PRACTICAL GUIDE

Faculty Engineering and Technology

Chemical and Metallurgical

Department
Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Course
Laboratory 1 (EHCEL1A)

Title Pumping of Liquids

Compiled by N. Nyembe -July 2018

Revised by P. Mwenge-July 2022

Year Semester 2 2022

NQF Level 6

Credits 12
 GRADUATE ATTRIBUTE (GA)
Graduate attributes form a set of individually assessable outcomes that are components
indicative of the graduate’s potential to acquire competence to practice at the appropriate level.
The graduate attributes are exemplars of the attributes expected of graduates from an accredited
programme.

Experimentation and practical investigations are essential in the development of a graduate in

the engineering field. As such, the learner will be assessed in their ability to conduct
investigations of well-defined problems through locating and searching relevant codes and
catalogues, conduct standard tests, experiments and measurements. Therefore, the learner
needs to follow the competency indicators to be deemed competent in a GA. Competency
indicators are standard criteria the learner must use to achieve competency in a particular GA.
For GA 4, the competency indicators that need to be realized are as follows:

• Scope of the investigation is defined

• Investigations are planned and conducted within an appropriate practical
• Available literature is searched, and material is evaluated for suitability to the
investigation
• Relevant equipment is selected and appropriately used for the investigation
• Data obtained is analyzed and interpreted
• Conclusions are drawn from an analysis of all available evidence
• Purpose, process and outcomes of the investigation are recorded in a technical report

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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 1.1. Main objective
The main objective of the practical is to apply the basic concepts of fluids in motion in the
pumping of liquids.

1.2. Specific objectives are:

• To plot the pump characteristic curve
• To determine the efficiency of the pump at the operating point
• To compare pump configurations (series and parallel) with theory

2. THEORY
2.1. Liquid transfer: the pumps
The transfer and flowing of liquids inside piping systems is a problem of main importance for
the normal civil applications (e.g., waterworks) as well as for the industry. Consider a general
problem of transferring a flow Q of a liquid from a tank A to a height h a and at pressure PA
from a tank B to a height hb and at pressure PB (PB> PA). To obtain the liquid transfer, the liquid
must be given force enough to;

• Overcome the difference of height hb-ha

• Overcome the pressure difference PB- PA
• Overcome the load leakages arousing with the passage of the flow Q along the pipe
connecting the two tanks.
The machine that can give power to the liquids to transfer them is called pump. The pumps
give power to the liquids in a form of pressure, i.e., the liquid pressure at the pump discharge
is greater than the suction pressure. The quantity of power to be provided from the outside to
the liquid to make it move inside a pipe is calculated with the Bernoulli’s equation. In addition,
the power of a unit mass of a liquid, represented by the value of the hydraulic load it has in a
particular position (2) of a plant sector, is superior to the value of the hydraulic load that it had
in another position (1) and, furthermore, along the path from 1 to 2 the liquid is subject to load
leakages ∑y, a power L must be provided to the liquid externally to keep the liquid motion and
this is expressed by the Bernoulli’s equation:

𝑃2 −𝑃1 𝑉22 −𝑉22

𝐿= + + ℎ2 − ℎ1 + ∑ 𝑦 (1)
𝛾 2.𝑔

The power L is called total prevalence (or manometric prevalence of the pump). The
manometric prevalence of a pump represents the quantity of power the pump must transfer to
the liquid weight unit to make it pass from a position with lower energy to another position
with higher energy.

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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 2.2. Pumps performance characteristics
Performance of pumps can be detected by the following variables:

• Prevalence
It is the power the pump can provide to each kg of liquid crossing it and is found in the
same liquid, at the pump output, in the shape of the pressure power.

The prevalence consists in:

- the power necessary to make the liquid pressure (piezometric prevalence)

- the power necessary to increase the liquid speed (kinetic prevalence)
- the power necessary to make the liquid overcome possible gaps (geometric prevalence)
- the power necessary to win the causes of the resistance to motion (load leakages)

One or more of these components of a pump can be null. The prevalence can be seen as the
drop between the free surface of the suction tank and the free surface of the discharge tank
i.e. the height at which the pump could push the liquid if all power given to the liquid should
be spent to raise it. The prevalence is measured in liquid column meters or water columns
meters. The prevalence of a pump can be measured setting two pressure gauges one right
before and one right after the pump.

