The Energy Equation is a statement of the first law of thermodynamics involving energy, heat

transfer and work. With certain limitations the mechanical energy equation can be compared to
the Bernoulli Equation.

The Mechanical Energy Equation in Terms of Energy per Unit Mass

The mechanical energy equation for a pump or a fan can be written in terms of energy per
unit mass:

pin / + vin2 / 2 + g hin + wshaft = pout / + vout2 / 2 + g hout + wloss (1)

where

p = static pressure

= density

v = flow velocity

g = acceleration of gravity

h = elevation height

wshaft = net shaft energy per unit mass for a pump, fan or similar

wloss = loss due to friction

The energy equation is often used for incompressible flow problems and is called the
Mechanical Energy Equation or the Extended Bernoulli Equation.

The mechanical energy equation for a turbine can be written as:

pin / + vin2 / 2 + g hin = pout / + vout2 / 2 + g hout + wshaft + wloss (2)

where

wshaft = net shaft energy out per unit mass for a turbine or similar

Equation (1) and (2) dimensions are

energy per unit mass (ft2/s2 = ft lb/slug or m2/s2 = N m/kg)

Efficiency
According to (1) a larger amount of loss - wloss - result in more shaft work required for the same
rise of output energy. The efficiency of a pump or fan process can be expressed as:

= (wshaft - wloss) / wshaft (3)

The efficiency of a turbine process can be expressed as:

 = wshaft / (wshaft + wloss) (4)

The Mechanical Energy Equation in Terms of Energy per Unit Volume

The mechanical energy equation for a pump or a fan (1) can also be written in terms of energy
per unit volume by multiplying (1) with fluid density - :

pin + vin2 / 2 + hin + wshaft = pout + vout2 / 2 + hout + wloss (5)

where

= g = specific weight

The dimensions of equation (5) are

energy per unit volume (ft.lb/ft3 = lb/ft2 or N.m/m3 = N/m2)

The Mechanical Energy Equation in Terms of Energy per Unit Weight

involving Heads
The mechanical energy equation for a pump or a fan (1) can also be written in terms of energy
per unit weight by dividing with gravity - g:

pin / + vin2 / 2 g + hin + hshaft = pout / + vout2 / 2 g + hout + hloss (6)

where

= g = specific weight

hshaft = wshaft / g = net shaft energy head per unit mass for a pump, fan or similar

hloss = wloss / g = loss head due to friction

The dimensions of equation (6) are

energy per unit weight (ft.lb/lb = ft or N.m/N = m)

Head is the energy per unit weight.

hshaft can also be expressed as:

hshaft = wshaft / g = Wshaft / m g = Wshaft / Q (7)

where

Wshaft = shaft power

m = mass flow rate

Q = volume flow rate

Example - Pumping Water

Water is pumped from an open tank at level zero to an open tank at level 10 ft. The pump
adds four horsepowers to the water when pumping 2 ft3/s.

Since vin = vout = 0, pin = pout = 0 and hin = 0 - equation (6) can be modified to:

hshaft = hout + hloss

or

hloss = hshaft - hout (8)

Equation (7) gives:

hshaft = Wshaft / Q

= (4 hp)(550 ft.lb/s/hp) / (62.4 lb/ft3)(2 ft3/s)

= 17.6 ft

specific weight of water - 62.4 lb/ft3

1 hp (English horse power) = 550 ft. lb/s

Combined with (8):

hloss = (17.6 ft ) - (10 ft)

= 7.6 ft

The pump efficiency can be calculated from (3) modified for head:

= ((17.6 ft) - (7.6 ft)) / (17.6 ft)

= 0.58