Eppinger. Product Design and Development.
New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008. Print.
[4] Pump School Inc., Introduction to PD pumps. 2012, Viking Pump Inc.
http://pumpschool.com/index.asp
[5] Peters, Troy R., Ph.D. "Drip Irrigation for Agricultural Producers." WSU, n.d. Web. 2 Oct.
2012.
<http://irrigation.wsu.edu/Secondary_Pages/Irr_Fact_Sheets/DripIrrForAgProducers.pdf>.
[6] "Official Journal of the European Union." Http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:157:0024:0086:en:PDF. DIRECTIVE
2006/42/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL, 17 May 2006. Web. 28
Nov. 2012.

ME 340 Final Design Report

20

Centrifugal Pump

10. Appendices
10.1.

Appendix A Gantt Chart

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump
10.2.

Appendix B - QFD

ME 340 Final Design Report

21

22

Centrifugal Pump

10.3.

Appendix C AHP Matrix

The AHP Matrix uses a scale from 1 to 3 representing the ratio of importance. For example, a
3:1 ratio would signify that the first specification was valued at 3 times more important than
the second specification. A scale of 1:1 ranks the specifications equally important.

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump
10.4.

Appendix D Concept Tree

ME 340 Final Design Report

23

24

Centrifugal Pump

10.5.

Appendix E Full Black Box Model

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump
10.6.

Appendix F Solar Panel Specifications

ME 340 Final Design Report

25

26

Centrifugal Pump

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump
10.7.

Appendix G Motor Specifications

http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/2125528.pdf

ME 340 Final Design Report

27

28

Centrifugal Pump

10.8.

Appendix H Concept Scoring

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump
10.9.

29

Appendix I Analysis

End Results of Analysis:

Curves Intersect at
I
0.466
V
3.5
T (mN-m)
1.86
rpm
4160
Q (gph)
20.15
H (ft)
1.69
Efficiency 37.50%

Pump Output and System Input

Pump Impeller Diameter (in)
Static Head Z (ft)
Pump Efficiency

0.75
1.64
0.7

Pump Delivery Curve From Dr. L

Dia
RPM
Q (gph)
0
50
100
150
200
220
Pump Delivery Curve
(our data)
RPM
4000
Q (gph)
Hp (ft)
0.00
2.80
7.69
2.46
15.38
2.04
23.08
1.48
30.77
0.49
33.85
0.00

RPM
5000
Q (gph)
Hp (ft)
0.00
4.38
9.62
3.85
19.23
3.20
28.85
2.31
38.46
0.77
42.31
0.00

1.5
3250
Hp
(ft)
7.4
6.5
5.4
3.9
1.3
0

RPM
6000
Q (gph) Hp (ft)
0.00
6.31
11.54
5.54
23.08
4.60
34.62
3.32
46.15
1.11
50.77
0.00

RPM
7000
Q (gph)
Hp (ft)
0.00
8.58
13.46
7.54
26.92
6.26
40.38
4.52
53.85
1.51
59.23
0.00

System
ME 340 Final Design Report

Operating Point
Rpm
4160
Q (gph)
Hp (ft)
0 3.03104
8 2.6624
16 2.21184
24 1.59744
32 0.53248
35.2
0

30

Centrifugal Pump

Curve
Q (gph)
0
50
100
150
200
250

Hs (ft)
0
0.46
1.85
4.16
7.38
11.56

Pump
Output =
System
rpm
4000
Q (gph)
19.90
Q
(m^3/sec) 0.000021
H (ft)
1.72
H (Pa)
5141.08
w
(rad/sec)
418.88
Wf
0.11

Hs + Z (ft)
1.64
2.1
3.49
5.8
9.02
13.2

5000
31.60
0.000033
1.84
5499.76
523.60
0.18

6000
41.73

7000
51.20

0.000044 0.000054
1.98
2.17
5918.22 6486.13
628.32
0.26

733.04
0.35

The system curve was found using the pipe loss calculator,
http://www.hawsedc.com/engcalcs/ManningPipeHeadLoss.php, with 1 meter of tubing, 0.035
inch inner diameter, roughness of 0.009 and extra friction factor k=0.

