Centrifugal pumps vs Submersible Pumps
Pond pumps come in numerous varieties, and for those new to the hobby, choosing
between them can be challenging. The two most common options are centrifugal pumps
and submersible pumps. Below is a description of each, with the respective advantages
they offer to those that install them.
Centrifugal Pumps
Centrifugal pumps are designed to be non-submersible and will be used outside the
pond water. As such they are readily accessible and offer greater pressure than pumps
which are submersible. These pumps come in a range of different sizes as well as
voltages. Before purchasing one it is important to review the performance chart, which
should be visible under the product description. It is essential to ensure that the
centrifugal pump you buy has the correct head and pressure for your needs. These
pumps will also vary in terms of energy efficiency.
While GPH, or gallons per hour, is the standard used when evaluating pond pumps,
when it comes to centrifugal pumps the more important metric is GPM, which stands for
gallons per minute. There can be a significant performance variation in pump
performance so it is essential to study the chart which demonstrates performance. High
quality centrifugal pumps will work well with fountain nozzles, various plumbing projects,
and waterfalls which are taller than average. They are also weather proof.
Submersible Pumps
These pumps are designed in such a way where they are completely submerged, either
within a tank, pond, or other storage location. Submersible pump motors are typically
sealed in cavities which are filled with oil, which are shielded from exposure with
transfer media. Many standard pumps can be modified by manufacturers to become
submersible, such as bladder pumps, fountain pumps and dewatering pumps.
Submersible pumps have a variety of potential applications. They can be used for the
pumping of big solids, or to grind bigger solids into smaller ones. They can also be used
to move wastewater at flow rates which are larger and pressures which are high. For
most pond owners, these pumps can also be used to pump water from the bottom of the
pond, depending on the manner in which it is designed. These pumps come in many
variations, such as solar submersible, sewage submersible, sand submersible and
irrigation submersible.
When purchasing a submersible pump, there are four primary specifications that pond
owners should pay attention to. These are the total discharge flow, total discharge
pressure, horsepower and discharge size. Total discharge flow is a measure of the total
flow that the pump can generate. Total discharge pressure is a measure of the total
pressure that the pump can generate. Horsepower is a measure of the rate for which
the pump expends mechanical energy. In the English system it is designated fps, which
stands for foot pound second. Discharge size is a measure of the amount of discharge
the pump will produce, along with its outlet connection.
The difference between pumps and turbines
The basic hydraulic theory is the same for both machines. However, the behaviour of
real fluid flow including friction and turbulence results in different rules for the design
of pumps and turbines.
FIGURE 2.2:Main difference of fluid and energy flow in pumps and turbines
Some particular differences
a) Operating conditions:
PUMPS are usually operated with constant speed, head and flow. A pump is therefore
designed for one particular of operation (duty point) and does not require a regulating
device (guide vane). Ideally, the duty point coincides with the maximum efficiency of
the pump.
TURBINES operate under variable head and flow conditions. In an MHP, flow must
be adjustable to either accommodate to seasonal variations of the available water or to
adjust power output according to the demand of the consumers. Adjustable guide
vanes and/or runner blades (or nozzles controlled by a streamlined valve) regulate the
flow (see Figure 2.3).
b)Hydraulic design:
In a PUMP, kinetic energy imparted to the fluid must be converted into pressure
energy; i.e. flow must be decelerated as it passes through the impeller and the volute
casing.
Decelerated flow is generally very sensitive to separation and the formation of eddies.
To avoid these, impeller passages are made of long smooth channels with gradually
increasing cross-sectional area.
Friction losses through these long passages are relatively high (see Figure 2.3).
On the other hand, flow through a TURBINE is accelerated which is less subjected to
turbulence; runner passages are therefore relatively short which reduces friction losses
and ensures high efficiencies (see also section 3.5.2).
c) Location of the machine - Cavitation
The physical location of the PUMP in relation to the water level of the sump from
which water is being pumped is critical. If it is too high, cavitation may occur. In this
context, suction pipe design is very important since friction losses in the suction pipe
reduce pressure at the pump inlet and increase the tendency to cavitation.
