Fluid Mechanics B

Fluid Mechanics Lecture #8

Dimensional Analysis of Pumps

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Dimensional Analysis of Pumps
• Identifying factors describing pumps, their operation, and their
performance
• Deriving
– Flow coefficient
– Head coefficient
– Power coefficient
• Transforming them to
– Efficiency
– Specific Speed
• Using the specific speed to characterise different types of pumps

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Characterisation of Pumps
The following characteristics influence the performance of a
pump:
Flow Rate: Q (m3/s)
Pressure Rise: ∆P (kg/ms2)
Input Power: ℙ (kg m2/s3)
Fluid Density: ρ (kg/m3)
Design and Operating Parameters
Shape
Impeller Diameter: D (m)
Rotation rate: N or Ω (rad/s)
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Characterisation of Pumps
• 6 quantities have been identified
• 3 fundamental units needed
• Therefore, this will result in 3 non-dimensional parameters

• The following repeating variables can be chosen:

Geometric: Diameter, D (m)
Fluid property: Density, ρ (kg/m3)
Operating Parameter: Speed, Ω (rad/s)
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Units
Variable Unit Dimension
Flow Rate, Q m3/s L3T-1
Density, ρ kg/m3 ML-3
Diameter, D m L
Speed, Ω 1/s T-1
Pressure, ∆P kg/ms2 ML-1T-2
Power, ℙ kgm2/s3 ML2T-3

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Flow Parameter
 1  f Q, D,  ,    1  M L T  Q  D     
0 0 0 a b c d

let a  1

 1  M L T  L T
0 0 0 3
 L  ML  T 
1 1 b 3 c 1 d

• Equating the Exponents of the Force, M: 0c c0

• Equating the Exponents of the Time, T: 0  1  d  d  1

• Equating the Exponents of the Length, L:

0  3  b  3c  b  3
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Flow Parameter

Therefore: 1  M 0 0 0
L T  Q 1
D 3
 0
 1

Q
 1 
ND 3

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Head Parameter
 2  f P, D,  ,    2  M 0 L0T 0  P a D b  c  d
let a  1

 2  M L T  ML T
0 0 0 1
 L  ML  T 
2 1 b 3 c 1 d

• Equating the Exponents of the Force, M: 0 1 c  c  1

• Equating the Exponents of the Time, T: 0  2  d  d  2

• Equating the Exponents of the Length,0 L:

 1  b  3c  b  2
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Head Parameter
Therefore:
0 0 0 1 −2 −1 −2
𝜋 2=𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 = ( Δ 𝑃 ) ( 𝐷 ) ( 𝜌 ) ( Ω )

Δ𝑃 𝜌 𝑔𝐻 𝑔𝐻
⇒ 𝜋 2= 2 2
= 2 2
= 2 2
𝜌Ω 𝐷 𝜌Ω 𝐷 Ω 𝐷

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Power Parameter
𝜋 3= 𝑓 ( ℙ ,𝐷, 𝜌 ,Ω ) 𝜋 3=𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 =( ℙ ) ( 𝐷 ) ( 𝜌 ) ( Ω )
0 0 0 𝑎 𝑏 𝑐 𝑑

let a  1

2 −3 1 −3 𝑐 −1 𝑑
𝜋 3=𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 =( 𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ) ( 𝐿 ) ( 𝑀 𝐿 ) ( 𝑇 )
0 0 0 𝑏

0 1 c  c  1
• Equating the Exponents of the Force, M:
0  3  d  d  3
• Equating the Exponents of the Time, T:

• Equating the Exponents of the Length, L:

0  2  b  3c  b  5
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Power Parameter

Therefore:
0 0 0 1 −5 −1 −3
𝜋 3=𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 =( ℙ ) ( 𝐷 ) ( 𝜌 ) ( Ω )
ℙ
⇒ 𝜋3= 5 3
𝜌𝐷 Ω

