Pumps

Irrigation pumps lift water from an existing

source, such as surface or groundwater to a
higher level.
They have to overcome friction losses during
transport of the water and provide pressure for
sprinkler and drip irrigation.
Irrigation pumps are mechanical devices which
use energy from electrical or combustion motors
to increase the potential and (or) kinetic energy of
the irrigation water.

Pumps
Pumps are used in irrigation systems to impart a
head to the water so it may be distributed to
different locations on the farm and used
effectively in application systems.
The key requirement in pump selection and
design of pump systems for typical irrigation
installations is that there is a correspondence
between the requirements of the irrigation
system and the maximum operating efficiency of
the pump.
Requirements of irrigation system are:
- flow rates

Principles of Water lifting

1. Direct lift (Direct lift devices)

physically lifting water in a container

2. Displacement (Displacement pumps)
This involves utilizing the fact that water is
(effectively) incompressible and can therefore be
'pushed' or displaced.

- Rotary positive displacement pumps, which use gears,

vanes, lobes or screws to move, discrete quantities of
water from the inlet to the outlet of the pump.
- Reciprocating positive displacement pumps: piston pumps,
plunger pumps, diaphragm pumps.

3. Gravity (Gravity Device)

Gravity operated systems, Siphons

4. Creating a velocity head (velocity

pumps

Rotodynamic pumps: volute centrifugal

pumps, turbine centrifugal pumps, regenerative
centrifugal pumps.

Types of pumps
Pumps used in irrigation systems are
available in a wide variety of pressure and
discharge configurations.
Pressure and discharge are inversely related
in pump design , so pumps which produce
high pressure have relatively small discharge
and vice versa.
Characteristics of centrifugal , turbine and
propeller pumps is given as below.

Impeller design and pump

characteristics as function of specific
speed

In the above figure,

Flow enters the pump from the bottom.
In centrifugal pump , energy is imparted to the flow by
the impeller which directs the flow radially outward.
Centrifugal pumps have high heads but limited
discharge.
Francis impeller deliver intermediate flow rates but
there is less energy available to pressurize the fluid.
Propeller type system is able to deliver large flow
volumes but is capable of imparting a very small
pressure differential to the fluid.

Specific Speed - Ns
Means of quantitatively categorizing the
operating characteristics of a pump.

0.5

N 0.2108N

0.75
s
H

Where: Ns = specific speed , dimensionless

N = Revolutionary speed of pump , rpm
Q = Pump discharge , L /min
H = discharge pressure head , m

Fig. Impeller shape &maximum efficiency as

function of Ns

 Ns varies from 500 (centrifugal pump) to

10, 000 (propeller pump).
The Ns of a pump is closely related to the
maximum operating efficiency of the pump.
Operating efficiency : ratio of the power imparted
by the impeller to the water compared to the power
supplied to the pump by the motor.
The performance curve indicates that careful
attention must be given to the discharge
requirements of the pump , which determine the
specific speed, so the most suitable pump may be
selected.

Classification of pumps

1. Reciprocating positive displacement pumps

use back and forth movement of mechanical parts
Water is for most practical purposes incompressible.
Consequently, if a close fitting piston is drawn through
a pipe full of water, it will displace water along the pipe.
Similarly, raising a piston in a submersed pipe will draw
water up behind it to fill the vacuum which would
otherwise occurs.
Basic relationships between the output or
discharge rate (Q), piston diameter (d), stroke or
length of piston travel (S), number of strokes per
minute (n), and the volumetric efficiency, which is
the percentage of the swept volume that is actually
pumped per stroke ( vol )

d 2
Swept area of the piston is A = 4

The swept volume per stroke will be V= AS

The discharge per stroke will be
q=V
vol

The pumping rate (per minute) is Q = nq

2. Rotary positive displacement

pumps

These are group of devices which utilizes

the displacement principle for lifting or
moving water, but which achieve this by
using a rotating form of displacer (gears,
vanes, lobes or screws).
use gears and vanes to move discrete part
of water.

