NET POSITIVE SUCTION HEAD (NPSH)

PUMP IN SERIES AND PARALLEL

NPSH is a flow parameter that measure the
difference between the pumps inlet stagnation
pressure head and the vapor pressure head. There
are two types of NPSH which are NPSHr (required)
and NPSHa (actual). NPSHa is use to describe
absolute pressure of a fluid at inlet of the pump minus
vapor pressure of liquid. NPSHr is use to describe
energy loses that occur within many pumps as the
fluid volume is allowed to expand within the pump
body. NPSHr depends on impellor design & diameter,
inlet type, flow rate, pump speed and other factors.
NPSHa = Fluid surface pressure + positive head
pipework friction loss fluid vapor pressure
FIGURE 1:
If the NPSHa is
greater than the
NPSHr cavitations
should not occur.

If the NPSHa is lower
than the NPSHr then
gas bubbles will form
in the fluid and
cavitations will occur.

In this case we focus on centrifugal pump to
describe the relationship between NPSH with the
location of pump in series and parallel.
FIGURE 3: The curve
shows when two (or
more) pumps are
arranged in serial,
their resulting pump
performance curve
is obtained by adding
heads at the same
flow rate.
FIGURE 4: When
two or more pumps
are arranged in
parallel, their
resulting
performance curve
is obtained by
adding
their flow rates at the
same head.


APPLICATION & BENEFITS OF
PARALLEL PUMP
Parallel pumping don't need to use bigger inline or
base-mounted pumps as often because two smaller
pumps in parallel will handle the job just as well.
If you get stuck in a jam and your supply house
doesn't have that one big pump you need to do the
job, by applying parallel pumping you will be able to
use two smaller stock pumps.
Parallel pumping with variable speed can save
energy.
Two smaller pumps could be less costly than running
one large pump.
Parallel pumps provide good operating flexibility in
static head-dominated systems.
PREPARED BY: SITI THAIYIBAH SHAFIE (141257), HAFIZAH NAIHI (142023), NURULAIN ABU BAKAR (141180)
ECH 3103 (DR. SITI ASLINA HUSSAIN)
g g g
NPSH
pumpinlet

v v
P

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
P
=
2
2
REFERENCES
Fluid Mechanics Fundamental and Application; Yunus A.
Cengel;John M. Cimbala ;1
st
Edition in SI units McGraw
Hill 739-750.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/npsh-net-positive-
suction-head-d_634.html


FIGURE 1
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 2(a) and FIGURE 2(b) shows the pump
performance curve for a centrifugal pump with backward
inclined blades. The operating point of a piping system
established as the volume flow rate where the system
curve and pump performance curve intersect.
FIGURE 2(a) FIGURE 2(b)
Shutoff head


BEP
H
bhp*
pump
bhp


*
H,
pump,
or bhp

H*
0
0
Free Delivery
H
System curve
BEP
H
required

H
available

Pump Performance Curve
0
Operating
Point
-
V
0
-
V
-
V