Booster System Basics:

Constant Speed Systems

 Pressure Booster Systems

WHAT IS A BOOSTER SYSTEM?

BOOSTER SIZING REQUIREMENTS
BOOSTER SYSTEM CONTROL
ENERGY SAVING STRATEGIES
DRAWDOWN TANKS
 What is a Pressure Booster System?

Pumps
Control Panel
Pressure Reducing Valves

Headers, Piping and Isolation

Valves, Pressure gauges, Solenoid
Valve, Aquastat and copper tubing

All components mounted on a

common base, tested and
calibrated to site conditions
 What you need to size a
booster system?
Calculate the total flow requirement for
the building
Number of Domestic Water Fixtures
Type of fixtures in the building
Type of building (residential, public, heavy use)
Special services
Total Flow = Total Fixture Units
100 100

HUNTERS CURVE
GPM
50 50

50 50

100 100

Fixture Units
 What you need to size a
booster system?
Calculate the total flow requirement for
the building
Calculate the total pressure required for
the building
 Static Pressure

Based on the vertical boost

required above the packaged
system manifold
P
stat

This component never varies

 Fixture Pressure

Required pressure to operate fixture P

fix
at farthest point from system.
Must overcome valve start-up
pressure (i.e. 25 PSI min. required for
flush valves to operate)
Never varies, this is always required
as a minimum
 Packaged System Losses

Systems are designed to

have no more than 5psi loss
from suction manifold to
discharge manifold
This must always be added
into pressure calculations

P
loss
 Available Suction Pressure

Typically varies by about

10-30 PSI
Can vary over time due to
growth
Can also vary due to
municipal re-structuring

P
city
 Friction Losses

Usually calculated at 10% of

total static requirement
Typically a very small boost P
fric
pressure component
Can be larger as in the case of
boost over a campus-style
area or large low-rise building
 Pressure Requirement
System Press
E Fixture pressure
D PRV Losses
Pump Boost Pres
C Static head

B Friction Head

A Supply pressure after water mete

Pressure Requirement
Pump Boost Pressure
(TDH)
= Fixture Pressure
+ Package Losses
+ Static Head
+ Friction Head
- Supply Pressure
Pressure Requirement
Boost Pressure
= System Pressure - Supply
Pressure
 Significance of System Flow
in Booster Systems
Flow impacts system demand, not pressure - as
demand increases, flow must increase at a
constant output pressure
Flow governs pump actuation - therefore, flow
should govern pump sequencing and actuation
System capacity matched to system flow
requirement is most efficient and cost effective
for domestic water pressure boosting
What are the most popular methods
of booster pump control ?
Flow meter or flow switch
Instrument is in contact with corrosive water
therefore requiring more maintenance
What are the most popular methods
of booster pump control ?
Flow meter or flow switch
Pressure Switch
Requires non-overloading (NOL) motors
Requires a pressure drop across
operating range
Can be unstable in operation resulting in
starving the system of water (end of
curve operation)
Mechanical switches increase possibility
of failure
PRESSURE
(PSI) Effect of Suction Pressure

50
Discharge
Pressure
40

HP
30

20

10 Suction
Pressure

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

GPM
PRESSURE
Effect of Suction Pressure
(PSI)

50
Discharge
Pressure
40

30 HP
20 Suction
Pressure

10 Suction
Pressure

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

GPM
What are the most popular methods
of booster pump control ?
Flow meter or flow switch
Pressure Switch
Current or kW Sensing
 Current Sensing

As the flow increases, so does the pump load

The motor must match the pump load
Current / Power draw for motors is proportional
to the load (pump flow work)
 Current - Flow Relationship
PRESSURE
(PSI)

50

40
PUMP CURVE

30
HP

20
Motor Amps
10

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

GPM
PRESSURE Effect of Suction Pressure
(PSI)

50
Discharge
Pressure
40

HP
30

20

Motor Amps
10 Suction
Pressure

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

GPM
PRESSURE Effect of Suction Pressure
(PSI)

50
Discharge
Pressure
40

30 HP
20 Suction
Pressure

10 Suction
Motor Amps Pressure

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

GPM
 Effects of Voltage
Fluctuations on Motors
% Voltage Change
% Change Full Load Amps

- 10 +10

+11

-7
 Current Sensing

Motors sized to match the power

requirement
Current sensing allows flexible pump
sizing to match the system load profile
and energy requirement
Duplex: 33% - 67% capacity split
Triplex: 20% - 40% - 40% capacity split
 Current Sensing

100%
Duplex allows
up to three 80%
steps of
60%
sequencing
40%

20%

0%
P1 P2 P1&P2
 Current Sensing

100%
Triplex
80% allows up to
60%
five steps of
sequencing
40%

20%

0%
P 1 /P 2 /P 3
P 2 /P 3
P 1 /P 2
P2
P1
0h00

1h00

2h00

3h00

4h00

5h00

6h00

50-50 Split
7h00

8h00

9h00

10h00

11h00

12h00

13h00

14h00

Time
15h00

16h00

17h00

18h00

19h00

20h00
Actual
Consumption

21h00

22h00

23h00
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Typical Daily Demand Curve

