Abstract

This document emphasizes on the pump selection to create a Fire Fighting system in a
warehouse. It cover through the important aspect of the pumps in general. It contains and defines
the type of pumps that exist and then as the document is headed to reason it is clear the choices
made keeping the cost and material selection. Furthermore it also discusses the type of
connection such parallel of the pipe for the Fire Fighting system and the pros and cons of each
discussion and selection. As engineering nothing is allocated until a mathematical analysis of the
selection along side with the physical properties of the material so towards the end of this
document there some equation that are mentioned that were used for calculation and numerical
analysis

Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................- 1 1.2 Functions of Pumping stations..........................................................................................- 2 1.3 Major Components of pump station..................................................................................- 2 1.4 Pump Station Buildings.....................................................................................................- 2 2. Hydraulic System Pump Types...............................................................................................- 3 2.1 Centrifugal Pumps.............................................................................................................- 4 2.1.1 Energy Input...............................................................................................................- 4 2.1.2 The Pump Case...........................................................................................................- 5 2.1.3 Pump Rotation............................................................................................................- 5 3. Different Configurations of Centrifugal pumps......................................................................- 6 3.1 Types of End Suction Centrifugal.....................................................................................- 7 3.1.1 Close-coupled.............................................................................................................- 7 3.1.2 Frame-mounted...........................................................................................................- 7 3.2 Vertical Turbines................................................................................................................- 8 3.3 Split Case Pumps...............................................................................................................- 9 4. Why choose Split Case for a Fire Fighting system?.............................................................- 11 5. Connection of Pump and pipe in Fire system.......................................................................- 12 5.1 Parallel pump...................................................................................................................- 12 5.2 Parallel Pump Operation.................................................................................................- 13 6. Equations used to Formulate the Pump and Calculation......................................................- 14 6.2 U.S. customary units (Imperial)......................................................................................- 17 6.3 SI Units............................................................................................................................- 18 6.4 Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH).................................................................................- 18 6.5 NPSHA in a Pump...........................................................................................................- 19 -

7. Results from Water CAD......................................................................................................- 23 8. Conclusions...........................................................................................................................- 24 REFRENCES..................................................................................................................................A

List of Figures
Figure 1 :Types of Pump ..3
Figure 2: Parts in centrifugal Pump ..4
Figure 3: cross section of pump ....5
Figure 4: Types of centrifugal pump..7
Figure 5 : types of vertical turbines..11

1. INTRODUCTION
A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical
action. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they use to
move the fluid: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps.
Pumps operate by some mechanism (typically reciprocating or rotary), and consume energy to
perform mechanical work by moving the fluid. Pumps operate via many energy sources,
including manual operation, electricity, engines, or wind power, come in many sizes, from
microscopic for use in medical applications to large industrial pumps.
Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of applications such as pumping water from
wells, aquarium

filtering, pond

filtering and aeration,

in

the car

industry for water-

cooling and fuel injection, in the energy industry for pumping oil and natural gas or for
operating cooling towers. In the medical industry, pumps are used for biochemical processes in
developing and manufacturing medicine, and as artificial replacements for body parts, in
particular

the artificial

heart

In modern times, pumps come in a vast array of shapes and sizes and in a great range of designs.
In the section (Mbb) that follows we give just a few examples of pumps from a range of different
technological contexts. However an essential preamble is to recognize the basic turbomachine
design parameters presented in section (Mac), particularly the specific speed, N, that provides the
universal framework

1.2 Functions of Pumping stations

Remove water from a source, such as a river, lake, reservoir, well, spring, or muskeg pond.
Move water from the treatment plant to the distribution system or reservoir.
Circulate water through a distribution system.
Maintain pressure in the distribution system.
Circulate glycol through a heat exchanger or heating loop.
Pump chemicals into the system.
1.3 Major Components of pump station

The building
The hydraulic system: the pump and related piping
The electrical system: the motor and its related components
The control system: pressure, flow, and level switches

1.4 Pump Station Buildings

In medium-to-large facilities, pumping stations are usually separate buildings. In small systems,
while they can be separate buildings, they are normally associated with the treatment plant,
watering point, or other buildings.
Basic Consideration Regardless of the design, most pumping station buildings are designed with
the door opening out to allow access should there be a broken water line in the building. In
2

addition, the buildings should be vandal-resistant, well-heated in the winter, and properly vented
in the summer.