• Flow rate
Flow rate of the pump represents the volume or mass of liquid crossing a pipe section per
unit time.

• Useful power
Useful power is the quantity of power that the pump transfers to the liquid in the time unit.
The useful power (Nu) is formulated as follows:

𝑁𝑢 = 𝑄. 𝐻. 𝛾 (2)

Where Q is the flow rate in m3/s, H is the prevalence expressed in liquid column meters
and γ is the specific weight of the liquid in kg/m3. The useful power is measured in kgm/s.
Considering that 75 kgm/s are equal to 1 CV, or that 102kgm/s is equal to 1kW, we can
write:

𝑄.𝐻.ᵧ 𝑄.𝐻.ᵧ
𝑁𝑢 = (𝐶𝑉) = (𝑘𝑊) (3)
75 102

• Absorbed power
The inevitable power losses due to the liquid entrance into the pump, the vorticose motions,
and the frictions inside the pump, make the power absorbed by the pump higher than the
one it can transfer to the liquid, the absorbed power is indicated with Na.

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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 • Efficiency
It is the ratio between the power the pump provides to the liquid (Nu) and the power the
motor yields Na. It is usually indicated with η and it is a non-dimensional number. The total
efficiency consists in three components:

1. volumetric efficiency ηv given by the ratio between the flow rate Q the pump
actually provides to discharge and the flow rate Q0 that it could theoretically send,
not considering leakages:
where q is the flow rate lost for leakages and for other causes to be stated for each kind
of pump;

𝑄 𝑄
𝜂𝑣 = 𝑄 = 𝑄+𝑞 (4)
𝑜

2. hydraulic efficiency ηi that is given by the ratio between the manometric prevalence
H and the total one Ht

𝐻 𝐻
𝜂𝑖 = 𝐻 = (5)
𝑜 𝐻+ ∑ 𝑦𝑚

where ∑ym represents the load leakages the water meets inside the machine.

3. mechanic efficiency ηm that considers the different mechanical leakages occurring

on the machine mobile members.
The total efficiency will be:

𝜂 = 𝜂𝑣 = 𝜂𝑖 = 𝜂𝑚 (2.6)

2.3. Centrifugal pumps

Essential parts of centrifugal pumps

Referring to the figure below, we can say that it consists of the following essential parts:

- a hollow body, called pump body, provided with the two ducts.
- the suction duct through which the liquid enters the pump.
- the discharge duct through which the liquid is expelled by the pump; - a device called
impeller that rotates in the pump body.

At this point, it is important to introduce the concept of characteristic revolution number n c,

characteristics variable related to the rotary motion of the centrifugal pumps. The characteristic
revolution number defines the kind of machine: slow or fast. Slow pumps are those with high
prevalence and low flow rates, while the fast ones are those for low prevalence and high flow
rates. On the base of the kind of impeller and the path followed by the particles of liquid
entering or going out from the casing, there are:
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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 - centrifugal pumps with radial flow, where the liquid inlet and outlet are orthogonal
between them.
- centrifugal pumps with axial flow, where the liquid inlet and outlet are parallel
between them.
- centrifugal pumps with mixed flow, in which the liquid paths have intermediate
characteristics between orthogonality and the parallelism.
The centrifugal pumps with radial flow are far more important, especially in the chemical
plants; so here, only these pumps will be considered.

2.3.1. Impeller shape in the centrifugal pumps

The impellers are provided with blades that can be fixed to the shaft (open impellers) or to the
side planes (closed impellers). These blades delimit inside the space casing and prevent the
liquid relative motion. In a centrifugal pump with radial flow the feed liquid is sent into the
machine orthogonally to the impeller rotation plane, which impresses the liquid a spiral path
resulting from a rectilinear motion and a rotational motion. The rectilinear motion is
transmitted to the liquid by the centrifugal force that pushes it from the center to the edge of
the impeller while rotary motion is communicated to the liquid by the fact it is forced to rotate
with the impeller.

The impeller blades can be:

- reaction kind, i.e., in the same direction of the liquid motion out from the pump.
- Action kind, i.e., impeller is opposed to the direction to the liquid motion out from the
pump.
The kind of impeller used the most is the reaction blade one that is more profitable than the
other one.

