11/28/2016

WhatisPumpHead?HowisitDifferentthanPressure?|HollandAppliedTechnologies

HighPuritySanitaryProcessApplications

WhatisPumpHead?HowisitDifferent
thanPressure?
FEBRUARY7,2014

tags:SanitaryPumps
Whensizingapump,thereisalotofverbiagethrownaroundthatcanbeconfusingandhardto
understand.AtHolland,wehavebeensizingandpuingpumps
(hp://www.hollandapt.com/static.asp?path=2964)intosanitaryandhighpurityapplicationsfor
over60years.Inthattime,wevefoundthebestsuccesscomeswhenourcustomersare
knowledgeableabouttheirapplications,canprovidegoodinformation,andcanfactcheckour
salesengineers.Oneofthemostimportantfactorsinsizingapumpisguringoutyourtotalhead
requirements.Headisnotquitethesamethingasapressure.Thedierencesarenuancedandthis
postwillaimtoexplain.
Tobegin,whatishead?Assumethatyouhaveapumpdesignedtomovewaterclampedintoa
processline.Youhaveasuctionlineandadischargeline,bothrunninghorizontally.Nowimagine
thatyouareabletomovethedischargelinesoitpumpsstraightupintotheair.Thepumpisthen
turnedon.Oncethepumpisrunning,itwillmovetheuidtosomeheightmeasuredinfeet.That
heighttowhichthepumpcanraisethewatertoisitshead.Itsthatsimple.
Isheadaectedbythesuctionconditions?Theanswertothatquestionisyes.Ifyoulowerthesuction
level,theheadmeasuredwillbeless.Theoppositeistrueifyouraiseit.Whyisthat?Well,apumpis
notverysmart.Ithasnoelectronicsotherthanamotorcoupledtoit.Itismindlesslyproviding
energy.Themotorconvertselectricenergyintomechanicalenergyandthatmechanicalenergyis
usedbythepumptoimpartthatenergy(pressure)intotheuid.Ifweraiseorlowerthesuctionlevel
oftheuid,weareadjustingthepotentialenergyoftheuid.Thepotentialenergyoftenfoot
columnofwaterisgreaterthanthepotentialenergyofavefootcolumnofwater.Thatiswhywe
alwayscalculatetotalheadrequirementsbasedonansuctionemptytank,asthatiswhenwewill
needthepumptoprovidethemostenergy(theuidisntgivingusanyhelpintheformof
potentialenergywhenthetankisempty).
Sohowcanapumpmanufacturertellyouhowmuchhelptheirpumpwillproduceiftheydont
knowthesuctionconditions?Itspreysimple,actually.Theysubtracttheheadavailableatthe
suctionforthemheadproducedatthedischarge.Thisiscalledtotalhead.Bydoingthis,itdoesnt
maerwhatthesuctiontanklevelis,weknowwhatthepumpcandoregardlessofthesuction
conditions.

https://hollandaptblog.com/2014/02/07/whatispumpheadhowisitdifferentthanpressure/
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Sowhatisthedierencebetweenpressureandheadthen?Whilesomepumpmanufacturersthatuse

11/28/2016

WhatisPumpHead?HowisitDifferentthanPressure?|HollandAppliedTechnologies

Sowhatisthedierencebetweenpressureandheadthen?Whilesomepumpmanufacturersthatuse
pressure(dierentialpressure,thatis)tocharacterizetheirpumps,thisisnotthemostaccurate
waytodoso.Headisusefulbecauseitevaluatesapumpscapacitytodoajob.Mostpump
applicationsinvolvemovinguidtoahigherlevel.Ifyouhavetopumpaliquidup30feetandyour
pumpdoesnthaveatleast30feetofhead,thenthereisnochanceitwillwork.Yourpumpwillneed
atleast30ft.plusthefrictionlosstogettherequiredowatthedischargepoint.
Anothernicethingaboutheadisitisindependentofthetypeofuidbeingpumped(assumingthe
viscosityisrelativelylowandsimilartowater).Whetheryourepumpingwateroraheavycaustic
solution,theheadachievedwillbethesame.Thepressureatthedischargeofthepump,however,
willbehigherfortheheaviersolution.Therelationshipbetweenheadandpressurecanbe
characterizedbythefollowingformula:
P=0.434h*SG
Or
H=2.31p/SG
Wherep=pressure(psi)
H=head(ft)
AndSG=Specicgravityofuidbeingpump

(hps://hollandapt.les.wordpress.com/2014/02/headvspsi.jpg)

Asthisformulashows,byusinghead,weareabletotakeintoaccountthedensityorweightofa
productandaccuratelygureoutwhataredischargeheadrequirementsare.Wewouldnotbeable
todothisbysimplylookingatapressuregauge.

https://hollandaptblog.com/2014/02/07/whatispumpheadhowisitdifferentthanpressure/
AtHolland,whenwesizepumps,wetrytoidentifyapumpthathasatotaldischargeheadatthe

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11/28/2016

WhatisPumpHead?HowisitDifferentthanPressure?|HollandAppliedTechnologies

AtHolland,whenwesizepumps,wetrytoidentifyapumpthathasatotaldischargeheadatthe
owratethecustomerrequires.Itisnotdiculttoestablishthisandwehaveproprietarysoftware
thathelpsustocalculatefrictionloss.Frictionlossdependsonthelengthanddiametersofthepipe
throughwhichtheuidows.Asimplediscussionwillhelpusgurethemaincomponentoftotal
head/pressurestaticheadandcalculatetheothersourcesofenergyloss.
Hopefullythispostshedssomelightonthenuanceddierencebetweenheadandpressure.Ifyou
needhelpwithyournextpumpapplicationorhaveadditionalquestionsofhydrostaticuidhead,
contact(hp://www.hollandapt.com/static.asp?path=10576)aHollandSalesEngineertoday.
fromSanitaryPumps

5Comments leaveone
1.samani PERMALINK
July1,20158:38am
veryusefullanditerestingtopics
manymanythanks
REPLY
2.Mohammed PERMALINK
January30,20161:55am
justnowiunderstandthedierent,thankyouverymuch.
REPLY
VBBABU PERMALINK
June26,20169:05am
Excellentexplanation
REPLY
3.VBBABU PERMALINK
June26,20169:04am
excellentexplanation
REPLY
4.Osama PERMALINK
October3,20163:38am
Goodone
REPLY

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