Reciprocating Pump

Reciprocating Pump
It is a machine which converts mechanical
energy into hydraulic energy by the
reciprocating action of the plunger or piston in
the cylinder.
It is also called a positive displacement action
pump as it discharges a definite quantity of
liquid during the displacement of its piston or
plunger in the cylinder.
• Video 5
 Working
• During the suction stroke suction valve opens
and delivery valve is closed. Thus negative
pressure is created in the cylinder due to
which water enters into it.
• During delivery stroke pressure in the cylinder
increases due to which suction valve closes
and delivery valve opens and water is forced
into the delivery pipe.
Construction Features
 Main Components
1) Piston and cylinder:
Piston reciprocates in the cylinder. Crank shaft which is connected to
motor and connecting rod give motion to piston. Main function of
piston and cylinder is to pull the water in cylinder and push it at
required height.

2) Suction pipe:
The suction pipe’s one end is connected to the pump and other is
depth in the sump. Water enters from sump in to pump through
suction pipe.

3) Suction valve:
The suction valve is fitted on suction pipe close to the cylinder. It
allows the entry of water in to cylinder.
4) Delivery pipe:
Delivery pipe is connected between pump and reservoir. Through
the delivery pipe water transferred from pump to reservoir.

5) Delivery valve:
The delivery valve is fitted on the delivery pipe close to the cylinder. It allows
water to flow in delivery pipe from cylinder.

6) Strainer:
It is used to prevent impurities and solid particles from entering the pump.

7) Crank:
It is mounted on the crank shaft and is driven by combustion engine or
electric motor.

8) Connecting rod:
It connects piston and crank. It converts rotary motion of crank into
reciprocating motion of piston
 Types of Reciprocating Pumps
• Single Reciprocating Pump
• Double Reciprocating Pump
 Single Reciprocating Pump
In Single reciprocating pump the liquid is in
contact with the piston/plunger on one side of
the cylinder.
• Video 1
 Working of Single Reciprocating
Pump
In a single reciprocating pump , there is one
suction pipe and a valve and one delivery pipe
with a valve. When the crank moves in the
clockwise direction from IDC to ODC the piston
moves towards right and creates vacuum in the
cylinder. This opens the suction valve and allows
the liquid to rush from the sump into the left
side of the piston.
However when the crank rotates from ODC to
IDC, high pressure is created in the cylinder
which closes the suction valve and opens the
delivery valve to discharge the liquid at the
desired point through the delivery pipe. On the
completion of delivery stroke, the crank is at
IDC. The whole process is repeated during the
rotation of the pump.
Single Reciprocating Pump
 Double Reciprocating Pump
In Double reciprocating pump the liquid is in
contact with the piston/plunger on both sides of
the cylinder.
 Working of Double Reciprocating
Pump
This type of pump has two suction and two
delivery pipes and two suction and two delivery
valves. In this pump as piston moves from one
end to another end, suction of the liquid takes
place through one of the suction pipes whereas
discharge takes place through one of the
delivery pipes.
After that when piston moves towards the other
extreme end the suction takes place through
the second suction pipe and delivery through
the second delivery pipe. Since during each
stroke, suction and delivery of the liquid takes
place, discharge is more uniform compared to a
single acting pump.
 Double Reciprocating Pump
• Video 2
 Air Vessels
Air vessels are a closed container, in which the
half part is filled with water & upper half part is
filled with compressed air. These air vessels
installed very near to the suction valve &
delivery valve.
• Video 3
 Why an air vessel is fitted?
An air vessel is usually fitted in the delivery pipe
to dampen the pressure variations during
discharge. As the discharge pressure rises the air
is compressed in the vessel, and as the
pressure falls the air expands. The peak pressure
energy is thus stored in the air and returned to
the system when pressure falls.
 Purpose of air vessel
1) To obtain liquid at uniform discharge.
2) Due to air vessel frictional head and
acceleration head decreases due to which
friction in suction and delivery pipe considerably
decreases.
 Working
The top half contains compressed air and lower
half contains fluid being pumped. Air and water
are separated by a flexible diaphragm which is
movable as per difference of pressure between
two fluids. Air vessel is connected very near to
the pump at nearly pump level. Without air
vessel frictional head increases and reaches a
maximum value at mid stroke and decreases to
zero. With air vessel frictional head is constant
throughout the stroke
• Video 4
 Indicator Diagram
• The indicator diagram for a reciprocating
pump is defined as the graph between the
pressure head in cylinder and the distance
travelled by the piston from inner dead center
for one complete revolution of the crank.
• It defines the work done by the reciprocating
pump during one complete cycle.
• Pressure is plotted on vertical ordinate while
stroke length is plotted on horizontal
Simple Indicator Diagram