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π-Groups
𝑄 𝑔𝐻 ℙ
𝜋 1= 3 𝜋 2= 2 2 𝜋 3= 5 3
Ω𝐷 Ω 𝐷 𝜌𝐷 Ω
Since any combination of non-dimensional parameters is also a
non-dimensional parameter:
𝜋1 𝜋2 5
𝑄 𝑔𝐻 𝜌 𝐷 Ω
3
=
𝜋3 3 2
Ω𝐷 Ω 𝐷
2
ℙ

Efficiency: 𝜌 𝑔𝐻𝑄
⇒ =𝜂
ℙ
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π-Groups
𝑄 𝑔𝐻 ℙ
𝜋 1= 3 𝜋 2= 2 2 𝜋 3= 5 3
Ω𝐷 Ω 𝐷 𝜌𝐷 Ω

Since any combination of non-dimensional parameters is also

a non-dimensional parameter:
 10.5 NQ 0.5
Specific Speed: 
2 0.75
gH 0.75
A convention:
– KN if it is non-dimensional and Ω for rotation rate in rad/s
– NS if it has dimensions and N for rotation rate in rpm
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Specific Speed
 10.5 NQ 0.5

20.75
gH 0.75

Measures the flow rate the pump provides per head at its
best-efficiency point.
– For an identical pressure head, a slower pump provides a
larger flow rate
– For identical flow rate, a slower pump provides less head
– For identical rotation rate, a larger flow rate provides a larger
head, where the increase in head is proportionally larger
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Specific Speed
 10.5 NQ 0.5

20.75
gH 0.75

Increasing the rotation rate of a pump requires the

following ratio to decrease:
0.5
Q
gH 0.75

– This happens as Q increases and gH increases more

– Increasing the rotation rate increases the flow rate

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Specific Speed
 10.5 NQ 0.5

20.75
gH 0.75

This parameter is also known as the Shape Parameter

and characterises the shape of the pump

– Low NS: larger and slower

– High NS: more compact and faster

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Specific Speed and Efficiency

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www.pumpfundamentals.com
Pump Performance Curves
•‘Shut-off head’, H0 , at Q= 0

•Then tends to fall off similar to a parabola

•In many cases, a good approximation is

H = H0 – B Q 2
where B is a parameter found by testing

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Pump Performance Curves
• Efficiency starts at 0, reaches Best-efficiency Point (BEP) then
drops off again; typical best efficiencies ≈70%

• Pump characteristics often given by range of flow rates and

corresponding head.
– Performance curve can be estimated by fitting
H = H0 – B Q 2
– Best efficiency point will be in middle of that range

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On the eighth day of Fluids
• Specific speed and efficiency
– Using the Specific Speed to identify a suitable pump
– Using the Specific Speed for variable-speed pumps in a
pipeline
– Typical performance and efficiency characteristics of
pumps
– Using the Best-efficiency Point of a pump for optimum
design choice
– Other design constraints
• Cavitation and Net Positive Suction Head

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Pump Choice
• Impeller choice often based on application
parameters and operating speed
• Solids in fluid: higher NS is better as the impeller is
more open
• Mechanical wear: lower rpm is better
• Cavitation: lower rpm and NS is better
• Reliability: lower rpm is better
• Cost: higher rpm pumps and required motors tend
to be smaller and thus cheaper
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Cavitation

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Cavitation
• Lowest pressure point found in the suction eye of a centrifugal
pump
• Vapour pressure for water varies from 0.6 kPa at 0°C to 7.5 kPa at
40°C to ~100 kPa at 100°C.
• If the local absolute static pressure drops below that value, water
vaporises – and then condenses again as the pressure increases
further along the impeller
• Leads to erosion of impeller surface
• All pumps have a required head at the suction to prevent cavitation,
specified by the manufacturer for water at 20°C (where water
vapour pressure is 2.20 kPa)
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NPSHR and NPSHA
• Pressure at inlet to pump must be greater than the
given Net Positive Suction Head Required (NPSHR)
• Since there are losses and possibly an elevation
difference between supply source and pump inlet, the
absolute head at the pump must be calculated taking
those into account. Then the vapour pressure must
be subtracted
 Net Positive Suction Head Available (NPSHA)
• For safe operation NPSHA ≥ NPSHR
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