USEFUL PUMP & HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING DATA

DEFINITIONS, EQUATIONS, TESTING, TABLES, CHARTS DETERMINATIONS

Bulletin EM-77

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DEFINITION OF PUMP TERMS

while the specified fluid flow is beingdrawn from the pool.

A2.7 Drawdown is the difference in feetbetween the pumping water level and thestatic water level.

A2.9 The capacity of the pump is thevolume rate of flow (Q), expressed ingpm, produced by the pump, calculatedfor specified conditions.

A2.10 The pump speed of rotation (N) isthe rate of rotation of the pump shaft,expressed in rpm (revolutions perminute).

A2.11 Head is a quantity used to expressthe energy content of the liquid per unitweight of the liquid, referred to anyarbitrary datum. In terms of foot- poundsof energy of per pound of liquid beingpumped, all head quantities have thedimension of feet of liquid.

A2. 11.1 Head below datum (hb) is thevertical distance in feet between thedatum and the pumping level.

A2.11.2 Head above datum (ha) is thehead measured above the datum,expressed in feet of liquid, plus thevelocity head (sec. A2.11.3) at the pointof measurement.

A2.11.3 Velocity head (hv) is the kineticenergy per unit weight of the liquid at agiven section expressed in feet of liquid.Velocity head is specifically defined bythe expression:

hv =

A2. 11.4 Suction head (h8) (closedsystem) is the algebraic sum of thepressure in feet of fluid (measured at thepump suction connection) and thevelocity head at that point. Pump suctionconnection is that point at which thesuction piping is attached to the pumpbowl assembly or its enclosing vessel.

A2.11.5 Pump total head (H) is the bowlassembly head (sec. A2.11.6) minus thecolumn loss (sec. A2.12) and dischargehead loss. This is the head generallycalled for in pump specifications.

A2. 11.5.1 On open-suction installations,it is the sum of the head below datumand the head above datum.

A2.11.5.2 On closed-suction installations,it is the algebraic difference of the suctionhead, the distance between the suctionconnection, and the datum and the headabove the datum.

A2.1 A line shaft vertical turbine pump isa vertical-shaft centrifugal or mixed-flowpump with rotating impeller or impellers,and with discharge from the pumpingelement coaxial with the shaft. Thepumping element is suspended by theconductor system which encloses asystem of vertical shafting used totransmit power to the impellers, the primemover being external to the flow stream.A basic pump consists of three elements,defined as follows:

A2.1.1 The pump bowl assembly is eithera single or multistage, centrifugal ormixed- flow vertical pump with dischargecoaxial with the shaft. It has open, semiopen, or enclosed impellers. Assembliesare constructed for use with either openor enclosed line shafts.

A2. 1.2 The column-and-shaft assemblyconsists of the column pipe whichsuspends the pump bowl assembly fromthe head assembly and serves as aconductor for the fluid from the pumpbowl assembly to the discharge head.Contained within the column pipe is theline shaft which transmits the power fromthe driver to the pump shaft. The lineshaft is supported throughout its lengthby means of bearings and may beenclosed in a shaft-enclosing tube andgenerally lubricated with oil, or it may beopen and lubricated with the fluid beingpumped.

A2. 1.3 The head assembly consists ofthe base from which the column andshaft assembly and the bowl assemblyare suspended, and may include thedischarge head, which directs the fluidinto the desired piping system, and thedriver.

A2.3 The datum shall be taken as theelevation of that surface from which theweight of the pump is supported. This isnormally the elevation of the underside ofthe discharge head or head base plate.

A2.4 The setting is the nominal verticaldistance in feet from the datum to thecolumn pipe connection at the bowlassembly.

A2.5 The static water level is the verticaldistance in feet from the datum to thelevel of the free pool while no water isbeing drawn from the pool.

A2.6 The pumping water level is thevertical distance in feet from the datum tothe level of the free pool

A2.11.6 Bowl assembly head (hl) is theenergy imparted to the liquid by thepump, expressed in feet of liquid. lt is thehead of a pump developed at thedischarge connection of the bowlassembly.

A2.12 The column loss (hc) is the valueof the head loss (expressed in feet) dueto the flow friction in the column pipe.This value, together with the dischargehead loss, is subtracted from the bowlassembly head to predict the pump totalhead.

A2.13 The line shaft loss (hp1) is thepower (expressed in horsepower)required because of the rotation frictionof the line shaft. This value is added tothe bowl assembly input (sec. A2.14.3) topredict the pump input (sec. A2.14.1).

