Page : 1 of 97

Rev: 04
KLM Technology
Group
Rev 01 Feb 2007
Practical Engineering Engineering Solutions Rev 02 Feb 2009
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions Rev 03 May 2012
Rev 04 Mar 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

Co Authors

KLM Technology Group

Kolmetz Handbook Rev 01 - A L Ling
Rev 02 - Viska Mulyandasari
P. O. Box 281
Bandar Johor Bahru,
of Process Equipment Design Rev 03 - K Kolmetz
80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Rev 04 - Reni Mutiara Sari
West Malaysia.
PUMP SELECTION, Editor / Author
SIZING AND TROUBLESHOOTING
Karl Kolmetz
(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINES)

TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

Scope 6

General Design Consideration 7

Type of Pump 7

A. Positive Displacement Pumps 7

a) Reciprocating Pump 7

b) Rotary Pump 8

B. Dynamic Pumps 8

a) Centrifugal Pumps 8

Process Requirements Parameters 11

DEFINITIONS 13

NOMENCLATURE 16

Greek letters 17
 Page 2 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

THEORY 18

Working Principle of Pump 18

I. Centrifugal Pump 18

A) Component of Centrifugal Pumps 19

I) Rotating Elements 20

II) Stationary Elements 22

B) Centrifugal Pump Characteristics 25

a) Centrifugal Pump Curve Characteristics 25

b) Specific Speed 27

c) Suction Specific Speed 28

d) Affinity Laws 28

e) Temperature Rise Due to Pumping 30

C) Working Theory-Conversion of Kinetic Energy to Pressure Energy 30

II. Positive Displacement Pump 31

A) Reciprocating Pumps 31

a) Pump Calculation 32

b) Pulsation 34

B) Rotary Pumps 35

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 3 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

Pump Selection 36

I. Industry Codes and Standards for Pump Selection & Design 40

Total Head 41

Net Positive Suction Head – NPSH 43

Pump Power and Efficiency 46

I) Power 46

II) Pump Efficiency 47

Multiple Pumps Installation 48

Cavitation 49

Pump Sizing- Step by Step Calculation 50

Troubleshooting of The Pump Problems 52

Material of Construction 58

APPLICATION 61

Example Case 1: Pump Sizing for water flow 61

Example Case 2: Pump Sizing for Hydrocarbon flow 66

Example Case 3: Pump Sizing for Slurry flow 72

REFERENCES 95

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 4 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

LIST OF TABLE

Table 1: Seal for centrifugal pumps 25

Table 2: Typical speed of rotation for centrifugal pump 27

Table 3: Affinity Laws 29

Table 4: General selection methods for centrifugal pumps 36

Table 5: General selection method for positive displacement pumps 38

Tabel 6 : General Centrifugal Pump Problem and Solution 54

Table 7: Pump Material of Construction for specific services 60

LIST OF FIGURE

Figure 1: Foot mounted overhung pump 9

Figure 2: Centerline mounted overhung pump 9

Figure 3 : Radically split multistage-single & double casing 9

Figure 4: Simple Centrifugal Pump 18

Figure 5 : Seven-stage centrifugal pump 19

Figure 6 : component of centrifugal pump 20

Figure 7 : Some types of impellers for centrifugal pumps 21

Figure 8 : Type of casings 22

Figure 9 : Type of Seal 23

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 5 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

Figure 10 : Performance Curve of Centrifugal Pumps 26

Figure 11 : Specific speed variations of different types of pump 28

Figure 12 : double-acting piston pump 32

Figure 13 : Positive-displacement gear-type rotary pump 35

Figure 14 : Selection guides for various type of pumps 41

Figure 15 : Centrifugal Pump Efficiency 48

Figure 16 : Pump Installation 49

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 6 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

INTRODUCTION

Scope

This design guideline assists engineers, maintenance and operations personnel to

understand the selection and sizing of pumps. A pump is one of the most important
pieces of mechanical equipment that is present in industrial processes. A pump
moves liquid from one area to another by increasing the pressure of the liquid above
the amount needed to overcome the combined effects of friction, gravity and system
operating pressures.

There are two types of pump which are generally used in industrial processes: positive
displacement pump and centrifugal. It is important to choose the suitable type of pump
based on process requirement and fluid process properties. The functions and types
of pump are explained in detail under the General Design Guideline section.

