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Print Article - Reading a Pump Curve

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Reading a Pump Curve


Pump Name and Speed
The customary naming of a pump provides the discharge diameter, suction diameter, and maximum impeller diameter. In figure 1 we see the pump curve for a 4x6-13 pump. That means the pump discharge nozzle diameter is 4 inches, the pump suction nozzle diameter is 6 inches, and the maximum impeller diameter is 13 inches. Some manufacturers list the suction diameter before the discharge diameter, but this poses little problem since the suction diameter is always greater than or equal to the discharge diameter on a centrifugal pump. The second bit of information on a pump curve is the pump rotational speed. Pump speed is measured in revolutions per minute. When a manufacturer tests a pump, the rotational speed is recorded, and the pump performance data is supplied for that speed. If the pump will be operating at a speed other than the test speed, the pump curve will be adjusted to reflect the change in pump speed.

Pump Head
The pump head is displayed on the Y-axis of the pump curve and is read in head of fluid (feet or meters). The pump head varies with the volumetric flow rate, or capacity, through the pump suction. The pump capacity values are read on the Xaxis. Head is used in centrifugal pumps as the energy content of the liquid referred to datum elevation. It is expressed in units of energy per unit weight of liquid. The measuring unit for head is a foot (or meter) of liquid. For this pump curve (with a 10.5-inch diameter impeller running at 1150 rpm, with no flow going through the pump) the head is 55 feet. With a flow rate of 800 gpm through the pump (the end of the pump curve), the head is 24 feet. Notice the pump head decreases as the flow rate increases. This is typical of a centrifugal pump. The head value with no flow rate through the pump is referred to as the Shut Off head. A pump is typically not run at shutoff because of potential problems; always consult your pump manufacturer if you intend to run the pump with the pump discharge closed. The red line indicated on the pump curve is the manufacturers specified minimum flow rate through the pump. A pump should not be run below the minimum flow rate. The crosshatched area on the pump curve is known as the manufacturers recommended operating window. This is the range of flow through the pump that the manufacturer recommends for continuous operation. The next point of interest on the pump head curve is the rated condition point (the red bracket on the pump curve). This rated condition of the pump applies to the capacity, head, net positive suction head, and speed of the pump as specified by the customers order. This is sometimes referred to as the specified condition point. The maximum flow rate specified by the pump manufacturer is displayed on the end of the pump curve. The maximum flow is often referred to as run-out. A pump should never be run past the end of the pump curve. Two additional head curves are displayed on the pump curve in figure 1. The 13-inch curve is the head performance for the maximum impeller diameter that the manufacturer provides. The 9-inch curve shows the head performance for the minimum impeller diameter that the manufacturer provides.

Print Article - Reading a Pump Curve

Figure 1 Typical pump curve showing head, multiple trims and iso-efficiency lines. The manufacturer can change the impeller diameter within the maximum and minimum values, which changes the pump performance. This is accomplished by trimming metal off the impeller, hence the term "trimming" the impeller. The pump in this example has been trimmed to 10.5 inches.

Pump Efficiency
Pump efficiency is the ratio of the energy transferred to the liquid by the pump compared to the energy delivered to the pump shaft, expressed in percent. The pump efficiency can be displayed as a continuous curve as a function of the flow rate, where the efficiency value is on the Y-axis. Referring to figure 2 you can see the efficiency curve for the 10.5-inch impeller.

Print Article - Reading a Pump Curve

Figure 2 Pump curve for a single impeller trim showing head, efficiency, NPSHr, and power. In Figure 1 you see the pump curve displayed as iso-efficiency lines. In looking at the 10.5-inch impeller you can see that at 327 US gpm the pump efficiency is 65%, and is 70% at a flow rate of 391 US gpm. You must interpolate the pump efficiency between the published iso-efficiency lines. With the Figure 2 pump curve you can read the efficiency for any flow rate. A major landmark on the pump curve is the Best Efficiency Point or BEP (pronounced beep). The BEP is the capacity and head at which the pump efficiency is maximized. The pump is designed by the manufacturer to be operated at or near its BEP. Net Positive Suction Head required The Net Positive Suction Head required (NPSHr) is defined as the amount of suction head over vapor pressure required to prevent more than 3% loss in total head from the first stage of the pump at a specific capacity1. The NPSHr is displayed on the Y-axis of the pump curve as a function of the flow rate through the pump. The manufacturer typically provides the NPSHr from the minimum recommended flow rate to the pumps run-out. You should not extrapolate the NPSHr curve past the manufacturers defined range because the NPSHr value can change rapidly outside the manufacturers range of recommended flow.

Power Curve
The Pump Input Power is defined as the power delivered to the pump shaft at the driver to the pump coupling. It is also referred to as brake horsepower. The power value is displayed on the Y-axis and the input power typically increases with an increasing flow rate. In some cases the power increases then may decrease after the BEP flow. The maximum power draw on the power curve is used in sizing the motor needed to drive the pump.

Multiple Impeller Trims


As previously stated, impellers are trimmed to achieve a range of rated condition points. As a result manufacturers often show performance data for multiple impeller diameters on the same pump curve. Figure 3 is an example of a manufacturers catalog pump curve. The head performance data is displayed for a variety of impeller diameters for the same pump model or size.

Print Article - Reading a Pump Curve

Figure 3 The Best Efficiency Point is displayed for the range of available impeller trim. In figure 3 you will see the head and flow curves for five impeller diameters. Notice how the selection window provides an indication of the manufacturers recommended continuous operating range for this pump. The iso-efficiency lines show the pump efficiency for all impeller diameters. The BEP for all the pumps can also be easily seen as a line connected by the vertices of the iso-efficiency curves. (See dashed-line on figure 3).

Conclusion
The pump curves provided by the pump manufacturer tells how the pump works for different operating of conditions. The information may be displayed in a variety of formats, but the same information is always displayed (head, flow, efficiency, and NPSHr). Once you know how to read a pump curve you can use that information to select a new pump or evaluate how the existing pump is operating in the piping system. The most important thing to remember about reading a centrifugal pump curve is that the pump should only be run in the range of flows specified by the manufacturer. Running the pump with a flow rate outside the manufacturers recommendations will result in shorter pump life and higher operating cost.

Footnotes

ANSI HI 1.1-1.5 1994 Centrifugal Pumps for Nomenclature, Definitions, Application and Operation

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