City and Guilds 9210 UNIT 103 Hydraulics and Hydrology Level 6 Tutorial 5 - More On Pumps
City and Guilds 9210 UNIT 103 Hydraulics and Hydrology Level 6 Tutorial 5 - More On Pumps
City and Guilds 9210 UNIT 103 Hydraulics and Hydrology Level 6 Tutorial 5 - More On Pumps
UNIT 103
HYDRAULICS AND HYDROLOGY Level 6
TUTORIAL 5 - MORE ON PUMPS
This unit has two outcomes. Outcome 2 is on hydrological cycles and is not covered in this set of
tutorials. Outcome 1 is a large outcome and some parts are not covered fully. You will find other material
of use to your studies under Fluid Mechanics Unit 129
Outcome 1 Identify and process solutions for problems in fluid mechanics, pipe flow,
rotodynamic machines and open channel flow
The specific speed is a parameter used for pumps and turbines to determine the best design to match a given
pumped system. The formula may be derived from consideration of the pump geometry or by dimensional
analysis. The derivation is covered in the next tutorial. The specific speed is defined as
1
NQ 2
Ns 3
(Δ H) 4
Traditionally the units used are rev/min for speed, m 3/s for flow rate and metres for head. The value that
corresponds to the most efficient operating point of the pump or turbine is the one of greatest importance.
Consider a pump delivering liquid from a tank on the suction side into a tank on the outlet side through a
pipe.
Figure 1
Dynamic head = hd
The head loss could include loss at entry, loss in fittings and bends as well as pipe friction.
hsuc = z1 + hf1 + v12/2g
1.3. CAVITATION
When a liquid cavitates, it turns into a vapour and then suddenly changes back into a liquid with a load
cracking sound. The bubbles of vapour cause damage to the metalwork by eroding it away. The main reason
for cavitation is due to the local pressure falling below the vapour pressure of the liquid. The vapour
pressure is raised with temperature and is more likely to occur in hot liquids. In pumps and turbines, the
drop in pressure is often due to the wake set up behind the impeller. The system design is also important to
prevent a vacuum forming due to restrictions on the suction side of the pump or negative heads on the outlet
side of the turbine. An important parameter used for determining the likelihood of cavitation in pumps is the
Nett Positive Suction Head.
The Net Positive Suction Head is the amount by which the absolute pressure on the suction side is larger
than the vapour pressure (saturation pressure) of the liquid.
The vapour pressure varies with temperature and for water is found in thermodynamic temperatures under
the heading ps. (for saturation pressure).
Vapour pressure as a head is ps/g
NPSH = (pa/g - hsuc ) - ps/g
NPSH = (pa - ps )/g - hsuc
A water pump has a suction lift of 5 m. The friction head in the suction pipe is 0.3m. The kinetic head is
negligible. The water temperature is 16 oC. Atmospheric pressure is 1.011 bar (10.31 m water).
Determine the NPSH .
SOLUTION
Figure 2
Values at which cavitation occur are sometimes quoted by manufacturers but as a rough guide they are
related to the specific speed and typical values are
If = 0.4 for the previous example find the minimum delivery head which prevents cavitation.
SOLUTION
1. A pump has a suction pipe and a delivery pipe. The head required to pass water through them varies
with flow rate as shown.
Figure 3
The pump must deliver 3 m3/s at 2 000 rev/min. Determine the specific speed.
The vapour pressure is 0.025 bar and atmospheric pressure is 1.025 bar. Calculate the NPSH and the
cavitation parameter.
Answers NPSH = 4.19 m = 0.323
1.2 kg/s of acetone is to be pumped from a tank at 1 bar pressure. The acetone is at 40oC and the pump
is 1.5 m below the surface. The suction pipe is 25 mm bore diameter. Calculate the NPSH at the pump
inlet.
Answer 5.37 m
3. A centrifugal pump delivers fluid from one vessel to another distant vessel. The flow is controlled with
a valve. Sketch and justify appropriate positions for the pump and valve when the fluid is a) a liquid
and b) a gas.
