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Getting the Install Right
The most important factor in ensuring a pump system offers a long service life is to get the installation right. o amount of
good engineering! proper pump selection! or correct application of pumping technology can overcome the challenges a poor
installation can thro" at a pump system. #o it$s critical that "e all %no" the bare minimum re&uirements to ensuring a good
installation.
Step 1: Read the Manufacturers Installation Instructions
'irtually all pump manufacturer$s offer (peration and )aintenance )anuals *(+)$s,. In addition to information on proper
pump operation and maintenance these manuals usually also provide information ho" to install the pumps. It is critical that the
Installer revie" and understand these instructions prior to attempting to install the pumps. ot only "ith this information prove
invaluable! failing to comply "ith the instructions could void the manufacturer$s "arranty. #o al"ays al"ays al"ays start by
as%ing for! and thoroughly revie"ing the manufacturer$s "ritten instructions.
Step 2: Visual Inspection Looing for !"vious Signs of #ro"le$s
(nce you$re certain the Installer has ta%e care of #tep - it$s time for a &uic% visual inspection of the e&uipment. First! as% the
manufacturer if they have an Inspection .hec%list. If one is available use it to chec% any items they indicate are important. If one
isn$t available call the manufacturer up and as% "hat items you should be loo%ing for.
/epending on the type of e&uipment! typical installation inspection re&uirements may include0
All e&uipment appears to be properly installed0 guards are in place! anchor bolts are installed! seals are not lea%ing
e1cessively! electrical connections are neatly terminated in appropriate 2unction bo1es! e&uipment is installed level as
verified by a machinist level *not a carpenter$s level,! etc.
A simple verification of alignment using a straightedge to compare the alignment of the coupling hubs at several
increments around the perimeter of the coupling.
'erification that the e&uipment is properly anchored and that baseplates are grouted *depending on e&uipment design
and manufacturer re&uirements,.
Add lubricant and3or chec% lubricant levels.
'erify that the seal flush arrangement is correctly assembled and appears to be functioning.
.onduct a bump test to ma%e sure the motor is rotating in the right direction *only done "ith the motor decoupled from
the pump! or "ith the pump filled "ith li&uid,.
4emove the bolts from the pump flanges to confirm that the piping is properly anchored and not transmitting any thrust
to the pump.
These are simple inspections that can be conducted by any %no"ledgeable pump professional. The %ey is to move slo"ly! be
thorough! and al"ays refer bac% to the manufacturer$s (+) and Installation Inspection .hec%list. In the case of small pumps
this may "ell be the final step prior to startup. Ho"ever! for larger pumps additional inspections are often re&uired.
Step %: &actory'Authori(ed Service
In the case of large e&uipment it "ill probably be necessary to bring either a service technician employed by the e&uipment
manufacturer! or a service technician formally approved by the e&uipment manufacturer to perform additional inspections and
commissioning.
This is the step "here the pump sales and application professional "ill bo" out and give "ay to personnel "ho speciali5e in
inspecting and starting large rotating e&uipment.
Typical services at this step may include0
Alignment inspection0 (nce the simple straight edge method has been applied the ne1t step in terms of accuracy "ould
be to use dial indicators to actually measure the degree of misalignment. The highest level of accuracy "ould be attained
by utili5ing laser alignment e&uipment to measure misalignment "ith a great degree of accuracy.
'ibration measurement0 There are many vibration standards that apply to pumps depending on the application and the
customer$s preference. T"o of the more commonly applied standard "hich contain vibration limitations are the Hydraulic
Institute #tandards and the American Petroleum Institute. It is fairly common for vibration testing to be conducted on
large e&uipment to verify that the vibration levels e1hibited in the field are "ithin the allo"able levels according to the
relevant standard.
Flatness measurement0 #ome installations may even re&uire that sophisticated e&uipment be used to verify the flatness
of the installed e&uipment beyond "hat can be verified "ith a machinist level. This is particularly important and more
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An I ntr oduct i on t o .ent ri f ugal Pump Fundament al s
Page 1 of 12 Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals - Intro To Pumps
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commonly re&uired "hen dealing "ith large vertical e&uipment due to this e&uipment$s sensitivity to seemingly minor
out6of6plumb installation conditions.
If services at the #tep 7 level are re&uired it$s important that these be handled by &ualified professional service technicians
approved by both the )anufacturer and the ("ner of the e&uipment.
R,MI)-,R./0 and Conclusion
It bears repeating that at every step reference should always be made to the manufacturers instructions. They are the ones who
designed the equipment, are intimately aware of the capabilities and sensitivities of the equipment, and will be responsible to
warranty the equipment against defects. eeping that warranty intact is important. !o following the manufacturers instructions at
every step along the way is a non"negotiable.
(nce these steps have been completed the installation is ready for startup! and you can rest easy %no"ing that you$ve done
everything you could to ensure that the e&uipment installation "as done right.
What are the Main Parts of Every Centrifugal Pump?
There are a fe" components that virtually every centrifugal pump has in common. These components include the impeller!
casing! shaft! shaft sleeves! bearings! and seals. These parts can be subdivided into the 8"et end9 and the 8mechanical end9. The
"et end of the pump includes those parts that dictate the hydraulic performance of pump. The mechanical end includes those
parts that support the impeller "ithin the casing! seal the casing "here the shaft passes through it! and enable rotation0 the
means by "hich the "et end creates flo" and pressure.
