Calculating

Pump Head
How to calculate the Pump Head for Open and Closed Systems

6/27/2012
Vemco,Inc.

Caalculatin
ng Pump
p Head

B
Beforewecandiscusspump
phead,wemu
ustunderstandthedifferenncebetweenaanopenhydro
onicsysteman
ndaclosed
h
hydronicsyste
em.Itisimportanttoknowwhetherthep
pumpservesaanopenoracclosedsystem,becausethep
pumphead
ccalculationdep
pendsonthettypeofsystem
mthatthepum
mpserves.
Inaclosedsystem,thefluidisnotexpose
edtoabreakinthepipingssystemthatintterruptsforceedflowatanypoint.Inan
o
opensystem,iitis.Inaclose
edsystem,the
efluidtravelstthroughaconntinuouscloseedpipingsysteemthatstartsandendsin
tthesameplace
ethereisno
obreakinthe
epipingloop.TThevastmajoorityofhydron
nicpipingsysteemsarecloseed.Themost
ccommonopen
nsystemisthe
ecoolingtowe
erportionofaachilledwaterrsystem,asdeepictedbelow
w.Abreakinthepiping
ssystemoccurswherethewaaterexitsthespraynozzles,,andisexposeedtoairinthefillsectiono
ofthetower.TThewater
ccollectsinthecoolingtowerrsumpbefore
ebeingpumpe
edaroundtheeloopagain.N
Notethatthecchilledwaterssideofthis
d
diagram(therrightside)isclosed.Because
eitisclosed,aanexpansion tankabsorbsanythermaleexpansionoftthefluid.
O
Opensystemsdontrequire
eexpansiontanks,astheflu
uidisnaturallyyfreetoundergothermaleexpansion.

FFigure1:Close
edandOpenH
HydronicSysttems
W
WhatisPump
pHead?

UnitsofMeasure:IIntheU.S.sysstem,headism
measuredeithherinPSIorin
n"feetofhead
d"(usuallyabb
breviatedto
"feet"").

Pump
pHeadisthetotalresistancethatapump
pmustovercoome.Itconsisttsofthefollow
wingcomponeents:
o

StaticHead
d:Staticheadrepresentsth
henetchange inheight,inffeet,thatthepumpmustovvercome.It
appliesonlyinopensysttems.Notethaatinaclosed loopsystem,tthestaticheadiszerobecaausethefluid
eofthesystem
mpushesthefluiduptheoothersideofth
hesystem,sothepumpdoeesnotneed
ononeside
toovercom
meanyelevation.
FrictionHe
ead:Thisisalssocalledpresssuredrop.Wh enfluidflowsthroughanysystemcompo
onent,
frictionresults.Thiscaussesalossinprressure.Compponentscausingfrictioninccludeboilers,cchillers,
piping,heaatexchangers,,coils,valves,andfittings.TThepumpmustovercometthisfriction.Frictionhead
isusuallye
expressedinunitscalled"feetofhead."A
Afootoffrictioonheadisequ
ualtoliftingth
hefluidone
footofstatticheight.
PressureH
Head:Whenliq
quidispumpe
edfromavessselatonepresssuretoavessselatanotherrpressure,
pressurehe
eadexists.Commonapplicaationsincludeecondensatep
pumpsandbo
oilerfeedpum
mps.
Condensatepumpsoftendeliverwate
erfromanatm
mosphericreceivertoadeaaeratoroperattingat5

Caalculatin
ng Pump
p Head

PSIG,mean
ningthatinad
dditiontotheotherheads,tthepumpmustovercomeaapressureheaadof5PSIG.
OnePSIGe
equals2.31fee
et,sothediffe
erentialhead inthisapplicaationis5X2.3
31=11.6.Preessurehead
isaconside
erationonlyin
nsomeopenssystems.
VelocityHe
ead:Accelerattingwaterfro
omastandstill orlowvelocittyatthestarttingpointtoahigher
velocityatanendingpoiintrequiresen
nergy.Incloseedsystemstheestartingpoin
ntisthesameeasthe
ocityheadisn
nota
endingpoint.Thereforethebeginninggvelocityequaalsthefinalveelocity,sovelo
consideration.Inanopensystem,thevelocityheaddistheoreticaallyaconsideraation,buttheepipeline
usedinhydron
nicsaresolow
wthatthisheaadisnegligiblee,andisignorred.(Notethattthe
velocitiesu
velocityheadisdefinedbytheformullaV2/2gwhereeVisthefluid
dvelocityinfeeetpersecond
dandgis
2
thegravitationalconstan
nt32feet/second .Therefooreattypicalvelocitiesof2
26fps,thevelocityhead
nofafoot.Sin
nceheadlosscalculationsaarereallyestim
mates,thissm
mallfigurebeco
omes
isafraction
insignifican
nt).

