Centrifugal pump selection and specification

Reliability and efficiency go hand-in-hand in many aspects of pump selection because

generally, a pump that has been selected and controlled properly for the normal
operating points will operate near its best efficiency point (BEP) flow, with low forces
exerted on the mechanical components and low vibration — all of which result in
optimal reliability.

Pumping applications come in all shapes and sizes, and the requirements and
consequences of not meeting the requirements or premature pump failure vary greatly
for each application. Therefore, it is not possible to state generically how a pump should
be selected or specified for design and performance, thus this article focuses on
selecting a pump to operate in the preferred operating region (POR) — with net positive
suction head (NPSH) margin above the net positive suction head required (NPSHR) and
with acceptable vibration — to meet the goal of reliable and efficient pumping. Three
American National Standards that should be referenced provide general guidelines or
acceptance levels regarding a pump’s NPSH margin, POR and allowable vibration as
follows:

 ANSI/HI 9.6.1 Rotodynamic Pumps — Guideline for NPSH margin

 ANSI/HI 9.6.3 Rotodynamic Pumps — Guideline for Operating Regions
 ANSI/HI 9.6.4 Rotodynamic Pumps for Vibration Measurements and Allowable
Values

In addition to the general guidance provided here, certain industries such as the oil and
gas market and chemical process market have design standards with stated requirements
and appropriate standards that should be followed.

Preferred operating region

The POR is a range of rates of flow to either side of the BEP flow within which the
hydraulic efficiency and operational reliably of the pump are not substantially degraded.
The POR for a rotodynamic pump varies based on its design; therefore, to determine the
POR for a specific pump, refer to ANSI/HI 9.6.3.

To select a pump to operate in its POR, first identify the maximum and minimum
process flow requirements and the corresponding system heads. System curve(s) for the
process should be developed that represent the system head requirements over the
normal operating conditions. The system curve is a graphical representation of the
system’s static (i.e., source to destination level or pressure difference) and frictional
(loss due to fluid velocity) head requirements. The system head is expressed in feet (ft)
of liquid being pumped and is synonymous with the “pressure required” of the pump at
a certain flow rate for the liquid being pumped.

The system curve is important because the pump will operate at the flow rate where the
pump curve intersects the system curve. The system curve can change based on static
head changes, such as level changes between the source and destination, in open
systems (see Top Image), resulting in an operating region instead of a single point.