These generally produce a continuous, or

sometimes a slightly pulsed, water output
these pumps tend themselves readily to
mechanization and to high speed operation
than reciprocal displacement pumps .

3. Rotodynamic (centrifugal) pumps

use the centrifugal force of rotating
devices (called impellers) to increase
the kinetic and pressure energy of
the water.
Depends on propelling water using a
spinning impeller of rotor.
There are two main types of rotodynamic

pumps (centrifugal pumps), i.e.

Volute centrifugal pumps
Turbine centrifugal pumps

 Reciprocating and rotary pumps are

called positive displacement
pumps, while centrifugal pumps are
called variable displacement
pumps in which the delivery head
varies with the quantity of water
pumped.

Axial flow pump

Radial flow (Centrifugal pumps)

Typical mixed flow pump

PUMPING THEORY-CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS

In centrifugal pumps the energy is imparted to the
water by a unit of rotating vanes called an impeller,
which are located in a stationary body called the
casing.

CASING
Water is pushed into the center or eye of the impeller by
atmospheric or water pressure and set into a rotary
motion by the impeller.
-The rotating movement causes a centrifugal force to act
upon the water, which drives the water outward,
between the vanes of the impeller, into the
surrounding casing from where it moves to the pump
outlet.
-Different types of casing: a)Single volute, (b) Double
volute, and (c). Diffuser turbine casing.

IMPELLERS
Impellers can be classified according to the direction of
flow through the impeller in relation to the axis of
rotation as (a) radial, (b) axial or (c) mixed flow.
Where high flows at low heads are required (which is
common with irrigation pumps), the most efficient
impeller is an axial flow one.
Impellers can also be classified according to their
design into (a) open (consist only vanes attached to the
hub with out shroud/side-wall), (b) semi-open (have
one shroud) and (c) enclosed (have shrouds
(sidewalls) enclosing the waterways between vanes)
impellers as shown in figure.

Impellers

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP PERFORMANCE

Pumping capacity, pumping head, power, efficiency

and net positive suction head are the main
parameters, which describe the performance of a
pump.
1.Pump capacity:
The capacity of a pump is the volume of water (Q) which
the pump can deliver per unit of time, e.g. in litters per
second (lt/s) or cubic meters per hour.
2. Pumping Head
The actual pumping head imposed on a pump, gross
working head, will be somewhat greater than the
actual vertical distance, or static head, water has to be
raised.

 The pumping head (H) is the net work done on a unit

of water by the pump. It is expressed by the
Bernoullis equation.
H = (p/(g) + V2/(2g) + Z)d - (p/(pg) + V2/(2g) + Z)s
P = Water pressure in (kpa or meters water column)

= density of the fluid in (kg/m3)

g = acceleration due to gravity in (m/S2)
V = Water velocity in (m/s)
Z = Elevation head in meters relative to a reference level or
datum.

g = =specific weight of the fluid (kN/m3)

Power

The amount of energy (in joule) applied per

unit of time (seconds) is the power imparted
to the water in joule/ second = Watt.

Phydr = g H Q = HQ

Phydr = hydraulic or water power in Watt.

Q = pumped volume in m3/s.
Pumping at a rate of 180m 3/ h at a head of
120 meters require:

Phydr = 1000 x 9.81 x 120 x 180/3600 = 4, 905 watt = 4.9

kw

Pump Efficiency
The actual power and energy needs are always greater
than the hydraulic energy needed
Therefore, the pump efficiency (pump) is the percent of
power input by a motor (in kw) to the pump shaft (the
so-called brake power) which is transferred to the
water:

hydr = (Phydr / Pmotor)x 100

hydr = pump efficiency
Phydr = water power (kw, hp)
Pmotor = break power (kw, hp)

Pump Power Requirements

The power added to water as it moves through a
pump can be calculated with the following formula:

WHP = Q x TDH
3960

where: WHP = Water Horse Power

Q = Flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM)
TDH = Total Dynamic Head (feet)

Break Horse power

BHP =

WHP
Pump Eff. x Drive Eff.

