INTRODUCTION

SECTION -1

1. Priming by foot valve

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRIFUGAL

PUMP

The priming can be done by installing a Foot Valve at

the end of the suction pipe and filling it with a liquid up to
the pump casing top. The motor is then switched on.
This a common practice.

The credit for making the first centrifugal pump goes to

Johann Garden (1680). But the first practical centrifugal
pump was built in Boston (U.S.A.) in 1818. It was called
the Massachusetts pump. It consisted of a disc with four
straight radial blades which revolved within a casing
arranged for double suction impeller (Fig. 1). The figure
however looks like the end suction pump because the
section is taken vertically along the centreline of the volute
casing.

2. Priming by vacuum pump (Alternative method)

A vacuum pump is connected to the pump casing top.
As the air in the suction pipe and casing is removed by
the vacuum pump, the liquid is pushed in the suction
pipe and casing due to atmospheric pressure acting on
the free surface of the liquid source. When the pipe and
casing are filled with liquid, the motor is switched on and
the vacuum pump is switched off.

Fig. 1 : Massachusetts Pump (1818)

In 1830 a more efficient pump built by McCarthy was
successfully operated to pump out the dry dock at New
York. Further improvements were made in U.S.A. by
Blake Andrews in 1839 and Appold in 1846. Thomson
and Gwynne Brothers began the manufacture of pumps
as a commercial enterprise in England. They bought the
patent rights to curved blades from Andrews and claimed
efficiency to increase threefold.
What is meant by pumping ?
Fig. 2 : Method of priming of Centrifugal Pumps
This will be the first and pertinent question to be asked
to a person who deals in centrifugal pumps. Pumping
is the process of adding energy to the fluid to move it
from one point to another or raising its pressure or to
transfer from a low pressure region to a higher pressure
region (like boiler feed application).

ABOUT ATMOSPHERE : (Atm.)

The answer is NO.

Atmospheric pressure balances a column of mercury

(Hg) to the height of 760 mm at sea level or water column
of 10.33 metres (Fig. 3). The atmospheric pressure at
sea level is 1.033 kg/cm 2 at normal temperature
(15.55C or 60F).

A centrifugal pump is incapable of sucking liquids. In order

to make it work, a centrifugal pump has to be PRIMED
first, which means either removal of air from the suction
pipe or filling it with liquid up to the top of the pump casing
(Fig. 2)

The atmospheric pressure drops at the rate of about

one metre for every 1000 metres increase in altitude,
above mean sea level. However graph (Fig. 3a) line starts
from 500 m because the variation in air density is
negligible.

Can a centrifugal pump suck liquid on its own ?

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Fig. 3a : Decrease of atmospheric pressure with

increasing altitude (TECHNICAL Atmosphere is
considered. ha= 10m)
Fig. 3 : The atmospheric pressure balances the
mercury column of 760 mm height.
ANY PRESSURE ABOVE ATMOSPHERE
The table below shows the relation between altitude and
atmospheric pressure in different units :

GAUGE PRESSURE
ABSOLUTE PRESSURE =
GAUGE + BAROMETRIC
PRESSURE
(hg) + (ha)

Altitude Barometric Pressure Equivalent Boiling

above MSL
Head of Point of
Metres
BAR
mm of Hg Water in m Water C
Sea Level

1.013

760

10.33

100.0

500

0.954

716

9.73

98.9

1000

0.899

674

9.16

96.7

1500

0.846

634

8.62

95.0

2000

0.796

597

8.12

93.3

(hg)
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

VACUUM
BAROMETRIC
(A NEGATIVE PRESSURE)
PRESSURE
(ha)
ANY PRESSURE
BELOW ATMOSPHERE

ABSOLUTE
PRESSURE

ABSOLUTE ZERO
PRESSURE
(PERFECT VACUUM)

0
Fig. 4 :

Graphical illustration of atm., gauge

pressureetc.

Definition of various pressures

1 Absolute (Abs.) Pressure :

This table relates to Physical Atmosphere.

It is the pressure above absolute Zero. It may be above

or below atmospheric pressure, thus

The Physical Atmosphere (Atm.)

It measures 1.033 kg/cm2 = 760 mm of Hg (at Sea Level).
This should not be confused with the Technical
Atmosphere of 1 kg/cm2. The standard atmospheric
pressure is 1.013 bar or 760 mm of Hg column.