2.3.2. Characteristics curves of a centrifugal pump

Many are the diagrams that can be plotted, to represent the operation characteristics of a
centrifugal pump, but the most important one is the one that takes the manometric prevalence
H in the X- coordinates and the flow rate Q in the Y-coordinates. The diagram (H, Q) is called
characteristic curve of the pump; there are other diagrams, too, as (η, Q), (N, Q), etc.

known Q and H, Nu is found, and the diagram (Nu, Q) is plotted; knowing the absorbed power
𝑁
Na, you can plot the diagram (Na, Q) and then taking the efficiency 𝜂 = 𝑁𝑢, you obtain the
𝑎
diagram (η, Q).
The analysis of the behavior of the represented characterizes curves shows that:

a) Curve (H, Q): the prevalence drops when the flow rate increases; the prevalence is
maximum for Q=0, i.e., with closed discharge valve and is minimum with completely
open discharge valve.
b) Curve (Na, Q): the absorbed power Na changes with the flow rate change. For Q=0, we
have Na ≠ 0; in fact, even when the discharge valve is completely closed the pump
transfers power to the liquid all the same, which dissipates it as heat for the frictions it
is subjected to;
c) Curve (η, Q): the efficiency is equal to 0 for Q=0, as the useful power is null so. The
efficiency touches a maximum at a particular value of the torque Q-H, to drop down to
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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 0 for H=0. The maximum efficiency value represented in the figure is related to the rpm
the diagram refers to. Changing the rpm, the maximum of the efficiency curve will be
characterized by other torque of values Q-H and its value can be higher or lower.

2.3.3. Classification of centrifugal pumps

The centrifugal pumps have operating characteristics depending mainly on the impeller
conformation and blades from which the maximum reachable efficiency depends, too.

On the base of the characteristic number of revolutions the different kind of impellers can be
classified as follows:

- the impeller for high pressure: nc up to 70 rev/s

- the impeller for average pressure: nc up to 100 rev/s
- the impeller for low pressure: nc up to 180 rev/s
- propeller impeller: nc up to 280 rev/s

The characteristics number of revolutions has, besides, a great influence on the behavior of the
characteristic curves of a pump.

2.3.4. Measurement of the absorbed power Na

In the application of the direct methods for testing the rotary machines there is necessarily the
problem to measure the mechanical power machine axis (power developed on the axes). The
mechanical power Na determination is made with two separate measurements and precisely: a
measurement of torque C developed or applied to the machine axes (C = arm length x weight),
and a simultaneous measurement of the angular speed ω. In this case expressing the torque in
joules per radiant and the angular speed in radiant per second, the mechanical power Na is given
by the relation:
2𝜋𝑛
𝑁𝑎 = ѡ. 𝐶 = 𝐶 (7)
60

n revolutions per minute.

2.3.5. The load leakages at the pump inlet and NPSH

To make the feed liquid easily reach the pump, it must have such a power content to overcome
the inner resistances of the pipes as well as the leakages that inevitably occur at the pump inlet,
due to vorticose motions, section reductions, etc. The load leakages at the pump inlet depend
exclusively on the constructional characteristics of the pump and, for the same pump, increase
with the flow rate and change according to the nature of the liquid to be pumped. The minimum
pressure necessary to the pump inlet to prevent the cavitation by liquid evaporation is indicated
with a NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head).

Applying Bernoulli’s theorem between the two sections 1-1 and 2-2, we have:
𝑃1 𝑣2 𝑃 𝑣22
1
+ ℎ1 + 2.𝑔 = 𝛾2 + ℎ2 + + ∑ 𝑦𝑎 + 𝑁𝑃𝑆𝐻 (8)
𝛾 2.𝑔

where P1 represents the absolute pressure acting on the liquid on the section 1-1, P2 the absolute
pressure acting on the liquid on the section 2-2, ∑ya the load leakages for the total resistances
of the suction pipe, NPSH the minimum pressure defined above, 𝜈1 the speed of the section 1-
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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 1 and 𝜈2 the speed at the section 2-2. As the section 1-1 is much longer than the section 2-2,
you can disregard, 𝜈1 in respect to 𝜈2; and if the pump feed plane is taken as reference plane,
there is, ℎ2=0. Considering then that the minimum value of P2, for which the pumps goes into
cavitation, is equal to the steam voltage (Pv) of the liquid at its temperature, we have:

𝑃1 𝑃 𝑣22
+ ℎ1 = 𝛾𝑣 + + ∑ 𝑦𝑎 + 𝑁𝑃𝑆𝐻 (9)
𝛾 2.𝑔

From
which:

𝑃1 −𝑃𝑣 𝑣22
𝑁𝑃𝑆𝐻 = + ℎ1 − − ∑ 𝑦𝑎 (10)
𝛾 2.𝑔

With the Equation (10) you can calculate the value of available NPSH (NPSHd). NSPHi is
NPSH indicated by pump manufacturer.

