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Performance characteristics of airlift pumps

Article · January 1975

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 PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF A I R LIFT PUMPS

OF SHORT LENGTH AND SMALL DIAMETER

W . E. C a s t r o
M e c h a n i c a l E n g i n e e r i n g Department
and
P. B . Z i e l i n s k i
C i v i l E n g i n e e r i n g Department
Clemson, S o u t h C a r o l i n a

P. A . S a n d i f e r
Marine R e s o u r c e s R e s e a r c h I n s t i t u t e
Charleston. South Carolina

ABSTRACT

P e r f o r m a n c e d a t a i n t h e l i t e r a t u r e on a i r l i f t pumps have been

b a s e d p r i m a r i l y on pumps of l o n g l e n g t h and l a r g e d i a m e t e r ( h i g h l i f t
pumps) S i n c e m a r i c u l t u r e o p e r a t i o n s i n v o l v e pumps of r e l a t i v e l y
s h o r t l e n g t h and s m a l l d i a m e t e r , performance d a t a a r e r e q u i r e d f o r
e f f i c i e n t operation.

To p r o v i d e s u c h d a t a , a n e x p e r i m e n t a l a p p a r a t u s was d e s i g n e d
and f a b r i c a t e d t o t e s t a i r l i f t pumps from 1.27 c m t o 7 , 6 2 cm i n s i d e
d i a m e t e r and f r o m 30 cm t o 3 . 7 m i n l e n g t h . I n s t r u m e n t a t i o n was p r o -
v i d e d t o measure w a t e r f l o w r a t e and a i r f l o w r a t e a s w e l l a s w a t e r
t e m p e r a t u r e , a i r t e m p e r a t u r e , and p r e s s u r e t h r o u g h o u t t h e s y s t e m .

R e s u l t s from t h i s s t u d y c o r r e l a t e w e l l w i t h h i g h l i f t pump d a t a
i n t h a t , f o r a g i v e n pump g e o m e t r y , maximum w a t e r f l o w o c c u r s f o r a
s p e c i f i c a i r f l o w r a t e . D r i v i n g t h e pump w i t h a i r f l o w s l a r g e r o r
smaller t h a n t h i s optimum f l o w r a t e w i l l d e c r e a s e t h e pumping r a t e .
The optimum f l o w s a r e s i g n i f i c a n t l y d i f f e r e n t f o r l o w l i f t pumps com-
p a r e d t o h i g h l i f t pumps. However, t h e pumping r a t e f o r low l i f t
pumps a p p r o a c h e s t h a t f o r h i g h l i f t pumps w i t h i n c r e a s i n g l e n g t h .

45 1
 452
INTRODUCTION

The a i r l i f t pump concept was d i s c o v e r e d i n 1797 by C a r l E .

Loescher, a German mining e n g i n e e r . For approximately 50 y e a r s
a f t e r t h e i n i t i a l d i s c o v e r y i t s u s e was confined mainly t o deep
w e l l pumping and mining o p e r a t i o n s . I n t h e l a t e 19th and e a r l y 20th
c e n t u r i e s i t found widespread u s e i n sewage t r e a t m e n t a p p l i c a t i o n s .
S e v e r a l p a t e n t s which cover c e r t a i n a s p e c t s of t h e d e v i c e have been
i s s u e d by t h e U , S , p a t e n t o f f i c e .

The a i r l i f t pump i s a n important p a r t of m o s t m a r i c u l t u r e

systems because of i t s s i m p l i c i t y and a d a p t a b i l i t y t o t h e s p e c i a l -
i z e d problems i n h e r e n t i n m a r i c u l t u r e . S p o t t e (1970) l i s t s t h e
important advantages of a i r l i f t s over mechanical pumps a s lower
i n i t i a l c o s t , lower maintenance, easy i n s t a l l a t i o n , p o r t a b i l i t y ,
freedom from c l o g g i n g , small space r e q u i r e m e n t s , s i m p l i c i t y of
d e s i g n , e a s e of c o n s t r u c t i o n , g r e a t e r e f f i c i e n c y t h a n c e n t r i f u g a l
pumps when o p e r a t i n g a t low head and h i g h p r e s s u r e , e a s i l y r e g u l a t e d
flow r a t e , and h i g h v e r s a t i l i t y of a p p l i c a t i o n .

