EXAMPLE SHEET FOR TOPIC 4 AUTUMN 2013

Q1. (Examination, January 2008)

Water is pumped from tank A to tank B (see figure). The relative heights of free surfaces and
the pump are as shown, whilst pump characteristics at the operational speed are given below.

Discharge (L s–1): 0 3 6 9 12 15 18
Head (m) 30 29.5 27.6 24.4 19.7 13.5 5.9
Efficiency (%) – 29 54 73 80 70 38

The pipework has overall length 40 m

and diameter 0.06 m. The friction
factor is 0.02 and minor losses may be
B
neglected. 14 m

2m
A pump

(a) Derive the system characteristic (i.e. head as a function of discharge, stating carefully
the units for head and discharge).
(b) Find the discharge and power consumption at the duty point.
(c) In a bid to increase the total discharge a second pump of similar type is added.
Assuming that the pumps are run at the same operational speed and that the system
characteristic is unchanged, find the total discharge and power consumption if the
pumps are connected: (i) in parallel; (ii) in series.

Q2.
A pump draws water from a large open sump and delivers it to an open tank. The delivery
pipe is 21.0 m long and 100 mm diameter, with a friction factor λ = 0.02. Losses in the
pipeline other than those due to friction may be neglected. The bottom of the tank is 10 m
above the surface of the sump and the water in the tank is 1.5 m deep. The pump operates at
1750 rpm and its performance data are as follows.

Q (L/s) 6.0 12.0 18.0 24.0 30.0 36.0 42.0

H (m) 16.0 16.5 16.5 15.5 13.5 10.5 7.0
η 0.30 0.55 0.70 0.76 0.70 0.57 0.38

(a) Derive an expression for the head loss due to friction in the pipeline.
(b) Determine the discharge that the pump provides at 1750 rpm and the power required
to operate the pump.
(c) Find the pump speed in rpm if the discharge is increased to 34.0 L s–1.
(d) If, when the pump speed is 1750 rpm, a control valve is installed to limit the discharge
to 24 L s–1, find:
(i) the power consumption of the pump;
(ii) the power dissipated in the pump;
(iii) the power dissipated by pipe friction;
(iv) the power dissipated in the control valve;
(v) the overall efficiency of the installation.

Hydraulics 2 E4-1 David Apsley

Q3. (Examination, January 2006)
A water pump has been operating at a pump station at speed 1400 rpm. The pipeline system
characteristics at the station are as follows.

Head loss in pipeline:

Discharge (L s–1) 0 20 40 60 80
Head loss (m) --- 1.0 4.0 10.0 20.0

The static head is 20 m. The pump characteristics at speed 1000 rpm are provided by the
manufacturer, and given as follows.

Pump characteristics at speed 1000 rpm:

Discharge (L s–1) 0 20 40 50 60
Head (m) 50 45 33 25 14
Efficiency (%) – 60 69 60 40

(a) Determine the duty point of the present pump-pipeline system at 1400 rpm, and the
power consumption of the pump, using the scaling laws.

To reduce the operational cost, it is proposed to add another pump, identical to the present
one. The two pumps will be connected in parallel and operate at lower speed 1000 rpm.
(b) Determine the maximum discharge rate of the proposed pump-pipeline system.
(c) Determine the total power consumption of the proposed system corresponding to the
maximum discharge rate, and comment on the suitability of the proposed system.

Q4. (Exam, January 2007 – modified)

A pump is used to convey water from a sump to a storage tank. The water level in the tank is
80 m above that in the sump. The delivery pipe connecting the pump and the tank is 575 m in
length and 0.15 m in diameter, and has a friction factor λ = 0.02. The pump characteristics at
speed 2800 rpm are as follows.

Pump characteristics at 2800 rpm:

Discharge (L s–1): 0 10 20 30 40 50
Head (m): 110 124.3 127.1 118.6 98.6 67.1
Efficiency (%): –– 47 68 75 70 45

(a) Determine the system characteristic (i.e. head H as a function of discharge Q). Include
numerical values, but remember to state what units are used for H and Q.
(b) Determine the discharge, pump head and operating efficiency at 2800 rpm. What is
the power input required?
(c) Calculate the specific speed from the pump characteristics at 2800 rpm, and suggest,
with reasons, what kind of pump it might be.
(d) If it is required to reduce the discharge to 30 L s–1 by reducing the pump speed, find
the new speed required.