BHP -- Brake Horsepower (continuous horsepower rating of the

power unit).
Pump Eff. -- Efficiency of the pump usually read from a pump
curve and having a value between 0 and 1.
Drive Eff. -- Efficiency of the drive unit between the power source
and the pump. For direct connection this value is 1, for right
angle drives the value is 0.95 and for belt drives it can
vary from 0.7 to 0.85.

Net Positive Suction Head- NPSH

The net positive section head (NPSH) is the amount
of energy required to prevent the formation of vapor
filled cavities within the eye of the single and fires
stage impellers.
This cavities which form when pressure within the
eye drop below the vapor pressure of water collapse
within higher-pressure areas of the pump.
The formation and subsequent collapse of these
vapor filled cavities is called cavitation.
When cavities collapse occur violently at interior
surfaces of the pump they produce ring-shaped
indentations in the surface called pits. Continued
pitting severely damage pumps, and must be
avoided

 The NPSH required to prevent cavitation is a

function of pump design and is usually determined
experimentally for each pump.
Cavitation is prevented when heads (available
NPSH) within the eye of single and first impeller
exceeds the NPSH, value published by the
manufacturers.
The available NPSH is a function of the
atmospheric pressure, vapor pressure, friction
loss, suction head and should always exceed
the NPSH specified by the pump manufacturer
with at least 0.5 to 1.0 meters of head.

NPSH = Ha - Hs - Hf Hvp
Ha = atmospheric pressure on the surface of the water
(in m)
Hs = elevation of the water above or below the impeller
eye while pumping (in m) (if the level is above the eye,
Hs is positive, if the level is below the eye, Hs is
negative)
Hf = friction-head losses in the suction piping (in m)
Hvp = Vapor pressure of the water at the pumping
temperature (in m).
The vapor pockets, which form when pressures
within the eye of the impeller drop below the
vapor pressure of the water, subsequently
collapse violently within the high pressure areas
of the pump.
This collapse is called cavitation and can cause
severe damage to the pump. Operate the pump
with in its design capacity.

PERFORMANCE CURVES

Head versus pump capacity.

Efficiency versus pump
capacity.
Brake power versus pump
capacity.
NPSH versus pump capacity.

AFFINITY LAWS
The performance of a pump varies with the
speed at which the impeller rotates.
Theoretically, varying the pump speed will
result in changes in flow rate, TDH and BHP
according to the following formulas:

For a constant Diameter

Q2= Q1 x (N2/N1)
H2 = H1 x (N2/N1)

BP2= BP1 x (N2/N1) 3

NPSH2 = NPSH1 x (N2/N1)

Affinity Laws
For constant N ( Rotation per minute)
Q2 = Q1 x (D2/D1)
H2 = H1 x (D2/D1) 2
BP2 = BP1 x (D2/D1) 3
NPSH2 = NPSH1 x (D2/D1)2

where
Q = discharge
N=number of Revolution per minute
BP = Break power
NPSH = Net positive suction head
D = diameter
H = Available head

Pump performance curves

Typical Pump performance curve

Pump operation point

A centrifugal pump operates at combinations
of head and discharge according to its H-Q
characteristic performance curve. The
particular combination of H-Q at which a
pump is operating is the pumps operating
point. Power requirement, efficiency and
NPSH for the pump can be determined once
the operating point is known.
The specific operating point depends on the
head and water volume requirements of the
irrigation system. A system curve describes
the HQ performance of the irrigation
system.
The system curve is then combined with the
H-Q characteristic curve of the pump to
determine the operating point.

.Pump operation point

Operating points can be altered by
changing either the H-Q curve for the
pump or for irrigation system. Pump can
be altered by changing the pump speed or
the impeller diameter (see the Affinity
Laws).

