Pump Hydraulics

Terms and Definitions

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 Common Pump Terms & Definitions
• Viscosity
• Specific Gravity
• Flow Rate
• Pressure
• Differential Pressure
• Working Pressure
• Vapor Pressure
© 2013 Tuthill Corporation. All rights reserved. Tuthill confidential.
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 Viscosity
Saybolt Universal Seconds (SSU)

Centipoise cps × 4.55

SSU =
Specific Gravity

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 Viscosity
Inverse Relationship With Temperature

As pumping As pumping
temperature decreases, temperature increases,
the viscosity increases the viscosity decreases
Temperature

Viscosity
Temperature
Viscosity

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 Specific Gravity
• Ratio of the Relative Density of a Material
Compared to Water at 60°F (15 °C)
• Specific Gravity of 1.0

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 Flow Rate
Gallons Per Minute (GPM)
• Volume of Fluid, Not Weight
• 1 US Gallon is 231 Cubic Inches / 1 m3/h = 0.59 cu ft/min
• Rate Expressed as Volume per Unit of Time
• Typically Gallons per Minute
• Kitchen Faucet
• One Gallon Pitcher
• Pitcher Fills in One Minute
• Flow Rate on Faucet = 1 GPM (0.22 m3/hr.)
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 Flow Rate
Conversion of Mass Flow to GPM

Lb./Min.
GPM =
8.33 × Specific Gravity

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 Pressure
• Amount of Force Exerted on a Surface
Divided by the Area of the Surface
• Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI)

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 Conversion of Head to PSI
• Column of Water at 60º F (15 °C)
• Open to Atmosphere
• Filled with Water to
2.31 Feet (0.7 Meters) High
• Water Height will Exert
1 PSI (.06 bar) of Pressure
on the Bottom
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 Conversion of Head to PSI
Convert 1 Foot of Head to PSI

Head in Feet × Specific Gravity

PSI =
2.31

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 Pressure
Head in Feet × Specific Gravity
PSI =
2.31

• Higher Specific Gravity Means Heavier Liquid

• Heavier Liquid Means More Work
• Higher Horsepower
• Already Factored Into Pressure and PD Pump Curves
© 2013 Tuthill Corporation. All rights reserved. Tuthill confidential.
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 Pressure
Basics
• Zero Pressure Gauge = 14.7 PSI Absolute
(at sea level) / 1.01 bar
• Absolute Pressure = Gauge + 14.7
• Add 14.7 PSI to Gauge Pressure for
Expression as Absolute Pressure, PSIA

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 Differential Pressure
• The difference between pump discharge
and suction pressure

• The work that the pump must do

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 Working Pressure
• The maximum system pressure that the
pump may see

• Pump must be designed to withstand

working pressure

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 Vapor Pressure
• The pressure that the vapor of a liquid
exerts at a given temperature
• Atmospheric pressure pushes liquid into
the pump suction
• Vapor pressure acts to offset atmospheric
pressure

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 Vapor Pressure
• Vapor pressure of a liquid generally goes up with
temperature
• Vapor pressure is a physical property that is specific
to liquids
• Solvents and thin hydrocarbons generally have high
vapor pressures
• Thick viscous liquids generally do not have high
vapor pressures
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 Vapor Pressure
Atmospheric Pressure at
Sea Level is 14.7 PSIA

Vapor Pressure of Water

Boiling at 212º F (100°C)
is 14.7 PSIA (1.01 bar)

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 Vapor Pressure of Various Liquids

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© 2013 Tuthill Corporation. All rights reserved. Tuthill confidential.