3.

1 Centrifugal Pumps
• The two main parts of the pump are the impeller and the diffuser. Impeller,
which is the only moving part, is attached to a shaft and driven by a motor.
• Impellers are generally made of bronze, polycarbonate, cast iron, stainless
steel as well as other materials. The diffuser (also cal1ed as volute) houses
the impeller and captures and directs the water off the impe11er. Water
enters the center (eye) of the impeller and exits the impeller with the help of
centrifugal force.
• As water leaves the eye of the impeller a low-pressure area is created,
causing more water to flow into the eye. Atmospheric pressure and
centrifugal force cause this to happen. Velocity is developed as the water
flows through the impeller spinning at high speed.
• The water velocity is collected by the diffuser and converted to pressure by
specially designed passageways that direct the flow to the discharge of the .
pump, or to the next impeller should the pump have a multi-stage
configuration.
• The pressure (head) that a pump will develop is in direct relationship to the
impeller diameter, the number of impellers, the size of impeller eye,. and
shaft speed. Capacity is determined by the exit width of the impeller. The
head and capacity are the main factors, which affect the horsepower size of
the motor to be used. The more the quantity of water to be pumped, the
more energy is required.

VOLUTC
IMPIJJDI

Figure: Centrifugal pump

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 23 Electrical
►

• A centrifugal pump is not positive acting; it will not pump the same volume
always. The greate r the depth of the water, the lesser is the flow from the
pump. Also, when it pumps against increasing pressure, the less i, iwill
pump. For these reason s it is impor tant to select a centrifugal pump that is
designed to do a particu lar job.
• Since the pump is a dynamic device, it is convenient to consid er the pressu re
in terms of head i.e. meters of liquid column. The pump genera tes the same
head of liquid whatev er the density of the liquid being pumped. The actual
contours of the hydraulic passages of the impeller and the casing are
extremely import ant, in order to attain the highest efficiency possible.
• The standa rd conven tion for centrif ugal pump is to draw the pump
perfor mance curves showi ng Flow on the horizo ntal axis and Head
genera ted on the vertica l axis. Efficiency, Power & NPSH requir ed
(described later), are conventionally shown on the vertical axis, plotted
against Flow, as illustra ted in Figure

HEAD

'\,.

EFFICIENCY

POWER

FLOW RATE

Pump Performance Curve

3.2 Factors affecting pump performance:

Matching Pump and System Head-flow Characteristics

• Centrifugal pumps are charac terized by the relatio nship betwe en the flow
rate (Q) they produc e and the pressu re (H) at which the flow is delivered.
Pump efficiency varies with flow and pressu re, and it is highes t at one
particular flow rate.
• The Figure below shows a typical vendor -suppl ied head-flow curve for a

- - - - - - - - - - - - 24 Electrical
 centrifugal pump. Pump head-flow curves are typicaIJy given for clear water.
The choice of pump for a given application depends largely on how the
pump head-flow characteristics match the requirement of the system
downstream of the pump.

a.Ml~
~ -m• 0 · • ~ ""'-" w,u.as,a RPM ~ COS:2102◄

0 20 30 40 50 eo 10 eo 80

Typical Centrifugal Pump Performance Curve

3.2.1 Effectofoversizingthepump
• As mentioned earlier, pressure losses to be overcome by the pumps are
function of flow -the system characteristics - are also quantified in the form
of head-flow curves. The system curve is basically a plot of system resistance
i.e. head to be overcome by the pump versus various flow rates.
• The system curves change with the physical configuration of the system; for
example, the system curves depends upon height or elevation, diameter and
length of piping, number and type of fittings and pressure drops across
various equipment - say a heat exchanger. A pump is elected based on how
well the pump curve and system head-flow curves match.
• The pump operating point is identified as the point, where the system curve
crosses the pump curve when they are superimposed on each other.