According to their meaning shown here, the comparison between the two values of NPSH, we
detect that:

• the pump can be used when NPSHd>NPSHi

• the pump cannot be used when NPSHd≤NPSHi

3. Methodology

3.1. Equipment description

• Stainless steel AISI 304 framework, wheels mounted
• Stainless steel AISI 304 feeding tank, 240-1 capacity, code D1
• Stainless steel AISI 304 feeding tank, 150-1 capacity, code D2
• 2 centrifugal pump, Qmax = 15 m3/h, bronze body and impeller, code G1 and G2
• Torque meter motor connected with pump G2 and complete of the load cell with
arm of 5cm, code WI1

• Variable area flow meter, range 0÷6 m3/h, code FI1

• Variable area flow meter, range 0÷10 m3/h, code FI2
• Frequency invertor to control the speed of pump G2 from 0 to 3000rpm
• 2 pressure gauges, range -1÷3 bar, stainless steel execution, code PI1 and PI3
• 2 pressure gauges, range 0÷6bar, stainless steel execution, code PI2 and PI4
• Connection lines and valves in stainless steel AISI 304 and 316

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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 • Electrical switchboard with E.L.C.B., rpm display, torque display and three -phase
analyzer

• Emergency pushbutton

3.2. Start up and experimental procedure

To setup the equipment, do the following steps:

• Shut off valves V1, V6 and V9

• Open valves V2, V7 and V10
• Fill tank D1 with water
• Open valve V4 and fill the conical pipe with water
• Shut off valve V4
• Using a beaker, open valve V5 to fill the suction pipe with water (like what was done
to valve V4) until the beaker is filled with water.
• Connect the plant to the power supply: three-phase +N+T, P =3.5kW
• Switch on the E.L.C.B

The following points are intended to give an illustration as to how to read Flowrate and
Pressure (suction and discharge).

• Start pump G1 pushing the relative green pushbutton

• Adjust the flow rate Q using valve V10 and read the value on the flow meter FI1
• Detect the discharge pressure value on the pressure gauge PI2 After30 seconds
• Detect the suction pressure value on the pressure gauge PI1
• Stop pump G1 by pushing the relative red button

Experiment number One: To operate a single Pump G2

• Shut off valves V1, V6 and V9
• Open valves V3, V8 and V11
• Start pump G2 pushing the relative green pushbutton
• To obtain optimal values, the rpm should be fixed at a value of about 2160 using the
potentiometer on the control board
• Adjust the flow rate Q (as given in Table 1) using valve V11 and read the value on the
flow meter FI2
• Detect the discharge pressure value on the pressure gauge PI4
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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 • Detect the suction pressure value on the pressure gauge PI3
• After every 3 minutes adjust the flow rate and read off Psuct, Pdisch
• Stop pump G2 by pushing the relative red button

To setup pumps to operate in parallel and series, the following steps needs to be followed:

• Open valves V2, V3, V7, V8, V10 and V11

• Close valves V6 and V9
• Start pump G1 pushing the relative green button
• Start pump G2 pushing the relative green button
• Fix rpm such that both G1 and G2 are operating the same rpm using the potentiometer
by adjusting the rpms of pump G2, using the potentiometer, till both FI1 and FI2 read
the same flowrate
• Stop both pump G1 and G2 using their relative red button

Experiment number Two: Operation of pump G1 and G2 in series

• Shut off valves V1, V3, V7 and V9

• Open valves V2, V6, V8 and V11
• Start pump G1 pushing the relative green button
• Start pump G2 pushing the relative green button
• Wait 1 minute for the equipment to stabilize
• Detect the flow rate (Q) value on the flow meter FI2
• Detect the discharge pressure value on the pressure gauge PI4
• Detect the suction pressure value on the pressure gauge PI3
• Stop both pump G1 and G2 using their relative red button

