Introduction to Energy

Management
Week/Lesson 9 part b

Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

 Describe the operation and primary parts of a
centrifugal pump
 Describe how a centrifugal pump adds pressure to
a fluid
 Identify several types of centrifugal pumps
 Explain pump performance characteristics such as
head, flow rate, horsepower
and efficiency
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

 Use pump performance curves to evaluate a

pump’s capability
 Evaluate the flow characteristics of a hydronic

system
 Calculate the flow requirement for a hydronic

system
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

How a centrifugal pump works

 Uses centrifugal force
 Force is created by an impeller
 Force pushes outward
 The faster the impeller, the greater the force
 Volute – pump casing
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Types of centrifugal pumps

 In-line pumps

• Low flow, low pressure

• Motors are less than one horsepower
• Booster or circulator pump
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

 Close-coupled pumps
• Impeller connected to motor shaft
• Used in smaller applications
 Flexible-coupled pumps

• Impeller shaft and motor are isolated

• Reduced vibration/noise transmission
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

 Single suction
 Double suction
 End suction
 Casing types

• Horizontal split case

• Vertical split case
 Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Characteristics of centrifugal pumps

 Head

• Measure of pump pressure

• Expressed in feet or psi
 Flow rate (capacity)

• Amount of water pumped

• Expressed in gallons per
minute (gpm)
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

 Horsepower
• Brake horsepower
• More pumping requires more horsepower
• Higher horsepower  higher energy usage
 Speed

• Speed of motor = speed of pump

• Expressed in rotations per
minute (rpm)
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

 Efficiency
• Ratio of output to input
• Input is always higher than output
 Impeller diameter

• Larger impellers require higher horsepower

• Larger impellers move more water
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Performance curves of centrifugal pumps

 Head-capacity curve

• Plots head against flow rate

• Largest head occurs at zero flow
• Shutoff head = head at zero flow
• Flat or steep curves
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

 Horsepower-capacity curve
• Plots horsepower against flow rate
• Increases in flow rate require more horsepower
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

 Efficiency-capacity curve
• Efficiency = water efficiency/horsepower
• Water efficiency – energy content of water
• Efficiency plotted against flow rate
• Efficiency = zero at zero flow
• Efficiency reaches a peak and then declines
 Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Example 12-1
 Flow = 90 gpm, head = 25 feet
 Using performance curves

• Intersection of 25 feet and 90 gpm

• Pulley size = 5 ½ inches
• Efficiency = 65%
• Motor size = 1 horsepower
 Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Piping characteristics of hydronic systems

 Open piping systems
 Closed piping systems
 Required flow rate
 System pressure loss
 Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Calculating the flow rate

 GPM = Q/(500 x ΔT)
 Friction head losses
 System characteristic curve
 Elevation, static head loss

• Only a factor in open systems

 Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Operating characteristics of hydronic systems

 Flow rate and pressure

• Pump head-capacity curve

• System characteristic curve
 Output determined by head
 System operating point
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Example 12-2
 Impeller = 5½ inches
 Head = 30 feet (from 25 feet)
 Using performance curves

• New flow rate = 60 gpm

• Pump capacity has dropped
Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Controlling hydronic system pressure

 High pressure

• Valve seating problems

• Weakened pipe joints
 Low pressure

• Instant steam formation

• Pump damage
 Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Expansion tank
 Water expands when heated
 Used to control system pressure

Air venting valves

 Located at highest system points
 Open and close automatically
 Help remove air from the system
 Centrifugal Pumps and Hydronic Systems

Pressure bypass
 Monitors pressure difference

• Outlet pump pressure

• Inlet pump pressure
 Valve opens when differential is large
 Allows supply water into the return
Pump Basics
 Centrifugal Pumps
A machine for moving fluid by accelerating the fluid
RADIALLY outward.

From the Center

of a Circle

RADIAL DIRECTION
To the Outside of a Circle
 Centrifugal Pumps
• This machine consists of an IMPELLER rotating
within a case (diffuser)

• Liquid directed into the

center of the rotating
impeller is picked up by
the impeller’s vanes and
accelerated to a higher velocity by the rotation
of the impeller and discharged by centrifugal
force into the case (diffuser).
 Centrifugal Pumps
• A collection chamber in the casing converts much of
the Kinetic Energy (energy due to velocity) into Head
or Pressure.
 Pump
Terminology
 "Head"
• Head is a term for expressing feet of water column
• Head can also be converted to pressure

Reservoir of 100 feet

Fluid
43.3 PSI
Pressure
Gauge
 Conversion Factors Between Head and
Pressure
• Head (feet of liquid) =Pressure in PSI x 2.31 / Sp. Gr.
• Pressure in PSI = Head (in feet) x Sp. Gr. / 2.31
• PSI is Pounds per Square Inch
• Sp. Gr. is Specific Gravity which for water is equal to 1
– For a fluid more dense than water, Sp. Gr. is greater than 1
– For a fluid less dense than water, Sp. Gr. is less than 1
 Head
• Head and pressure are interchangeable terms
provided that they are expressed in their
correct units.
• The conversion of all pressure terms into units
of equivalent head simplifies most pump
calculations.
 Centrifugal Impellers
Impeller
Vanes

“Eye of the
Impeller” Thickness
Water of the impeller
Diameter of
Entrance
the Impeller

• Thicker the Impeller- More Water

• Larger the DIAMETER - More Pressure
• Increase the Speed - More Water and
Pressure
 Two Impellers in Series

Direction of Flow

• Twice the pressure

• Same amount of water
 Multiple Impellers in Series

Direction of Flow Direction of Flow

• Placing impellers in series increases the amount of head

produced
• The head produced = # of impellers x head of one impeller
 Energy Loss in Valves
 Function of valve type and valve position
 The complex flow path through valves can
result in high head loss (of course, one of
the purposes of a valve is to create head
loss when it is not fully open)
 Ev are the loss in terms of velocity heads