The theory section covers the selection method of the pump based on their application
and engineering calculations for the sizing of the pump. When sizing the pump, the
understanding of concept of cavitation is very important. Cavitation is an abnormal
condition that can result in loss of production, equipment damage and worst of all,
personnel injury. To prevent pumps from having this problem, the correct design
should be followed by applied the correct theory when carrying out the activities of
pump sizing and selection.

In the application section of this guideline, three case studies are shown and
discussed in detail, highlighting the way to apply the theory for the calculation.
Generally used theory, such as Bernoulli’s theory, is used as the basic of calculation
because it is applicable for various conditions. This theory is applied in calculation of
the NPSH of the pumps, which is shown in detail in this section. The case studies will
help the engineer do the selection and sizing for the pumps base on their own plant
system.

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 7 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

General Design Consideration

Type of Pumps

The selection of type and construction of a pump is very important to meet the process
specification and proper application. Knowledge of the variety of pumps in the market
should be reviewed and understood.

A. Positive Displacement Pumps

Positive displacement (PD) pumps work by allowing a fluid to flow into some enclosed
cavity from a low-pressure source, trapping the fluid, and then forcing it out into a
high-pressure receiver by decreasing the volume of the cavity. This is done
intermittently in the case of reciprocating pumps and continuously in the case of rotary
gear and screw pumps. Some examples of PD pumps are: fuel and oil pumps in most
automobiles, the pumps on most hydraulic systems, and the heart of most animals.

Some general types of the positive displacement pumps are as below:

a) Reciprocating Pump

Reciprocating pumps create and displace a volume of liquid, their

“displacement volumes”, by action of a reciprocating element. Liquid
discharge pressure is limited only by strength of structural parts. A pressure
relief valve and a discharge check valve are normally required for
reciprocating pumps.

Reciprocating pumps can be further classified into three types of pump as

below,

i) Piston Pumps
ii) Packed Plunger Pumps
iii) Diaphragm Pumps

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 8 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

b) Rotary Pump

Rotary pumps function with close clearances such that a fixed volume of
liquid is displaced with each revolution of the internal element. Rotary pumps
include:

i) Gear Pump
ii) Lobe Pump
iii) Vane Pump
iv) Screw Pump

All those pumps above have the similar working principles: pumping the liquid
with the help of rotating elements. The difference lies on the rotating
elements; they could be gear, lobe, vane, or screw.

B. Dynamic Pumps

Dynamic pumps, in which energy is continuously added to increase the fluid velocities
within the machines to values greater than those occurring at the discharge so
subsequent velocity reduction within or beyond the pump produces a pressure
increase. Major kinds which often used in many industries are centrifugal pumps[8].

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 9 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

a) Centrifugal Pumps

Centrifugal pumps are dynamic pumps. A centrifugal pump raises the

pressure of the liquid by giving it a high kinetic energy and then converts it into
pressure energy before the fluid exits the pump. It normally consists of an
impeller (a wheel with blades), and some form of housing with a central inlet
and a peripheral outlet. The impeller is mounted on a rotating shaft and
enclosed in a stationary casing. Casings are generally of two types: volute and
circular. The impeller design and the shape of the casing determine how liquid
is accelerated though the pump.

Some general types of the centrifugal pumps are as below:

i) Overhung pump

A pump with the impeller(s) cantilevered from its bearing assemblies is

classified as an overhung pump.

Figure 1: Foot mounted Figure 2: Centerline

overhung pump mounted overhung pump

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 10 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

ii) Between bearings pump

A pump with the impeller(s) located between the bearings is classified as a

between bearings pump. The pump may be single-stage (one impeller), two-
stage, or multistage. It can be axially (horizontally) split or radially split.

Figure 3: Radically split multistage-single & double casing.

iii) Vertically suspended pump

A pump with the impeller(s) cantilevered vertically and the suction nozzle
typically submerged is classified as a vertically suspended pump.

iv) Seal-less pump

Seal-less pumps are special pumps which do not require shaft seals.
Construction for seal-less pumps is driven by canned motors or magnetic
couplings. It is normally used in process involve extremely hazardous fluid,
where leakage cannot be tolerated.