1et ,nd
:e$ve already tal%ed about the t"o primary parts of a pump0 the casing and impeller. #o "e "on$t spend much time on those
here. The short e1planation is that the impeller rotates at a high speed creating energy. The impeller is positioned "ithin the
casing "hich converts the energy created by the impeller into flo" and pressure. For a more detailed loo% at this process ta%e a
loo% at the article on this topic.
Mechanical ,nd
The impeller is mounted on a shaft. The shaft is usually made of steel or stainless steel and is si5ed to support the impeller.
Impellers have to be si5ed carefully. An undersi5ed shaft can result in increased pump vibration! shorter bearing life! the
potential for shaft brea%age! and an overall reduced pump life.
;enerally spea%ing the pump shaft is covered "ith a shaft sleeve. The shaft sleeve is a sleeve of metal! usually bron5e or
stainless steel! that is designed to either slide or thread onto the shaft. The shaft sleeve is used to position the impeller correctly
on the shaft! and it also protects the shaft.
In order for the shaft to hold the impeller "ithin the casing it must pass through the casing. The point "here the shaft enters
the casing is called the stuffing bo1 and must be sealed. The most typical sealing mechanism is the mechanical seal.
)echanical seals vary tremendously in design! performance! and cost. The simplest seal consists of 2ust a fe" primary parts0 a
stationary face! a rotating face! a gland! and a spring. The rotating face is a ring of smooth hard material that is fastened to shaft
sleeve! and the stationary face is a second ring of smooth hard material fastened to the casing. The gland bolts to the outside of
the casing and the spring is placed under tension bet"een the gland and the stationary seal face causing it to press against the
rotating face. As the pump shaft rotates the rotating face "ill rotate against the stationary face. A small amount of the pumped
li&uid "ill ma%e it$s "ay bet"een the faces %eeping them cool and lubricated. As long as the seal faces stay clean! smooth! and
lubricated they "ill virtually eliminate lea%age around the shaft.
The final part of the mechanical end is the bearing arrangement. ;enerally spea%ing centrifugal pumps are e&uipped "ith
standard ball6type anti6friction bearings. These are the same bearings used in everything from electric motors! to roller s%ates!
to automobiles! and they are lubricated by grease or oil. The pump shaft is supported and held in place by the bearings "hich
have to be designed to handle all of the loads created by the rotation of the impeller! and si5ed to provide a reasonable service
life. Bearing failures are one of the most common causes of pump do"ntime so designing <ngineers and <nd6=sers "ill often
be particularly interested in the specifics of bearing design! and the pump professional "ill be "ell served to spend time
learning the ins6and6outs of the bearing systems of the pumps in &uestion.
Su$$ary
Pumps are simple machines. In their simplest form they consist of t"o hydraulic components and a mechanical support system.
=nderstanding the purpose of these parts is a critical step in the development of every pump professional.
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Why Should You Consider Using Standard Pumps?
The general consensus "ithin the municipal and industrial pumping mar%ets is that standard6material pumps aren$t &uite good
enough for today$s demanding applications. There may be some truth to the idea that special materials and construction
methods can provide a longer and more reliable service life. Ho"ever! there are also good reasons "hy you should thin% long
and hard before as%ing for an e1pensive material or construction upgrade.
A #roven *rac Record
(ne reason "hy a pump manufacturer$s standard product should at least be given cursory consideration is that the materials
and design that ma%e up the standard product are proven. There$s nothing theoretical or ris%y about using the standard
materials and design. (n the other hand "ith special materials and designs the specifier has ta%en on all the ris%! and if
something goes "rong the specifier "ill be in hot "ater right along "ith the manufacturer.
There are certainly cases "here standard materials and designs "on$t cut it! but before ma%ing the leap to a special pump
design it$s al"ays best to ma%e sure this is one of those cases.
Replace$ent #arts
A second reason to thin% about using standard product has to do "ith getting replacement parts on do"n the road. )ost
manufacturer$s can offer standard material replacement parts off the shelf! and "ith ne1t day shipping those replacement parts
can generally be on site "ithin a matter of days. (n the other hand! if that pump has a sophisticated bearing lubrication system
and you need a replacement bearing you may be loo%ing at some e1tended do"ntime "hile the replacement parts are
manufactured.
*he 2otto$ Line
(ne final reason to consider using standard product is cost. In virtually all cases the manufacturer$s standard product "ill be the
cheapest configuration available. This isn$t necessarily because it$s inferior as much as because the manufacturer has been able
to accomplish economies of scale in building their standard product.
Su$$ary
There are certainly times "here process or pumpage characteristics dictate that special materials or special designs are re&uired.
Ho"ever! if these conditions do not e1ist it$s al"ays a good idea to give standard product serious consideration due to the
significant benefits standard product can afford.
aria!le Speed "peration
It is increasingly common for pumps to be operated by motors that are controlled by variable fre&uency drives *'F/s,. 'F/s
control motor speed by varying the fre&uency of the po"er being sent to the motor. #o a >? H5 motor operating at -@?? 4P)
"ill reduce to -A?? 4P) if the fre&uency is varied do"n to A? H5. There are t"o primary reasons "hy someone might consider
operating pumps on variable fre&uency drives0
-. To simplify the pumping system by minimi5ing the different si5es of pumps needed.
C. To ensure the pumps operate as efficiently as possible.
Lets e1plore each of these reasons independently.
Si$plify the #u$ping Syste$
#o lets say a pumping system needs to produce a total flo" of -?!??? ;P). Ho"ever! it is also e1pected to operate regularly at
flo"s of C!A?? ;P) and A!??? ;P). <asy enough rightD Eust si5e four pumps for C!A?? ;P) each and run -! C! or F pumps
depending on the system re&uirementsG ot so fast.
