What are Pumping Systems?

Pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the world’s electrical energy demand. Furthermore,
they range between 25-50% of the energy usage in certain industrial plant operations. The use of
pumping systems is widespread. They provide domestic, commercial, and agricultural services.
In addition, they provide municipal water and wastewater services, and industrial services for
food processing, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and mechanical industries.

The function of a Pump

Pumps have two main purposes:

 Transfer of liquid from one place to another place (e.g. water from an underground
aquifer into a water storage tank)
 Circulate liquid around a system (e.g. cooling water or lubricants through machines
and equipment)

Components of Pumping System

The main components of a pumping system are:

 Pumps (different types of pumps are explained in section 2)

 Prime movers: electric motors, diesel engines or air system
 The piping used to carry the fluid
 Valves used to control the flow in the system
 Other fittings, controls, and instrumentation
 End-use equipment, which has different requirements (e.g. pressure, flow) and
therefore determines the pumping system components and configuration. Examples
include heat exchangers, tanks and hydraulic machines

Pumping System Characteristics

The pressure is needed to pump the liquid through the system at a certain rate. This pressure has
to be high enough to overcome the resistance of the system, which is also called “head”. The
total head is the sum of the static head and friction head.