Let's move on to examine the transient pressure changes in pipes when the fluid is accelerated or
decelerated.
In this section, we will examine the causes of water hammer. The sudden acceleration or deceleration of
fluids in pipes is accompanied by corresponding changes in pressure that can be extremely large. In the
extreme, the pressure surge can split the pipe. The phenomenon is often accompanied by load hammer
noises, hence the name.
First, we must examine the Bulk Modulus (K) and the derivation of the acoustic velocity in an elastic fluid.
V is volume and p is pressure. The following work shows how this may be
changed to the form K = dp/d
The increase in mass is due to the mass of V being compressed into the volume V2.
Hence (2.1) = (2.3) - (2.2)
The product of two small quantities ( V) is infinitesimally small so it may be ignored.
V V1
V
V1
V1
substitute this into the formula for K
V
Vp p
K
V
Hence K = dp/d
Most students don’t need to know the derivation of the formula for the speed of sound but for those who are
interested, here it is.
Consider a pipe of cross sectional area A full of fluid. Suppose a piston is pushed into the end with a
velocity u m/s. Due to the compressibility of the fluid, further along the pipe at distance L, the fluid is still
stationary. It has taken t seconds to achieve this position. The velocity of the interface is hence a = L/t m/s.
In the same time the piston has moved x metres so u = x/t.
Figure 5
The moving fluid has been accelerated from rest to velocity a. The inertia force needed to do this is in the
form of pressure so the moving fluid is at a higher pressure than the static fluid and the interface is hence a
pressure wave travelling along the pipe at velocity a.
The volume Ax has been compacted into the length L. The initial density of the fluid is .
substitute x = ut dm = A u t .........(2.4)
The density of the compacted fluid has increased by d so the mass in the length L has increased by
dm = A L d
Substitute L = at dm = A a t d......(2.5)
The force to accelerate the fluid from rest to a m/s is given by Newton's 2nd law
F = mass x acceleration = A dp
mass = AL acceleration = u/t A dp = A L u/t
dp = L u/t
Substitute L = at then dp = a u a = (dp/u) ...................(2.7)
The velocity of the pressure wave a is by definition the acoustic velocity. Multiplying (2.8) by (2.7) gives
a 2.
Two important gas constants are the adiabatic index and the characteristic gas constant R. For a gas, the
pressure change is adiabatic and if dp is small then the adiabatic law applies.
pV = Constant
Dividing through by m we get p(V/m) = constant/m = constant p/ = C
-1
Differentiating we get dp/d = C ( )
-1
dp/d = (p/ )( )
dp/d = p/
The velocity of a sound wave is that of a weak pressure wave. If the pressure change is large then dp/d is
not a constant and the velocity would be that of a shock wave which is larger than the acoustic velocity.
For air = 1.4 and R = 287 J/kg K. Hence at 20oC (293 K) the acoustic velocity in air is as follows.
1/2
a = (RT) = (1.4 x 287 x 293)½ = 343 m/s
Consider a pipe line with a fluid flowing at a steady velocity of u m/s. A stop valve is gradually closed thus
decelerating the fluid uniformly from u to zero in t seconds.
Figure 6
Volume of fluid = AL
Mass of fluid = AL
Deceleration = u/t
Inertia force required F = mass x deceleration = AL u/t
To provide this force the pressure of the fluid rises by p and the force is A p.
If the valve is closed suddenly then as t is very small the pressure rise is very large. In reality, a valve cannot
close instantly but very rapid closure produces very large pressures. When this occurs, the compressibility
of the fluid and the elasticity of the pipe is an important factor in reducing the rise in pressure. First, we will
consider the pipe as rigid.