Hydraulics 2 E4-2 David Apsley

Q5.
A centrifugal pump is used to pump water out of a flooded basement. The water must be
raised a vertical height of 6 m through a pipe of length 50 m, diameter 70 mm and friction
factor 0.04. Pump characteristics at 1500 rpm are given below.

Discharge,
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0
Q (L s–1)
Head,
8.92 8.00 7.02 5.99 4.91 3.76 2.56 1.31
H (m)
Efficiency,
- 30.6 52.5 65.6 70.0 65.6 52.5 30.6
η (%)

(a) Determine the system characteristic (head loss H as a function of discharge Q), giving
numerical values and stating the units of H and Q.
(b) Determine the time taken to pump one cubic metre of water and the total energy used
by the pump in this time. (Assume negligible change in water levels).
(c) If the pump speed is increased to 2250 rpm calculate the time taken to pump one
cubic metre of water.

Q6. (Examination, January 2010)

A variable-speed pump is required to raise water from a sump to an upper channel, the
difference in water levels being 12 m. The suction and delivery pipes have a common
diameter of 80 mm and a combined length of 30 m. The friction factor in these pipes is
λ = 0.04, whilst minor losses can be accommodated by a loss coefficient K = 10. The
dynamic head in sump and delivery channel may be neglected.

Pump characteristics at a rotation rate of 1200 rpm are given in the following table.

Discharge (L s–1) 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 17.5

Head (m) 19.1 19.0 18.4 17.1 15.1 12.4 9.0 4.9
Efficiency (%) – 25.6 48.7 67.0 77.9 79.2 68.2 42.6

(a) Find the system characteristic (head as a function of discharge), giving numerical
values and the units that you have chosen to use for head and discharge.
(b) Find the discharge and power consumption of the pump at the duty point.
(c) After a rearrangement of facilities the delivery channel is raised by 8 m and the
delivery pipe lengthened by the same amount. If the same discharge is to be
maintained find the new rotation rate of the pump.

Hydraulics 2 E4-3 David Apsley

Q7. (Examination, January 2009)
A pump is required to lift water from a sump to an upper-level tank, the difference in water
levels being 12 m. The pump intake is 2 m below the water level in the sump. A pipe of
diameter 150 mm runs 10 m from sump to pump intake and a pipe of the same diameter runs
25 m from pump outlet to the upper tank. The friction factor in both pipes is λ = 0.025; minor
losses may be neglected.

The pump characteristics at its operational speed are as follows. (Q is discharge; H is head
across the pump; η is efficiency).
Q (m3 s–1) 0.00 0.03 0.06 0.09 0.12 0.15 0.18
H (m) 30.0 29.8 28.1 25.0 20.4 14.1 6.2
η (%) – 29 54 73 80 70 38

(a) Find the system characteristic (i.e. head as a function of discharge), including all
numerical values.
(b) At the duty point find:
(i) the discharge;
(ii) the power consumption of the pump;
(iii) the gauge pressure at pump inlet.
(c) Following an upgrade a geometrically-similar pump is installed which runs at the
same rotational speed but has an impeller 1.2 times the size. Assuming hydraulic
similarity, plot the new pump characteristics (H vs Q and η vs Q) and find the
discharge and power consumption at the new duty point.

Q8. (Examination, January 2011; last part changed)

The characteristics of two constant-speed rotodynamic pumps are as follows.
Pump A
Discharge (L s–1) 0 6 12 18 24 30 36
Head (m) 22.6 21.9 20.3 17.7 14.2 9.7 3.9
Efficiency (%) – 32 74 86 85 66 28

Pump B
Discharge (L s–1) 0 6 12 18 24 30 36
Head (m) 16.2 13.6 11.9 11.6 10.7 9.0 6.4
Efficiency (%) – 14 34 60 80 80 60

It is required to select one of these pumps to lift water continuously through 3.2 m via
pipework of total length 21 m, diameter 100 mm and friction factor λ = 0.02.
(a) Find the system characteristic (head as a function of discharge), giving numerical
values and the units that you have chosen to use for head and discharge.
(b) Assuming that both A and B can both pump water at an adequate rate, select the more
suitable pump for this duty, justifying your selection.
(c) What power input will be required by the selected pump?
(d) Because of siting constraints the pump has to be located half way along the pipe at the
same elevation as the final delivery point. Determine the net positive suction head
(NPSH) at pump inlet and hence whether cavitation is likely to be a problem for your
selected pump. (Assume that the vapour pressure of water at this temperature is
95 kPa below atmospheric pressure.)