2. Hydraulic System Pump Types

The pumps used in small water systems can be divided into two general categories. The basic
difference between the two types is their response to changes in discharge pressure.
1) Dynamic Pumps Pumps in which volumes are required and a change in flow is not a
problem. As the discharge pressure on a dynamic pump is increased, the quantity of water
pumped is reduced. One type of dynamic pump, centrifugal pumps, are the most com- mon pump
used in water systems. Dynamic pumps can be operated for short periods of time with the
discharge valve closed.
2) Displacement pumps Displacement pumps are used in conditions where relatively small,
but precise, volumes are required. Displacement pumps will not change their volume with a
change in discharge pressure. Displacement pumps are also called positive displacement pumps.
The most common posi- tive displacement pump is the diaphragm pump used to pump chlorine
and fluoride solutions. Operating a displacement pump with the discharge valve closed will
damage the pump.

Figure 1 : Types of Pump

2.1 Centrifugal Pumps

They are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery. Centrifugal

pumps are used to transport fluids by the conversion of rotational kinetic energy to the
hydrodynamic energy of the fluid flow. The rotational energy typically comes from an engine or
electric motor. The fluid enters the pump impeller along or near to the rotating axis and is
accelerated by the impeller, flowing radially outward into a diffuser or volute chamber (casing),
from where it exits. Common uses include water, sewage, petroleum and petrochemical
pumping; a centrifugal fan is commonly used to implement a vacuum cleaner. The reverse
function of the centrifugal pump is a water turbine converting potential energy of water pressure
into mechanical rotational energy.
4

Figure 2 : Parts in centrifugal Pump

2.1.1 Energy Input

If you were to cut a section out of the top of a pipe and use a canoe paddle to move the water,
you would have a pump. It would not be very efficient, but you would be inputting energy into
the water. If you reshaped the paddle into an impeller4, you would be able to place more energy
into the water. The energy would be transferred from the impeller to the water due to the friction
between the impeller and the water. However, water would splash out onto the floor. This is
because centrifugal force causes the water to fly outward away from the impeller.

2.1.2 The Pump Case

If you surrounded the impeller with a case, you could control the water and obtain a more
efficient energy transfer. The case that you would use is volute (spiral-shaped). Volute6 is a
geometrical shape, like a circle or a square. For example, a snail shell is volute-shaped. The
shape of the case helps to determine the direction of rotation of the pump.

2.1.3 Pump Rotation

The direction of rotation can be determined when looking into the suction side of the volute case.
For example, in the case below, the direction of rotation is counter- clockwise.

Figure 3 : cross section of pump

In summary, there are two theories that explain how a centrifugal pump works:
shaft and enclosed in a casing, and having an inlet and discharge connection. The rotating
impeller creates pressure
Energy transfer the transfer of energy from the shaft to the impeller and from the impeller to
the water.
In the liquid by the velocity derived from centrifugal force.
Centrifugal force the force used to throw the water from the impeller.

3. Different Configurations of Centrifugal pumps

It can be divided into one of three classifications based on their functions and attribute of
Centrifugal Pumps. The most common style of centrifugal figuration:

End suction centrifugal

Split case

Vertical turbines

Figure 4: Types of centrifugal pump

3.1 Types of End Suction Centrifugal

The end suction centrifugal pump is the most common centrifugal pump and the one we have in
mind when we think about centrifugal pumps. There are two types of end suction pumps:
3.1.1 Close-coupled A close-coupled pump has only one shaft and one set of bearings: the
motor shaft and bearings. The pump impeller is placed directly onto the motor shaft. Closecoupled pumps require less space and are less expensive than frame-mounted pumps.