Belo" is a list the customer provided that sho"s the heads needed to produce each flo".
-. )a1imum condition0 -?!??? ;P) H C?? Ft
C. Average condition0 A!??? ;P) H -?? Ft
7. )inimum condition0 C!A?? ;P) H A? Ft
By no" the problem should be apparent. In order to hit the -?!??? ;P) condition each pump "ill have to be si5ed for C!A??
;P) at C?? Ft "hich means they "ill overshoot the actual e1pected C!A?? ;P) condition. There are a fe" options available to
solve the problem0
The pumps could be si5ed "ith consideration only given to the ma1imum flo" condition. The do"nside is that "hen one pump
is in operation it "ill produce a flo" far larger than C!A?? ;P). Also! because the pump "ill be operating beyond the end of the
published performance curve there is a serious ris% of significantly diminishing the life of the pump.
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-. The pumps could be different si5es. #i5e one pump for -?!??? ;P) at C?? Ft! a second pump for A!??? ;P) at -?? Ft! and a
third pump for C!A?? ;P) at A? Ft. The problem here though is that the initial purchase cost 2ust "ent up dramatically! and
any redundancy bet"een pumps of e&ual si5e has been lost.
C. The pumps could be si5ed for C!A?? ;P) at C?? Ft but selected carefully so that they can also operate efficiently at C!A??
;P) at A? Ft "hen the operating speed is reduced.
In this scenario option 7 is the best option. It allo"s us to retain the redundancy and simplicity of having four identical pumps
and ensures "e are operating the pumps at an acceptable point on the curve. #o in this case 'F/$s are an obvious choice.
,nsure ,fficient !peration
Another reason someone might employ 'F/$s is to ma1imi5e system efficiency. It$s no secret that pumps operate most
efficiently "ithin a small portion of their total potential operating range. This range has been dubbed the 8Preferred (perating
4ange9 and formally defined by the Hydraulic Institute #tandards and the American Petroleum Institute. In most cases the P(4
e1tends from I?J to -C?J of the flo" at the best efficiency point on the pump performance curve. 'F/s are often employed to
ad2ust the number of pumps in operation and their operating speed to %eep pumps operating as close to the P(4 as possible
as system demands change.
Here$s an e1ample of ho" this might "or%. Imagine that in the scenario discussed above "e decided to ma1imi5e efficiency at
the A!??? ;P) condition. In doing so "e might decide that it ma%es the most sense to have t"o at reduced! three at a further
reduced speed! or four pumps at a very slo" speed in operation in order to achieve the best possible efficiency. 'F/$s provide
the fle1ibility to analy5e a pumping system and tailor the operating scenario to ma1imi5e pump efficiency at all operating points
thereby minimi5ing po"er costs! e1tending pump life! and increasing the mean time bet"een failure of the pumping units.
Su$$ary
'F/$s are an increasingly common technology that is applied to simplify pumping systems and ma1imi5e system efficiency.
=nderstanding the most common reasons "hy 'F/$s are used "ill enable you to provide intelligent assistance to pump system
designers in selecting the right pumps for the 2ob.
Pi#$ the RIG%& Motor Rating
Pic%ing the right motor rating "ill result in a pumping unit that is more efficient and
provides a longer service life. Failing to pic% the motor correctly "ill result in a pumping
unit that demands more po"er than it should! and that may not last as long as it "ould
other"ise.
&irst a 3ord a"out $otors
The first thing you need to
%no" is that motors are
generally si5ed at
predetermined intervals. :hat this means is that in most cases you "ill need
to round up to the ne1t available motor si5e "hen determining ho" large a
motor to couple up to apump. #o if the pump po"er re&uirements indicate
that the motor should be rated for at least F.A HP you$ll have to round up to
the ne1t normal motor rating of A HP.
The second thing to %eep in mind is that the vast ma2ority of motors are
designed "ith a -.-A service factor. :hat this means is that a motor rated for
-?? HP is actually capable of continuous operation at up to --A HP *-?? 1 -.-A,. Ho"ever! if the motor is operated on a variable
fre&uency drive the service factor is lost and does not apply.
Ma4or considerations for si(ing a $otor
There are three ma2or considerations to %eep in mind "hen si5ing a motor to drive a centrifugal pump0
-. :hat are the po"er demands of the pumpD
C. :hat "ill typical operation loo% li%e for this pumpD
7. :ill the pump be operated on a variable fre&uency drive *'F/,D
1hat are the po3er de$ands of the pu$p5
This first &uestion has t"o parts0
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:hat is the po"er demand at the design conditionD
:hat is the ma1imum po"er re&uired to operate the pump at any point on the pump performance curveD
The bra%e horsepo"er at the design condition should al"ays be less than the nameplate rating of the motor. #o if the pump "ill
re&uire F.A HP at the design condition! at a minimum the motor should be si5e for A HP *the ne1t nominal si5e above F.A HP,.
In many cases it "ill ma%e sense to select a motor large enough to handle the ma1imum po"er demanded by the pump at any point
along the curve. This ma1imum po"er value is referred to as the non6overloading bra%e horsepo"er of the pump! or (L BHP. #i5ing
a motor to handle this po"er demand "ill ensure that the motor "ill be able to operate the pump even "hen the pump operating
condition changes dramatically! and acts as an insurance policy against damage in the event that the pump operates at une1pected
points on the curve due to unforeseen circumstances.
1hat 3ill typical operation loo lie for this pu$p5
#ome pumps are installed into systems "here it is %no"n that the pump "ill operate at the design condition -??J of the time.