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 11 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

v) Submersible pump

Submersible pumps are designed to prevent pump cavitation. The driver

components inside are completely surrounded by the pumped fluid.

vi) Horizontal self-priming pump

Horizontal self-priming pumps are designed to create a vacuum at the pump

inlet. This enables the pump to “suck” fluid into its casing. The suction nozzle
of the pump can therefore be located above the level of liquid being pumped.

Centrifugal pumps are used in more industrial applications than any other kind of
pump. This is primarily because these pumps offer low initial and upkeep costs.
Traditionally these pumps have been limited to low-pressure-head applications, but
modern pump designs have overcome this problem unless very high pressures are
required.(4) The single-stage, horizontal, overhung, centrifugal pump is by far the most
commonly type used in the chemical process industry(3).

Basically, pump selection is made on the flow rate and head requirement and with
other process considerations, such as material of the construction pumps for the
corrosive chemical service or for the fluid with presence solids in the stream.

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 12 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

Process Requirements Parameters

In designing the pump, the knowledge of the effect of parameters; such as pump
capacity, NPSH, pumping maximum temperature, specific gravity, fluid viscosity, fluid
solid content, and the other process requirements are very important. All of these
parameters will affect the selection and design of the pump which will affect the
performance of the pump in the process.

Pump capacity is a parameter plays an important role when selecting the pump.
Capacity means the flow rate with which liquid is moved or pushed by the pump to the
desired point in the process. It is commonly measured in either gallons per minute
(gal/min) or cubic meters per hour (m3/hr). The capacity usually changes with the
changes in operation of the process. A minimum required flow rate need to be
specified, this is important to determining if a minimum flow bypass is required for the
selected pump to avoid pump overheating and mechanical damage.

NPSH as a measure to prevent liquid vaporization or called cavitation of pump. Net

Positive Suction Head (NPSH) is the total head at the suction flange of the pump less
the vapor pressure converted to fluid column height of the liquid. The design engineer
should always remember that pumps can pump only liquids, not vapors because when
a liquid vaporizes its volume increases greatly. For example: 1ft3 of water it will
vaporize to produce 1700ft3 of steam. This will cause the rise in temperature and
pressure drop in the fluid and pump will stop functioning because it has not sufficient
suction pressure present.

Pumping maximum temperatures is important in deciding pump construction style and

pump cooling and mechanical seal requirements. The minimum operating temperature
is to ensure that the material has adequate impact strength.

Specific gravity is parameter determines the pump head required to produce a desired
pressure increase. For pumps with limited head capability such as centrifugal pumps,
it affects pressure rise capability. Pump power requirements are also affected by
specific gravity.

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 13 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

Viscosity is important in the selection of pump type and has a significant effect on
centrifugal pump performance. Minimum values of viscosity are important in
determining rotary pump (positive displacement pump) performance, while maximum
viscosity is important in determining debits to centrifugal pump performance.

Fluid solid content will affect the pump design. It affected the aspects of the design for
the flow characteristic, consideration design of erosion resistance, flow passage size,
impeller style, peripheral speed, design features to disintegrate large particles, and
shaft sealing design. This parameter has to be added in the data sheet for design.

Other process requirement such as flexibility for expansion should be consider as well.
This is important for future capacity expansion; it helps to minimize the cost of
expansion because to replace the pump will be a large sum of money. Working
capacity of pump should always be design for more than 20% extra design capacity.

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 14 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

DEFINITION

Bearing Housing -The bearing housing encloses the bearings mounted on the shaft.
The bearings keep the shaft or rotor in correct alignment with the stationary parts
under the action of radial and transverse loads. The bearing house also includes an oil
reservoir for lubrication, constant level of oil, jacket for cooling by circulating cooling
water.

Brake horsepower - is the horsepower including pump efficiency, otherwise called

“shaft power”.

Capacity - Is the water handling capability of a pump commonly expressed as either

gallon per minute (gal/min) or cubic meter per minute (m3/min).

Cavitation - Is the result of vapor bubbles imploding. This occurs when the amount of
fluid flowing into the pump is restricted or blocked.

Coupling- A device for connecting the pump shaft to the driver shaft consisting of the
pump shaft hub and driver shaft hub, usually bolted together.