Shifting pump operation point

Pump curve for 2000rpm

Pump curve for 1800 rpm

Pump operation point

This is the point where the H-Q requirements of the irrigation system
are equal to the H-Q produced by the pump.

 The system curve is constructed by calculating the system

head Hs required by the irrigation to deliver varying
volumes of water per unit of time.
The system head Hs is calculated with the formula

Hs = SL+ DL+ DD+ H1 + M1 +HO + VH

Where:
HS = System head (m)
SL = Suction lift from static water level (m)
DL = discharge lift from pump to highest discharge point
(m)
DD = draw down in water source (m)
H1 = head loss in delivery pipes (m)
M1 = minor losses in fittings (m)
Ho = operating head (m)
VH = velocity head (m)

Total Dynamic Head

The total dynamic head of a pump is the sum of the
total static head, the pressure head, the friction head,
and the velocity head.
TDH =Z +Hs + hv + hf
Total Static Head
The total static head is the total vertical distance the pump must
lift the water. When pumping from a well, it would be the
distance from the pumping water level in the well to the ground
surface plus the vertical distance the water is lifted from the
ground surface to the discharge point. When pumping from an
open water surface it would be the total vertical distance from
the water surface to the discharge point.

Static Head

Water Horse Power (WHP)

WHP = Q
H

WHP = the energy pump produces to move the water

BHP = Input power to the pump given by the motor
= out put of the motor
Input power for the motor is from electricity.

P = Q H Sg
4634 E
Where:
P = power , metric horse power
Q = Pump discharge, L/min
H= Discharge pressure head, m
Sg =specific gravity of fluid, dimensionless
E = pump efficiency , fraction

P=

P=

Q H Sg
278.04 E
Q H Sg
0.102 E

P = Q x TDH Sg
3960 E

Where Q = m3/hr

Where P = power , KW
Q = discharge , m3/s

Where P = power, brake horse power

(bhp)
Q = pump discharge , (gpm)
TDH or H = Discharge pressure head
, ft

Water Horse Power (WHP)

WHP = Q H
WHP = the energy pump produces to move the water
BHP = Input power to the pump given by the motor
= out put of the motor
Input power for the motor is from electricity.
input

Motor

BHP

Em

Pump
Ep

EPP

WHP

Pump efficiency
Ep = WHP / BHP
Em = BHP/ input

EPP = WHP/ input = Ep . Em

Where Em = Efficiency of motor
Ep = efficiency of pump
EPP = Efficiency of pumping plant

Combination of pumps
Pumps in parallel
- To provide more Q and not more head
Q = Q 1 + Q2 + Q 3
Q
P1

P2
Q2

Q1
River

P3
Q3

Pumps in series
To Create more head. This is so by
using submersible pumps.
Q
P3
Q
P2

H = H1 + H2+ H3

Q
P1
Q
Water Source
In Submersible pump a number of impellers are
connected in series

NPSH
The head which let water flow through the
suction pipe in to the pump.
NPSH required - is the head required at the inlet of
the impeller to insure that the liquid will not boil
or form vapour pockets which will result in
cavitation.

NPSH

=P

-Z-P h

avial.
atm- vapor
s pr/ V
atm. Pressure - static suction
head
head - fs
friction head loss

The height to which the pump has to be raised should

be low in order not to cause cavitation.
To Estimate Zs , assume NPSHavail. = NPSHreq.

Pump Selection

Process of choosing the most suitable

pump for the irrigation system.
It involves the specification of the
discharge and pressure requirements of the
irrigation system, selecting the required
pumping method and identifying the
different pumps (within the chosen
method), which can meet the requirements
of the irrigation system.
financial Criteria
management Criteria.

PEREFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
The discharge and head requirements of the
irrigation system are a function of :
CWR in the different stages of growth,
The size of the land to be irrigated,
The method of irrigation
The system layout
Discharge Head requirement of the irrigation
system must agree with Discharge head
requirement of the operating system (pump)

Identifying suitable pumps

The horizontally installed volute suction pump and the
vertical diffuser (turbine) pumps are the most suitable
and most commonly used pumps with irrigation
systems.
Horizontal volute suction pumps are usually cheaper
and easier to install than vertical pumps.
Vertical turbine pumps, which are positioned below the
water level, are used in deep wells or when the water
level is too far from a suitable surface pump positions
to accommodate the NPSH requirements.
Vertical pumps are sometimes also used to eliminate
the need for priming of horizontal pumps

 The pumps required NPSH is given by the

pump characteristic curves provided by the
manufacturer.
The available NPSH must then be determined
under local conditions and compared to the
required NPSH, whereby the available should
be at least 0.5 to 1.0 m more than the required
NPSH.
What if the available NPSH is less than the
required NPSH in Vertical Turbine pumps?
Increase the depth of submergence.
Consult manufacturers criteria (pump
characteristic curve) to select suitable pump.

Selection Criteria must consider:

Financial constraints Economy
Tangible benefits not quantified in monetary
terms reliability ,availability of spare parts ,
maintenance skills
Proper analysis of investment (fixed costs) &
operational costs.

The cheapest system is not

always the best, since low
investment costs often result in
high running costs !!!

 Investment in a pumping system should not be

considered as one-off cash expenditure.
The current value of the money compared to its
future value, taking into account interest rates
(a), inflation (i) and the annual repayment of the
loan. Spread out over the life cycle (n) of the
pumping system (pump and motor)annulization.

Step-by-step procedure of costing irrigation pumps

1.Calculate the hydraulic energy requirements
each month
2. Determine the design month
Size the pump and Power source
4. Determine the installed capital cost of the whole
System
5. Determine the present worth of the recurrent costs, sub-divided into
a. Replacement costs
b. Maintenance costs
c.Operating costs
6. Life cycle costs
7. Unit water cost

Operating costs
Energy, maintenance and repair cost are generally
considered recurrent operating or running costs.
The energy costs are a function of the load on the
pump and the operating time per year.
A pump will not necessarily operate under the same
head and discharge requirements during the whole
year.
In this case the hydraulic power requirement and
efficiency of the pump will differ and therefore the
brake or motor power also vary.
The respective motor power requirement times
the respective operating hours per year will
suggest the kwh /year

 Annual maintenance and repair costs may also be

budgeted as a percentage of the original investment
cost.
OTHER COSTS
distribution system,
the intake or borehole,
pump house,
personnel costs, etc
-AVAILABILITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND SPARES
-OPERATIONAL CONVENIENCE- skilled man
-Reliability
Must be included in the cost estimation

Pump installation
Pump house
When a pump is selected one of the criteria
influencing the selection process will be the
available space and intended position of the
pump.
will the pump be suction pump, mounted at the
surface?
will it be a turbine pump with only the motor at the
surface?
will the motor and pump be submerged below the
water?
In the case of surface pumps, will it be a mobile or
a permanent installation?

Guidelines for permanent pump

installations
The place where the pump will be located will
need to be easily accessible;
In most cases it will be an advantage to have
the pump, motor and /or switchboard located
in a pump house for the simple sake of
protection (weather/theft/destruction);
The pump house will need to be large enough
for installation, maintenance and repair
activities;

 For the bigger equipment there should be the

possibility of lifting equipment being installed
to move the pump;
Drainage facilities should be provided for spill
water when the pump is being dismantled;
Special needs to be given to lighting and
ventilation and in the case of below zero
temperatures-heating;
Pump installations near inhabited areas will
require a form of noise protection;

Installation
Mobile pump installations may be trailer mounted or
connected to, for example, a tractor.
permanent pumping installations.
Horizontal pumps are usually constructed with their
motor on one steel base plate or frame .
With permanent installations the pump and motor will
be positioned on a reinforced concrete slab.
The slab should be constructed in such a manner that:
it is large enough to fit the whole pump& motor
it is strong enough to carry the weight of the pump&
motor.
during operation no vibration occurs

 To avoid motor and pump vibrations to be

transmitted to the floor of the pump house, a
50mm thick cork or rubber layer can be
included in the slab.
ALIGNMENT
It is essential that motor and pump are aligned
precisely. If this is not the case additional forces
will come out in the bearings of both and cause
overheating and eventually the system will
brake down.
Proper alignment is also essential with the use
of vertical turbine pumps to avoid damage to
the bearings of the pump and motor.