TURBINES are less sensitive to cavitation since friction losses in the draft tube
increase the backpressure on the turbine (see also Appendix A and section 3.6.2).
FIGURE 2.3:Comparison of flow conditions in a pump impeller and a turbine runner
2.3 A Pump Used as a Turbine
2.3.1 General.
2.3.2 Advantages
2.3.3 Disadvantages
2.3.1 General
When operating a pump as a turbine, the flow pattern through the machine is similar
to the flow conditions in a turbine. Thus, the advantageous features of turbines (i.e.
accelerated flow and operating conditions which are less subjected to cavitation) also
occur for PATs. On the other hand, the pump impeller with its long passages is
basically not designed to run in reverse (increased friction loss); that is why a PAT
may be slightly less efficient well- designed turbine.
Generally, it has been observed that efficiencies which can be expected from a
particular pump in turbine mode are equal or slightly less than those in pump mode.
The comparison of the operating conditions of pumps and turbines in the previous
section has indicated the major drawback of a PAT: because of the absence of a flow
regulation device, PATs require a fairly constant stream flow throughout the year.
When the available streamflow drops during the dry season, turbine flow must be
throttled in order to avoid that the forebay is emptied and air is sucked in. Throttling
discharge (e.g. by a control valve) results in a considerable drop of efficiency since,
firstly, the pump spiral casing is not designed for flows deviating from design flow
and, secondly, the throttling valve dissipates energy, i.e it reduces the net head on the
PAT.
The main advantages and disadvantages of pumps used as turbines (PAT) are
summarized hereafter.
2.3.2 Advantages
· costs: the investment costs of PATs may be less than 50% of those of a comparable
turbine (especially for small units below 50 kW). This might be an important issue for
projects with limited budgets and loan possibilities
· construction: the absence of a flow control device, usually felt as a drawback, is at
the same time an advantage since the pump construction is usually simple and sturdy
· availability: due to their widespread application (irrigation, industry, water supply),
standard pumps are readily available (short delivery times) and manufacturers and
their representatives are world-wide present
· snare Darts: spare parts are readily available since major pump manufacturers offer
after- sales services almost throughout the world
· maintenance: no special equipment and skills required
2.3.3 Disadvantages
· no hydraulic control device: therefore, a control valve must be incorporated in the
penstock line (additional costs) to start and stop the PAT. If the valve is used to
accommodate to seasonal variations of flow, the hydraulic losses of the installation
will increase sharply
· peak efficiency: efficiencies of PATs are inferior to sophisticated turbines of the
medium to high output range which reach over 90 %. PATs reach efficiencies
comparable if not superior to locally manufactured Cross Flow or Pelton turbines.
· lower efficiency at part load: a conventional turbine has an effective hydraulic
control
(adjustable guide vanes, nozzles or runner blades) to adjust the machine to the
available flow or the required output. If PATs are operated at other than the design
flow, i.e. below their best efficiency point (bep), a relatively rapid drop of efficiency
will occur (in addition to the hydraulic losses incurred by the flow regulation - see
first point above).
The disadvantages of PATs can be reduced to a minimum if the PAT is very carefully
selected and only applied where justified. Poor performance due to an inappropriately
selected machine or application will lead to a reduction of annual returns generated by
the
MHP. Summed up over the entire lifetime of the machine, this reduced output might
by far offset the cost advantage of the PAT (lower investment costs) in comparison to
a conventional turbine.
2.4 Application Particulars of PATs
2.4.1 Size of the Machine..
2.4.2 Pump Design.
2.4.3 Range of Application of Turbines and PATs.
2.4.1 Size of the Machine
The advantages of PATs over conventional turbines may be significant for micro
hydro up to
500 kW. For larger outputs, pumps are no longer standard, mass-produced units but
are purpose-built machines like conventional turbines. Thus, the cost advantage of
PATs is reduced. Furthermore, it might be worthwhile in larger hydropower
installations to spend more on a purpose built, more efficient turbine since the bigger
the installation the smaller the share of the hydraulic equipment as compared to total
investment costs. Figure 2.4 below shows this tendency (note, the percentages
indicated are only samples and might vary considerably from plant to plant).