Discharge Port —Point where the discharge hose or pipe is connected to the pump.

Datum Elevation – It use as reference of the horizontal plane for which all the
elevations and head are measured. The pumps standards normally specify the datum
position relative to a pump part, eg. Centrifugal horizontal pump datum position is at
the impeller shaft centerline.

Displacement - The calculated volume displacement of a positive displacement pump

with no slip losses.

Dynamic Discharge Head- The static discharge head plus the friction in the
discharge line also referred to as Total Discharge Head.

Dynamic Suction Head - The static suction lift plus the friction in the suction line also
referred to as Total Suction Head.
These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 15 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
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SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
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(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

Endurance limit – Is the stress below which the shaft will withstand an infinite number
of stress reversals without failure. Since one stress reversal occurs for each revolution
of the shaft, this means that ideally the shaft will never fail if the maximum bending
stress in the shaft is less than the endurance limit of the shaft material.

Friction Head-The head required to overcome the resistance to flow in the pipe and
fittings. It is dependent upon the size, condition and type of pipe, number and type of
pipe fittings, flow rate, and nature of the liquid.

Friction Loss - Refers to reductions in flow due to turbulence as water passes

through hoses, pipes, fittings and elbows.

Head, Acceleration - The head equivalent to the pressure change due to changes in
velocity in the piping system.

Hydraulic horsepower - is the horsepower required for pumping liquid at operating

conditions without loss of pump efficiency

Impeller — A disk with multiple vanes. It is attached to the pump engine or motor and
is used to create the centrifugal force necessary for moving water through the pump
casing.

Mechanical Seal — A common wear part that forms a seal between the pump and
the engine or motor. Also prevents liquid from seeping into the engine or motor.

Net Positive Suction Head (NPSHa) - Is the total head at the suction flange of the
pump less the vapor pressure converted to fluid column height of the liquid

Net Positive Suction Head Required (NPSHr) - NPSH in meters (feet) determined
by Supplier testing, usually with water. NPSHR is measured at the suction flange and
corrected to the datum elevation. NPSHR is the minimum NPSH at rated capacity
required to prevent a head drop of more than 3% (first stage head in multistage
pumps) due to cavitation within pump.

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 16 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

Pressure Head - Pressure Head must be considered when a pumping system either
begins or terminates in a tank which is under some pressure other than atmospheric.
The pressure in such a tank must first be converted to feet of liquid. Denoted as hp,
pressure head refers to absolute pressure on the surface of the liquid reservoir
supplying the pump suction, converted to feet of head. If the system is open, hp equals
atmospheric pressure head.

Pulsation - The variation of pressure in a line due to the flow variations caused by a
piston(s), plunger(s) or diaphragm(s) which are creating a pumping action.

Slip - Leakage flow within a rotary positive displacement pump from the discharge
back to the suction caused by the clearances needed between rotating and stationary
components.

Suction Specific Speed - An index of pump suction operating characteristics

determined at the best efficiency point with the maximum-diameter impeller.

Static Suction Head -Head resulting from elevation of the liquid relative to the pump
center line (datum). If the liquid level is above pump centerline (datum), hS is positive.
If the liquid level is below pump centerline (datum), hS is negative. Negative hS
condition is commonly denoted as a “suction lift” condition

Static Discharge Head - It is the vertical distance in feet between the pump centerline
and the point of free discharge or the surface of the liquid in the discharge tank.

Suction Port — Point where the suction hose or pipe is connected to the pump.

Vapor Pressure Head - Vapor pressure is the absolute pressure at which a liquid and
its vapor co-exist in equilibrium at a given temperature. The vapor pressure of liquid
can be obtained from vapor pressure tables. When the vapor pressure is converted to
head, it is referred to as vapor pressure head, hvp. The value of hvp of a liquid
increases with the rising temperature and in effect, opposes the pressure on the liquid
surface, the positive force that tends to cause liquid flow into the pump suction i.e. it

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 17 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
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SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

reduces the suction pressure head. (Vapor pressure can be said as the external
pressure require to prevent fluid from evaporate become vapor).