The final flow rate was Q=20.15 gallons per hour and the final head was H=1.69 feet.
ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump

31

Motor Output and Pump Input

No Load (A)
No Load (rpm)
w (rad/sec)
Stall Torque (N-m)
Stall Current (A)
Test Voltage (V)
Ra (Ohms)
Kt,Ke (V*sec/rad)
Tloss (N-M)
Nmax

Jameco motor
0.2 #2125528
10000
1047.20
rpm
0.0432
Q (gph)
4
Q (m^3/sec)
12
H (ft)
3
H (Pa)
0.004575
w (rad/sec)
0.000915
Wf

4000
5000
19.90
31.60
2.093E-05 3.32432E-05
1.72
1.84
5141.08
5499.76
418.87902 523.5987756
0.4156336 0.709994171

6000
41.73
4.39E-05
1.98
5918.22
628.3185
1.110508

50%
Ttotal = Tm + Tloss = Kt*Ia = (Kt/Ra)*(V-Ke*w)

The curves for torques versus speed for the motor were found at voltages of 4, 5, 6, and 7
volts. The final voltage was 3.5 V at 4160 rpm.

ME 340 Final Design Report

7000
51.20
5.39E-05
2.17
6486.13
733.0383
1.638756

Centrifugal Pump

32

The solar panel data are given below.

Unregulated Panel Ouput
Voltage
Amps Watts
19.5 0.024
0.468
17.7 0.195
3.4515
17.5 0.215
3.7625
17.25 0.232
4.002
16.95 0.253
4.28835
16.72
0.27
4.5144
16.25 0.293
4.76125
15.62 0.306
4.77972
14 0.328
4.592
11.38 0.349
3.97162
9.7 0.364
3.5308
6.25 0.425
2.65625
0
0.53
0
Panel: BP Model SX330

Panel Ouput vs Motor Input Power

25
20

Unregulated Panel
Ouput

Voltage

15
10
5
y = 13.726x - 3.3127
0
0
-5

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Current (A)

Intersection at current I=0.466 amps and voltage V=3.5 volts.

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump
10.10.
Life Cycle
Stage

Appendix J Design for Environment

Design for Environmental Guidelines
Sustainability of resources

Materials
Healthy inputs and outputs

Use renewable and recyclable material

Use sustainable form of energy input
Minimize heat lost by operation of pump
Use non-toxic materials to minimize
pollution
Increase efficiency to minimized energy
required from environment
Use of rapid prototyping to minimize time
and labor cost and resources

Production

Distribution

Minimal use of resources in

production

Minimal use of resources in

distribution

Efficiency of resources during

use

Use

Minimize the number of components by

eliminating unnecessary parts
Know about how much material will be
needed to machine each part before
machining as to use the minimal amount of
material
Create packaging from recyclable material
Make packaging only as big as product to
minimize material usage
Make intuitive on off controls to ensure that
power is not being wasted when user is not
intending to use product
Ensure device is waterproof as to ensure
that doesn't leak so that it will be efficient
and will not ruin the motor
Use appropriate materials such as plastic
that will be durable and corrosion resistant

Appropriate Durability

Minimize number of moving parts to

minimize wear and increase life
Create firm connections between
components to ensure longevity

Recovery

Disassembly, separation, and

purification

Make device with shell design that can be

opened and closed easily with common
tools
Allow for easy disassembly and cleaning
post use

ME 340 Final Design Report

33

-93750

Q2
-93750

Q3

Year 2
Q1

-93750
-500000 -500000
-5000

Q4

Q2

Q3

Q4

Year 3
Q1
Q2

Q3

Q4

Year 4
Q1
Q2

Q3

Q4

597986.1

-5000
-5000
-5000
-5000
-5000
-5000
-5000
-5000
-5000
-5000
-5000
-646750 -646750 -646750 -646750 -646750 -646750 -646750 -646750 -646750 -646750 -646750
25000
25000
25000
25000
25000
25000
25000
25000
25000
25000
25000
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
-25.87
60000 180000 600000 1125000 1125000 1125000 1125000 1125000 1125000 1125000 1125000
1000
3000
10000
18750
18750
18750
18750
18750
18750
18750
18750
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
-93750 -93750 -93750 -593750 -505000 -591750 -471750 -51750 473250 473250 473250 473250 473250 473250 473250 473250
-93750 -91463.4 -89232.6 -551356 -457505 -523021 -406789 -43535.5 388418.3 378944.7 369702.1 360685 351887.8 343305.2 334931.9 326762.8

-93750

Year `
Q1

10.11.

