Suez Canal University

Faculty of Engineering

Centrifugal pump

Student name Ibrahim Abdelfattah Mohamed El-Sayed

Faculty Engineering

Level 4
Department Mechanical
National ID 29809141304316
Student code 1616100424
Program Credit hours
Subject Hydraulic machinery

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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

1. Introduction
Hydraulic pumps are turbomachines used to increase fluids energy, they are widely
used as liquid exist and required to flow from lower levels to higher levels. Pumps
can be classified into two main types: Rotodynamic pumps and positive
displacement pump, in this research we will focus on Rotodynamic pumps especially
centrifugal pump. Centrifugal pumps are one of the most common used type of
pump. they have the advantages of simple construction, low price, easy to
maintenance and repair. they are used in numerous industries such as: power
generation plants, agriculture, petroleum, mining, chemical, pharmaceutical, water
networks and many others.

2. Research objectives
• Pump construction
• Operation of the pump
• Ideal characteristics of centrifugal pump
• Real characteristics of centrifugal pump
• Parameter effect on pump performance

3. Research

3.1. Pump construction

Centrifugal pump is consisting of two main parts are fixed and rotating parts as
shown in fig.1.
Fixed parts are:
• Casing
• Suction nozzle and discharge nozzle

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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

• Stuffing box
Rotating parts are:
• Impeller
• Shaft
• Bearing
• Coupling and other mechanical parts

Fig. 1: pump construction

The part surrounding impeller is called pumps casing, and its main function is to
convert the fluid kinetic energy into pressure by receiving the fluid leaves from
impeller inside an increasing circular cross section called volute casing.
Impeller is the effective part in pumps as it transfers mechanical energy to kinetic
energy. There are many shapes of impeller to adapt different design requirements,
so impeller can be classified as:
According to flow direction:
• Radial flow impeller
• Mixed flow impeller

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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

• Axial flow impeller

According to impeller suction:
• Single suction impeller
• Double suction impeller
According to mechanical construction:
• Open impeller
• Semi open impeller
• Closed impeller

3.2. Operation of the pump

We will take a single stage centrifugal pump shown in figure 3 as an example to

show how centrifugal pump work:
• When the impeller rotating, an under pressure is created at its inlet forcing the
liquid to be sucked in, so the liquid enters the pump through the inlet nozzle
to the inlet of impeller.
• Rotating impeller transfer momentum from the impeller to the liquid causing
an increase in liquid momentum due to the effect of centrifugal force.
• The liquid leaves impeller radially and enters the casing with high kinetic
energy, this energy transfer partially to pressure energy in the guide vanes,
volute casing and the outlet diffuser.
• Finally, the liquid leaves the pump through discharge nozzle with higher
energy.
Hint that, pumps do not pump pressure, they only produce fluid flow, resistance to
this flow produced by the hydraulic system is what determines the pressure

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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

3.3. Ideal characteristics of the pump

In ideal characteristics of centrifugal pump, we can use basic equations that applied
on the impeller and casing. First, we should study inlet and outlet velocity triangles
shown on fig. 2. and know every velocity component as we use it to find the basic
equations

Fig. 2: velocity triangles

The following notation are used:

C absolute velocity
U peripheral velocity
W relative velocity
𝐶𝑚 radial velocity
𝐶𝑢 whirl velocity
α absolute velocity angle
β blade angle
b blade thickness
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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

