11/22/2017 Specific Speed (Ns) Definition | Pump Terms | Intro To Pumps

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Speci c Speed (Ns) De nition | Pump Terms

What is Speci c Speed (Ns)?

Speci c speed, or Ns, is an index of impeller design that describes the relationship between the
amount of head generated by the rotation of an impeller relative to the amount of ow produced
by the impeller.

The formal de nition of speci c speed, or Ns, according to Cameron Hydraulic Data is:

The speed at which an impeller, geometrically similar to the one under consideration, would run if
it were reduced in size to deliver one GPM at one foot TDH.

However, the basic idea is that speci c speed is a number used to describe the design of an impeller:

Impellers that generate a lot of head, but very little ow have very low speci c speeds.
Impellers that generate very little head but a great deal of ow have very high speci c
speeds.

Speci c speed is calculated on the basis of ow and head at BEP according to the following formula
courtesy of Wikipedia:

Common speci c speed values for rotodynamic pump impellers fall between 400 and 15000.

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11/22/2017 Specific Speed (Ns) Definition | Pump Terms | Intro To Pumps

Pumps 101: Intro to Pumps Pump Terms Glossary Pump Designs

Courtesy of Pump Fundamentals. Originally by the Hydraulic Institute

Speci c speed can also be used to predict and evaluate pump e ciency and the shape of the pump
performance curve.

Higher speci c speeds are associated with higher e ciency pumps with e ciency falling
dramatically for designs with speci c values below 1000.
As speci c speed increases, BEP tends to skew farther and farther towards the end of the
pump curve.
As speci c speed increases, BHP at shuto tends to rise.
As speci c speed incresaes, head at shuto tends to rise relative to head within the AOR.

Jacques Chaurette's excellent article Centrifugal Pump Speci c Speed Primer and the A nity Laws
provides a great deal more detail on this topic.

← Go Back: Pump Terms Index Also See: Nss, BEP, Flow →

Pump Terms Glossary

A nity Laws Alignment AOR ANSI API 610 Bearing Lubrication BEP Cavitation

Centrifugal CIBF Data Sheet De ection Dry Pit E ciency Factory Test Field Test

Flow General Contractor Hydraulic Institute Impeller Trim IOM Manual MCSF

NOL BHP NPSH, NPSHr & NPSHa O the Curve Packaged Station POR Pump Skid 
Pump Test Rated Condition Rotodynamic Runout Shuto Speci c Speed
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11/22/2017 Specific Speed (Ns) Definition | Pump Terms | Intro To Pumps

Speci cations Startup Suction Lift Suction Speci c Speed

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