Experiment number Three: Operation of pump G1 and G2 in parallel

• Shut off valves V1, V6 and V9

• Open valves V2, V3, V7, V8, V10 and V11
• Start pump G1 pushing the relative green pushbutton
• Start pump G2 pushing the relative green pushbutton
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EHCEL1A-Pumping of Liquids
 • Wait 1 minute for the equipment to stabilize
• Detect the flowrates using FI1 and FI2
• Detect the suction pressure value using the pressure gauge PI1 and PI3
• Detect the discharge pressure value using the pressure gauge PI2 and PI4

3.3. Stop and emergency stop

• Stop pump G1 and G2 pushing the relative red pushbutton

• Disconnect the E.L.C.B
• Disconnect the plant from electrical supply
• Using the valve V5 collect the sample and record the temperature of the water used
during experiment (will be used during calculation)

3.3.1 Emergency stop

• Push the emergency pushbutton

4. Results

Table 1: Pump G2
Pump G2

Q Psuct Pdisch Hpump Hsystem

(L/h) (bar) (bar) (m) (m)
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000

• Plot the graph of head (pump and system) against flow rate (L/h)

Table 2: Pump G1 and G2 in series

Q Pump G1 Pump G2
(L/h)
Psuct Pdisch H (m) Psuct Pdisch H (m)
(bar) (bar) (bar) (bar)

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 Table 3: Pump G1 and G2 in parallel
Pump G1 Pump G2

Q Psuct Pdisch H Q Psuct Pdisch H

(L/h) (bar) (bar) (m) (L/h) (bar) (bar) (m)

5. Calculations
From the Bernoulli equation:

𝑃𝑠 𝑈𝑠2 𝑃𝑑 𝑈𝑑2
𝑧𝑠 + + + ℎ𝑝 = 𝑧𝑑 + + + ℎ𝑓
𝜌𝑔 2𝑔 𝜌𝑔 2𝑔

where:

∑ 𝐿𝑒𝑠 + ∑ 𝐿𝑒𝑑 𝑈 2
ℎ𝑓 = 4𝑓 [( )]
𝑑𝑖 2𝑔

Equations required to draw the pump characteristic curve:

(𝑃𝑑 − 𝑃𝑠 )
ℎ𝑝 =
𝜌𝑔

(𝑃𝑑 −𝑃𝑠 ) (𝑈𝑑2 − 𝑈𝑠2 ) (∑ 𝐿𝑒𝑠 + ∑ 𝐿𝑒𝑑 ) 𝑈𝑑2

ℎ𝑠 = (𝑧𝑑 −𝑧𝑠 ) + + + 4𝑓 [ ]
𝜌𝑔 𝜌𝑔 𝑑𝑖 𝜌𝑔

Nfluid = ℎ𝑝 × 𝑄 × 𝜌 × 9.81(W)

where:

• Hp is the pump head (m);

• Q is the flow rate expressed in m3/s;

• ρ is the density of water in kg/m3

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 2𝜋𝑛
𝑁𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = 𝐶 (𝑊)
60

where:

• n is the rpm
• C is the torque given by: arm weight x length, expressed in N.m

𝑁𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑
𝜂(%) = 𝑥 100%
𝑁𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡

Plant dimensions:
Ld 198 Cm
173 Cm
Ls
Zs 73 Cm
Zd 80 Cm
Cm
di 4.43
ε 0.03 cm

Table for flowrate, torque and revolutions per minute for G2

Rotational speed Flowrate Torque
(rpm) (L/h) (N.m)
2030 9000 0.92
1840 8000 0.78
1660 7000 0.69
1510 6000 0.61
1380 5000 0.53

6. Physical properties
Below are empirical equations that must be used to determine the physical properties required
for the calculations.

Density equation
Substance C1 C2 C3 C4
Water 5.459 0.30542 647.13 0.081

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 𝐶1
𝜌= 𝑇 𝐶4
; (kmol/m3)
(1+(1− ) )
𝐶3
𝐶2

where T is temperature in Kelvins

Dynamic viscosity equation

Substance C1 C2
Water 658.25 283.16

1 1
𝐿𝑜𝑔(µ) = 𝐶1 [𝑇 − 𝐶2] ; (mN/m2)

Where T is temperature in Kelvins.

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