Pump Equations and Formulas Calculator

Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics

Solving For Total Head

Note: Equation for water at 68 Fahrenheit. Usually, temperature correction

for water is negligible.

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Solve for total head

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Net Positive Suction Head and Cavitation

Solve for NPSH - net positive suction head

Solve for fluid or liquid velocity

Solve for pressure at impeller inlet

Solve for fluid or liquid vapor pressure

Solve for specific weight of fluid or liquid

Solve for the acceleration of gravity

Where 
WHP  = water horsepower
Q  = flow rate or discharge
H  = total head 
n  = pump efficiency 
BHP  = brake horsepower
NPS
 = net positive suction head
H
V  = velocity of fluid or liquid
p  = impeller inlet pressure
pv  = vapor pressure of fluid or liquid
SW  = specific weight of fluid or liquid
g  = acceleration of gravity
SUBJECT : Calculating the total system head in USCS units 7-1:

USCS stands for "United States Customary System Units" as opposed to the
SI (Le Syst`eme International d`Units) or metric units that have been
adopted by the International standards Organization (ISO).

It turn out that "head" is a very convenient term in the pumping business.
Capacity is measured in gallons per minute, and each gallon of liquid has
weight, so we can easily calculate the pounds per minute being pumped.
Head or height is measured in feet, so if we multiply these two together we
get foot- pounds per minute which converts directly to work at the rate of
33,000 foot pounds per minute equals one horsepower.

Pressure is not as convenient a term because the amount of pressure that the
pump will deliver depends upon the weight (specific gravity) of the liquid
being pumped and the specific gravity changes with temperature, type of
fluid, and fluid concentration.

If you will refer to FIG 1, you should get a clear picture of what is meant by
static head. Note that we always measure from the center line of the pump to
the highest liquid level

To calculate head accurately we must calculate the total head on both the
suction and discharge sides of the pump. In addition to the static head we
will learn that there is a head caused by resistance in the piping, fittings and
valves called friction head, and a head caused by any pressure that might be
acting on the liquid in the tanks including atmospheric pressure, called "
surface pressure head".
Once we know these heads, we will then subtract the suction head from the
discharge head and the amount remaining will be the amount of head that
the pump must be able to generate at the rated flow. Here is how it looks in
a formula:

System head = total discharge head - total suction head

H = hd - hs

The total discharge head is made from three separate heads:

hd = hsd + hpd + hfd

 hd = total discharge head

 hsd = discharge static head
 hpd = discharge surface pressure head
 hfd = discharge friction head

The total suction head also consists of three separate heads

hs = hss + hps - hfs

 hs = total suction head

 hss = suction static head
 hps = suction surface pressure head
 hfs = suction friction head

As we make these calculations, you must sure that all calculations are made
in either "feet of liquid gauge" or "feet of liquid absolute". In case you have
forgotten "absolute means that you have added atmospheric pressure (head)
to the gauge reading.

Now we will make some actual calculations:

Figure #2 demonstrates that the discharge head is still measured to the liquid
level, but you will note that it is below the maximum height of the piping.

Although the pump must deliver enough head to get up to this maximum
piping height, it will not have to continue to deliver this head when the
pump is running because of the "siphon effect". There is of course a
maximum siphon effect. It is derived from: 14.7 psi (atmospheric pressure)
x 2.31 feet / psi = 33.4 feet maximum siphon effect.
We will begin with the total suction head calculation

1. The suction head is negative because the liquid level in the suction tank is
below the centerline of the pump:

hss = - 6 feet

2. The suction tank is open, so the suction surface pressure equals

atmospheric pressure :

hps = 0 feet gauge

3. You will not have to calculate the suction friction head, I will tell you it
is:

hfs = 4 feet at rated flow

4. The total suction head is a gauge value because atmosphere was given as
0,

hs = hss + hps - hfs = -6 + 0 - 4 = -10 feet of liquid gauge at rated flow

The total discharge head calculation

1. The static discharge head is:

hsd = 125 feet

2. The discharge tank is also open to atmospheric pressure, thus:

hpd = 0 feet, gauge

3. I will give you the discharge friction head as:

hfd = 25 feet at rated flow

4. The total discharge head is:

hd = hsd + hpd + hfd = 125 + 0 + 25 = 150 feet of liquid gauge at rated flow

The total system head calculation:

H = hd - hs = 150 - (-10)= 160 feet of liquid at rated flow

Note: did you notice that when we subtracted a minus number (-10) from a
positive number (150) we ended up with a positive 160 because whenever
you subtract minus numbers it is the same as adding them? If you have
trouble with this concept you can learn more about it from a mathematics
book.

Our next example involves a few more calculations, but you should be able
to handle them. In this example we are going to learn how to handle a
vacuum application. Pipe friction numbers are taken from the Hydraulic
Institute Engineering Data Book. You can get a copy of this publication
from your library if you want to see the actual charts. I have some of this
information in the chart section of this web site.

Specifications:
1. Transferring 1000 gpm. weak acid from the vacuum receiver to the
storage tank

2. Specific Gravity - 0.98

3. Viscosity - equal to water

4. Piping - All 6" Schedule 40 steel pipe

5. Discharge piping rises 40 feet vertically above the pump centerline and
then runs 400 feet horizontally. There is one 90° flanged elbow in this line

6. Suction piping has a square edge inlet, four feet of pipe, one gate valve,
and one 90° flanged elbow all of which are 6" in diameter.

7. The minimum level in the vacuum receiver is 5 feet above the pump
centerline.

8. The pressure on top of the liquid in the vacuum receiver is 20 inches of

mercury, vacuum.