FIGURE 2.4:Distribution of investment costs in hydropower installations of different
size (samples only)
2.4.2 Pump Design
The many diverse applications of pumps has resulted in a large variety of different
pump designs. For relatively clean water as is usually available at MHPs, the classic
spiral casing design has proven to be an efficient and reliable machine. It is this type
of pump, available throughout the world, which is also most favoured for an
application as a PAT. The simple and sturdy construction and also relatively low price
(thanks to standardization) makes this type of pump fit perfectly well into the low-cost
philosophy of PATs. The following figure shows a single-stage spiral casing pump of
the classic design.
FIGURE 2.5:Single-stage spiral casing pump/PAT of the classic design
The basic classification of pumps may be given according to their flow pattern. For
rotodynamic machines, the pump industry uses the concept of specific speed to
describe the type of pump in more general terms (see also Appendix B).
nq = n (sqrt(Q) / H^3/4) where n = proposed pump speed (RPM)
Q = pump discharge (m³/s)
H = pump head increase per stage (m)
The following main pump designs can be distinguished: radial flow (centrifugal)
pumps - low specific speed nq = 10 to 50 mixed flow pumps -medium specific speed
nq = 50 to 150 axial flow pumps - high specific speed nq = 135 to 320
As a general rule, axial flow pumps are usually selected for pumping large volumes of
water against relatively low heads (1 to 15 m) whereas mixed flow pumps are used for
intermediate lifts (6 to 30 m) over a wide range of flow rates.
Centrifugal pumps can cover the range from low to high lifts but with only low to
moderate capacity. Their primary advantage is their suction capability; i. e. the pump
can be placed above the water source and the impeller need not be submerged to
pump the fluid .
Table 2.6 Overview of the basic impeller pump designs
The application range of these pumps can be widened by using multistaged pumps,
i.e. the impellers are placed one after the other (in series) in a single unit. Each
impeller picks up the flow from the previous one and boosts up the pressure thus
making it possible to lift the water to higher elevations.
In a double (or multi-) flow pump (also called double entry pump), the impellers are
arranged in parallel thus doubling the capacity of the pump unit while maintaining the
same head as the individual impeller (single flow pump).
More details on existing pump designs including submersible pumps are presented in
Appendix C.
2.4.3 Range of Application of Turbines and PATs
Figure 2. 7 and 2. 8 represent the general field of application of different types of
turbines and PATs available for micro-hydropower schemes
FIGURE 2.8:General range of application of different PAT types
2.5 Conditions and limits of the application of PATs
· Efficient operation of PATs require constancy of both flow and load conditions (see
section
2.3) due to the lack of hydraulic control devices of PATs
· Over a limited range, flow may be (hand-)regulated by a control valve; this is a
frequently adopted solution for direct drive of machinery or grid-linked electricity
generation where speed variations are usually not a problem. However, this method is
inefficient since the valve reduces not only flow, it also dissipates a considerable
amount of pressure energy. The power output will therefore drop sharply .
· Variations of flow can also be accommodated by using several PATs in Parallel and
switching them on and off according to the available flow. However, the cost
advantage of such an installation compared to a conventional turbine with flow
regulation will be reduced.
· Although load might be constant during normal operation, it can happen that direct-
driven machinery or grid-linked generators become unloaded. The equipment (PAT
and machinery) will rapidly accelerate to runaway speed. Therefore, it must be
ensured that all machines can stand the specific runaway speed of the installation.
Overspeed protection (overspeed trip and automatic shut-down devices) could be
considered but is seldom justified in an MHP installation for reasons of costs.
· For stand-alone electricity generation where the load on the generator usually varies
considerably over the day, PATs can also be used but preferably in conjunction with
electronic load controllers which keep the load on the PAT constant by switching in
ballast loads whenever the electricity demand drops. Dissipating generated energy in
the ballast load instead of reducing flow at times of low power demand is only an
acceptable solution if maximum water saving is not needed (always sufficient
streamflow; no storage basin available).
