Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

Report on

STUDY OF A CENTRIFUGUL PUMP, PIPE

FITTINGS AND VALVES.
Course No: ChE 206

Course Name: Chemical Engineering Laboratory I

Submitted to:
Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Khan
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering, BUET

Submitted By
Umma Hany Nawrin
ID: 1902057 Date of Performance: 8-6-22
Partner’s ID: 1902056 Date of Submission: 15-6-22
1902058
1902059
1902060
Group No: 06(A2)
Level-2/Term-2
Department of Chemical Engineering
Summery:
Pumps, especially centrifugal pumps, pipe fittings, and valves, were discussed broadly in this
report. Pumps are mainly used to transport fluid both in home and industries. In this experiment,
we have come to know about centrifugal pumps, their working procedure, and their uses in various
field. Basically, we have seen different parts of a centrifugal pump like impeller, casing, elbow,
reducer, tee, cap, gate, globe etc. and observed how this equipment’s work. A broad lecture was
given on classification of pumps, structure of centrifugal pumps and its components, the working
principle of centrifugal pumps and different types of pipe fittings and valves and their usage. We
also visited Sher-E-Bangla Hall water treatment plant and observed how pumps and their fittings
are used in a plant.

The report on this experiment discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various types of
pumps and things that should be kept in mind while selecting a pump for a specific purpose. This
report also contains the characteristics curves of a centrifugal pump and schematic diagram of
various valves and pipe fittings along with SBH water treatment plant.
Theoretical Background:
A pump is a mechanical device that moves fluids via conduits from one location to another. Fluid
movement is crucial in industrial applications. To move fluid from one container to another or
through a transmission line, a certain amount of potential is required. Pumps are fluid movers that
provide the fluid momentum, causing it to have a greater potential than its destination and hence
flow. Pump designs have changed over time to meet the demands of diverse machines. The
important criteria for determining the application are suction and delivery pressures, pressure drops
in transmission, and flow rate. In the culinary, pharmaceutical, nuclear, and other industries,
special requirements for material selection of pumps may apply. The basic concepts of transmitting
energy to the fluid that causes movement include gravity, displacement, centrifugal force,
electromagnetic force, momentum transfer, mechanical impulse, and a combination of these
energy transfer mechanisms. Gravity and centrifugal force are the most common energy transfer
methods.

Pumps of various types are used in many industries for various purposes. It is critical for an
engineer to have a basic grasp of the categorization, construction, advantages, and disadvantages
of various pump models. The engineers must be aware of several distinct characteristics of the
pump. The capacity, the energy or head delivered to the fluid, the energy required to power the
pump, and the unit's performance are all factors to consider. It is also important to consider what
type of pump one must use to satisfy the motivation and why one must use that specific pump for
that specific reason.
Classification of Pumps:
There are many different types of pumps available on the market. Some of the most prevalent
pump types are mentioned here. Pumps are divided into the following categories.

Figure1: Different classes of Pumps.

Advantages and Disadvantages of various pump:
Reciprocating pump:
Advantages:

I. Because of its positive displacement properties, this is utilized for metering fluids.
II. Because the high rate of shear acting on the cylinder walls acts as extra packing, it's
ideal for pumping viscous fluids.

Disadvantages:

I. A reciprocating pump should not be used to pump liquids containing abrasive materials
because the machine surface will be damaged.
II. This pump has an unusual size, requires a lot of care, and has a high starting cost.

Rotary Pump:
Advantages:

I. Within the constraints of the pump design, this pump can offer a practically constant
capacity at all pressures.
II. It can pump fluids of all viscosity
III. They operate at low pressure and have higher flow capacity.

Disadvantages:

I. Because each functional part transports a predetermined, collected volume of fluid

from suction to discharge, they give a pulsing flow to the output.

Centrifugal Pump:
Advantages:

I. Centrifugal pumps consume less material.

II. This pump allows them to run at high speeds with minimal maintenance.
III. The output can be adjusted arbitrarily or even fully closed by the discharge valve.
IV. It carries very simplicity in construction.
V. It has ability to adapt to use with motor and turbines.
 VI. This pump requires very small floor space.
VII. Their output is very steady and consistent.
VIII. Centrifugal pumps provide a lot of flexibility, are easy to move, and don’t take up a lot
of space.
IX. They don’t require many moving parts.
X. They are suitable for large discharge and smaller heads.