Flow Rate ( GPM)

0h00

1h00

2h00

3h00

4h00

5h00

6h00

7h00

8h00

9h00

10h00

11h00
50-50Split

12h00

13h00

14h00

Time
15h00

16h00

17h00
Conventional Split

18h00

19h00

20h00

21h00
Actual

22h00
Consumption

23h00
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Duplex Booster - 50/50 Split

Flow Rate ( GPM)

 Duplex Booster - 33/67 Split
3 Step Control with No-flow shutdown
500

33-67 Split
450

Flow Rate ( GPM)

400

350

300

250

200
50-50 Split
Actual 150
Consumption
100

50

23h00
22h00
21h00
20h00
19h00
18h00
17h00
16h00
15h00
14h00
13h00
12h00
11h00
10h00
9h00
8h00
7h00
6h00
5h00
4h00
3h00
2h00

Time
1h00
0h00
 Energy Consumption
HP = GPM X Feet (Head)
3960 X (Pump Eff) x (Motor Eff

Smaller pump at lower flows will be more

efficient and consume less energy
Smaller motor is more efficient at lower loads
0h00

1h00

2h00

50-50 Split

33-67 Split
3h00
4h00

5h00
6h00
7h00
8h00
9h00
10h00
11h00
33-67% Energy Savings: 19%

12h00
13h00
14h00

Time
15h00
16h00
17h00
18h00
Energy Savings

19h00
20h00
Actual

21h00
22h00
Conventional vs. 33/67 Split

Consumption

23h00
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14

Consumption (kWhrs)
 Energy Savings
Conventional vs. 33/67 Split

Total Energy Savings = 19%

Energy Cost = $0.12 / kWhr

Savings per Year: $2,280

What are the most popular methods
of booster pump control ?
Flow meter or flow switch
Pressure Switch
Current or kW Sensing
VFD with pressure transducers
No-Flow Shutdown and Tank
Sizing

When do you use it? Where should

you install it? What size should it
be?
 Sizing and Selecting
Drawdown Tank
Tanks are to be used in systems that
do not have a continuous water
demand
Tanks should NOT be sized according
to booster size
Tanks should be sized to store 20 - 30
Gallons of water (2 - 3 GPM leak
loads)
Tanks maintain pressure in piping
system and supply small demands to
allow pumps to be shutdown
 Sizing and Selecting
Drawdown Tank
Tank Storage Volume is governed
by the Ideal Gas Law
Solving for storage volume gives:

Vstorage = Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(PTotal +PAtmosphere)

3 factors must be considered

 Tank Volume

Vstorage = Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(PTotal +PAtmosphere)

The bigger the tank, the better the

storage
 Differential Pressure

Tank storage Volume is proportional

to the difference in the cut out and
cut in pressures of the pumps
The larger the pressure differential
the more water that will be stored
in the tank

Vstorage = Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(PTotal +PAtmosphere)
 Pressure Differential
Calculation
Pdifferential = Pstop - Pstart
Pstop = Pressure at the tank when
the system shuts down
For adjacent or package mounted
tanks, this means the suction
pressure plus the shutoff head of the
pump
For remote mounted tanks, this is
simply the normal system pressure at
the location of the tank
 Pressure Differential
Calculation
Pdifferential = Pstop - Pstart
Pstart = Pressure at the tank when
the system starts again down
For adjacent or package mounted
tanks, this means the setting on the
no flow (call on) pressure switch
For remote mounted tanks, this is
simply the system pressure at the
location of the tank when the call on
pressure switch brings the system
back on
 Total Pressure
A lower Total Pressure will yield larger
water storage for the same pressure
differential
Lower Total Pressure allows for lower
tank pressure rating

Vstorage = Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(Ptotal +PAtmosphere)

Lower tank pressure rating

 Sizing and Selecting
Drawdown Tank
All three of these factors must be
considered in selecting the
appropriate tank

Vstorage = Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(PTotal +PAtmosphere)
 Where Should the Tank be
Installed ?
Packaged Mounted
Tank water storage may
be limited by tank size
Will require higher tank
pressure rating
More Costly
Difficult to maneuver due
to weight and may
require building structural
reinforcement.
 Where Should the Tank be
Installed ?
Adjacent Mounted
Tank is supplied as a
loose component for
connection on site
Tank is not mounted on
skid with pumps
Contractor has freedom
to locate tank in
mechanical room
System is easier to
maneuver
 Where Should the Tank be
Installed?
Remote Mounted
Roof mounting - Lowers Tank Total
Pressure and Tank Pressure
Rating Required
Allows for the use of smaller tanks
for desired water storage
Contractor has flexibility locating
and installing tank
Questions
&
Answers
Thank You