POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

BASIC PUMPING
CALCULATIONS

Certain Computations used for determining various

pumping parameters are more important to the
water/wastewater operator. In this section, we use
basic--pumping calculations relevant to the subject
basic
matter.

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

PUMPING RATES

 Important Point: The rate of flow produced by a pump is

expressed as the volume of water pumped during a given
period.

The mathematical problems most often encountered by

water/wastewater operators when determining pumping rates
are often determined by using the following formula:

Pumping rate (gpm

(gpm)) = gallons Pumping rate (gph
(gph)) = gallons
minutes hours
3

Example 1

Problem
The meter on the discharge side of the pump reads in
hundreds of gallons. If the meter shows a reading of 110 at
2:00 p.m., what is the pumping rate expressed in gallons per
minute?

Engr. Acosta, CE, RMP 2

POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Example 1

Solution
• Step 1: To solve this problem, we must first find the total
gallons pumped (determined from the meter readings).

32,000 gal – 11,000 gal = 21,000 gal

• Step 2: This quantity was pumped between 2:00 p.m. and
2:30 p.m. for a total of 30 minutes. From this information,
calculate the gpm pumping rate:

Pumping rate (gpm

(gpm)) = 21,000 gal / 30 min
= 700 gpm pumping rate
5

Example 2

Problem
During a 15-
15-minute pumping test, 16,400 gallons were
pumped into an empty rectangular tank. What is the
pumping rate in gallons per minute?

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Example 2

Solution
The problem asks for the pumping rate in gallons
per minute.

Pumping rate (gpm

(gpm)) = 16,400 gallons
15 minutes
= 1,033 gpm pumping rate

Example 3

Problem
A tank 50 feet in diameter is filled with water to a depth of 4
feet. To conduct a pumping test, the outlet valve to the tank
is closed and the pump is allowed to discharge into the tank.
After 80 minutes, the water level is 5.5 feet. What is the
pumping rate in gallons per minute?

Engr. Acosta, CE, RMP 4

POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Example 3

Solution
• Step 1: We must first determine the volume pumped in
cubic feet:

Volume pumped = (area of circle) (depth)

= (0.785)(50 ft)(50 ft)(1.5 ft)
= 2944 ft3 (rounded)

• Step 2: Convert the cubic-

cubic-foot volume to gallons:

(2944 ft3)(7.48 gal/ft3) = 22,021 gallons (rounded)

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Example 3

• Step 3: The pumping test was conducted over a period of

80 minutes.

Pumping rate (gpm

(gpm)) = 22,021 gallons
80 minutes

= 275.3 gpm (rounded)

10

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

CALCULATING HEAD LOSS

 Important note: Pump head measurements are used to

determine the amount of energy a pump can or must impart
to the water; they are measured in feet.

One of the principle calculations in pumping problems is used

to determine head loss. The following formula is used to
calculate head loss:

Hf = K(V2/2g)

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CALCULATING HEAD LOSS

where

Hf = friction head
K = friction coefficient
V = velocity in pipe
g = gravity (32.17 ft/sec/sec)

12

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

CALCULATING HEAD

For centrifugal pumps and positive displacement pumps,

several other important formulae are used to determine head
head..
In centrifugal pump calculations, conversion of discharge
pressure to discharge head is the norm. Positive displacement
Pump calculations often result in pressures expressed in
pounds per square inch. In the following formulae, W
expresses the specific weight of liquid in pounds per cubic
foot. For water at 68oF, W is 62.4 lb/ft3. A water column
2.31 feet high exerts a pressure of 1 psi on 64oF water. Use
the following Formulae to convert discharge pressure in psi
to head in feet:
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CALCULATING HEAD

• Centrifugal pumps

H (ft) = P (psig) x 2.31

specific gravity

• Positive displacement pumps

H (ft) = P (psig) x 144

W

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

CALCULATING HEAD

To convert head into pressure:

• Centrifugal pumps

P (psi) = H (ft) x specific gravity

2.31

• Positive displacement pumps

P (psi) = H (ft) x W
W
15

CALCULATING HORSEPOWER AND

EFFICIENCY

When pushing a certain amount of water at a given pressure,

A pump performs the work. When considering the work
being done, we measure the rate at which the work is being
done. This is called power and is labeled as
foot--pounds/second (ft-
foot (ft-lb/sec). At some point in the past,
it was determined that the ideal work animal, the horse, could
move 550 pounds 1 foot, in 1 second. This unit became
known as horsepower
horsepower.. One horsepower equals 33,000
ft--lb/min. The two basic terms for horsepower are:
ft
• Hydraulic horsepower (whp(whp))
• Brake horsepower (bhp(bhp))
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Hydraulic Horsepower (whp)

One hydraulic horsepower equals the following:

• 550 ft-
ft-lb/sec
• 33,000 ft-
ft-lb/min
• 2545 British thermal units per hour (Btu/hr)
• 0.746 kW
• 1.014 metric hp

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Hydraulic Horsepower (whp)

To calculate the hydraulic horsepower (whp

(whp)) using flow in
gpm and head in feet, use the following formula for
centrifugal pumps:

whp = flow (gpm

(gpm)) x head (ft) x specific gravity
3960

18

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Hydraulic Horsepower (whp)

When calculating horsepower for positive displacement

pumps, common practice is to use pounds per square inch
For pressure. Then, the hydraulic horsepower becomes:

whp = flow (gpm

(gpm)) x pressure (psi)
3960

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Pump Efficiency and Brake Horsepower (bhp)

When a motor-
motor-pump combination is used (for any purpose),
neither the pump nor the motor will be 100% efficient. Not
all of the power supplied by the motor to the pump
(brake horsepower,
horsepower, or bhp
bhp)) will be used to lift the water
(water or hydraulic horsepower)
horsepower) – some of the power is used
to overcome friction within the pump. Similarly, not all of
the power of the electric current driving the motor (motor
(motor
horsepower,, or mhp
horsepower mhp)) will be used to drive the pump – some
of the current is used to overcome friction within the motor,
and some current is lost in the conversion of electrical
energy to mechanical power.
20

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Pump Efficiency and Brake Horsepower (bhp)

 Note: Depending on size and type, pumps are usually 50 to

85% efficient, and motors are usually 80 to 95% efficient.
The efficiency of a particular motor or pump is given in the
manufacturer’s technical manual accompanying the unit.