Project NPV

Development
Ramp-up cost
Marketing and Support Cost
Production Cost
Production Volume
Unit Production Cost
Sales Revenue
Sales Volume
Unit Price
n
Period Cash Flow
PV Year 1, r= 10%

($ Values in thousands)

34

Centrifugal Pump
Appendix K Net Present Value

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump

10.12.

Appendix L Exploded View and Drawings

Top Housing
Impeller

Motor Housing

Bottom Housing

Motor

* Screws not pictured

ME 340 Final Design Report

35

36

Centrifugal Pump

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

Centrifugal Pump
10.13.

37

Appendix M Precautionary measures chart

Failure method

Precautionary measure to prevent failure

Leakage through entry holes

for wires to motor

Hole will be drilled as small as possible to fit the wires

through. Then hole will be filled with a waterproof caulking
to prevent leakage

Leakage from impeller

chamber into motor chamber

Hole will be drilled to fit tab on the motor and then will be
caulked to ensure waterproofing so it will stay secure and
not leak.

Leakage into the motor

chamber from the
surrounding water

Apply locktite between motor chamber and impeller

chamber to create solid contact between them then use
waterproof caulk to seal it off

Impeller slipping in the shaft

use of strong adhesive to secure it to the shaft

Motor dislodging in chamber

fill around motor with foam insulation to secure in place

and minimize vibration

10.14.

Appendix N Alpha Prototype Test

ME 340 Final Design Report

38

Centrifugal Pump

10.15.

Appendix O Analysis for a 1 Impeller

Pump Impeller
Diameter (in)
Static Head Z (ft)
Pump Efficiency

1
1.64
0.7

Pump Delivery Curve From Dr. L

Dia
1.5
RPM
3250
Q (gph)
Hp (ft)
0
7.4
50
6.5
100
5.4
150
3.9
200
1.3
220
0

Pump Delivery Curve

Operating Point

RPM

4000

RPM

5000

RPM

6000

Q (gph)

Hp (ft)

Q (gph)

Hp (ft)

Q (gph)

Hp (ft) Q (gph) Hp (ft)

Q (gph) Hp (ft)

0.00

4.98

0.00

7.78

0.00

11.21

0.00

15.26

3.98

18.23

4.38

22.79

6.84

27.35

9.85

31.91

13.40

16.29

3.49

36.47

3.64

45.58

5.68

54.70

8.18

63.82

11.13

32.58

2.90

54.70

2.63

68.38

4.10

82.05

5.91

95.73

8.04

48.88

2.10

72.93

0.88

91.17

1.37

109.40

1.97

127.64

2.68

65.17

0.70

80.23

0.00

100.28

0.00

120.34

0.00

140.40

0.00

71.68

0.00

ME 340 Final Design Report, L.P.

RPM

7000

RPM

3574

Centrifugal Pump

39

Pump Output vs System Input Power

14.00

RPM 4000
RPM 5000

12.00

RPM 6000

Head (ft)

10.00

RPM 7000

8.00

6.00
y = -0.0006x2 - 0.0109x + 4.9059

y = -0.0006x2 - 0.0137x + 7.6654

4.00

y = -0.0006x2 - 0.0164x + 11.038

y = -0.0006x2 - 0.0191x + 15.024

2.00

y = 0.0002x2 - 7E-05x + 1.6414

y = -0.0006x2 - 0.0098x + 3.9166
0.00
0.00

50.00

100.00

150.00

200.00

250.00

300.00

Q (gph)

System Curve
Q (gph)

Hs (ft)
0
50
100
150
200
250

Pump Output = System

rpm
Q (gph)
Q (m^3/sec)
H (ft)
H (Pa)
w (rad/sec)
Wf

0
0.46
1.85
4.16
7.38
11.56

Hs + Z (ft)
1.64
2.1
3.49
5.8
9.02
13.2

4000
57.47
0.000060
2.30
6874.70
418.88
0.42

5000
78.67
0.000083
2.87
8578.43
523.60
0.71

6000
98.65
0.000104
3.58
10700.62
628.32
1.11

7000
117.99
0.000124
4.42
13202.41
733.04
1.64

ME 340 Final Design Report