#392 – How To Size a Fire

Pump and the Basics of

Performance Curves
August 31, 2021
Fire pumps can be crucial to sprinkler
system performance—and it’s essential
to get the right machine for the job
Look closely at any tall building, and you’ll probably find a sign that says
“fire pump room” or maybe a plate next to the standpipe connection
with fire pump pressure information. Though hidden away from the
general public, the fire pump is one of the most critical components of
many fire sprinkler systems—and undoubtedly the most expensive. Its
job is to provide necessary water flow and pressure to fire sprinklers
(and standpipes).

A fire sprinkler system cools and wets a room during a fire, controlling its
spread and preventing deadly flashovers. This, of course, depends on
having enough water flow and pressure. And larger buildings with more
extensive fire areas may need a fire pump to augment the water supply.

In some cases, such as in rural areas, the municipal water just doesn’t
have enough volume and pressure. In other places, the water supply
could be a well, pond, tank, or another source that isn’t pressurized.
Perhaps most commonly, high-rise buildings need fire pumps to
overcome the force of gravity.

A fire pump boosts the water, so sprinklers have enough flow and
pressure to provide fire control. But what does “enough” mean? When is
a fire pump necessary, and how big should it be?

This article looks at how fire pumps are sized based on the criteria listed
in core standards: NFPA 13: Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler
Systems  (2019 edition) and NFPA 20: Standard for the Installation of
Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection  (2019 edition).
Sprinkler system demand and the water
supply curve
Hydraulic design simplified
Every fire sprinkler system needs a reliable water supply. Usually, this
means a municipal water connection, but NFPA 13 allows tanks, ponds,
and wells to serve as water supplies as well (5.2). Whatever the source, it
needs to be automatic—in other words, function without human input—
and push water through sprinklers with a sufficient flow
rate and pressure to provide fire control.

Determining how much flow and pressure is enough is the core question
of fire sprinkler system design. To calculate this, engineers use a concept
called a design area, which is a sample of the larger building. Engineers
assume that every sprinkler in the design area will activate in a fire
and calculate the amount of water flow and water pressure needed to do
it. NFPA 13 defines how large a design area must be (19.3.3.1.4) and
how many sprinkler heads it must contain (19.3.3.2.3.2).

The design area is meant to be a worst-case scenario in terms

of hydraulics. “Worst-case” can represent the highest point or
the furthest point. Gravity and friction from pipes both fight against
water pressure, so height and distance ultimately inhibit pressure.
Additionally, “worst-case” can mean “most flammable,” a variable
measured with categories called hazards. Typically, several design areas
are tested to find the true hydraulic worst-case scenario.

Having identified the design area, engineers refer to NFPA 13’s

requirements for water density (GPM/ft 2) and calculate the required flow
and, ultimately, the required pressure. These two data points—necessary
pressure and flow—are known as system demand.
For more information on how this process works, you can refer to our
articles on  the elements of sprinkler system design  and  the amount of
pressure required for a sprinkler system. 

Comparing water supply and system demand

After determining system demand, the crucial question is whether the
water supply is up to meeting that demand.

The capacity of municipal waterworks, according to NFPA 13 (5.2.2.2), is

measured with a fire hydrant flow test and presented as a water
supply curve. A flow test is conducted using at least two fire hydrants; a
pressure gauge is affixed to one, and the other is opened to flow water.
Because pressure and flow are interrelated, two data points are
required: static pressure (with no flow) and residual pressure (with the
flow hydrant open wide).
 Th
is water supply graph shows a) static pressure at 60 PSI, b) residual
pressure at 55 PSI at 300 GPM, and c) system demand at 60 PSI and 400
GPM. Demand exceeds supply in this case. Graph source: Pingfire.net
Comparing system demand and water supply capacity is as simple
as plotting them both on the same graph. If the point of system demand
falls below the water supply curve, the supply is sufficient—usually. Some
jurisdictions mandate a safety factor—a buffer of a few PSI—between
supply and demand, though NFPA 13 does not explicitly require this.

If system demand is above the water supply curve, the water supply is
insufficient. Sometimes, designers can resolve this by re-engineering the
fire sprinkler system—choosing different sprinkler heads, resizing pipes,
etc. But frequently, a fire pump is required to make up the difference,
especially in high-rise buildings.

Fire pump performance curves

Fire pumps are an essential part of any fire sprinkler system that requires
them, making up the difference between the water supply and system
demand. Plus, they are easily the costliest and most complicated single
piece of equipment in a system. So if you’re a facility manager, it pays to
know about your fire pump.

