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How to select a pump

The document provides guidance on selecting a pump for small projects, emphasizing the importance of flow rate and total head. It discusses how to analyze performance curves to determine if a pump is suitable for specific operating conditions and outlines strategies for adjusting flow and head requirements. Additionally, it addresses scenarios where performance curves are not available and suggests using multiple pumps in series or parallel to meet requirements.

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11 views

How to select a pump

The document provides guidance on selecting a pump for small projects, emphasizing the importance of flow rate and total head. It discusses how to analyze performance curves to determine if a pump is suitable for specific operating conditions and outlines strategies for adjusting flow and head requirements. Additionally, it addresses scenarios where performance curves are not available and suggests using multiple pumps in series or parallel to meet requirements.

Uploaded by

Полинтон 813
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Pump selection for small projects

J. Chaurette, July 2016


www.pumpfundamentals.com

How to select a pump from the big block store or internet for your application?

You have a flow schematic, nothing fancy just some hand-drawn lines on paper indicating
where the pump is relative to the different liquid levels, the pipe or tube size and the flow rate.
The static head (difference between the liquid levels) is known and you have calculated the total
head (pump head) of the pump based on the flow rate required. The flow rate and the head are
the critical parameters. You are ready to purchase the pump that meets your needs and are
now at the big box store or on amazon ready to purchase the pump.

Two situations are going to occur. The seller has a performance curve that you can analyze to
see if the pump is a good fit or he doesn’t.

What is a performance curve? It’s a plot of head vs flow appropriate to the construction and size
of the pump. The pump can only operate on this curve. Head is the ability of a pump to displace
the liquid to a certain height. So if you need the liquid to a height of 7 feet (static head) you need
a pump that has a minimum of 7 feet of head. However you need the liquid to flow through a
pipe at a certain rate (for example 5 gallons per minute or gpm) and this causes friction (friction
head) which requires more energy so the head of the pump must be higher than 7 feet to
account for the friction.

Let’s take the 1st case – performance curve available

After searching you have found a pump that has a flow rate close to your requirements. Your
requirements or the operating conditions (head & flow) should lie on the performance curve
somewhere in the middle. The pump can operate anywhere on this curve and what determines
where it operates is the head that you require. How does the pump know to operate there? The
pump knows nothing of course; it is designed (i.e. impeller size, inlet and outlet size) to provide
the flow rate at the middle of the curve if it is connected to a system that offers the resistance
(head) for that flow rate.

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When you find a pump with the flow rate close to your requirement somewhere near the middle
of the curve, what leeway do you have with your operating conditions?

What happens if the pump curve flow corresponding to the head you require is more than what
you need? You can accept the higher flow (point 2) if it is not a concern, or you can change the
flow by putting a valve on the discharge line, closing it, and reducing the flow to your
requirement so that you will operate at point 3 on the performance curve. The pump itself will
see more head than you originally planned but you will get the correct flow through the system.

What happens if the pump curve head corresponding to your required flow rate is higher than
what you need? You will have to accept more flow (point 3) or change something in the system
such as: add a discharge valve and partially close it, reduce the diameter of the pipe sizes or
reduce the static head so that you will operate at point 2 on the performance curve.

2
What happens if the pump curve head corresponding to your required flow rate is less than what
you need? The pump is not suitable and you need to find a bigger pump or alternatively change
something in the system such as increase the pipe size to reduce friction or lower the static
head.

2nd case – performance curve NOT available

Many suppliers of small pump do not provide a performance curve. They will say that the pump
can supply for example a head of 10 ft at a maximum flow rate of 5 gpm. Unfortunately we don’t
know if this is a single point on the performance curve or 2 individual points. Therefore how this
pump will operate for your conditions is unknown and you may have to purchase the next bigger
model to achieve your requirements.

What can you do if you can’t find a small pump with enough head?

You can hook 2 pumps or more in series, the outlet of one pump into the suction of the other.

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And if you need more flow, you can put pumps in parallel.

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