Consolidation or settlement of the soil can also cause

misalignment after a pump has been in installed.
Regular checking of pumping unit and pipeline
connections should be carried out to avoid potential
damage.
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
With electrical motor units extreme care should be
taken to properly protect and insulate the electrical
cables, connections and switches. The unit should
be properly grounded.
PIPE CONNECTIONS
The correct installation and connection of the
suction and delivery pipes to the pump unit is
equally important.

 Many pump failures can be attributed to

incorrect or imprecise suction conditions.

Some guidelines are:

the suction line should be as short as possible;
the suction line should rise to the pump to avoid
air pockets. If unavoidable, filling/air valve has
to be fitted (see figure 6.4);
the suction line should have as few bends as
possible and bends should have a wide radius
suction lines should have a side diameter;
contractions should be eccentric to avoid air
pockets

 Suction lines should have absolutely no

leakages;
Non-self priming pumps should have a widediameter foot valve at the Inlet side of the
suction pipe;
A low-resistance restrainers should be fitted to
avoid contamination from entering the pump,
while avoiding excessive friction loss;
Adequate submergence below the lowest water
level to avoid the intake of air at the inlet;

DELIVERY PIPE
Regulations for the delivery system are less
strict than for the suction line.
Non return valve should be fitted after the
pump if the delivery line remains under
pressure after the pump is turned off;

A control valve can be fitted:

inspection and repair;
pump to be started under a no-flow conditions;
to (occasionally) regulate the flow in the delivery
system. Note that this should never be done by a
valve in the suction line!

 With positive displacement pumps it is essential

to include a safety valve between the pump and
the control valve.
WATER HAMMER
When water is flowing through a distribution
system a sudden change in the flow velocity
can cause extreme pressure changes.
A change in the flow can be the result of
closing a valve or the turning off of the pump.
This pressure is transmitted throughout the
pipeline and reverses direction as soon as it
reaches the end of the line.

 At the opposite end a corresponding negative

pressure will occur. Both the positive and
negative pressure can cause severe damage
to the pipelines.
The water hammer can be reduced as follows:
1. by reducing the normal flow velocity through
the system by choosing larger diameter pipes;
2. Reducing the speed with which the flow in the
system can be changed by:
=>using slow control valves
=>using air pressure tanks as buffer

MOTOR
When pump and motors are purchased separately
it is important to follow the manufacturers
instructions for motor installation carefully.
Care should be taken that the capacity of the
supply is sufficient to run the motor and that the
wiring used is according to the specifications of the
manufacturer.
Before starting the motor the lubrication of pump
and motor should be checked against the
manufacturers instructions.
After this the rotation direction of the motor must
be checked.

With many pumps only one direction of rotation is

permissible because otherwise bearings, seals and
couplings may become loosened and disconnected.

PRIMING

With non-self-priming pumps the pump and the

whole suction line have to be filled with water before
the pump can be functional. In places where air
accumulates in the system the air should be
released.
If the level is higher than the pump, the opening of
the air valve will be sufficient to fill the suction line
and pump with water;
When there is no gravity flow to the pump three other
methods are commonly used:

 A. from an outside source with a funnel;

B. via a return line with check valve from the delivery

system
C. With a vacuum pump

With self-priming pumps generally only the

pump has to be filled with water. In
exceptional cases with long suction lines
or high suction lifts extra water may need
to be added. This will be specified in the
manufacturers instructions.
Intake structures