Simple Indicator Diagram

 Simple Indicator Diagram
• The acceleration and friction losses in pipe are
neglected.
• The horizontal line ‘ef’ represents
atmospheric pressure. The line ‘ab’ represents
the pressure in the cylinder during suction
stroke. It is below the atmospheric line by
amount hs. The line ‘cd’ represents the
pressure in the cylinder during delivery stroke.
It is above the atmospheric line by an amount
hd.
• Therefore, the area of the indicator diagram
‘abcd’ represents the work done per
revolution of the crank for single acting
reciprocating pump.
• If the pump is double acting, then the work
done is approximately twice.
Indicator Diagram with Acceleration
Head
At θ = 0 & 180, Acceleration head = max
At θ = 90 and 270, Acceleration head = min

Indicator Diagram with Acceleration Head

• The piston is connected to the rotating crank by a crankshaft.

• The piston will move to and fro with simple harmonic motion.
Therefore, velocity of the piston will not be uniform at all points; it
will be zero at its extreme ends and whereas, it will be Maximum at
its centre.

• Due to this velocity variation there will be acceleration at the

beginning and a retardation at the end of each stroke. This will also
lead to variation in the pressure in the cylinder with transmission of
the water in the suction and delivery pipe.

• At the beginning of the suction stroke, the acceleration head is

positive and should be added to the suction head. (as water to be
accelerated and vacuum is to be increased) This is done by setting
up ap = has
• At the centre of the stroke, the acceleration head is zero. Finally at
the end of the stroke, water is retarded which causes positive
pressure on the piston there by it reduces the vacuum in the
cylinder by the amount has. This is done by setting up bq = has

• pq represents the pressure variation during suction stroke, which is

a straight line variation. Work done during the suction stroke is
given by, the area pqfe.

• During the delivery stroke, the pressure is increased from fc to fr at

the beginning of the stroke (that is,had is +ve and hence the
pressure head in the cylinder will be (hd+had) above the
atmospheric pressure head), zero at the centre of the stroke ( that
is, had=0, and hence the pressure head in the cylinder equal to hd
above the atmospheric) and is reduced from ed to es at the end of
the stroke (that is, hd is –ve and hence, the pressure in the cylinder
will be (hd-had) above the atmospheric pressure head.
Indicator Diagram with effect of
friction
At θ = 0 & 180, velocity = 0
At θ = 90 and 270, Velocity = max

Effect of friction on Indicator Diagram

• Whenever, the fluid is flowing through a pipe, there is always some
loss of head due to friction of the pipe, which offers resistance to
the flow of fluid.

• The loss of head due to friction in the suction pipe is given by,

It is evident that, the curves describing frictional losses are parabolic

in nature as shown in Fig.

• The loss of head at the beginning and at the end of the suction and
delivery strokes, are zero. At the beginning of the stroke, θ = 0.
Therefore, the velocity of water in the pipe is zero. Consequently,
there is no loss of head due to friction.
• Loss of head is Maximum at the middle of stroke as
shown in Fig below That is at the middle of the stroke,
θ = 90 ͦ.

• At the end of the stroke, θ = 180 ͦ, hence, the velocity

of water in the pipe is zero. Consequently, there is no
loss of head due to friction.

• The area of the parabola ‘aqb’ and ‘cgd’ represents the

work done against friction in suction and delivery
pipes.
Indicator Diagram with effect of
friction and acceleration
Effect of acceleration and friction on Indicator diagram