A2.14 Power is expressed in units ofhorsepower. One horsepower isequivalent to 550 ft-lb per second, 33,000ft-lb per minute, 2,545 Btu per hour, or0.746 kW.

A2.14.1 Pump input is the powerdelivered to the top shaft by the driver,expressed in horsepower.

A2.14.2 Driver power input is the powerinput to the driver, expressed inhorsepower.

A2.14.3 Bowl assembly input is thepower delivered to the pump shaft,expressed in horsepower.

A2.15 Pump output is defined as

for water having a specific weight of 62.4lb per cubic foot. It is expressed inhorsepower.

A2.16 Bowl output is defined as

for water having a specific weight of 62.4lb per cubic foot. It is expressed inhorsepower.

A2.17 Pump efficiency (Ep) is the ratio ofpump output to pump input, expressed inpercent.

A2.18 Overall efficiency (E) is a ratio ofpump output to the prime mover input,expressed in percent.

A2.19 Driver efficiency (Eg) is the ratio ofthe driver output to the driver input,expressed in percent.

A2.20 Bowl assembly efficiency (El), isthe ratio of the bowl output to the bowlassembly input, expressed in percent.

v2

2g

QH3,960

Qh13,960

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INDEX

Engineering Information Section

Definition of Pump Terms.

Determination of Pumping Head.

System Head Curves

Pumping Liquids other than Water..

Horsepower

Viscous Liquids..

Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH).

Effect on Centrifugal Pumps of Change ofSpeed.

Cost Formulae on Electrical PumpingCost per 1000 GallonsCost per HourCost per Acre-Foot

Horsepower at Meter Formula.

Electrical Formulae

Motor Characteristics

Motor Wiring Data..

Determination of Electrical Line Loss.

Mechanical and Electrical Equivalents...Flowing WaterWeights and MeasuresTemperaturePressureMechanical and Electrical UnitsCapacity or Volume Factors

Metrication......

Orifice Charts, Pipe Weights andDimensions

Chart of Friction Loss in Pipes.

Friction of Water in Small Pipes..

Resistance of Valves and Fittings to Flowof Fluid

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3

3

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11

11

12

DETERMINATION OF PUMPING HEAD

The operating conditions of a pump should be determined asaccurately as possible. If there is a variation in head, both maximumand minimum heads should be allowed for in the pump selection.

The total head developed by a pump, or total dynamic head, ismade up of the following:

1. Static Head. The total change in elevation of theliquid, from suction level to discharge level, plusthe pressure difference of suction and dischargereservoirs of different from atmospheric.

2. Pipe Friction. The friction head loss in the suctionand discharge line, elbows and valves, and thesuction pipe entrance loss.

3. Velocity Head. The velocity head at the end ofthe discharge pipe.

SYSTEM HEAD CURVES

In addition to knowing the head for the design capacity, it is, formany installations, desirable to know the piping system head-capacitycharacteristic. When operating conditions are variable, a plot of thesystem head curve imposed on the pump curves enables the bestpump selection for the operating range.

In any piping system, the pipe friction and velocity head varies withcapacity. Thus, for any fixed static head conditions, the system headincreases from static head at zero flow for any increase in capacity.Also, the static head may be variable. Then, the pipe friction andvelocity head losses can be added separately to the maximum andminimum static heads, respectively, and the maximum and minimumsystem head curves can be plotted.

When the system curve is superimposed on the pump curve, theoperating points are the intersections of the system curve; theoperating points are the intersections of the system curve with thepump curves. Thus, the operating range for the pump is establishedand its suitability for the application is determined.

PUMPING LIQUIDS OTHER THAN WATERHEAD

The head of a pump is generally expressed in feet and is so plottedon pump curves. This head developed, expressed in feet, is the sameirrespective of the fluid pumped. However, the head expressed inpounds per square inch (psi) will be different for fluids of differentspecific gravity. The heavier the fluid, the greater will be the headexpressed in psi for a pump. The relation of feet head and psi are:

ft x sp-gr2.31

psi x 2.31sp-gr

HORSEPOWER

Pump horsepower is changed with any change in specific gravity.Pump horsepower curves, unless otherwise noted, are plotted forwater, which has a specific gravity of 1.00 at normal temperatures. Any

= psi

= ft

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increase or decrease in specific gravity will proportionatelyincrease or decrease the horsepower. The general formulaf