Ho"ever! most systems "ill re&uire that the pump be capable of operating across a large range of conditions. For those cases "here
the pump "ill operate continuously at a single condition si5ing the motor for the po"er demands at that condition is generally
acceptable. In other cases "here a range of operating heads "ill be encountered it is generally best to si5e the motor to handle the
(L BHP of the pump.
1ill the pu$p "e operated on a varia"le fre6uency drive5
If a pump "ill be operated on a 'F/ then the motor should be si5ed for the pump (L BHP! and the motor nameplate HP should be
more than the pump (L BHP "ithout any consideration given to the motor service factor. 4emember! the motor service factor
disappears "hen the motor is operated by a 'F/. The only e1ception to this is a case "here the pump "ill operate at a single
condition -??J of the time.
If the pump "ill not be operated on a 'F/ then si5ing the motor becomes a matter of choice. Best practice dictates that in all cases
the motor nameplate HP rating should e1ceed the po"er demanded by the pump at the design condition! and many customers also
"ant the (L BHP to be less than the motor nameplate HP. In other cases the motor nameplate HP rating "ill be selected to e1ceed
the po"er demanded by the pump at the design condition! but "ill be less than the (L BHP. This is o% as long as the customer
understands ho" the motor "as selected! and as long as (L BHP is less than the nameplate HP rating of the motor plus the service
factor.
A 4o" 3ell done/
#electing the right motor rating is an important step in ensuring that the entire pumping unit provides reliable and efficient
performance for years to come. =nderstanding and follo"ing the basic guidelines listed above "ill help the pump professional ensure
the right motor rating is selected every time.
%o' (o I Ma$e the RIG%& Pump Sele#tion?
8Eust pic% the pump "ith the highest efficiencyG 4ightD9 That$s the line of reasoning most novice pump professionals "ill follo".
<fficiency is %ingG The most efficient pump "ill use the least amount of po"er! and run the bestG All of that is true. <1cept "hen it isn$t.
7uite often the design condition should )!* fall at 2,#8
#ometimes the design condition "e$re provided isn$t actually the condition "here the pump is e1pected to operate the ma2ority of the
time. This can be frustrating at times! but it happens because most pump systems are designed around a ma1imum capacity
re&uirement. Typically the design condition is a reflection of the ma1imum capacity. Ho"ever! for the most part the ma1imum capacity
"ill not be very close to the average or most6typical operating conditions.
In most applications the pump "ill be e1pected to operate against a range of heads and not 2ust at a single head condition. A "ell6
intentioned pump professional selecting a pump on the basis of a single operating condition might pic% the most efficient selection
only to find that it is a terrible fit for the customer$s system. Hopefully this "ill be discovered before the pump is purchased! and not
after a poorly6selected pump has already been installed.
Insist on seeing the 3hole picture8
Limiting your pump selection criteria to a single operating condition means ta%ing a huge ris%. It$s important to ta%e a 8system
approach9 to pump selection. :hat this means is that "hen ma%ing a pump selection reali5e that every pump operates "ithin a
system that is constantly changing. As a result no pump operates at a single condition all of the time *e1cept in some rare closed6loop
applications K but "e$re going to focus on the other LL.LJ of applications,. In the vast ma2ority of applications the head that the
pump "ill be operating against "ill change. As a result the operating point "ill change! and the pump "ill be pumping at a different
head and flo" than the one for "hich it "as selected. :hat a person to doD Ho" do you pic% the right pumpD
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The first thing to do when provided a single design condition and no additional information is to demand more information. Insist on
knowing the full range of heads and flows that the pump will be expected to produce. In cases where you get pushback to this
request, insist on getting as much information as possible. Youre protecting yourself and your customer by requiring this information.
A selection should be based on the most frequent operating condition.
ext you need to know the average or most!typical operating condition. "here will the pump operate the vast ma#ority of the time$
This is the point that needs to fall at the highest efficiency, and as close to the pump best efficiency point as possible.
%inally you need to know the range of operating heads that the pump is expected to operate against continuously. "hat is the
complete range of heads that the pump will be required to pump against$ Take the maximum and minimum values and make sure
they fall within the allowable operating range as defined by the pump manufacturer.
&nce you locate a selection that puts the average condition near pumps best efficiency point and keeps the maximum and minimum
head values within the allowable operating range youve #ust made the 'I()T pump selection.
Disaster averted!
&nce youve made the right pump selection you will still need to verify that you have adequate suction pressure *+,)a-, that youve
selected the right pump design for the application, and that the pump is a good fit for other application specifics. &nce youve
covered all of these bases you are well on your way to avoiding the mistake of picking the wrong pump.
NPSHr: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
&ne common mistake pump novices sometimes make is to overlook a little detail
called et +ositive ,uction )ead *+,)- when making a pump selection. "hen
considering pump selections the first thing most people are taught is to look for is
a selection with high!efficiency, and one where the design condition falls close to the best efficiency point. "hen operating
under an overwhelming mountain of new information the pump novice will sometimes forget to make sure the et +ositive
,uction )ead 'equired *+,)r- characteristics of the pump are suitable for the application. "hile understandable, this mistake
can lead to large problems further down the road. "hile a pump may potentially provide acceptable performance at lower
efficiencies and at a point that is not very close to ./+, a pump that is tasked with operating with inadequate et +ositive
,uction )ead 0vailable *,+)a- will see a considerable decrease in the head and flow produced and further deterioration in
performance due to internal damage can be expected in relatively short order. 0s a result, ensuring the +,)r characteristics of
the pump are compatible with the +,)a characteristics of the system is a critical step in the pump selection process.