𝜔 angular velocity
R radius
the basic equations:
assume infinite number of vanes and the ideal steady-state conditions, the angular
momentum equation is:
𝑇𝑡∞ = 𝜌𝑄(𝐶𝑈2 𝑅2 𝐶𝑢1 𝑅1 )
Where:
• 𝑇𝑡∞ ideal impeller torque (Nm)
3
• Q volume flow rate (𝑚 ⁄𝑠)
𝑘𝑔
• 𝜌 density ( ⁄ 3 )
𝑚
And input power is equal 𝑃𝑡∞ to the hydraulic power, so:
𝑃𝑡∞ = 𝑇𝑡∞ . 𝜔 = 𝜌𝑔𝑄𝐻𝑡∞
so, Euler head is:
𝐶𝑢2 𝑈2 − 𝐶𝑢1 𝑈1
𝐻𝑡∞ =
𝑔
From continuity:
𝑄𝑡 = 2𝜋𝑅1 𝑏1 = 2𝜋𝑅2 𝑏2
Assume (α=0), so:
𝑈2 𝑄
𝐻𝑡∞ = (𝑈2 − )
𝑔 𝐴2 tan β2
𝜌𝑈2 𝑄2
𝑃𝑡∞ = 𝜌𝑄𝑈22 −
𝐴2 tan β2

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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

3.4. Real characteristics of the pump

The real pump characteristics could be deduced from the ideal characteristics by
considering different losses in the pump:
• Finite number od vanes effect
• Vanes thickness effect
• Pumping losses effect
So, because of these losses some factor and efficiencies will appear so it will be a
decrease in total head and decrease in velocity, these efficiencies and factor are:
𝐶𝑢2
• Slip factor (μ) =
𝐶𝑢2∞
𝑄𝑝
• Volumetric efficiency (𝜂𝑣 ) =
𝑄𝑡
Where:

𝑄𝑝 actual volume flow rate

𝑄𝑡 theoretical volume flow rate

𝐻𝑝
• Hydraulic efficiency (𝜂ℎ ) =
𝐻𝑡

𝑇𝑝
• Mechanical efficiency (𝜂𝑚 ) =
𝑇𝑡

• Fiction losses (ℎ𝐿𝑓 ) ∝ 𝑄2

• Local losses (ℎ𝐿𝐿 ) ∝ (𝑄 − 𝑄𝑠 )2

Where:

𝑄𝑠 shockless flow rate

All these losses decrease total head produced by the pump as shown in fig. 3

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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

Fig. 3: losses in pump head

There is an important curve that show pump responds to change in head, volume
flow rate and efficiency it called pump performance curve shown in fig. 4

Fig. 4: pump performance curve

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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

3.5. Parameter effect on pump performance

3.5.1. Speed effect

If we could design a pump work at higher speed it can produce much higher flow
rate, head and efficiency and pump volume will decrease relative to power need to
operate it so operation cost will decrease
3.5.2. Clearance effect

Clearance have Significant effect on pump efficiency and ability to achieve the
flow rate that designed on it
3.5.3. Cavitation

Cavitation may be defined as successive formation and collapse of vapor bubbles

this phenomenon appear when:
• Air leakage inside the pump.
• The pressure decreases in suction path to value less than the vapor pressure
or high temperature, the vapor bubble start to form.
Cavitation may have the following effects:
• Impeller corrosion
• Damage ball bearing
• High noise and vibration

3.5.4. Net positive suction head (NPSH)

The minimum suction conditions require to prevent cavitation and its usually stated
by manufacturer, NPSH available should be greater than the NPSH required by the
user.

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 Suez Canal University
Faculty of Engineering

4. Conclusion
In this study, we made a short brief about centrifugal pump construction and set
analytical equations. The parameter that effect on pump performance and pump
performance curve has been develop, it also provide the difference between ideal
and real pump characteristics, after this research we should know that the centrifugal
pump are used widely wherever high flow rate are required under low or medium
head with a low fluid viscosity.

5. References

1. BRUCE R. MUNSON, DONALD F. YOUNG, THEODORE H. OKIISHI,

WADE W. HUEBSCH. fundamental of fluid mechanics. Sixth Edition. John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., n.d.
2. kHURMI, R. S. Hydraulics and hydraulic machines. Second Edition. S.
CHAND & CO. (Pvt.) LTD., n.d.
3. Rabie, M. Galal. fluid power engineering. McGraw-Hill, n.d.
4. Saleh, Maj.Gen.M.Ibrahim. HYDRAULICS. Ministry of defence, 1995.
5. White, Frank M. fluid mechanics. Seventh Edition. McGraw-Hill, n.d.

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