Disadvantages:

I. High pressure does not develop by a single stage pump. The single-stage pump will not
provide a lot of pressure. Because of their greater complexity, multistage pumps
produce higher heads but are also significantly more costly and can be built in
corrosion-resistant materials. In order to limit the number of steps necessary, it is often
preferable to employ very high speeds.
II. It is seldom self-priming. If the delivery suction line does not include a non-return
valve, the liquid will flow back into the suction tank as soon as the pump stops.
III. It cannot handle very viscous liquid effectively.
IV. It functions at a high level of efficiency within a narrow set of circumstances. This is
particularly true with turbine pumps.
V. They are not able to work high head.

Centrifugal Pump:
Centrifugal pumps convert rotating kinetic energy into fluid flow hydrodynamic energy, allowing
them to transfer fluids. An engine or an electric motor provides the rotational energy. They are a
type of work-absorbing turbomachinery that is dynamic and axisymmetric. The fluid enters the
pump impeller near the spinning axis and is driven by it, moving radially outward into a diffuser
or volute chamber (casing) from which it departs. Pumping for water, sewage, agriculture,
petroleum, and petrochemicals are all common applications. Centrifugal pumps are popular
because of their high flow rates, compatibility with abrasive solutions, mixing potential, and
comparatively easy architecture. An air handling device or vacuum cleaner is frequently
implemented using a centrifugal fan.
Parts of a Centrifugal Pump:
Main parts of a centrifugal pump are shaft, impeller, casing, suction pipe, and delivery pipe.

An AutoCAD drawing of a centrifugal pump similar to the one we observed has been attached
below.

Figure2: AutoCAD drawing of a centrifugal pump.

Shaft:
shaft is a central part of the pump which is rotating with the impeller is connected. To acquire the
power, the shaft is connected to the primary mover. The shaft is designed to fit into the ball bearing.
Impeller:
Impeller is made up of a set of vanes that bend backwards. It's attached to an electric motor's shaft.
A centrifugal pumps impeller is a revolving component. It is contained within a waterproof
enclosure.

Casing:
The impeller is surrounded by a casing, which is an airtight tunnel. Before the water exits the
casing and enters the delivery pipe, it is designed to transform the kinetic energy of the water
released at the outlet into pressure energy. The casing protects the system by acting as a cover.

There are three types of casing:

1. Volute casing.

2. Vortex casing.

3. Casing with guide blades.

Suction Pipe with a foot valve and strainer:

There are two ends to the suction pipe. One end is linked to the pump's input, while the other is
dipped into a sump of water.

The suction pipe's lower end is fitted with a foot valve. The foot valve is a one-way valve that only
opens in one direction: upward.

A strainer is also installed at the suction pipe's end to prevent foreign bodies from entering the
pipe.

Delivery Valve:
There are two ends to the delivery valve. The pump's output is linked to one end, while the other
end distributes water at a specified height.
Pipe Fittings:
Pipe fittings come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In the laboratory, a few kinds were discovered
among them. Below is a schematic depiction of the observed fittings:

Figure3: AutoCAD drawings of 90̊ elbow, 90̊ reducing stress elbow, cap, plain tee and reducer.

Figure4: AutoCAD drawing on nipples.

Figure5: AutoCAD drawing of cross, coupling, and plain side outlet tee.
Figure6: AutoCAD drawing of elbow, Tee, lateral and taped reducer.

Results and Discussion:

By studying the many elements of the centrifugal pump, pipe fittings, and valves and the workings
of valves and fittings, a knowledge of the centrifugal pump's operational mechanism, was obtained
through this experiment. As fluid passes through different pipes and pipe fittings, the fluid flow
changes its flow type. This kind of effects of pump on flowing fluid also studied during this
experiment. During this experiment, we’ve visited Sher-E-Bangla Hall water treatment plant and
seen how centrifugal pump, valves, pipes, and fittings are used in a plant.

Working Principle of Centrifugal Pump:

The pump shaft rotates the impeller, which works on the fluid between the blades. The fluid
undergoes centrifugal action and is flung to the impeller's perimeter by the impeller's center. The
flow rate is quite high when the fluid reaches the impeller's periphery.

The liquid that is hurled between the blades gathers in the pump casing, and the liquid flows in the
direction in which the volute-shaped tube is gradually widened, converting the fluid's kinetic
energy into static pressure energy, and reducing energy loss. As a result, the pump casing serves
as a liquid collection device as well as an energy conversion device.