SSo,forhydron
nicapplication
ns,wecansayythat:
1. Forclo
osedsystems::Pumphead=
=thesumofa
allfrictionpreessuredrops
Where:
onpressuredrrop=pipingp
pressuredrop+terminalunnitpressuredrrop+sourceu
unitpressured
drop*+
Frictio
valvepressuredrop
p+accessorieespressuredro
op.
pensystems:P
Pumphead=thesumofalllfrictionlosseesplusthesta
aticliftofthefluidplustheepressure
2. Forop
head.
dwater.
*The"sourceunit"isdefinedasttheboiler,chiller,orheatexxchanger,whiichcreatestheehotorchilled
SStepsinCalculatingthePum
mpHead
B
Basically,wen
needtoplugvaluesintothe
eproperformu
ulaabove.
SStep1:Layoutthepipingsyystemusinglo
ogicalroutinggasdetermineedbythebuilldingrequirem
ments.Noteeeach
tterminalunita
anditsGPM.
SStep2:Selectpipesizesforreachsegmen
nt,basedonp
propervelocityyandpressurredrop.
TThegraphsbelowarefromtheASHRAEFFundamentalsBook.Recom mendedveloccitiesare:
o
o

of2"andUnd
der:2fpsminiimumto4fpssmaximum
PipeSizeso
PipeSizeso
ofover2":.75
5ft.ofP/100equivalentfeeetminimumtto4ft.ofP/10
00equivalenttfeet
maximum

W
WherePistheeheadloss(alssocalledfrictiionlossorpressuredrop).

Caalculatin
ng Pump
p Head

Caalculatin
ng Pump
p Head

TTherecommen
ndedrangese
ensurethatthepipingsyste
emwillbequieet,consumereeasonablepumphorsepow
wer,andbe
ndedbasedonthefactthattlower
rreasonablyeco
onomicaltoin
nstall.Notethattheminimu
umvelocitiesaarerecommen
vvelocitieswillaallowairtoco
ollectathighp
points,withth
hepossibleressultofairbind
ding.
O
Oncethelayou
utandpipesizzeforeachsectionhasbeendetermined followthesesteps:
SStep3:Determ
mineFrictionDuetoSource
e,Terminalan
ndAccessory EquipmentIn
ncluding:
o
o
o

dterminalEqu
uipment:Conssultmanufactuurerscatalogssorcomputerrselections.
Sourceand
Accessoryiitemsincludefilters,straine
ers,checkvalvvesormultipu
urposevalvesthatcouldhaavea
significantpressuredrop
pthatwouldn
notbecovereddundertheeq
quivalentfeettofpipingruleeofthumb.
nedastheflow
watwhichtheevalvewill
TodetermiinevalveDPrrefertocurvessorCvratingss.ACvisdefin
havearesistanceof1PSSIG(2.31feet)).Sincethepreessuredropissproportionalltothesquareeoftheflow
hefollowingfo
ormulatocalcculatethepre ssuredropthroughthevalvveforanyflow
wrate:
rate,useth
PDInFeet=(FlowRate//RatedCv)2X2.31
X

EExample:AvalvehasaCvo
of10.Flowthroughthevalveis21GPM.W
WhatisthevaalveDPinfeeetofhead?
PDinFeet=(21/10)2X2
2.31=10.2
SSpecialConsid
deration:PressureDropsIn
nPSIandConvvertingPSIto Head
SSometimespre
essuredropsw
willbegivenin
nPSIunitsinssteadoffeetoofhead.ToconvertPSIunitsstofeetofheead:
PDinfeet=PDinPSIX2
2.31
EExample:Aplaateandframe
eheatexchanggerprintoutsh
howsapressuuredropof8.55PSI.WhatPinfeetmustb
beaddedto
tthepumpfortthisitem?
A
Answer:FeetinHead=8.5PSIX2.31ft./P
PSI=19.64ft.
SStep4:Determ
minetheStatiicHead(Open
nSystemsOnlly)
TThestatichead
dissimplythe
etotalheightthatthepump
pmustlifttheefluid.Itappliesonlyinopeensystems.Reemember
tthatthestaticheadisthediifferenceinheeightthatthepumpwillbe requiredtoprovide.
Inthedrawinggbelow,show
wingacoolingttower,thestaaticheightmigghtappeartobe40.Howevver,thewaterlevelinthe
ttowersumpis28abovethe
epump,sothe
epumpmustonlyprovideaanetliftof122.Therefore,thestaticheaadis12.

