Lecture 8

Minimum speed to start the pump, Multistage

pumps.


Specific speed and minimum operating speed.
Specific speed is defined as the speed of an imaginary pump geometrically similar in
every respect to the actual pump and capable of delivering unit quantity against a unit
head. Mathematically, the specific speed for a pump is given by N
s
=
N
H
m
34

Specific speed has dimensions of L
3/4
/T
3/2
. The specific speed of all pumps, similar in
shape, is the same regardless of size.
Specific speed of a pump can be expressed in the non-dimensional form as,
N
s

=
N
(gH
m
)
34
Where N
s
*=specific speed in non-dimensional form; N=impeller speed,
r.p.m; Q=discharge in cumecs; H
m
=manometric head in meters.
When the impeller is rotating, the water in contact with the impeller is also rotating. This
is the case of forced vortex.
The centrifugal head created in the pump should be equal to the manometric head. In case
of forced vortex, the centrifugal head or head due to pressure rise in the impeller is given
by,=

2
2
2g
-

1
2
2g

There will be no flow of liquid until the speed of the pump is such that the required
centrifugal head is developed. So, for minimum speed,
:
2
2
2g
-
:
1
2
2g
= E
m

Using the relation, p
mun
=
gH
m
v
w2

2

Therefore, E
m
=
q
mcn
X v
w2

2
g


But,


The above eq. gives the minimum starting speed of the centrifugal pump.

Figure 6.15: Head vs Capacity curve ( From: Chandramouli, et al., 2012)
Example 6.9: The diameter of an impeller of a centrifugal pump at inlet and outlet are 10
cm and 20 cm respectively. Determine the minimum starting speed of the pump if it
works against a head of 25 m.
Solution: Diameter of impeller at inlet, D
1
=0.1 m; Diameter of impeller at outlet, D
2
=0.2
m; head, H
m
=25 m.
For minimum speed, using the relation,
E
m
= _
:
2
2
-:
1
2
2g
_
But, :
1
=
n
1
N
60

Substituting the data, we get, :
1
=
nX0.1XN
60

:
1
= u.uuS2SN
:
2
=
n
2
N
6u

Substituting the data, we get,
:
2
=
nXu.2XN
6u

:
2
= u.u148N
But, E
m
= [

2
2
-
1
2
2g

Substituting the values we get,
2S =
1
2 X 9.81
(u.u148
2
-u.uuS2
2
)N
2

Therefore,
N = 1S98.S4 rpm. Ans
MULTISTAGE PUMPS
The efficiency of a pump varies with discharge rate of the pump and the height over
which the delivery is made.
To install a pumping station that can be effectively operated over a large range of
fluctuations in both discharge and pressure, it may be advantageous to install several
identical pumps either in series or parallel at the station.
When several pumps are connected in parallel in a pipeline, the discharge is increased but
the pressure head remains the same as with a single pump.
Pumps connected in series in a pipeline will increase the total output pressure, but the
discharge will remain approximately the same as that of a single pump.
In a single-stage pump a single impeller is used to develop the pressure necessary to
produce the required discharge against the given head. A single impeller pump is suitable
for manometric head up to 100m.
For larger heads it is not economical to use a single impeller, since either a very high
rotative speed must be used or an impeller of larger diameter.
If centrifugal pump consists of two or more impellers, the pump is called a multistage
centrifugal pump. The impellers may be mounted on the same shaft or on different shafts.
A multistage pump is having the following two important functions:
1) The slip leakage in multistage pump is small
2) A higher suction lift is possible because of lower specific speed of individual impeller.
3) The stresses induced in the impeller are less than that in a single stage pump.
4) The loss due to friction in a multi stage pump is less than that in equivalent single
stage pump.
5) Number of stages can be chosen so that the speed of the pump suits to the speed of the
motor.
If a high head is to be developed, the impellers are connected in series while for
discharging large quantity of liquid; the impellers are connected in parallel.
The stage of the pump is equal to the number of impellers.
The discharge from the first impeller is guided into the inlet of the second impeller. The
discharge from the second impeller is guided into the third and so on, till the required
head is obtained.
Let, n=number of identical impellers mounted on the same shaft; H
m
=head developed by
each impeller. Then, total head developed is given by,n E
m









Shaft
Impeller2
Impeller1
Fromsuctionpipe
Todeliverypipe
Figure6.16.:Twostagepump



Pump1
Pump2
Q
1
Q
2
Q
1
Q
1
+Q
2
Figure6.17.Pumpsconnectedinparallel