Tutorial Dimensional Analysis - Affinity
Tutorial Dimensional Analysis - Affinity
2. Specifications for an axial flow coolant pump for one loop of pressurized water
nuclear reactor are: Head 85 m; Flow rate 20 000 𝑚𝑚3 /𝑠𝑠; Speed 1490 rpm; Diameter
1200 mm; Water density 714 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/𝑚𝑚3 ; Power 4 MW (electrical). The manufacturer
plans to build a model. Test conditions limit the available electric power to 500 kW
and flow to 0.5 𝑚𝑚3 /𝑠𝑠 of cold water. If the model and the prototype efficiencies are
assumed equal, find the head, speed and scale ratio of the model. Calculate the
dimensionless specific speed of the prototype and confirm that it is identical with the
model.
3. A centrifugal pump delivers 2.5 𝑚𝑚3 /𝑠𝑠 under a head of 14 m and running at a speed of
2010 rpm. The impeller diameter of the pump is 125 mm. If a 104 mm diameter
impeller is fitted and the pump runs at a speed of 2210 rpm, what is the volume rate?
Determine also the new pump head.
4. After graduation, you work for a pump manufacturing company. One of your
company’s best-selling products is a water pump. Its impeller diameter is 6 cm, and
its performance data when operating at N = 1725 rpm shown in the table below. The
marketing research department is recommending that the company design a new
product, namely, a larger pump that will be used to pump liquid refrigerant R-134a at
room temperature. The pump is to be designed such that its best efficiency point
occurs as close as possible to a volume flow rate of 2400 𝑐𝑐𝑚𝑚3 /𝑠𝑠 and at a net head of
450 cm (of R-134a). The chief engineer (your boss) tells you to perform some
preliminary analyses using pump scaling laws to determine if a geometrically scaled-
up pump could be designed and built to meet the given requirements. (a) Plot the
performance curves of the initial pump in both dimensional and dimensionless form
and identify the best efficiency point. (b) Calculate the required pump diameter,
rotational speed, and brake horsepower for the new product.