25 Electrical
 Pump Curve at
Const Soeed Pump Efficiency 77%

70m 82%

50m
Full open valve
42m

Head
Meters
Operating Points

300 m3/hr 500 m3/hr

Aow(m 3/hr)

Effect on System Cu~~ with Throttling

3.3 Efficient Pumping System Operation:

• To understand a pumping system, one must realize that all of its components
are interdependent.
• When examining or designing a pump system, the process demands must
first be established and most energy efficiency solution introduced. For
example, does the flow rate have to be regulated continuously or in steps?
Can on-off batch pumping be used. What are the flow rates needed and how
are they distributed in time.
• The first step to achieve energy efficiency in pumping system is to target the
end-use. A plant water balance would establish usage pattern and highlight
areas where water consumption can be reduced or optimized. Good water
conservation measures, alone, may eliminate the need for some pumps.
• Once flow requirements are optimized, then the pumping system can be
analyzed for · energy conservation opportunities. Basically this means
matching the pump to requirements by adopting proper flow control
strategies. Common symptmns that indicate opportunities for energy
efficiency in pumps are given in the Table

26
Electrical
 SYMPTOMS THAT INDICATE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ENERGY SAVINGS

Likely Reason Best Solutions

Symptom
Thmttle valve-controlled systems Oversized pump Trim impeller, smaller impeller,
variable speed drive, two speed
drive. lower rpm
Oversized pump Trim impeller, smaller impeller,
Bypass line (partially or
variable speed drive, two speec
completely) open
drive, lower rpm

Multiple parallel pump system Pump use not Install controls

with the same number of monitored or controlled
pumps always operating
Constant pump operation in Wrong system design On-off controls
a batch environme nt
High maintenan ce cost Pump operated far Match pump capacity with
(seals, bearings) away from BEP system requireme nt

3.3.1 Effect of speed variation:

• As stated above, a centrifugal pump is a dynamic device with the head
generate d from a rotating impeller. There is therefore a relations hip
between impeller peripher al velocity and generate d head. Peripher al
velocity is directly related to shaft rotational speed, for a fixed impeller
diameter and so varying the rotational speed has a direct effect on the
performance of the pump. All the paramete rs shown in fig will change if the
speed is varied and it is importan t to have an appreciation of how these
paramete rs vary in order to safely control a pump at different speeds. The
equations relating roto dynamic pump performance paramete rs of flow,
head and power absorbed, to speed are known as the Affinity Laws:
Q oc N
Where:
H ocN2
Q=Flow rate
p oc N3
H=Head
P = Power absorbed
N = Rotating speed
D = Impeller Diameter
Efficiency is essentially independ ent of speed

Effects of impeller diameter change

• Changing the impeller diameter gives a proportio nal Q oc D
change in periphera l velocity, so it follows that there
H cx:.D2
are equations, similar to the affinity laws, for the
variation of performa nce with Impeller diameter D. P oc D3

27
Electrical
i....

·3,4 Exan1ple - Reduction in power consumption by reducing speed

Estimate th e redu ction in power consump tion of condensa te transfer pump by
reducing speed of the pump by 20o/cl to th e rated speed.
Q= 38 m' /h ,H =65 m, P =12.S kW
Running pump operating paramete rs at full speed (N)
Q1=38m ' /h
H1=65m
Pl= 12.5 kW
Power consump tion at reduced speed (80% offull speed)

P2 = pl X
(NZJ
Nl

P2 = 12.s x ( -~tJ [
0
e NZ=O.BNl]

= 12.SX0.512

= 6.4Kw

3.5 Pumps in parallel switche d to meet demand

• Another energy efficient method of flow control, particula rly for systems
where static head is a high proportio n of the total, is to install two or more
pumps to operate in parallel.
• Variation of flow rate is achieved by switching on and off additiona l pumps
to meet demand. The combine d pump curve is obtained by adding the flow
rates ata specific head.
• The system curve is usually not affected by the number of pumps that are
running. For a system with a combinat ion of static and friction head loss, it
can be seen, in Figure, that the operating point of the pumps on their
performa nce curves moves to a higher head and hence lower flow rate per
pump, as more pumps are started. It is also apparent that the flow rate with
two pumps running is not double that of a single pump. If the system head
were only static, then flow rate would be proportio nal to the number of
pumps operating .
• It is possible to run pumps of different sizes in parallel provided their closed
valve heads are similar. By arranging different combina tions of pumps
running together, a larger number of different flow rates can be provided
into the system.

- - - - - - - - - - - - 28 Electrical
 • Care must be taken when running pumps in parallel to ensure that the
operating point of the pump is controlled within the region deemed as
acceptable by the manufacturer. It can be seen from Figure that if 1 or 2
pun1ps were stopped then the remaining pump(s) would operate well out
along the curve where NPSH is higher and vibration level increased, giving
an increased risk of operating problems.