So What is NPSHr and What is NPSHa?
+,)r1 The minimum suction pressure required by a pump in order for the pump to operate without cavitation and
performance deterioration.
+,)a1 The pressure present in the liquid being pumped.
%or a more in!depth and technical look at +,)r and +,)a check out 2acques 3haurettes article on 3avitation.
In order for a centrifugal pump impeller to generate flow it must have positive pressure available at the point where liquid
enters the impeller. The amount of pressure required will be different for each pump design, and the amount of pressure
required by a pump will increase as the flow generated by the pump increases. 3onsidering the +,)r curve above, the pump
in question would require 4 ft of +,) when producing a flow of approximately 566 (+7. )owever, +,)r would double to 86
ft if the pump were producing a flow of about 8946 (+7.
What Happens if NPSHa is nadequate?
,imply put1 cavitation. If a pump is operating with inadequate +,)a then the combination of velocity head and friction head
will cause small air bubbles to rapidly and repeatedly form and collapse at the lowest pressure point in the pump impeller. If
cavitation is allowed to continue for a prolonged period eventually the pump impeller will see considerable damage. &ver time
cavitation will cause wear along the impeller, which will actually increase the pumps +,)r therefore worsening the situation
and accelerating future damage due to cavitation. Thankfully, cavitation is generally a noisy phenomenon, and as a result a
pump experiencing cavitation is generally easy to identify allowing remedial steps to be taken before damage to the pump
occurs.
In addition to cavitation a pump operating with inadequate +,)a can be expected to see diminished performance in the form
of reduced head and flow production. +umps operating with inadequate +,)a are often said to be running :off the curve;
meaning that the point the pump is operating at falls below, and not on, the published performance curve.
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7aking a ,election the &ld!%ashioned
"ay
Ho! Do We Sta" #ut of $rouble?
"hen tasked with making a pump selection be sure to ask about the suction conditions, and a calculated *or at least estimated-
+,)a value. Then when making a selection make sure to allow a cushion between +,)a and +,)r. The general rule of
thumb is to allow at least a 4 ft margin between +,)r of the pump and +,)a provided by the system at that flow.
What %lse Do Need to &no!?
&ne thing to keep in mind is that +,)r and +,)a both include atmospheric pressure in their calculation. The atmospheric
pressure acting on water at sea level is about 9< ft. ,o a pump that requires 86 ft of +,)r may actually operate by taking
suction from a source that is below the pump *called a suction!lift configuration-. In such a configuration a means would be
needed to prime the pump, but once primed the pump could maintain its prime while taking suction from a source at a lower
elevation.
0nother +,) related topic you should be familiar with is ,uction ,pecific ,peed *ss or sometimes simply ,-. 7uch like
,pecific ,peed was an index of impellers, ,uction ,pecific ,peed is an index of impellers. )owever, ss identifies impellers
according to the relationship between +,)r and total dynamic head. The larger the difference between the two, the higher the
calculated ss value will be. )igh ss can be a predictor of a very high!energy pump, or of a pump with an oversi=ed suction
eye. These pumps are ones where care must be taken to maintain operation as close to ./+ as possible as they tend to be
prone to vibration and cavitation issues at operation moves away from ./+. 7ost centrifugal pump impellers will have ss
values in the range of >666 to 8?666.
Reading the Pump Curve
In years past making a pump selection
meant sitting down with large printed
catalogs and flipping through them
until you reached a pump curve that fit
the pro#ects hydraulic requirements.
Today this process is made much
easier through the use of electronic
pump curve catalogs. &ne of the most
well!known developers of electronic pump catalogs is /ngineered ,oftware and
their pump selection software pump!flo. 0ll of the curves in this article were
generated in their web!based pump selection software.
0 pump curve provides a wealth of information regarding the capabilities of a pump. 0t it most basic level a pump curve is a
graphical representation of the performance characteristics of a pump. Information is plotted on an x!y graph where the x!axis
is measured in units of flow and the y!axis is measured in units of head, power, and +,)r.
%or the sake of example, today were going to look at a selection made for the following design condition1 8,666 (+7 at 866 ft.
)ere is a possible pump selection that might be a good fit for that operating condition.
3omposite +ump +erformance 3urve
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+ump +erformance 3urve
et +ositive ,uction )ead 'equired 3urve
Pump Performance 'urve( Head) *lo! and %fficienc"
The first piece of information provided by a pump curve is the flow that the pump will develop at any given head. The curve that
provides that information is called the pump performance curve. ,ome pump curves only provide a single pump performance
curve, but most will provide the maximum performance the pump is capable of achieving with a full!trim impeller, the minimum
performance the pump is capable of achieving with a minimum!trim impeller, and the performance provided by the design!trim
impeller. The design!trim impeller is the impeller trim the pump selection software has selected as the closest fit to the design
condition provided. In this case the design!trim is 8@.98?4;, the max!trim is 8>; and the minimum!trim is 84;.
3onsidering the design trim curve we see that at =ero
flow, also known as shutoff, the pump will develop about
896 ft of head. This is the head the pump would develop
if it were operating against a closed valve. Aeep in mind
that the actual pressure experienced between the pump
and the closed valve might exceed this value because a
pump 0BB, head to the liquid being pumped. In other
words, if this pump were operating at shutoff with
suction pressure of ?6 feet the total head experienced at
the pump discharge flange would be 846 ft *?6 ft C 896
ft-. ,o considering the design trim impeller we see that
shutoff occurs at about 896 ft, the design condition falls
very close to the pumps best!efficiency!point *./+-, and the pump will operate down to approximately @6 ft of head and
produce a flow of approximately 8956 (+7 at @6 ft. The maximum and minimum trim curves also tell us the possible conditions
that the pump could be modified to meet in the future by installing an impeller of a different trim.
