Session 1

System Curves

Mark Markham, P.E.

Gresham, Smith and Partners
September 14, 2017
Pumping Systems

Session 1 - Components of a system

curve/hydraulics basic hydraulics/pipe
systems/system curve development
Session 2 – Pump curves and pump selection
(centrifugal pumps)/duty points/efficiency/duplex &
triplex and series & parallel systems
Session 3 – Pumping station wet well design - NPSH
and submergence
Session 4 – Pumping station performance testing -
dry pit/wet pit, submersible, suction lift
Learning Objectives
Review the elements/components of
pumping systems
Review the basic hydraulics required to
design a pumping system
Review basic equations for performing
system head calculations
Develop a system curve
Terminology
Pressure – driving force to move fluid
psi
feet
atm
Head - a measurement of liquid pressure above
a given reference point
feet
“Head pressure”
Express Bernoulli Equation in terms of head (feet)
Pumps and Pumping Stations
Pumping Systems add energy (provide sufficient
pressure) to move fluid through a system at a desired
flow rate
Energy required by the system depends on:
Discharge/Flow rate needed
Resistance to flow (head/pressure that the pump must overcome)
Pump efficiency (ratio of power entering fluid to power supplied to
the pump)
Efficiency of the drive (usually an electric motor)

v12 p1 v22 p2
+ + z1 + H pump = + + z2 + H L
2g γ 2g γ

v2
H L = ∑ h f + ∑ hminor = ∑ h f + ∑ Ki
2g
Elements of a Pumping System
Convey a fluid that can’t be conveyed by gravity
System network – pipes, fittings, valves
Hydraulic Control Points (intake elevations, high
points, discharge elevations)
Pump
Motor
Valves
Instrumentation
Controls
Information Needed
Static Heads
Min: Min discharge elev. minus max intake elev.
Max: Max discharge elev. (not high pt.) minus min intake elev.
Priming Head: Max high pt. minus min intake elev. (RARE)
Fluid Characteristics
Water at standard conditions (most of the time)
Solids content
System Components
Pipe sizes, lengths, materials and conditions
Fittings (elbow, tee, inlet, outlet, other (i.e. condenser, etc.))
Valves (isolation, check and control)
Pumping System – Static Head
(Total) Static head – difference in head between suction
and discharge sides of pump in the absence of flow;
equals difference in elevation of free surfaces of the fluid
source and destination
Static suction head – head on suction side of pump in
absence of flow, if pressure at that point is >0
Static discharge head – head on discharge side of pump
in absence of flow

Static
discharge Total static
head head

Static suction
head
Pumping System – Static Head (Lift)
(Total) Static head – difference in head between suction
and discharge sides of pump in the absence of flow;
equals difference in elevation of free surfaces of the fluid
source and destination
Static suction lift – negative head on suction side of pump
in absence of flow, if pressure at that point is <0
Static discharge head – head on discharge side of pump
in absence of flow

Static
discharge
Total static head
head Static suction
lift
Pumping System – Static Head + Lift

Static
discharge
Static head
discharge Total static
head head (both) Static suction
lift
Static suction
head

Total static head = Static discharge head − Static suction head

= Static discharge head + Static suction lift

Note: Suction and discharge head / lift measured from pump centerline
Terminology
Friction – force that resist fluid flow
Pipe diameter & length
Pipe materials & condition
Darcy-Weisbach
Hazen-Williams
“C” – pipe roughness factor (≈140 new, ≤100 old)
Typically used at GS&P
Minor losses
Valves, Pipe Bends
“Km” – minor loss coefficient
Friction Head
Losses dependent on flow rate
Piping
Valves/Fittings (“minor losses”)
Equipment
“Rule of Thumb” for Pipe velocities
V > 2.0 fps and < 8 fps for “typical” pipe sizes
Why – to minimize losses in “typical” systems
V is not necessarily an indication of the rate of loss. For
example, Loss per 100’ pipe is ≈ 0.2’ in a:
24” @ 6,000 gpm (V=4.3 fps)
120” @ 425,000 gpm (V=12 fps)
Friction Head - Piping
Darcy Weisbach

=

Hf = friction loss
(ft)
f = friction factor
(Moody Diagram)
L = pipe length (ft)
V = velocity
(ft/sec)
D = pipe diameter
(ft)
g = gravitational
acceleration =
32.2 ft/sec2
Friction Head - Piping
Hazen-Williams equation
. .
=
. .

