Chapter 3

Pump systems
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PUMP SYSTEMS

There are many types of centrifugal pump

systems.

• Industrial pump system.

• Domestic water supply system (25
feet).
• Domestic water supply system
(200-300 feet) (turbine pump).
Typical industrial pump system
The old days
 Water Supply Sources
Domestic water systems take their water from various sources at different levels
depending on the water table and terrain contours.
Typical domestic water supply system (25 feet)
Typical domestic water supply system
(200-300 feet) (turbine pump)
Fig. 3c typical deep wall residential submersible pump
 What are the important
?characteristics of a pump system
THREE IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF PUMP
SYSTEMS:
PRESSURE, FRICTION AND FLOW
 Three important characteristics of a pump

Pressure is the driving force responsible for

the movement of the fluid. (psi or kpa)

Friction is the force that slows down fluid

particles.

Flow rate is the amount of volume that is

displaced per unit time. (g/m , L/s or m3/h )
?WHAT IS FRICTION IN A PUMP SYSTEM

Friction is always present, even in fluids;

it is the force that resists the movement of objects.
In fluids,
friction occurs between fluid layers that are traveling at
different velocities within the pipe.
Another cause of friction is the interaction of the fluid
with the pipe wall. Friction depends on:
1- average velocity of the fluid within the pipe
2- viscosity
3- pipe surface roughness
Another cause of friction are the fittings (elbows, tees,
it's, etc) required to get the fluid from point A to B.
They rarely represent more than 30% of the total friction
due to the overall pipe length
What is head and how is it used in a pump
?system to make calculations easier
ENERGY AND HEAD IN PUMP SYSTEMS
 Energy
We use energy to describe the movement of
liquids in pump systems because it is
easier than any other method.
There are four forms of energy in pump
systems:
Pressure, Elevation, Friction and
Velocity.
 Energy
Pressure energy is the energy that builds up
when liquid or gas particles are moved
slightly closer to each other.

Elevation energy is the energy that is available

to a liquid when it is at a certain height.

Friction energy is the energy that is lost to the

environment due to the movement of the
liquid through pipes and fittings in the
system.

Velocity energy is the energy that moving

objects have.
 The relationship between
height, pressure and velocity
The three forms of energy: elevation, pressure and
velocity interact with each other in liquids.
PUMP ENERGY = FRICTION ENERGY + ELEVATION
ENERGY
 Head

• Head is a measurement of the height of

a liquid column that the pump could
create from the kinetic energy imparted
to the liquid.
Pressure to Head Conversion
formula
 The various head terms are discussed below.

. ‘s’ refers to suction conditions ‘d’ refers to discharge conditions

o      Static Suction Head, hS

o        Static Discharge Head, hd
o        Friction Head, hf
o        Vapor pressure Head, hvp
o        Pressure Head, hp
o        Velocity Head, hv
o        Total Suction Head HS
o        Total Discharge Head Hd
o        Total Differential Head HT
o        Net Positive Suction Head Required NPSHr
o        Net Positive Suction Head Available NPSHa
 Static Suction Head (hS)

Head resulting from elevation of the

liquid relative to the pump center line.
If the liquid level is above pump
centerline, hS is positive.
If the liquid level is below pump
centerline, hS is negative.
Negative hS condition is commonly
denoted as a “suction lift” condition
 Static Discharge Head (hd)

• It is the vertical distance in feet

between the pump centerline and the
point of free discharge or the surface of
the liquid in the discharge tank.
STATIC HEAD
STATIC HEAD
STATIC HEAD
STATIC HEAD
STATIC HEAD
Negative Static Head
 Friction Head (hf)

• The head required to overcome the

resistance to flow in the pipe and
fittings.
• It is dependent upon:
The size, condition and type of pipe,
number and type of pipe fittings, flow
rate, and nature of the liquid.
 Vapor Pressure Head (hvp)

• Vapor pressure is the pressure at

which a liquid and its vapor co-exist in
equilibrium at a given temperature.
• The vapor pressure of liquid can be
obtained from vapor pressure tables.
• When the vapor pressure is converted
to head, it is referred to as vapor
pressure head, hvp.
 Pressure Head (hp)

• Pressure Head must be considered when a

pumping system either begins or terminates
in a tank which is under some pressure other
than atmospheric.
• The pressure in such a tank must first be
converted to feet of liquid.
• Denoted as hp, pressure head refers to
absolute pressure on the surface of the liquid
reservoir supplying the pump suction,
converted to feet of head.
 :Total Suction Head (HS)

The suction reservoir pressure head (hpS) plus

the static suction head (hS) plus the velocity
head at the pump suction flange (hVS) minus
the friction head in the suction line (hfS).
HS = hpS + hS + hvS – hfS
• The total suction head is the reading of the
gauge on the suction flange, converted to
feet of liquid.
 Total Discharge Head (Hd)

• The discharge reservoir pressure head (hpd)

plus static discharge head (hd) plus the
velocity head at the pump discharge flange
(hvd) plus the total friction head in the
discharge line (hfd).
Hd = hpd + hd + hvd + hfd
• The total discharge head is the reading of a
gauge at the discharge flange, converted to
feet of liquid.
 Total Differential Head (HT)

• It is the total discharge head minus the

total suction head or

HT = Hd - HS (with a suction head)

 NPSH

• When discussing centrifugal pumps,

the two most important head terms are
NPSHr and NPSHa.
• Understanding the significance of
NPSH is very much essential during
installation as well as operation of the
pumps.
 NPSH

NPSH as a measure to prevent liquid

vaporization
NPSHr is a function of pump design
NPSHr increases as capacity increases
• Thus the Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) is
the total head at the suction flange of the
pump less the vapor pressure converted to
fluid column height of the liquid.
 Net Positive Suction Head
available, NPSHa

NPSHa is a function of system design

NPSHa calculation
• The formula for calculating the NPSHa is
stated below:
Net Positive Suction Head
available, NPSHa
 Net Positive Suction Head
available, NPSHa
NPSHa = Pressure head + Static head -
Vapor pressure head of your product –
Friction head loss in the piping, valves
and fittings.
NPSHa = hpS - hvpS  hgS + hvS
Brake Horse Power (BHP)
Therefore the pump efficiency
is the ratio of these two
.values
Specific Speed
Measuring elevation head and friction head
FLOW RATE DEPENDS ON ELEVATION DIFFERENCE
OR STATIC HEAD
FLOW RATE DEPENDS ON FRICTION
ZERO FLOW RATE
Highest Possible Total Head
Total Head vs. pipe end elevation or static head
FLOW RATE DEPENDS ON FRICTION
FLOW RATE DEPENDS ON FRICTION
FLOW RATE DEPENDS ON FRICTION
FLOW RATE DEPENDS ON FRICTION
THE PERFORMANCE OR CHARACTERISTIC
CURVE OF THE PUMP
 HOW TO SELECT A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP?

The steps to follow to select a centrifugal

pump are,

1. Determine the flow rate

2. Determine the static head
3. Determine the friction head
4. Calculate the total head
5. Select the pump
EXAMPLES OF COMMON RESIDENTIAL
WATER SYSTEMS