To calculate suction surface pressure use one of the following formulas:

 inches of mercury x 1.133/ specific gravity = feet of liquid

 pounds per square inch x 2.31/specific gravity = feet of liquid
 Millimeters of mercury / (22.4 x specific gravity) = feet of liquid

Now that you have all of the necessary information we will begin by
dividing the system into two different sections, using the pump as the
dividing line.

Total suction head calculation

1. The suction side of the system shows a minimum static head of 5 feet
above suction centerline. Therefore, the static suction head is:

hss = 5 feet

2. Using the first conversion formula, the suction surface pressure is:

hps = -20 Hg x 1.133/ 0.98 = -23.12 feet gauge

3. The suction friction head, hfs, equals the sum of all the friction losses in
the suction line. Friction loss in 6" pipe at 1000 gpm from table 15 of the
Hydraulic Institute Engineering Data Book, is 6.17 feet per 100 feet of pipe.
in 4 feet of pipe friction loss = 4/100 x 6.17 = 0.3 feet

Friction loss coefficients (K factors) for the inlet, elbow and valve can be
added together and multiplied by the velocity head:

FITTING K FROM TABLE

6" Square edge inlet 0.50 32 (a)
6" 90 flanged elbow 0.29 32 (a)
6" Gate valve 0.11 32 (b)

Total coefficient, K = 0.90

Total friction loss on the suction side is:

hfs = 0.3 + 1.7 = 2.0 feet at 1000 gpm.

4. The total suction head then becomes:

hs = hss + hps - hfs = 5 + (-23.12) - 2.0 = -20.12 feet, gauge at 1000 gpm.

Total discharge head calculation

1. Static discharge head = hsd = 40 feet

2. Discharge surface pressure = hpd = 0 feet gauge

3. Discharge friction head = hfd = sum of the following losses :

Friction loss in 6" pipe at 1000 gpm. from table 15, is 6.17 feet per hundred
feet of pipe.

In 440 feet of pipe the friction loss = 440/100 x 6.17 = 27.2 feet

Friction loss in 6" elbow:

from table 32 (a), K = 0,29

from table 15, V2/2g = 1.92 at 1000 gpm.

Friction loss = K V2/2g = 0.29 x 1.92 = 0.6 feet

The friction loss in the sudden enlargement at the end of the discharge line
is called the exit loss. In systems of this type where the area of the discharge
tank is very large in comparison to the area of the discharge pipe, the loss
equals V2/2g, as shown in table 32 (b).
Friction loss at exit = V2/2g = 1.9 feet

The discharge friction head is the sum of the above losses, that is:

hfd = 27.2 + 0.6 + 1.9 = 29.7 feet at 1000 gpm.

4. The total discharge head then becomes:

hd = hsd + hpd + hfd = 40 + 0 + 29.7 = 69.7 feet, gauge at 1000 gpm.

c. Total system head calculation:

H = hd - hs = 69.7 - (-20.2) = 89.9 feet at 1000 gpm.

 Our next example will be the same as the one we just finished except. that
there is an additional 10 feet of pipe and another 90° flanged elbow in the
vertical leg. The total suction head will be the same as in the previous
example. Take a look at figure # 4

Nothing has changed on the suction side of the pump so the total suction
head will remain the same:

hs = -20.12 feet, gauge at 100 gpm.

Total discharge head calculation

1. The static discharge head "hsd" will change from 40 feet to 30 feet, since
the highest liquid surface in the discharge is now only 30 feet above the
pump centerline.(This value is based on the assumption that the vertical leg
in the discharge tank is full of liquid and that as this liquid falls it will tend
to pull the liquid up and over the loop in the pipe line. This arrangement is
called a siphon leg).

2. The discharge surface pressure is unchanged:

hpd = 0 feet

3. The friction loss in the discharge pipe will be increased by the additional
10 feet of pipe and the additional elbow.

In 10 feet of pipe the friction loss = 10/100 x 6.17 = 0.6 feet

The friction loss in the additional elbow = 0.6 feet

The friction head will then increase as follows:

hfd = 29.7 + 0.6 + 0.6 = 30.9 feet at 1000 gpm.

The total discharge head becomes:

hd = hsd + hpd + hfd

= 30 + 0 + 30.9

= 60.9 feet, gauge at 1000 gpm.

5. Total system head calculation

H = hd - hs = 60.9 - (-20.12) = 81 feet at 1000 gpm.

For our last example we will look at gauges. Take a look at FIG 5:
Specifications:

 Capacity - 300 gpm.

 Specific gravity - 1.3
 Viscosity - Similar to water
 Piping - 3 inch suction, 2 inch discharge
 Atmospheric pressure - 14.7 psi.

Divide the heads into two sections again:

The discharge gauge head corrected to the centerline of the pump, in feet of
liquid absolute is found by adding the atmospheric pressure to the gauge
reading to get absolute pressure, and then converting to absolute head:

hgd = (130 + 14.7) x 2.31 / (1.3 Specific Gravity) + 4 = 261.1 feet, absolute

Note the 4 foot head correction to the pump centerline.

The discharge velocity head at 300 gpm. is found in table 9 of the Hydraulic
Institute Engineering Data Book

hvd = 12.8 feet at 300 gpm.

The suction gauge reading is in absolute terms so it needs only to be

converted to feet of liquid, absolute.

hgs = 40 x 2.3 / 1.3 +2 = 73.08 feet absolute

Note the 2 foot head correction to the pump centerline.

The suction velocity head at 300 gpm. is found in table 11 of the Pipe
Friction Manual:

      hvs = 2.63 feet at 300 gpm.

The total system head developed by the pump =:

H = (hgd + hvd ) - ( hgs + hvs ) = (261.1 + 12.8) - (73.08 + 2.6)= 198.22

feet absolute at 300 gpm.