Figure 7
When the fluid stops suddenly at the valve, the fluid further up the pipe is still moving and compacting into
the static fluid. An interface between moving and static fluid (a shock wave) travels up the pipe at the
acoustic velocity. This is given by the equation:
a= (K/)½ K = Vdp/dV
If we assume that the change in volume is directly proportional to the change in pressure then we may
change this to finite changes such that
The density of water is 1000 kg/m3 and the bulk modulus is 4 GPa throughout.
1. A pipe 50 m long carries water at 1.5 m/s. Calculate the pressure rise produced when
2. A pipe 2000 m long carries water at 0.8 m/s. A valve is closed. Calculate the pressure rise when
A pressure surge in an elastic pipe will cause the pipe to swell and some of the energy will be absorbed by
straining the pipe wall. This reduces the rise in pressure. The more elastic the wall is, the less the pressure
rise will be. Consider the case shown.
Figure 8
2
Kinetic Energy lost by fluid = ½ mu
The mass of fluid is AL so substituting K.E. = ½ ALu2
Now consider the strain energy of the pipe wall. The strain energy
of an elastic material with a direct stress is given by
ρu 2
Δp2 D Δp2 Δp2 D 1
tE K tE K
ρ
Δp u
D 1
2tE K
The solution is usually given in terms of the effective bulk modulus K' which is defined as follows.
1
D 1
K
tE K
The pressure rise is then given by p = u[/K']½
The acoustic velocity in an elastic pipe becomes a' and is given as a' = (K'/)½
Hence p = u a'
The density of water is 1000 kg/m3 and the bulk modulus is 4 GPa. The modulus of elasticity for steel
E is 200 Gpa.
A steel pipe carries water at 2 m/s. The pipe is 0.8 m bore diameter and has a wall 5 mm thick.
Calculate the pressure rise produced when the flow is suddenly interrupted.
SOLUTION
1 1
D 1 0.8 1
K 952.4 MPa
tE K 0.005 x 200 x 109 4 x 109
½ 6 ½
Sudden closure a' = (K'/) = (952.4 x 10 /1000) = 976 m/s
p = a' u = 976 x 2 x 1000 = 1.95 MPa
Pressure surges or water hammer occurs whenever there is a change in flow rate. There are many causes for
this besides the opening and closing of valves. Changes in pump speeds may cause the same effect. Piston
pumps in particular cause rapid acceleration and deceleration of the fluid. In power hydraulics, changes in
the velocity of the ram cause the same effect. The problem occurs both on large scale plant such as
hydroelectric pipelines and on small plant such as power hydraulic systems. The principles behind reduction
of the pressure surges are the same for each, only the scale of the equipment is different.
For example, on power hydraulic systems, accumulators are used. These are vessels filled with both liquid
and gas. On piston pumps, air vessels attached to the pipe are used. In both cases, a sudden rise in pressure
produces compression of the gas that absorbs the strain energy and then releases it as the pressure passes.
Figure 10
Figure 11
2.7 ANALYSIS OF SURGE TANK
Let the area of the surge tank be AT and the area of the main pipe be Ap. The length of the pipe is L. Let the
volume flow rate during normal operation of the turbines be Q. In the simplest analysis we will consider that
there is no friction anywhere and that when an emergency stop is made, all the water is diverted into the
surge tank.
dz Q dz
M ean velocity in surge tank u T Q AT
dt A T dt
Q
M ean velocity in the pipe u p
Ap
dz A T
Substitute for Q up ...........(1)
dt A p
The diversion of the flow into the surge tank raises the level by z. This produces an increased pressure at the
junction point of p = gz
The amplitude and periodic time are referred to as the APO (amplitude and period of oscillation).
A good mathematician would solve the 2nd order differential equation to produce both the frequency and
amplitude.
LA p
The equation for the motion in full is z uo
sin(ω t)
gA T
The peak of the surge occurs at T/4 seconds from the
disturbance.