The brake horsepower (bhp

(bhp)) of a pump is equal to hydraulic
horsepower divided by efficiency. Thus, the bhp formula
becomes:

bhp = flow (gpm

(gpm)) x head (ft) x specific gravity
3960 x efficiency
21

Pump Efficiency and Brake Horsepower (bhp)

Or

bhp = flow (gpm

(gpm)) x pressure (psig)
1714 x efficiency

22

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Example 4

Problem
Calculate the bhp requirements for a pump handling
saltwater and having a flow of 600 gpm with 40- 40-psi
differential pressure. The specific gravity of saltwater at
68oF is equal to 1.03. The pump efficiency is 85%.

23

Example 4

Solution
To use the first equation, convert the pressure differential to
total differential head (TDH) = 40 x (2.31/1.03) = 90 ft.

bhp = 600 x 90 x 1.03 = 16.5 hp (rounded)

3960 x 0.85

Using the second equation:

bhp = 600 x 40 = 16.5 hp (rounded)

1714 x 0.85
24

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

 Important Point: Horsepower requirements vary with flow.

Generally, if the flow is greater, the horsepower required
to move the water is greater.

When the motor, brake and motor horsepower are known and
the efficiency is unknown, a calculation to determine motor
or pump efficiency must be done. The equation is:

Percent efficiency = hp output x 100

hp input
25

The specific equations to be used for motor, pump, and

Overall efficiency equations are:

Percent motor efficiency = bhp x 100

mhp

Percent pump efficiency = whp x 100

bhp

Percent overall efficiency = whp x 100

mhp
26

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Example 5

Problem
A pump has a water horsepower requirement of 8.5 whp. If
the motor supplies the pump with 12 hp, what is the
efficiency of the pump?

27

Example 5

Solution

Percent pump efficiency = whp output x 100

bhp supplied
= 8.5 whp x 100
12 bhp
= 0.71 x 100
= 71% (rounded)

28

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Example 6

Problem
What is the efficiency if an electric equivalent to 25 hp is
supplied to the motor and 14 hp of work is accomplished
by the pump?

29

Example 6

Solution

Calculate the percent of overall efficiency:

Percent overall efficiency = hp output x 100

hp supplied
= 14 whp x 100
25 mhp
= 0.56 x 100
= 56%
30

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

Example 7

Problem
12 kW (kilowatts) of power is supplied to the motor. If the
brake horsepower is 14 hp, what is the efficiency of the
motor?

31

Example 7

Solution
First, convert the kilowatts power to horsepower. Based on
fact that 1 hp = 0.746 kW, the equation becomes:

12 kW = 16.09 hp
0.746 kW/hp

Now calculate the percent efficiency of the motor:

Percent efficiency = hp output x 100

hp supplied
= 14 bhp x 100
16.09 mhp
= 87 %
32

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

PRACTICE PROBLEMS

33

1. A wet well is 10 ft long and 8 ft wide. The influent valve to

the wet well is closed. If a pump lowers the water level 2.1
feet during a 5-
5-minute pumping test, what is the gpm
pumping rate?

2. A pump discharged into a 55- 55-gallon barrel. If it takes 32

seconds to fill the barrel, what is the pumping rate?

3. A total of 40 horsepower (hp) is required for a particular

pumping application. If the pump efficiency is 80%, what
is the brake horsepower (bhp) required?

34

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

4. A pump must pump against a total dynamic head of 70 ft at

a flow rate of 700 gpm. The liquid to be pumped has a
specific gravity of 1.3. What is the water horsepower (whp)
requirement for this pumping application?

5. A motor horsepower (mhp) requirement has been

calculated to be 50 hp. How many kilowatts electric power
does this represent? ( 1 hp = 746 watts )

35

6. The motor horsepower (mhp) requirement has been

calculated to be 80 hp. During the week, the pump is in
operation a total of 148 hours. Using a power cost of
$0.05951 per kilowatt hour (kWh), what would be the
power cost that week for the pumping?

7. Calculate the brake horsepower (bhp) requirements for a

pump handling saltwater and having a flow of 800 gpm
with a 30-
30-psi differential in pressure. The specific gravity
of the saltwater at 68oF is 1.03. the pump efficiency is
70%.
36

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POWERHOUSE REVIEW CENTER 2/1/2014

8. A pump has a water horsepower (whp) requirement of 9.0

whp. If the motor supplies the pump with 10 hp, what is the
efficiency of the pump?

9. A pump must pump 800 gpm against a total head of 60 ft.

What horsepower is required for this work?

10. If 60 horsepower (hp) is supplied to a motor, what is the

brake horsepower (bhp) and water horsepower (whp) if the
motor is 92% efficient and the pump is 88% efficient?

37

Engr. Acosta, CE, RMP 19