Reciprocating

Pump

Classification of
reciprocating pump
(1)According to the water being in contact with
one side or both sides of the piston:
(a)Single acting pump
(b)Double acting pump
(2)According to number of cylinder:
(a) Single cylinder pump
(b) Double cylinder pump
(c)Triple cylinder pump.

Reciprocating pump
The reciprocating pump is a positive displacement

pump and consists of a cylinder, a piston a suction

valve, a delivery valve, a suction pipe, a delivery pipe
and crank and connecting rod mechanism operated by
a power source e.g. steam engine, I.C. Engine or an
electric motor.
Positive Displacement Pumps, unlike acentrifugal
pumps, will produce the same flow at a given speed
(RPM) no matter the discharge pressure.
A Positive Displacement Pump must not be operated
against a closed valve on the discharge side of the
pump because it will continue to produce flow until
the pressure in the discharge line are increased until
the line bursts or the pump is severely damaged

Working principle
In reciprocating pumps the mechanical action causes the fluid

to move using one or more oscillating pistons, plungers etc.

During the suction stroke the piston moves left thus creating
vacuum in the Cylinder. This vacuum causes the suction valve
to open and water enters the Cylinder.
During the delivery stroke the piston moves towards right. This
increasing pressure in the cylinder causes the suction valve to
close and delivery to open and water is forced in the delivery
pipe.

Air vessel
Air vessel is a closed chamber containing

compressed air at the top and liquid at the

bottom.
Uses:
1. It provides uniform discharge from pump.
2. The chances of cavitation or separation are
considerably reduced.
3. A considerable amount of work is saved as
frictional resistance.
4. The pump can run at higher speed and
provides higher discharge.

Use of air vessel

Discharge through a pump per second is given

as

ALN
Q
60
2 ALN
Q=
60

m3
m3

s
s

for single acting pump

for double acting pump

Where
A= the cross sectional area of the
piston in
L= the stroke of the piston in m
N= the speed of crank in rpm

Work done by reciprocating pump per second is

gALN
given
as (hs hd )
for 60
a single-acting pump
2 gALN
(hs hd )
for60a double-acting

pump

Power required driving the pump

gALN
(hs hd ) kW
for
60 1000 a single-acting pump
2 gALN
(hs hd ) kW
for
a
double-acting
pump
60 1000

(Where g = weight density of liquid in N/m 3)

Slip & Co-efficient of discharge

Slip

=
Volume
swept/stroke

actual
discharged/stroke
The value of slip is generally positive.
However in practice sometimes delivery valve
opens before suction stroke is completed, thus
delivering a greater volume of water than
actually swept by the piston. Hence the slip will
be negative inactual
such discharge/stroke
a case.
Qact
Cd of discharge

Co-efficient
volume swept/stroke
Q
th

Qth Qact
Percentage slip=
Qth

Pressure head due to acceleration (ha) in the

suction and delivery pipes is given as

ls A
has 2 r cos
g as

for suction pipe

ld A
had 2r cos
g ad

for discharge pipe

Where l length of suction/discharge pipe

a= cross section area of suction/discharge pipe

Work done by the pump per second due to

acceleration and friction in suction and delivery

pipes
gALN
2
2
hs hd h fs h fd
60
3
3

for single-acting

2 gALN
2
2
hs hd h fs h fd
60
3
3

for double-acting

Indicator diagram

Indicator diagram with

acceleration and friction
head effect

Operating characteristic curve

Discharge(ide
Dal)
ischarge
(actu
al)

Speed
N=constant

Discharge
Input power
Efficiency

ut
p
n
I
er
w
po

ncy
e
i
c
Effi

Head