In addition to head and flow most pump performance curves will also provide efficiency information. 0 pumps efficiency is the
relationship between the power required to drive the pump at a given operating condition and the water horsepower being
created by the pump. If a pump were 866D efficient then the input power required would be equal to the water horsepower
being generated by the pump. )owever, since no pump is 866D efficient every pump will require more input power than it will
generate in water horsepower. In the case of this pump the best!efficiency!point falls at approximately 86>4 (+7 at E4 %t, and
efficiency at ./+ is 5<.8D.
,pecial attention should be paid to the location of ./+ relative to the operating condition. +umps run best at or near ./+. %or
this reason the )ydraulics Institute has defined a pumps +referred &perating 'egion *+&'- as flows from >6D to 8?6D of flow
at ./+ for most centrifugal pumps. This would mean that the +&' for this pump would be from approximately >46 (+7 to 8?E6
(+7 *>6D to 8?6D of 86>4 (+7-. %or some pumps with high specific speed impellers the +&' is a more!restrictive 54D to
886D of ./+. It is best to select a pump that will operate most of the time in the +&' since this will have implications for pump
life and power consumption.
There is another region of operation that is defined by the pump manufacturer. This is the 0llowable &perating 'egion *0&'-
and is made up of the portion of the curve shaded in light yellow. This is the region that the pump manufacturer has
determined comprises all of the points that this pump can operate at continuously. "hile it is preferable to select pumps to
operate within the +&', pumps should always be selected to operate within the 0&' without exception. Fery short!term
operation outside of the 0&' might be acceptable, but the pump manufacturer should be consulted before selecting a pump
that will see even intermittent operation outside the confines of the 0&'.
The pump performance curve above has two more items which should be mentioned. %irst, the red line on the left hand side of
the pump curve is the 7inimum 3ontinuous ,table %low *73,%- line. This is the point beyond which the pump manufacturer
has determined the pump should not be allowed to operate for any extended period of time. ,econd, the blue curve beginning
at 6 (+7 and 6 %t and extending through the design condition is the ,ystem 3urve and represents the operation of the system
in which the pump is being applied. This curve can be manipulated by manually entering data points and is particularly useful
when evaluating the variable!speed performance of a pump.
NPSHr 'urve
The next part of the pump curve is the et +ositive
,uction )ead 'equired *+,)r- curve. The +,)r curve
provides information about the suction characteristics of
the pump at different flows. The x!axis is still measured in
flow units, but the y!axis is now measured in feet of
+,)r. /ach point along the curve identifies the +,)r
required by the pump at that flow to avoid cavitation
issues that would be damaging to the pump and would have a negative impact on overall pump performance.
Page 8 of 12 Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals - Intro To Pumps
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+ower 3urve
/nd!,uction +ump from "ikimedia
3ommons
Gooking back at our example design flow of 8,666 (+7 we can see that this pump will require approximately > ft of +,)r at
that condition. 0 typical safety margin between et +ositive ,uction )ead 0vailable *+,)a- and required *+,)r- is 4 ft. ,o in
this case it would generally be recommended that this pump not be applied in applications where +,)a at the design flow of
8,666 (+7 is less than approximately 8? ft.
(enerally speaking +,)r does not vary dramatically between variations in impeller trim which is why we do not see separate
curves for the minimum and maximum impeller trims. Those curves are actually present, but they are overlaid by the design!
trim +,)r curve.
Po!er 'urve
The final portion of the pump curve is the power curve.
&nce again the x!axis is measured in units of flow, but
the y!axis is now measured in power units. In this case
the unit of measurement is horsepower. This curve tells
us how much power the pump will demand at any
particular flow point. This information is useful in
ensuring the selected motor is suitably si=ed, and is also useful when calculating power consumption costs.
0t our design flow, 8,666 (+7 we can see that power demand is approximately 96 )+ and that power demand is greatest at
approximately 8,966 (+7. .ased on this information, if the pump were to be driven by an electric motor, most pump
manufacturers would recommend that the next largest motor rating be used. In this case that would be a motor rated for <6
)+.
+ower demands do vary considerably depending on the impeller trim which is why separate power curves for the minimum and
maximum impeller trims can also be seen in the power curve. This information is useful if the customer would like to si=e the
drive unit to allow a future increase in capacity without requiring replacement of the drive unit. In that case the customer could
chose to si=e the drive unit for the maximum trim impeller power curve, and at a later date the capacity of the pump could be
increased by installing a maximum trim impeller without requiring replacement of the drive unit. In the case of our example
pump curve the motor required by the design trim impeller will be adequate to cover the power demanded by the maximum
trim impeller, but this will not always be the case.
Summar"
"hen combined these three curves are called the composite pump curve, and they provide the information we need to
determine if a particular pump is a suitable selection for the hydraulic requirements of an application. The information provided
by each part of the curve is critical to ensuring the pump is a good fit for the application hydraulics.
Common Centrifugal Pump Designs
In the last article we discussed some of the more typical impeller and volute
designs. This article will consider what happens when you put the two together.
