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Sizing A Pump (English Units)

1) This document provides steps to size a pump to transfer water from a supply reservoir to a holding reservoir uphill through pipes. It describes building a model in AFT Fathom software of the system and reservoirs and running calculations to determine the required pump head is 116.3 meters at a design flow of 115 cubic meters per hour. 2) Once a suitable pump is selected, its performance curve can be added to the model to verify the pump meets requirements. The output shows the selected pump operating at the design flow and head. 3) A pump versus system curve can then be generated from the model to visualize the pump operating point on its curve.

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norgrent
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638 views4 pages

Sizing A Pump (English Units)

1) This document provides steps to size a pump to transfer water from a supply reservoir to a holding reservoir uphill through pipes. It describes building a model in AFT Fathom software of the system and reservoirs and running calculations to determine the required pump head is 116.3 meters at a design flow of 115 cubic meters per hour. 2) Once a suitable pump is selected, its performance curve can be added to the model to verify the pump meets requirements. The output shows the selected pump operating at the design flow and head. 3) A pump versus system curve can then be generated from the model to visualize the pump operating point on its curve.

Uploaded by

norgrent
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Sizing a Pump

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Sizing a Pump (SI Units)


Sizing a Pump (English Units)

Summary
This example will walk you through a simple calculation to size a pump. A pump is to be used to transfer water from a supply reservoir to a holding reservoir at the top of a hill. The system consists of a supply reservoir, a pump, a discharge reservoir, and two pipes. The first pipe from the supply reservoir to the pump is 3 meters long, and the second pipe leading from the pump to the discharge reservoir is 300 meters long. Both pipes are 4 inch (10.2 cm ID), Steel, Schedule 40 pipes. Constant fluid properties are assumed. The supply reservoir has a surface pressure of 1 atm, and the liquid surface is at an elevation of 3 meters. The discharge reservoir has a surface pressure of 1 atm, and the liquid surface is at an elevation of 60 meters. The pipes for both reservoirs connect to the reservoirs at a depth of 3 meters. What is the head requirement for a pump to supply flow in this system at 115 m3/hr?

Topics Covered
How to specify a pump in the Pump Specifications Window Fittings and losses lumped into a pipe Sizing a pump Entering pump curve data

Required Knowledge
This example assumes the user has already worked through the Beginner: Three-Reservoir Model example, or has a level of knowledge consistent with that topic.

Model File
Sizing a Pump.fth

Step 1. Start AFT Fathom


From the Start Menu choose AFT Products and AFT Fathom. To ensure that your results are the same as those presented in this documentation, this example should be run using all default AFT Fathom settings, unless you are specifically instructed to do otherwise.

Step 2. Specify output


Open the output control window by selecting Output Control in the Analysis menu. The window starts with a default set of outputs. Often the default output is sufficient. You may also specify the units for each output parameter. You may also specify a title for the model. Click on the "General Output" tab and add a title of "Sizing a Pump".

Step 3. Specify System Properties


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open the System Properties window by selecting System Properties in the Analysis menu On the Fluid Data Tab, select the AFT Standard database and then select "water at 1 atm" in the fluids available window Click "Add to Model" to select water for use in this model Type in 21 degrees C in the fluid temperature box Click "Calculate Properties"

This calculates the fluid properties to use in the model. For this model, we will not model heat transfer so "Constant Fluid Properties" should be selected. In order to model heat transfer, one of the Heat Transfer options must be selected.

Step 4. Specify Cost Settings


The fourth Checklist item, Cost Settings, is always checked when you start AFT Fathom. When used with the standard version of AFT Fathom, the Cost Settings window provides a way to include energy costs. When used with the CST module it has additional features. By default the cost calculation is turned off, and hence nothing further is required for this Checklist item.