SYSTEM
----- CURVE

0 Three Pumps
<
tIJ Single Pump
Two pumps. • · • .{n Parallel
::c: in Parallel

..

Flowl Flow 2 Flow 3

FLOW RATE

Typical Head-Flow Curves for Pumps in Parallel,

With System Curve Illustrated.

3.6 Power Consumption in Pumps

• Shaft kW =Flow x Head x Specific Wt.
• Input kW =Shaft kW/ Pump Efficiency/ Motor Efficiency.
• Hence, choose pump and motor of high efficiency.
• Select right size of pump for Flow and Head.
• Use pump near Best Efficiency Point.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29 Electrical
,3. 7 Exantple of saving in Pu1nps by redu cing Flow and Head
at
• Design, Actu al and Recomm enda tions for Energy Saving in Pumps (User
SM height)

3
Condition Flow (1n /hr) Head (M) Moto r(kW ) Tem p diff. (° C)
200 40 37 4
Design
180 41 30.5 2
Actual
Recommended 125 25 13.5 3
17
Saving
• Saving for a mon th for 600h rs of oper ation = 1020 0 kWh /mon th.
• Saving@ Rs. 7.5 per kWh = Rs. 7 6500 /- per month.

3.8 Example of Energy Saving by opti mizi ng Pump flow & Head
Pres ent Cond ition :
• 2520 00 Liters of wate r has to be used in 3 minu tes for quen ching
is 62m
• Existing Pum p flow 3 2 Sm3 /hr & head for filling the quen ching tank

Reco mme ndat ions:

Install 2 Pum ps (one work ing& one stand by) of15 0 m3/h r. flow, 35
m head
•
with 20 KW motor.
pump
• Prese nt work ing hour s of quen ching pum p is 10 Hrs. by changing the
with smal l pum p only the work ing Hrs. of pum p is incre ases to 16 Hrs.

Expected Saving:
• Prese nt load of pum p =64k W
• Prese nt kWh / Day(64KWx10 hrs) = 640 kWh /day
• Expected load of new pum p =20k W
• Expected kWh / Day (20K Wx1 6 hrs) =320 kWh
• Saving =320 kWh /Day.
• Saving kWh = 9600 kWh /Mon th .
• Saving@ Rs.5.5 per kWh = Rs.5 2800 /Mon th .

Approximate Investment
• 2 pumps oflS 0 m3/hr, 35 Mhead with 22 kW moto r ::: Rs. 2.4 Lac.
• Simple Pay-back period = 5 Months.

__,,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 30
Electrical
 3. 9 Balancing of Flow

22M
--er
100
15M

100
SM 10M

200 100
SM
Prwaure 100
4.0 kg/an2
OM

100

3.10 Energy Conservation Opportunities in Pumping Systems

• Select right-size pump (flow & head) of high-efficiency pump and motor.
• Select proper size of suction and discharge pipes, headers.
• Install pressure gauge at pump discharge.
• Operate pump near its Best Efficiency Point (BEP).
• Avoid throttling.
• If required, trim impeller to reduce head (and power).
• Where process is such that flow requirement keeps changing, install VFD
with pressure transmitter. Operate pump at constant discharge pressure.
• Where majority of head requirement is low /medium and some users are at
higher elevation, install booster pump for high-elevation users.

- - - -- - - - - - - - - - 31 Electrical
3. 11 Cooling Tower

q
l
J

Cooling Water System

HOT
Plant Cooling
Heat exchangers Tower .-A IR
AIR --+

COLD

MAKE- UP
Water Source

32 Electrical
 Hot water
dist ribu tion

Louvers

)
)
/
· /
""2,,.,..........._...... .., Cold water basin

Sump Cold water

Induced draft, double-flow
crossflow tower

Co oli ng To we r Per for ma nce

Hot water· ,
temperature (inJ

· , (lg) to ttie tower

Cl)
C>
C:
(p'utf t ro·m.th·e tower
cc:s
a:
Cold water
, temperature (out)
'I

Approach Wet-bulb
temperature (in)
' --

Factors aff ect ing Cooling Tower Per for ma nce

• Wa ter Dis trib utio n
• Air flow
• Qua lity of Wa ter: Tre atm ent & Blo w-d own
♦ Cap acit y Util izat ion- Ran ge of> 3 °C.
♦ Con diti on of Fills

- 33 - - - - - - - - - - -":Elec :ir;i1
;i":,::trica
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