0.5 kg/ cm2 abs. (below atm. -ve)

The Technical Atmosphere (Atm.)

2. Barometric Pressure :

10kg / cm2 abs. (above atm. + ve)

It is atm. pressure at the locality being studied and varies

mainly with the altitude and slightly with atmospheric
conditions.

The unit1 atmosphere = 1kg/cm2 = 735.5 mm of Hg is

called the technical atmosphere, which will be referred
to throughout this publication.

3. Gauge Pressure :
Concept of Vacuum
It is the pressure above atmosphere at the locality.
Theoretically zero atm. pressure would be attained in a
perfect vacuum. This is known as Absolute ZERO
pressure. All practical pressures are then made either
relative to this datum or to the atmospheric pressure.
This is explained in Fig. 4.

4. A vacuum is a Negative gauge pressure i.e. below

atmospheric pressure. For example, it reads like 600 mm
of Hg.Vacuum is always in abs. term.

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PROPERTIES OF WATER
a)

VAPOUR PRESSURE (V.P.)

Specific Gravity (sp. gr.) :

Substance / Matter exists in three phases :

1) solid 2) liquid 3) gas.

It is taken as 1 for practical purpose at room

temperature (15.55C/ 60F) but it gradually
reduces with the rise in temperature.
(at 100 Deg. C it is 0.96)
b)

Term V.P. (vapour pressure) is frequently used in

connection with centrifugal pumps, particularly in Thermal
Plants and Process Industries. But for proper
understanding of the concept of V.P. some explanation
is required.
All liquids have a tendency to evaporate when exposed
to atmosphere. The rate at which this evaporation occurs
depends on the molecular energy of the liquid. (i.e. type
of liquid and its temperature) and the condition of
pressure adjoining the liquid surface.

Boiling Point :
At sea level it is 100 Deg. C. The boiling point of
water decreases as the pressure above its surface
is reduced and vice versa.

c)

Specific Weight :
Water weighs 1000 kg/m3
1 Cubic Metre = 1000 Litre
______________________

Fig. : 5

PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Consider a liquid contained in a sealed beaker a.

Assume a constant temperature is maintained. Some of
the liquid molecules have sufficient energy to break away
from the liquid and enter the air in the vapour form as in
a. As the time passes the air will contain vapour
molecules to the extent that some of them will be forced
to re-enter the liquid by the partial air pressure as shown
in b. Eventually an equilibrium condition will exist, when
the rate at which molecules are leaving the liquid will be
equal to the molecules re-entering the liquid (as in c)
Under such conditions the air above the liquid is saturated
with liquid molecules and the pressure on the liquid
surface is called its vapour pressure at prevailing
temperature. (Common example - V.P. of water at 100
Deg. C. is 1kg / cm2 abs. at sea level).

Let us go back to college days and refresh our memories

about the elementary knowledge of matter like mass =
weight/g
1)

Specific Weight ( )

The specific weight of a substance is the weight per unit

of volume such as kg per cubic metre.
2)

Density ( )

Density is the mass of the substance per unit of volume

and therefore involves the gravity term g. In the metric
system density is expressed as grams/cm3

In physical terms it is the pressure exerted by the

saturated vapour in contact with the surface of the liquid
at that temperature.

The relationship between gand r is given by

r=
3)

/g

Under vacuum, however the process of vaporisation is

accelerated.

Specific Gravity (sp.gr.) - r

Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a given volume

of the solid / liquid to that of an equal volume of water at
4 Deg. C. (This ratio has no unit).

The boiling point of a liquid has a direct relation with the

pressure above its surface. At higher pressure, the boiling
point increases and vice versa.

4)
Viscosity :
It is the property of a liquid which resists the flow of the
liquid (opposite of fluidity). Viscosity decreases with rise
in temperature.

For example the boiler pressure gauge indicating 4.71

kg/cm 2 abs. will have a boiling water temp. of
149 Deg. C.
At Mahabaleshwar water will boil at 96.5 Deg. C. (Altitude
of say 1066 metres.)

Water Viscosity (Kinema tic )

1.13 Centistokes at 15.6 Deg. C

If the pressure in a container is further reduced to

0.07 kg/cm2 abs., then water will start boiling at only
38.5C.

0.55 Centistoke at 54.4 Deg. C

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