The basics of fire pumps

Specifically designed, tested, and listed for fire protection, fire pumps
propel water through pipes, boosting the pressure and flow. They are
installed between the water supply connection and the main riser of a
fire sprinkler system. There, they usually sit idle, switching on when the
activation of a fire sprinkler causes a drop in system pressure.

While all pumps perform the same function, there are many options to
choose from. Here, we’ll focus on centrifugal pumps, a common type.
Centrifugal pumps use an impeller (similar to a propeller) to accelerate
water into and out of the pump housing.
 This
disassembled centrifugal pump shows the basics of pump function. A
motor (not shown) turns the shaft, which rotates the impeller within the
pump housing.
Pump size is measured in three ways, all of which determine capability.
These are: suction-side (inlet) diameter, discharge-side (outlet) diameter,
and impeller diameter. These three pump dimensions are represented in
a shorthand that looks like this:

3 x 2 x 11

Above, the suction is 3 inches, the discharge is 2 inches, and the impeller
diameter is 11 inches.
As we’ll discuss shortly, impeller diameter directly affects the ability of a
pump to create flow and pressure—a bigger impeller means more of
both.

Fire pump performance curves

Every fire pump is rated for a particular flow rate and corresponding
pressure. For instance, a pump might be rated to produce 200 GPM at
170 PSI. However, the actual flow rate a pump experiences can vary. For
example, the flow rate can be very high if many fire sprinklers activate
during a fire. And if the pump triggers accidentally (or during a fire pump
test), the flow rate can be zero.

Fire pump performance curves represent fire pump performance in a

variety of situations. These curves show how much pressure a pump
produces at a given flow rate and include, at a minimum, these three
data points:

 Churn pressure (pressure when the pump is running, but no

water is flowing)
 Pressure at rated flow (“100%”)
 Pressure at 150% rated flow
 Pu
mp performance curves like this one pack a lot of information into a
small graph. Multiple curves are given for different impeller diameters;
this one ranges from 7.6” to 11”. No matter the impeller diameter, this
pump is rated for 100 GPM. Source: AC Fire Pump by Xylem
This data represents the range of a pump’s possible performance, from
churn to the max allowable flow. This can be far beyond the so-called
“100% rated flow.” For centrifugal pumps, NFPA 20 specifies that
sprinkler system flow demand should never exceed 150% of the rated
flow of a pump (4.10.2)—sometimes called the overload point.

You can read more about  pump performance and testing in our previous
blog. 

To size a fire pump, designers combine

pump curves and water supply curves
Once engineers determine that a fire pump is needed, they have to pick
one that’s the right size. The first consideration when sizing a fire pump
is making sure that it’s big enough. In other words, a pump is only
useful if it produces enough flow and pressure.

Figuring this out is another piece of arithmetic. First, designers evaluate

multiple fire pump performance curves, plotting the water supply curve
and each pump performance curve on the same graph. Then, they
combine the curves by adding them together, producing a new curve
that shows the performance of the water supply with the pump.

Ex
hibit 3.16 from the NFPA 13 Handbook demonstrates how to combine a
municipal water supply curve with a pump performance curve. The
pressures displayed on Curve C are the sums of the corresponding
pressures in Curves A and B.
The performance of multiple pumps and impeller sizes with the water
supply will often have to be calculated to find a combination that works
well. There are also more advanced considerations to pump
performance, including efficiency and horsepower, but we’re focusing on
flow and pressure here.

A pump must be big enough to do its job. However, pumps can also

be too big. Excessive pressure can damage a fire sprinkler system. Per
NFPA 13, above-ground fire sprinkler components must be rated to at
least 175 PSI (7.1.2); if the water pressure exceeds this, special design
measures are needed to prevent system failure.

Beyond the risk of water damage, it bears repeating that fire pumps are
hugely expensive pieces of equipment. A pump that’s too powerful can
be a lot of wasted money.

Fire pumps provide essential flow and

pressure to sprinkler systems and
standpipes
The hydraulic design of a water-based system is all about supply and
demand. The water supply for a fire sprinkler system—usually a city
waterworks—has a finite capacity, and the system demands a specific
flow rate and water pressure to function correctly. So, if the water supply
doesn’t meet system demand on its own, a fire pump may be necessary.

System designers evaluate different pumps based on their performance

and the given water pressure to size them correctly. And remember: this
delicate balancing act is only one essential component of complex
water-based system design!