Performance d a t a on a i r l i f t pumps i n t h e l i t e r a t u r e ( S p o t t e ,
1970; Ward and K e s s l e r , 1924; Stenning and M a r t i n , 1967; Hervol and
P y l e , 1974) a r e based p r i m a r i l y on h i g h l i f t pump experiments. The
term h i g h l i f t pump a p p l i e s t o pumps over 3.7 m i n l e n g t h . Since
most m a r i c u l t u r e o p e r a t i o n s u t i l i z e pumps c o n s i d e r a b l y s m a l l e r , low
l i f t pump d a t a a r e needed. T h i s need prompted t h e r e s e a r c h d i s c u s s e d
i n t h i s paper.

MATERIALS AM) METHODS

To o b t a i n s u f f i c i e n t d a t a f o r t h e development o f p r e d i c t i v e
e q u a t i o n s , a n e x p e r i m e n t a l a p p a r a t u s was c o n s t r u c t e d and instrumented.
F i g u r e 1 shows t h e important f e a t u r e s of t h e a p p a r a t u s .

I n o p e r a t i o n , a i r from a compressor i s s u p p l i e d t o t h e f o o t
p i e c e of t h e pump. The a i r flow r a t e i s measured w i t h a c a l i b r a t e d
r o t a m e t e r . Temperature and p r e s s u r e measurements a r e a l s o made t o
c o r r e c t t h e r o t a m e t e r o u t p u t f o r c o m p r e s s i b i l i t y e f f e c t s . The a i r -
w a t e r mixture flows through t h e e d u c t i o n pipe i n t o t h e head p i e c e
from which t h e a i r and water s e p a r a t e upon d i s c h a r g e . Water flow
r a t e s a r e measured u s i n g a weigh t a n k and s t o p watch.

For t h e i n i t i a l phase of t h e s t u d y , smooth p i p e s ranging from

30 cm t o 3 . 7 m i n l e n g t h were used. The i n s i d e d i a m e t e r s of t h e s e
p i p e s were 1 . 7 0 , 2.50, 5 . 2 5 , and 7.73 cm. Submergence ( d e f i n e d from
hs/(h,+hd) i n F i g u r e 1) v a l u e s of 40, 5 0 , 6 0 , and 70% were used i n
t h i s study.

A l l experiments were r e p l i c a t e d a t l e a s t t h r e e times t o d e t e r -

mine any experimental e r r o r . R e p l i c a t e d r e s u l t s were always w i t h i n
?2% of t h e mean v a l u e .
 45 3
RESULTS

The r e s u l t s of t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l program c o r r e l a t e d w e l l w i t h
d a t a i n t h e l i t e r a t u r e i n t h a t , f o r a g i v e n pump geometry, t h e
maximum pumping r a t e o c c u r s f o r a s p e c i f i c a i r f l o w r a t e . A s shown
i n F i g u r e 2 and 3 , a i r flow r a t e s g r e a t e r o r l e s s t h a n t h e optimum
w i l l r e s u l t i n a d e c r e a s e d pumping r a t e . Note t h a t t h e u s e f u l range
of t h e pump ( r a n g e of a i r flow r a t e s over which t h e w a t e r flow r a t e
remains e s s e n t i a l l y c o n s t a n t ) d e c r e a s e s w i t h d e c r e a s i n g diameter and
i n c r e a s i n g submergence.