Velocity Head - Refers to the energy of a liquid as a result of its motion at some
velocity ‘v’. It is the equivalent head in feet through which the water would have to fall
to acquire the same velocity, or in other words, the head necessary to accelerate the
water. The velocity head is usually insignificant and can be ignored in most high head
systems. However, it can be a large factor and must be considered in low head
systems.

Viscosity — is a mechanist of fluid resistance to flow of a liquid at a given

temperature. High viscosity liquids such as motor oil are more resistant to flow than
water.
Absolute Viscosity (cP)
Kinematics Viscosity (cSt) =
Specific Gravity

Volumetric efficiency - The ratio of real flow rate to theoretical flow rate (pump
displacement)

Volute — A stationary housing inside the pump housing in which the impeller rotates.
It is used to separate air and water.

Total Head - Pressure required in feet (meter) of head that the pump must produce.
The head at the discharge pump flange minus the head at suction flange.

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 18 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

NOMENCLATURE

A Cross-sectional area of plunger or piston, in2

A Cross-sectional area of piston rod, in2
C Constant for pump geometry
Cp Specific heat of pumped liquid, Btu/lb.oF
D Diameter of impeller, in
D Displacement of reciprocating pump, gpm
E Pump efficiency, fraction
g Acceleration due to gravity, 32.2 ft/s2 (9.81 m/s2)
Hc Total head developed from centrifugal pump, ft
Hd Discharge head, ft (m)
Hs Suction head, ft (m)
Ht Total head, ft (m)
ha Acceleration for the reciprocating pump only for calculate the head
losses due to pulsation in the flow, ft (m)
hf Head produce from pressure loss in pipe, fitting, and entrancement, ft
(m)
hf(d) Head produce from pressure loss in pipe, fitting, and entrancement with
depend the pipe diameter and type of flow from discharge to destination,
ft (m)
hf(s) Head produce from pressure loss in pipe, fitting, and entrancement with
depend the pipe diameter and type of flow at suction section, ft (m)
hp Absolute pressure head on surface of liquid, ft (m)
hp(d) Gauge pressure head on surface of liquid at destination, ft (m)
hp(s) Gauge pressure head on surface of liquid at suction point, ft (m)
hst Head from the elevation between distance from suction surface to pump
centerline, ft (m)
hst(d) Head from the elevation between distance from destination surface to
pump centerline, ft (m)
hst(s) Head from the elevation between distance from suction surface to pump
centerline, ft (m)
hvp Vapor pressure of the liquid converted, ft (m)
K A factor representing the relative compressibility of the liquid

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.
 Page 19 of 97
Kolmetz Handbook
KLM Technology of Process Equipment Design Rev: 04
Group
Practical Engineering PUMP SELECTION,
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
SIZING AND
TROUBLESHOOTING March 2014
www.klmtechgroup.com

(ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINE)

L Length of the suction line from the nearest upstream vessel (or suction
stabilizer) to the pump, (ft or m)
M The number of cylinders
n Speed of rotation, RPM (Revolutions per minute)
N Pumps speed for centrifugal pumps, rpm
Ns Specific speed, dimensionless
P Pressure in system, psi (kg/cm2)
Q Capacity, gal/min (m3/min)
Q1 Capacity, ( m3/s)
r Radius of shaft (rad)
Sp Pump speed for reciprocating pump, ft/min
Sss Suction specific speed, dimensionless
S Specific gravity
S Stroke length, in
Tr Shaft Torque (Nm)
V Average velocity in the suction line, ft/s (m/s)
v Velocity of periphery of impeller (tip speed), ft/s (m/s)
VE Volumetric efficiency, dimensioness

Greek letters

p Pump efficiency, %
 Fluid density, Ib/ft3 (kg/m3)
 pi ( 3.142)
 Shaft angular velocity (rad/s)

These design guideline are believed to be as accurate as possible, but are very general and not for specific design
cases. They were designed for engineers to do preliminary designs and process specification sheets. The final
design must always be guaranteed for the service selected by the manufacturing vendor, but these guidelines will
greatly reduce the amount of up front engineering hours that are required to develop the final design. The guidelines
are a training tool for young engineers or a resource for engineers with experience.

This document is entrusted to the recipient personally, but the copyright remains with us. It must not be copied,
reproduced or in any way communicated or made accessible to third parties without our written consent.