Hydraulics 2 E4-4 David Apsley

Q9. (Examination, January 2012)
A variable-speed pump is used to pump water from a storm-water collection tank to a water-
treatment works. The water level in the storm-water collection tank is below ground level at
-3 m AOD, whilst the still-water level in the treatment works is 12 m AOD. The pipeline
connecting the two is of length 800 m, diameter 0.4 m and has a friction factor λ = 0.02.
Pump characteristics (head H and efficiency η as functions of discharge Q) are given in the
following table when the pump is running at 1400 rpm.

Pump characteristics at N = 1400 rpm

Q (m3 s–1) 0.0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45
H (m) 29.6 30.0 29.6 28.4 26.5 23.9 20.5 16.6 12.1 7.2
η (%) 0 49 70 79 77 69 55 38 21 5

(a) Find the system characteristics (head as a function of discharge), giving numerical
values and stating the units used for head and discharge.

(b) Find the discharge when the pump is operating at 1400 rpm and the energy consumed
by the pump in delivering 100 m3 of water.

(c) Find the most efficient discharge and pumping head when the pump is operating at
1400 rpm and give a mathematical expression (with numerical values) for the
relationship between the head and discharge at the maximum-efficiency point as the
pump rotation rate changes.

(d) If the pump is required to operate at maximum efficiency but the flow rate is not
important find the rotational speed at which the pump should be operated and the
energy consumed by the pump in delivering 100 m3 of water.

Q10.
A small centrifugal fan is being used to supply air to a laboratory test rig at approximately
normal atmospheric conditions. When the fan was running at 2950 rpm it was found that the
airflow was less than the required value of 0.28 m3 s–1. Tests on the fan showed that, when
running at this speed the characteristic was
H  240(1.0  Q)
where H is the pressure difference in mm of water and Q is the discharge in m3 s–1.

It was found that a pressure difference from the fan of 18600 Q1.75 N m–2 was needed to
produce a discharge of Q m3 s–1 through the test rig. Estimate the speed at which the fan
should run to provide the required air flow.

Hydraulics 2 E4-5 David Apsley

Q11. (Based on Massey)
A centrifugal pump has suction and discharge openings of diameter 150 mm and 100 mm,
respectively. When operating at 1400 rpm the discharge is 25 L s–1, the shaft power is 6.5 kW
and the piezometric pressure heads on suction and discharge sides are respectively 4 m below
and 12 m above atmospheric pressure. Find:
(a) the difference in total head across the pump;
(b) the overall efficiency.

The pump impeller has an outer diameter of 250 mm and effective outlet area of 15000 mm2.
Water enters the impeller without shock or whirl. At outlet the blades are backward-facing,
with blade angle 20°. The actual outlet whirl component is 80% of ideal. Find:
(c) the radial component of velocity at outlet;
(d) the whirl component of velocity at outlet;
(e) the manometric efficiency (= ratio of piezometric head across the pump to Euler head;
this is a measure of its effectiveness in increasing pressure).

Q12.
In a proposed hydroelectric scheme the output power required is 60 MW. The gross head at
the reservoir is 300 m and head lost in the pipeline will not exceed 20 m. It is intended to use
a number of Pelton wheels, each with the following characteristics: operating speed 400 rpm;
turbine specific speed (units as in Notes) 50.0; overall efficiency 80%; 6 jets; cv of nozzles
0.97; speed ratio (i.e. bucket velocity / jet velocity) 0.46.

Assuming operation at maximum efficiency, calculate:

(a) the maximum output power per wheel;
(b) the number of wheels required;
(c) the velocities of jets and buckets;
(d) the diameter of each wheel;
(e) the output power per jet;
(f) the quantity of flow per jet;
(g) the diameter of each jet;
(h) the hydraulic efficiency if the buckets deflect water through 165° and reduce the
relative velocity by 15%.

Hydraulics 2 E4-6 David Apsley