Figure 12
If pipe friction is taken into account, then the normal level of the surge tank will not be the same as the level
of the storage lake but will be less by an amount equal to the frictional loss in the system. This is given by
D'Arcys equation as hf = 4fLu2/2g
The solution of this may be done by step by step integration and it would show that the amplitude of the
oscillation dies down (as for any damped oscillation in mechanical systems). In reality the problem is more
complicated because f is not constant and varies from 0 at zero flow conditions to a maximum at maximum
flow conditions. Reflected waves also complicate the story.
Figure 13
2.9 OSCILLATIONS
The pressure surge travel along the pipe lines at the local acoustic velocity. They can be reflected so that
they travel back again to where they started. Reflections may occur from a dead end (such as a valve, a ram
or a pump) , or from an open end (such as a free surface). When they are reflected from an open end, they
are reversed into a rarefaction (negative pressure with respect to the normal level).
When a valve is suddenly closed at the turbine of a hydro-electric plant, a pressure surge is set up which
travels to the lake and is reflected back as a rarefaction to the valve where it is again reflected as pressure.
The pressure waves will pass back and forth in the pipe gradually dying away as the energy is dissipated.
The use of a surge tank with a damping orifice reduces the effect to two or three oscillations. The same
thing may occur when a large pump is suddenly switched off only in this case the fluid on the suction side
will cause a pressure wave and on the delivery side will cause a rarefaction because the fluid is travelling
away from the pump.
In some systems such as power hydraulics, the time taken for the pressure surge to travel away from the
disturbance and to be reflected back again may coincide with the natural frequency of the item causing the
disturbance. This may be a spring loaded valve for example. The result is a unstable oscillation with
interaction between the dynamics of the valve and the dynamics of the system causing positive feedback
and sustaining the oscillation. This results in valve squeal.
This is a complex area of study and the student should consult advanced text for full details. Attenuation due
to friction is also involved. The theory is similar to that of A.C. electric power transmission. The student
would also need to study the dynamics of mechanisms, especially forced and natural oscillations.
1. Derive the water hammer equation for a long elastic pipe carrying water from a large upstream
reservoir with a constant water level to a lower downstream reservoir. Flow is controlled by a valve at
the downstream end.
Sketch the variation in pressure with time for both ends and the middle of the pipe. following sudden
closure of the valve. Sketch these variations for when friction is negligible and for when both friction
and cavitation occur.
and that the maximum stress in the pipe is , derive a formula for the maximum allowable discharge.
2a. Explain the purpose and features of a surge tank used to protect hydroelectric installations.
b. Derive an expression for the amplitude of oscillation of the water surface in a surge tank of cross
sectional area AT connected to a pipe of cross sectional area Ap and length L following a complete
stoppage of the flow. The normal mean velocity in the pipe is u o and friction may be ignored.
3.a. A hydroelectric turbine is supplied with 0.76 m 3/s of water from a dam with the level 51 m above the
inlet valve. The pipe is 0.5 m bore diameter and 650 m long.
Calculate the pressure at inlet to the turbine given that the head loss in the pipe is 8.1 m. (0.41 MPa).
Calculate the maximum pressure on the inlet valve if it is closed suddenly. The speed of sound in the
pipe is 1200 m/s. (5.05 MPa)
b. The pipe is protected by a surge tank positioned close to the inlet valve.
Calculate the maximum change in level in the surge tank when the valve is closed suddenly (ignore
friction). (3.97 m)
Calculate the pressure at inlet to the turbine when 10 m 3/s of water is supplied. (0.772 MPa)
Calculate the pressure that would result on the inlet valve if it was closed suddenly. The speed of sound
in the pipe is 1432 m/s. (4.55 MPa)
Calculate the fastest time the valve could be closed uniformly if the pressure rise must not exceed
0.772 MPa. (1.72 s)
b) Deduce from Newton's laws the amplitude and period of oscillation (APO) in a cylindrical surge tank
after a sudden stoppage of flow to the turbine. Assume there is no friction.
d) An orifice of one half the tunnel diameter is added in the surge pipe near to the junction with the
tunnel. What effect does this have on the APO ?