%nd+Suction 'entrifugal( +robably the
most typical centrifugal pump design is
the end!suction pump. This type of pump
combines a volute!type casing with a
variety of impeller designs. 7ost typically a
radial flow impeller would be used, but in
certain specialty applications francis!vane or mixed!flow impellers may be used. /nd!
suction pumps are used in a large range of applications. ,tandard end!suction pumps
are commonly used in fire suppression, plumbing, )F03 and municipal water pumping
applications. ,pecialty designs are often used in wastewater, pulp H paper, chemical,
and a variety of other industrial applications. ,ome manufacturers offer a standardi=ed
line of end!suction pumps referred to as 0,I end!suction pumps. These types of pumps are built to a common set of design
standards and areeven dimensionally interchangeable between manufacturers.
/nd!suction centrifugal pumps are particularly popular because they offer a compelling
combination of comparatively!low up!front cost, acceptable service life, good
efficiencies, and design flexibility. ,pecialty designs are often fitted with unique impeller
designs allowing end!suction pumps to be used in solids!handling applications such as
pumping municipal and industrial wastewater. &ne particularly popular specialty end!
suction design is the submersible pump. The submersible pump is an end!suction
design that has been been fitted with a motor designed to be operated while
submerged which allows the entire pump to be submerged in the liquid being pumps.
Page 9 of 12 Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals - Intro To Pumps
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,ubmersible +ump from "ikimedia
3ommons
Fertical Inline +ump from ,tock %ree
Images
,plit!3ase +ump from ,tock %ree Images
Fertical
Turbine
from
"ikimedia
3ommons
/nd!suction pumps, such as the submersible, which have been designed to handle
solids are often fitted with mixed!flow impellers or specialty impellers such as the vortex
or screw impeller. These specialty impellers are designed to handle solids without
clogging.
,ertical nline( The vertical inline pump is very comparable to the end!suction
pump in terms of general design. The difference is that the casing has been
redesigned so that the suction and discharge flanges are inline with each other
rather than perpendicular as is the case with end!suction pumps. Fertical inline
pumps arecommonly used inwater and chemical pumpingapplications, but are
not typically used in solids!handling applications. They are a very common design
in )F03 and plumbing applications, and are growing in popularity in other
applications. They offer many of the same positive attributes as end!suction pumps
with the added benefit that their vertical design saves on floor space requirements,
and their inline flange design simplifies piping layout work.
Hori-ontal Split+'ase( The designs mentioned have so!far all utili=ed a single!
suction impeller. The most typical pump design that incorporates a double!suction
impeller is the hori=ontal split!case pump. )ori=ontal split!case pumps are often
called between!the!bearing pumps because the double!suction design of the
impeller requires that there be bearings on both sides of the impeller. This is in
contract to the typical end!suction or vertical inline design which generally only
includes bearings above the impeller. 0s a result of the double!suction impeller and
between!the!bearings design, hori=ontal split!case pumps are a more robust and
durable design than the end!suction or vertical inline design. This is why split!case
pumps are often selected for applications where pumping duty is expected to be
very frequent, and where down time for pump repair and maintenance must be
kept to a minimum. 0pplications that fit this description are municipal water applications and industrial process applications.
"hile spilt!case pumps are certainly also used in other applications, applications that require extremely dependable
performance, and are able to absorb the additional cost associated with this robust pump design, are typically those that specify
and procure split!case pumps.
,ertical $urbines( Biffuser casings are rarely used in standard centrifugal pumps such as those listed above.
The primary use of diffusers in todays pumping world is in vertical turbines. True vertical turbines incorporate
radial, francis!vane, or mixed!flow impellers which discharge into diffuser!type casing. In high!pressure
applications more than one :stage; may be used. /ach stage is the combination of an impeller and diffuser. ,o a
two!stage vertical turbine would have a suction inlet followed by the first!stage impeller which would discharge
into the first!stage diffuser. The water would then flow into the second!stage impeller which would discharge
into the second!stage diffuser. The water would then exit the second stage!diffuser and flow up the pump
column to the discharge point. Fertical turbines with up to 86 stages are common, and designs incorporating
?6, 96 or even more stages are not unheard of. The effect of adding stages is that the pump generates
additional pressure. Fertical turbines are a very common pump design used in many different applications
including raw water intake, municipal water pumping, cooling tower applications, and irrigation applications
among manyothers. ,ome vertical turbines may be very short and others may be hundreds of feet long
depending on the application requirements.
There are specialty vertical turbine type pumps for unique applications. &ne common specialty design
incorporates a fully!open mixed!flow or axial!flow impeller design. These types of pumps are often called
propeller pumps, vertical mixed!flow pumps, or vertical axial!flow pumps. These types of pumps are high!flow, low!head
designs ideally suited to move a large quantity of water at alow pressure.These pumps are rarely staged, and due to their fully!
open design are ideally suited for handling large non!stringy solids. Bue to these characteristics vertical mixedJaxial flow pumps
are routinely used in storm water, raw water, and flood control pumping applications. 0nother specialty design incorporates a
non!clog type impeller into a vertical turbine design for pumping raw sewage or other solids!bearing liquids.
Summar"( There are many different pump designs. This short list includes the most common designs used in municipal water
and wastewater applications, industrial water pumping applications, )F03 and plumbing applications. This list is far from
exhaustive as many unique pump designs exist and significant variations in the designs listed exist between manufacturers.
)owever, with a general knowledge of these basic pump types the pump professional will have a good handle on the pump
designs required by the vast ma#ority of typical pumping applications. 0dditional detailedknowledge regarding each of these
designs can be gained by studying catalog data freely available from many different pump manufacturers.