Caalculatin
ng Pump
p Head

FFigure2,StaticcHeightExam
mple
SStep5:Determ
minethePressureHead(So
omeOpenSysstemsOnly)
Iffthesystemissopen,determ
minethepressuredifferenttialrequired,iifany.Dontfo
orgettomultiiplypressured
differentials
inPSIX2.31/P
PSI.
SStep6:Determ
minethe"Wo
orstPressureD
DropLoop"an
ndEstimateth
heFrictionLossforthatLoo
opbyUsingEEquivalent
FFeet"
B
Becausefittinggsresultinmo
orepressured
dropthanplain
npipe,weacccountforthem
mbyusing"eq
quivalentlenggth."The
eequivalentlengthofapipinggcircuitisthe
eactualmeasu
uredlengthpl usanallowan
nceforallthefittings(elbow
ws,tees,
vvalves,etc.).

Longm
methodforde
eterminingeq
quivalentlenggth:

TThetablebelo
owliststhenumberofequivvalentfeetofpipingforvar iousfittingsandaccessories:

Caalculatin
ng Pump
p Head

TTousethisme
ethod,addthe
eequivalentleengthofeachiteminthefluuidspathtothheactualleng
gthofpipingtogetthe
ttotalequivalen
ntfeetofpipin
ng.

Shortccutmethodfo
ordeterminin
ngequivalentlength:

D
Designersofte
enskiptheabo
ovemethodandsimplymultiplytheactuualpipinglenggthtimes1.5tto1.75togetthe
eequivalentleng
gth.Thisprovvidesspeedan
ndareasonabllyaccuratees timationfor""typical"hydro
onicpipingsysstems.As
w
withanyruleo
ofthumb,how
wever,watcho
outforoddballsituations(ttheboilerroom
mis2blocksaawayfromtheebuilding,a
p
pipingsystemwithanextremenumberoffittings,etc).Insuchsituaations,thelongmethodpro
ovidesbetteraaccuracy.
N
Nowmultiplythefrictionlo
ossper100offpipingfromtheASHRAEcchartstimesth
heequivalenttlengthinthee"worst"
lo
ooptogetthe
etotalpipingfrictionloss.Selecttheworstloopbyinsspection,ifpo
ossible.Calculaateseveralbrranchesif
tthereisadoub
bt.Thefriction
nintheworsttloopisusedasthefrictionnhead.

Caalculatin
ng Pump
p Head

FFigure3,WorsstPressureDrropCircuit
N
Notethattheworstloopisssimplythatth
heloopthatre
esultsinthelaargesttotalpreessuredrop.D
Donotaddpreessuredrops
ffromotherparrallelloops.In
nthedrawingabove,assumethatthepreessuredropth
hroughCoil3aanditsvalveaarehigher
tthanthepresssuredropthro
oughCoils1an
nd2.Assumingthatthebraanchpipingforallthreecirccuitsissimilar,,the"worst
ccase"totalfricctionlossloop
pisshowninlightblue.Itwo
ouldbeerron eoustoaddthepressuredropsofthepipingshown
inblack.
N
Notes
ecircuitswithlesspressuredropthanthe
e"worst"circuuitwillbebalaancedinthefiieldbypartiallyclosing
1. Those
balanccingvalves(no
otshownabovve).
2. Iftherrearedifferen
ntpipesizesonthecircuit,tthecircuitma yhavetobeaanalyzedinseections,becausethe
pressu
uredrop/footmayvarybyssection.Thisissonegoodre asonforselecctingallpipinggatthesamepressure
dropp
per100.Itsim
mplifiesthecaalculationscon
nsiderably.
SSafetyfactors
YYoumaywishtoaddasafettyfactortothecalculatedh
headfortworreasons:

Jobsiteconditionsm
maynotallow
wdirectroutinggofpipingas shownontheeplan.Extraleengthandextrraelbows
resultinaddedfricttion.
Thein
nteriorpipewallsbecomero
oughovertim
meduetocorroosion,especiaallyinopensyystems,whereefreshwater
makeu
upbringsinasteadysupplyyofcorrosioncausingoxygeen.Thisincreaasesfriction.V
Varioussourcees
recom
mmendtotalsaafetyallowanccesof1525%
%forfrictioncaalculations.Notethatthefrictiontablesassumecold
waterr,whichresulttsinmorefricttionthanhotwater.Thereffore,ifyouareedesigningahotwatersysstem,you
alread
dyhaveasafe
etymarginof
f around12%.Becarefulof excessivesafeetyfactors.Th
heyresultino
oversized
pump
pimpellersthaatcausewaste
edenergy!

P
PressureDrop
pCorrectionsfforGlycol.
SSomesystemsutilizeeitherethyleneorp
propyleneglycolmixturesinnlieuofwaterr.Thesefluidsresultinhigherpump
h
headsthando
oeswater.Fordiscussionsofftheeffectso
ofglycol,contaactyourlocalVemco,Inc.o
office
w
www.vemcoin
nc.com

Caalculatin
ng Pump
p Head