One of t h e most i n t e r e s t i n g r e s u l t s , however, i s t h e e f f e c t of

l e n g t h on pumping. For much of t h e d a t a i n t h e l i t e r a t u r e , t h e
e d u c t i o n p i p e l e n g t h i s used only a s a n o r m a l i z i n g f a c t o r f o r t h e
pumping head t o o b t a i n t h e submergence. However, t h e s e r e s u l t s
i n d i c a t e t h e e d u c t i o n p i p e l e n g t h i s a n i m p o r t a n t parameter i n t h e
pumping r a t e of a low l i f t pump. F i g u r e s 4 and 5 demonstrate t h e
l e n g t h e f f e c t f o r two of t h e pump s i z e s s t u d i e d . The maximum w a t e r
flow i n t h e s e c u r v e s i s t a k e n from pump performance c u r v e s such a s
F i g u r e s 2 and 3 .

The l e n g t h e f f e c t i s f u r t h e r demonstrated i n F i g u r e s 6 and 7

by c o r r e l a t i n g l e n g t h w i t h maximum w a t e r f l o w f o r v a r i o u s submer-
gence v a l u e s . Note t h a t t h e c u r v e s a r e concave upward and appear
t o approach a v e r t i c a l a s y m p t o t e . T h i s v e r t i c a l asymptote approaches
t h e w a t e r flow r a t e which c a n be found i n t h e l i t e r a t u r e f o r h i g h
l i f t pumps. F i g u r e 8 i n d i c a t e s t h e v e r y s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e
between h i g h l i f t and low l i f t pump performance of a g i v e n d i a m e t e r .

To f a c i l i t a t e h a n d l i n g of t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l d a t a , a non-
d i m e n s i o n a l performance c u r v e was developed. The maximum w a t e r
flow h a s been normalized w i t h t h e optimum a i r flow and t h e l e n g t h
normalized w i t h d i a m e t e r . F i g u r e 9 shows t h e r e s u l t s of t h i s
c o r r e l a t i o n and i n d i c a t e s t h e u n i v e r s a l n a t u r e of t h i s method of
data presentation.

CONCLUSIONS

1) Low l i f t pumps are similar t o h i g h l i f t pumps i n t h a t a n

optimum a i r f l o w exists which w i l l g i v e maximum water flow. Oper-
a t i n g t h e pump w i t h a i r f l o w s g r e a t e r o r less t h a n t h i s optimum f l o w
r a t e w i l l r e s u l t i n reduced water f l o w . 2 ) Pumping r a t e f o r low
l i f t pumps a p p r o a c h e s t h a t f o r h i g h l i f t pumps w i t h i n c r e a s i n g
l e n g t h . For small l e n g t h pumps, t h e pumping r a t e i s s i g n i f i c a n t l y
lower. 3 ) A n o n 4 i m e n s i o n a l c u r v e ( F i g u r e 9 ) w i t h maximum water
flowfoptimum a i r f l o w p l o t t e d a g a i n s t l e n g t h f d i a m e t e r c o r r e l a t e s t h e
e x p e r i m e n t a l performance d a t a o b t a i n e d i n t h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n .
454
LITEMTURE CITED

S p o t t e , S. H . 1970. F i s h and I n v e r t e b r a t e C u l t u r e . John Wiley and

Sons, New York.

Ward, C . N . , and L . H. Kessler. 1924. E x p e r i m e n t a l s t u d y of a i r l i f t

pumps and a p p l i c a t i o n s of r e s u l t s t o d e s i g n . U n i v e r s i t y of
Wisconsin B u l l e t i n No. 1265, Madison, Wisconsin.

S t e n n i n g , A. H . , and C . B. M a r t i n . 1967. An a n a l y t i c a l and e x p e r i -

m e n t a l s t u d y of a i r l i f t pump performance. J o u r n a l of E n g i n e e r i n g
f o r Power.

H e r v o l , H. J . , and R . H. P y l e . 1974. A e r a t i o n g o t you down? P a r t 2,

I n d u s t r i a l Waste T r e a t m e n t . A-15.
 45 5

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