0.

1 Simple Pump Model Theory

This simple pump model consists of a single hydrodynamic volume and at-
tached inlet and outlet junctions. The pump model is implemented in the one-
dimensional fluid field equations by using a dimensionless-homologous pump
model to compute the pump head as a function of fluid flow rate and pump
speed. The pump model is interfaced with the two-fluid hydrodynamic model
by assuming the head developed by the pump is similar to a body force. Thus,
the head term appears in the mixture momentum equation, but, like the gravity
body force, it does not appear in the difference-of-momentum equation.

It is assumed that the head depends on the volumetric flow rate, and can be
approximated by a two-term Taylor series expansion given by

 n
n+1 n dH
Qn+1 − Qn .


H =H + (1)
dQ
The head developed by the pump is apportioned equally between the suction
and discharge junctions that connect the pump volume to the system. The term
that is added to the mixture momentum equation is 12 ρm gH, where H is the
total head rise of the pump (m), ρm is the volume fluid density (kg/m3 ), and g
is the acceleration due to gravity (m/s2 ). The factor 1/2 is needed because the
term is applied at both the suction and discharge junctions. Thus, the numeri-
cal equivalent of the term ρgH is

 n
1 n 1 dH
ρ gH n ∆t + ρnm g Qn+1 − Qn ∆t.


(2)
2 m 2 dQ
The pump energy dissipation is calculated for the pump volume as

DISS = τ n ω n − gH n αfn ρnf v̄fn + αgn ρng v̄gn A.

(3)
where τ is the pump torque and ω is the pump angular rotation speed

The pump head, H, and torque, τ , are defined by means of an empirical

homologous pump performance model, and the pump speed, ω, is defined by
a pump drive model. The derivative of the pump head with respect to the
volumetric flow rate, dH
dQ , is obtained from the empirical steady-state homolo-
gous pump performance model, using the assumption that the pump speed is
constant.
The simplest pump drive model has two states: (1) the pump is on and at
a constant speed, ω, or (2) the pump is tripped and the speed, ω, is coasting
down. The user inputs an initial speed which the pump operates at until a
pump trip, at which point the pump speed coasts down as a function of pump

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torque, τ . The speed is calculated by the deceleration equation

dω
I =τ (4)
dt
The finite difference approximation of this equation is

τ ∆t
ωt+∆t = ωt + (5)
I

0.2 Homologous Pump Curves

Pump performance data must be generated experimentally. The basic param-
eters that characterize the pump performance are the rotational speed, ω, the
volumetric flow, Q, the head rise, H, and the shaft torque, τ . Non-dimensional
homologous curves which relates experimental data for these basic pump param-
eters is used to condense the input. A rated condition is used to normalize the
pump parameters: rated speed (ωR [rad/s]), rated flow (QR [m3 /s]), rated head
(HR [m]), rated torque (τR [N −m]), and rated density (ρR [kg/m3 ]). Parameters
for the homologous pump curves are defined as the speed ratio (α = ω/ωR ), flow
ratio (v = Q/QR ), head ratio (h = H/HR ), torque ratio (β = τ /τR ).

The performance data are then converted to homologous form with (1) inde-
pendent variables of v/a or v/a, and (2) dependent variables of h/a2 , h/v 2 , b/a2 ,
and b/v 2 . The pump performance can be characterized with 8 input regimes or
curves, as seen in the table below.
The two images below are representative homologous pump head and torque
curves

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This type of pump specific data is available in lookup tables.

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0.3 User Inputs for Single-Phase Pump Model
0.3.1 Pump Volume Geometry
User inputs two of the three to define the pump volume geometry: volume flow
area, length of volume, and volume of volume

0.3.2 Pump Inlet Junction

Volume code of connecting volume on inlet side, Junction flow area

0.3.3 Pump Outlet Junction

Volume code of connecting volume on outlet side, Junction flow area

0.3.4 Pump Volume Initial Conditions

pressure and temperature

0.3.5 Pump Inlet Junction Initial Conditions

liquid velocity or mass flow rate

0.3.6 Pump Outlet Junction Initial Conditions

liquid velocity or mass flow rate

0.3.7 Pump Description

Rated pump rotational velocity, Ratio of initial pump rotational velocity to
rated pump rotational velocity, Rated pump volumetric flow, Rated pump head,
Rated pump torque, Moment of inertia, Rated density, Rated pump motor
torque (If this word is zero, the rated pump motor torque is computed from the
initial pump rotational velocity and the pump torque that is computed from the
initial pump rotational velocity, initial volume conditions, and the homologous
curves.), and lots of friction terms which I’m ignoring for now.

0.3.8 Pump Single-Phase Homologous Head Curves

curve regime, independent variable, dependent variable

0.3.9 Pump Single-Phase Homologous Torque Curves

curve regime, independent variable, dependent variable