Hf = friction loss (ft)

V = velocity (ft/sec)
L = pipe length (ft)
C = Hazen-Williams’ C-factor
D = pipe diameter (ft)
Friction Head – Valves/Fittings

Minor losses use “K”

value
=

Hm = minor loss (ft)
K = resistance coefficient
V = velocity (ft/sec)
g = gravitational acceleration
= 32.2 ft/sec2
Lots of references to find K
values—Cameron,
manufacturers, etc.
Pumping System – Total Dynamic Head (TDH)
(Total) Dynamic head = dynamic suction head or lift + dynamic
discharge head – which includes static heads, frictional pipe losses
and minor losses

Energy Line

Dynamic
discharge
Total head
Dynamic
Head
(TDH)
Dynamic
suction lift
Energy Grade Line & Hydraulic Grade Line

Energy Grade Line = Energy Head = Velocity Head + Pressure

Head + Potential (Elevation) Head

Hydraulic Grade Line = Energy Head – Velocity Head = Water

Surface
 Total System-Head Curve

TDH
(Total Dynamic Head) System Curve
(ft) The relationship
between the head
(pressure)
Total System Head-Curve condition present
in a specific
Friction Head
system (pipe
(Total Head loss) network,
distribution
Static system, etc.) for a
Head specific flow

Q, Flow
(ft3/s)
Example - TDH Calcs with Pressure Gauge Values
Determine the static head, total dynamic head (TDH), and total head (friction) loss in the
system shown below
El = 730 ft

ps =−6 psig
El = 640 ft

El = 630 ft pd =48 psig

Total static head = 730 ft − 630 ft = 100 ft

 2.31 ft 
{
TDH =  48 − ( −6 )  psi  }  = 124.7 ft
 psi 
H L = TDH − Static head = (124.7 − 100 ) ft = 24.7 ft
 Example – TDH Calcs with Losses
A booster pumping station is being designed to transport water from an
aqueduct to a water supply reservoir, as shown below. The maximum design
flow is 25 mgd (38.68 ft3/s). Determine the required TDH, given the following:
H-W ‘C’ values are 120 on suction side and 145 on discharge side
Minor loss coefficients are
0.50 for pipe entrance
0.18 for 45o bend in a 48-in pipe
0.30 for 90o bend in a 36-in pipe
0.16 and 0.35 for 30-in and 36-in butterfly valves, respectively
Minor loss for an expansion is 0.25(v22 − v12)/2g

30″ to 48″ El = 6349

expansion 8500′of 36″ pipe w/one to 6357 ft
90o bend and eight
El = 6127 butterfly valves
to 6132 ft

Short 30″ pipe w/30″ 4000′of 48″ pipe

butterfly valve w/two 45o bends
Example – TDH Calcs with Losses
Determine pipeline velocities from v = Q/A..
v30= 7.88 ft/s, v36= 5.47 ft/s, v48= 3.08 ft/s
Minor losses, suction side:
2
v30
Entrance: hL = 0.50 = 0.49 ft
2g
2
v30
Butterfly valve: hL = 0.16 = 0.16 ft
2g
 v30
2
− v48
2

Expansion: hL = 0.25   = 0.21 ft
 2g 
 2
v48 
Two 45o bends: hL = 2*  0.18  = 0.05 ft
 2g 

∑h L ,minor = 0.91 ft
Example – TDH Calcs with Losses
Minor losses, discharge side:

 2
v36 
8 Butterfly valves: hL = 8*  0.35  = 1.30 ft
 2g 
2
v36
One 90o bend: hL = 0.30 = 0.14 ft
2g

∑h L ,minor = 1.90 ft
Example – TDH Calcs with Losses
Pipe friction losses (don’t use a conservative C):
1.85 1.85
 hf Q   Q 
S= = hf = L 
L  0.43CD 2.63   0.43CD 
2.63

1.85
 38.7 
h f , suction = ( 4000 )  2.63 
= 2.76 ft
 0.43 (120 )( 48 /12 ) 

1.85
 38.7 
h f , discharge = ( 8500 )  2.63 
= 16.77 ft
 0.43 (145 )( 36 /12 ) 
Example – TDH Calcs with Losses
Loss of velocity head at exit:
2
v36
Exit: hL = = 0.46 ft
2g
Total static head under worst-case scenario (lowest water level in
aqueduct, highest in reservoir):
Static head = ( 6357 − 6127 ) ft = 230 ft
Total dynamic head required:

TDH = H static + ∑ hL ,minor + ∑ h f + hL ,exit

= ( 230 + [ 0.91 + 1.90] + [ 2.76 + 16.77 ] + 0.46 ) ft

= 252.8 ft
System Curve Development
We’ve calculated TDH and head losses for a single
flow condition
A system curve represents a range of TDH and flow
conditions
DON’T use a conservative approach to calculate a
system curve for a “new” system (use C ≈ 140). Try
to be as accurate as possible.
Only use C ≤ 100 as a check.
To simplify system curve calcs, can either:
Sum K values for each pipe size
Convert various pipe sizes, fitting and valves to one pipe
size and lenght
Calculate System Curve
Summary
Definition of a System Curve:
A graphical representation of a piping system’s energy
requirement response to a range of flows.
References:
Crane Technical Paper No. 410 (Crane Valves)
Cameron Hydraulic Data (Ingersoll-Rand)
Hydraulic Handbook (Fairbanks Morse)
Hydraulic Institute Engineering Data Book (HI)
Handbook of Hydraulic Resistance (Idelchik)
Component manufacturers (ℎ = )
Programs:
AFT Fathom v9 (Applied Flow Technology)
Flow of Fluids (Crane)
Next Steps
So we have a system curve – what next?

Select a pump to meet the requirements of the

system
Do you need to develop a composite system curve?
Intermediate high point condition
Bracket our system conditions (best case/worst case,
high head/low head/variable head, range of pipe
conditions/appropriate selection of C factor)
Questions/Discussion