THE CONCEPT OF FLUID HEAD

1545 P2
ISOTHERMAL HEAD = ZT1 Ln
MW P1

k–1

ISENTROPIC
1545 k P2 k
HEAD = ZT1 –1
MW k–1 P1

n–1

POLYTROPIC
1545 n P2 n
HEAD = ZT1 –1
MW n–1 P1
PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIPS

ACTUAL Mass flow rate (lbs/min)

FLOW
Volume flow rate (ft3/min) =
Density (lbs/ft3)

IDEAL FOOT-LBS
ENERGY Compression HEADPOLYTROPIC =
LBS MASS

Ideal energy (ft-lbs/lb) x mass flow (lbs/min)

WORK Power =
33000 (ft-lbs/min-HP) x efficiency (%)
PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIPS

ACTUAL Mass flow rate (lbs/min)

FLOW
ACFM (ft3/min) =
Density (lbs/ft3)

P x 144
DENSITY DENSITY (lbs/ft3) =
ZxRxT

STANDARD 14.7 x T
FLOW ACFM (ft3/min) = SCFM (ft3/min) x
520 x P
PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIPS

BRAKE
HORSEPOWER
BHP = GAS HORSEPOWER + MECHANICAL LOSSES

~150 HP

GAS HEAD x MASS FLOW

HORSEPOWER GAS HP =
33000 x EFFICIENCY
PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIPS

FLOW Capacity (Q) : Gas volume measured in ft3 per minute (ft3/min) Q~N

HEAD (H) : Gas force measured in feet of elevation H ~ N2

BRAKE HORSEPOWER (BHP) : Energy needed to compress a gas BHP ~

N3

SPEED Velocity (N) : Shaft speed measured in revolutions per minute (rpm)
PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIPS

NEW rpm Q1 N1
NEW FLOW = INITIAL FLOW x =
INITIAL rpm Q2 N2

2 2
NEW rpm H1 N1
NEW HEAD = INITIAL HEAD x =
INITIAL rpm H2 N2

3
3
NEW rpm BHP1 N1
NEW BHP = INITIAL BHP x =
INITIAL rpm BHP2 N2
PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIPS

THE FAN LAWS AND THE IMPELLER DIAMETER

FLOW changes directly proportional to the change in diameter Q~D

changes directly proportional with the square of the change

HEAD in the impeller diameter H ~ D2

changes directly proportional with the cube of

BRAKE HORSEPOWER the change in the impeller diameter
BHP ~
D3