Defining the asi!s: "olutes # Impellers
"hen you boil them down to their most fundamental components, pumps are
made up of two components1 an impeller and a volute. There are different types of
Page 10 of 12 Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals - Intro To Pumps
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image from A Brief Introduction to
Centrifugal Pumps by Joe Evans, Ph.D
image from Pump andboo! by Igor
"arassi!
impellers and volutes and the combination of these different types of impellers and
volutes result in different types of pumps.
#ypes of $olutes
Volutes: #he %ord volute actually describes a specific type of pump casing that
converts energy created by the impeller into pressure. #he impeller pushes %ater into
the volute %hich converts that energy into pressure and directs the flo% to%ard the
discharge point. In the picture on the right notice that the impeller is not located in
the center of the volute. #his is intentional. #he portion of the volute that e&tends
closest to the impeller is called the 'cut%ater(. It is the point %here the flo% is forced
to e&it through the discharge point rather than continuing to s%irl around the
impeller. #he gradually increasing distance bet%een the volute and casing and the
direction of rotation of the impeller )noted by the arro% above the volute* combine to
force the %ater around the volute in a counter+cloc!%ise direction in the pump
section sho%n, and once the flo% reaches the cut%ater it is forced to e&it the volute.
Diffusers: #here is a second %ay that is often used in centrifugal pumps to convert
energy into pressure. #his is through the use of a diffuser. A diffuser functions similarly
to a standard volute in that it contains vanes that begin close to the impeller and then
gradually e&tend a%ay from the impeller periphery. o%ever, unli!e the volute casing a
diffuser casing may contain many vanes. In the case of the assembly dra%ing sho%n
the diffuser contains ,- vanes as compared the volute casing %hich only has one.
#ypes of Impellers
Impellers be classified according to the relationship bet%een the amount of flo% they create as compared to ho% much head
they generate )specific speed* and they can be classified according to the physical design of the impeller. Entire chapters in
pump handboo!s have been devoted to the topic of specific speed, but %e %on.t be spending the time to learn ho% to
calculate specific speed or to consider the implications of e&cessively high or lo% specific speeds. o%ever, a basic
understanding of %hat the term specific speed means is important for anyone %ho %ants to be ta!en seriously in a pump+
design conversation.
Specific Speed: As %as mentioned previously specific speed describes the relationship bet%een ho% much flo% a pump
generates and ho% much head an impeller generates. /or e&ample, one impeller might generate a very large volume of %ater
but at very lo% pressures. A second impeller might generate a very great deal of head but at a very small flo%. #he high flo% 0
lo% head impeller %ould be a high specific speed design, and the lo% flo% 0 high head design %ould be a lo% specific speed
design.
1pecific speed is the speed at %hich a geometrically similar impeller if it %ere of such as si2e as to deliver on gallon+per+minute
of flo% at , foot of head. )1ource3 4i!ipedia* #his is a commonly+available graph that sho%s this relationship and ho% it affects
impeller design.
As you can see pumps %ith lo%er specific speeds )lo%+flo% 0 high+head* have very tight clearances. 5n the other end of the
spectrum you see pumps %ith high specific speeds )high+flo% 0 lo%+head*. #hese impellers )actually more correctly called
propellers in the a&ial+flo% field* have increasingly large internal clearances until you reach the a&ial+flo% field in %hich case the
impeller are completely open %ith no impeller shroud.
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image from Pump
andboo! by Igor "arassi!
6 5lder posts
Physical Design: Another %ay to classify impellers is according to the design. #his method of classification is not unrelated to
specific speed, and the specific speed of the impeller plays a very large role in determining the physical design of the impeller.
Open vs. Enclosed: 5ne differentiation in impeller design is the shroud design. Impellers %ith a top and bottom shroud are said
to be enclosed impellers. Impeller %ithout any shroud are said to be open impellers. #here are also single+shroud impellers in
some specialty pumps. #hese designs only have a top shroud that leaves the vanes completely open to the product being
pumped. Impellers of the single+shroud variety are ideally suited for applications %here a large number of solids are present.
Single vs. Double Suction: All of the impellers in the specific speed table above are of the single+
suction design. #his means that there is a single portion of the impeller that is designed to ta!e
in %ater. #here are also impellers designed to ta!e suction from t%o locations. A dra%ing of this
type of impeller can be seen to the right. A double+suction impeller is a more balanced design
than a single+suction impeller because the t%o sides of the impeller balance the a&ial thrust
loads being placed on the impeller, shaft, and bearings.
Vane Design: 1ome impellers have many vanes and tight internal clearances. #hese are typically
intended for %ater service and generally fall bet%een the radial+vane and francis+vane specific
speed fields. 5ther impellers have 7ust one or t%o vanes and large internal clearances. #hese
types are often called solids+handling or non+clog impellers and generally fall bet%een the
/rancis+vane and mi&ed+flo% fields. 1till others are designed %ith a single vane and no lo%er shroud, or %ith vanes that do not
e&tend very far do%n into product being pumped. #hese are called scre% and vorte& impellers respectively, and are intended for
applications %ith a high concentration of solids. /inally, there are impellers %ill no shroud at all, top or bottom, such as %hat
you see in the a&ial+flo% field.
1ummary
#here are t%o primary pump volute designs %hich direct the energy created by an impeller into a pressuri2ed flo%. #hese t%o
designs are the volute and the diffuser. #here are many impeller designs, and their intended purpose %ill dictate to a large
degree their design. #he combination of the different impeller and volute designs results in a large range of centrifugal pumps.
In the ne&t article %e.ll consider a fe% of the most typical pump designs that result from the different combinations of the
available options.
ome Pump /undamentals Pump Business "eep 8earning About I#P
Intro #o Pumps 9 Po%ered by :antra ; 4ordPress.
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