Step 5. Build the model


At this point, the first four items are completed on the analysis checklist. The only remaining checklist item is to "Define Pipes and Junctions". In the workspace window, use the toolbar icons to drag and drop two reservoirs and a pump onto the workspace window. Now connect these with the pipe drawing tool. The default flow direction will be from the first object you select to the second object. An arrow indicates the default flow direction. Now the workspace should look like this:

Figure 1:

Workspace for Sizing a Pump Example

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The system is in place but now we need to enter the specifications of the objects. Double-click each junction and enter the following specifications in the Junction Specifications window. The required information is highlighted in blue. 1. a. b. c. d. 2. a. b. c. d. 3. a. b. J1 Reservoir Name = Reservoir Elevation = 3 meters Surface pressure = 1 atm. Pipe depth = 3 meters (entered on the "Pipe Depth & Loss Coefficients" tab) J2 Reservoir Name = Reservoir Elevation = 60 meters Surface pressure = 1 atm Pipe depth = 3 meters (entered on the "Pipe Depth & Loss Coefficients" tab) J3 Pump Type = Assigned Volumetric Flow (for sizing) Flow rate = 115 m3/hr

c. Elevation = 0 meters The pipe specifications are as follows: 1. a. b. c. d. e. 2. a. b. c. d. P1 Material = Steel Size = 4 inch (10.2 cm ID) Type = STD (schedule 40) Friction model = Standard Length = 3 meters P2 Material = Steel Size = 4 inch (10.2 cm ID) Type = STD (schedule 40) Friction Model = Standard

e. Length = 300 meters The pipe model also allows for fittings and losses like valves or elbows. Select the Fittings & Losses tab for P2, and type in 25 for the Total K Factor. Now close the pipe specification window to accept your changes.

Step 6. Run the model.


Select Run Model in the Analysis menu. This will open the Solution Progress window. This window allows you to watch as the Fathom Solver converges on the answer. This model runs very quickly. Now view the results by pressing View Output at the bottom of the solution control window.

Step 7. Examine output


The Output window contains all the data that was specified in the output control window. Because we were interested in the pump requirements for this system, select the Pump Summary tab in the General (top) window. The pump data can also be found in the Junction (bottom) window. We are primarily interested in the pump head (or pressure) requirement. This information can be found in the Pump Summary window. For this system, the head requirement of the pump is 116.3 meters. Because the difference in elevation of the reservoirs was 57 meters this is the minimum head rise regardless of flow rate or pipe size. Coincidentally the friction loss was also approximately 57 meters. This can be seen in the dH column of the Pipe output window.

Figure 2:

Output window for Pump Sizing Example

Step 8. Add a pump curve


Now that the pump head requirement has been identified as 116.3 meters at the design flow rate of 115 m3/hr, a pump of the correct size can be purchased to meet this requirement. Once the actual pump has been identified, the pump characteristics can be added to the pump component by adding the pump curve data to the pump junction. Open the Pump Specifications window. Change the Pump Model from Volumetric Flow Rate Fixed to Pump Curve. Then select the Enter Curve Data button. This will open the Pump Configuration window. Data for the pump curve is entered in the Raw Data table. After the data has been entered, a curve fit for the data must be created by selecting the Generate Curve Fit Now button. Enter the following pump curve data, as shown in Figure 2.3. 1. Flow Parameter: Volumetric (m3/hr)

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2. 3. a. b. c.

Pressure/Head Parameter: Head (meters) Pump Curve Data: 122 meters @ 0 m3/hr 116 meters @ 115 m3/hr 76 meters @ 230 m3/hr

4. Curve Fit Order: 2 After the curve data is entered, click the Generate Curve Fit Now button and then the OK button. Note: This is a situation where a user could create a new scenario using the Scenario Manager to examine a "what-if" situation, without disturbing the basic model. For an example that illustrates how to use the Scenario Manager, see the Water to Housing Project example.

Figure 3:

The Pump Configuration Window is used to enter pump curve data

Step 9. Re-evaluate the model


Re-run this model. Examine the Pump Summary in the General Output Section. The output (Figure 2.4) shows the pump operating at a flow rate of 114.7 m3/hr, and a head rise of 116.1 meters., which is acceptably close to the previous sizing calculation.

Figure 4:

Output when running with a pump curve.

Change to the Graph Results window (e.g., using the Windows menu), and choose Select Graph Data (Figure 2.5). Here you can specify that a pump vs. system curve be created as shown in Figure 2.6.

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Figure 5:

Select Graph Data for creating a pump vs. system curve.

Figure 6:

Pump vs. system curve using selected pump.

Conclusion
AFT Fathom can be used to size pumps. Once the actual pump has been selected, the model can be modified to include the actual pump curve data. Then the actual system properties and behavior can be calculated.

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