Liquid suction principle: By rotating the impeller at a fast speed, the liquid in the impeller's center
is pushed to be ejected out at a high speed, resulting in a low pressure in the impeller's center and
the liquid in the bottom tank being constantly sucked up.
Selection of Pump:
The capacity of the pump, the energy or head given to the fluid by the pump, the power required
to run the pump, and the efficiency of the unit, among other factors, working fluids viscosity,
specific density and gravity, operating temperature and pressure, vapor pressure of the working
fluid should all be considered when selecting a pump. When choosing or creating a pump for a
certain application, the designer or engineer must take into account a variety of unwanted effects
that might occur during pump operation, for example: priming and cavitation.

Priming: Pump priming can be accomplished by designing considerations, external arrangements

that assure priming, or the usage of Self Priming Pumps.

Cavitation: Cavitation happens when air bubbles form within a pump as a result of the flowing
liquid's partial pressure decrease, resulting in a cavity at the relevant component. Changes in
pressure inside the pump change the liquid into vapor, which is then converted back to liquid when
the impellers spin. The air bubbles move, the pressure rises, and the air bubbles collapse instantly.
The impeller surface is eroded by the collapse of vapor bubbles, and if significant cavitation
develops at the impeller intake, pump performance suffers, potentially leading to pump failure.

Losses due to the fluid flow through pipes & fittings:

When a fluid is flowing through a pipe, the fluid experiences some resistance due to which some
of the energy of the fluid is lost. This loss of energy is classified as:

• Major Loss: Major loss defines the reductions in the pressure head of the flow caused by
friction due to the inner surface’s roughness of pipes and tubes.
• Minor Loss: There can occur pressure head loss when fluid met pump’s pipe fittings like
bends, elbows, and valves, also when the pipe line path expands or contracts unexpectedly
which is known as minor loss.
Characteristics curve of a Centrifugal pump:
The use of characteristic curves to describe and operate a centrifugal pump is important. The
characteristics curves of a pump plot actual head, total power consumption, and efficiency vs.
volumetric flow rate (capacity).

Figure6: Characteristics curve of a Centrifugal pump. (Source:

https://chemicalengineeringsite.in/understanding-centrifugal-pump-curve/

Applications of Centrifugal Pump:

One of the most popular and widely used pumps is the centrifugal pump. They're utilized for a
variety of purposes, from home to industrial. These pumps are the best choice for displacing fluids
in a range of sectors, including agricultural, wastewater treatment plants, municipal water
treatment plants, power generation plants, pharmaceutical, chemical, mining, petroleum, and many
more. Centrifugal pumps use a centrifugal force to operate. The following are some of the key
industries that employ these pumps:

1. Drinking water and drainage systems.

2. Hydraulic control system.

3. Textile- bleaching of fabrics and silk.

4. Food- sugar refining bleaching etc.

5. Electronics- acid waste transfer.

6. Thermal Power Plant.

SBH water treatment plant observation:

Figure7: AutoCAD drawing of Sher-E-Bangla Hall water treatment plant.

There we observed –

• 28 elbows
• 10 valves
• 12 tees
Conclusion:
Pumps are in high demand in the chemical sector. Pumps are required in the chemical sector since
it deals with poisonous and aggressive chemicals like extremely combustible and explosive liquids.
So pump is the solution for dosing, transfer or liquid circulation. Chemicals are frequently
delivered to the facility in drums or containers, from which they are moved to reactors, storage
tanks, or manufacturing lines in the production area. They are diluted, combined with other
chemicals, or suspended solids throughout the manufacturing process. It may be necessary to put
the chemical through a filtering system to recover the original chemical after it has been combined
with various components. As these chemicals are threat to the local environment, they require
handling in such a way that a risk of leakage or incident is mitigated or removed completely for
which pump is a great option. So, every chemical engineer needs to know different phenomena of
fluid flow and working procedures of pump and their types.

This experiment was about the study of centrifugal pump and a field visit. So, the report contains
the details about pump especially centrifugal pump and it’s working procedure and observation of
visiting water treatment plant.
Reference:
• Centrifugal Pumps -Working, Applications & Types | Power Zone |
https://www.powerzone.com/resources/glossary/centrifugal-pump
• Centrifugal Pump | The Engineers Post|
The Engineers Post - Blog for Engineers
• Centrifugal Pump For Chemical Industry – A Brief Guide - Sujal Pumps
• “Unit Operation of Chemical Engineering” (6 th edition) By Warren L. McCabe,
Julian C. Smith and Peter Harriott
• “Chemical Engineering Volume-I” (4 th edition) By J.M. Coulson, J.F. Richardson,
J.R. Backhurst, J.H. Harker
• “Applied Fluid Mechanics” (4 th edition) By Robert L. Mott.