3.1.2 Frame-mounted A frame-mounted pump has a shaft and bearings separate from the
motor. A coupling is required to get the energy from the motor to the pump. This type of pump
requires a coupling between the pump and the motor in order to transfer energy from the mo- tor
to the pump

3.2 Vertical Turbines

There are four types of vertical turbines

line shaft

axial flow

can turbine

submersible turbine.

The vertical turbine and the submersible turbine are found in rural communities in Alaska. The
primary difference between the vertical turbine and the submersible turbine is the position of the
motor. The pumping assem- bly is the same. Submersible turbine pumps in Alaska can range
from 5 gpm to 100 gpm or more.

Figure 5 : types of vertical turbines

3.3 Split Case Pumps

Split case pumps are unique. The case has a row of bolts that allow half of the case to be
removed, providing access to the entire rotating assembly for inspection or re- moval. These
pumps are normally found as fire service pumps and circulation pumps in medium-to-large
communities.
Advantages of Split Case pumps:

HSC pumps have a smaller footprint compared with a frame-mounted pump of the same
rating (in most cases).

The top half of the casing is easy to remove for inspection of the rotor, and you do not
need to disturb the driver or the piping to accomplish this inspection.

They typically have higher efficiencies than frame-mounted pumps of the same size.

Because of the dual-eye (dual-suction) impeller design, there are lower net positive
suction head required (NPSHR) factors and lower axial thrust.

This design lends itself to a short shaft with the result of low deflection. This article limits
the discussion to one- or two-stage HSC pumps with the impeller situated between the
bearings; this design is also known as between bearings (API 610- BB-1).

Typically these pumps offer dual volute construction, which significantly reduces the
radial thrust component.

10

Disadvantages of Split Case pumps:

The pump is sensitive to horizontal elbows on the pumps suction side. Fluid flow
through the horizontal elbows induces asymmetrical pressures on the impeller that lead to
shortened bearing and seal life.

The casing does not lend itself to a confined gasket design, so there are consequential
horsepower and pressure limits.

Because the casing halves are truly not halves from a mass standpoint, the pumps upper
and lower portions will expand and contract at different rates with temperature changes,
leading to alignment, bearing life and sealing issues. Compounding the problem is the fact
that the pump is foot-mounted. The foot design and differing masses restrict the pump
from a temperature aspect, so most manufacturers limit these models to less than 400 F.

The pump can carry increased costs because it has two stuffing boxes, so two seals or sets
of packing are required per pump. Many models are restricted in stuffing box sizes that
preclude the use of standard or less expensive seals.

Many claim that these pumps are more sensitive to pipe strain, but this factor may vary
based on model and manufacturer.

While the dual-suction impeller is a benefit from an NPSHR aspect, the shaft running
through the impeller reduces the effective eye area, creating problems with suction specific
speed factors and multiple issues with any departure from the best efficiency point (BEP).
Recirculation and separation issues when operating away from the BEP cause impeller
damage and thrust issues.

This pump design is sensitive to problems with ring clearances. Issues will arise from
either the amount of clearance as it opens up from wear or the differences in clearances
from one side of the pump to the other. There are also concerns with what is often referred
to as A and B gaps (clearances involving the impeller to casing).

11

4. Why choose Split Case for a Fire Fighting system?

Split-case pumps are similar to end-suction pumps in that they are flexible coupled between the
motor and the pump. The assembly, including the motor and pump, is rigidly mounted to a
common base-plate. Pump suction and discharge are arranged in the horizontal direction and are
perpendicular to the shaft. They are available either in single- or double-suction. To be a singlesuction pump, the water enters the impeller from only one side. For double-suction, the fluid
enters the impeller from both sides. Using double-suction reduces the risk of hydraulic
imbalance. The reduction of hydraulic imbalance is one of the reasons why double-suction splitcase pumps are preferred over single-suction.
They also may have multiple impellers for multi-stage operation. Multiple impellers provide
increased available head within a single pump.Split-case pumps are available as horizontal or
vertical split-case. For horizontal split-case pumps, the impeller casing is split in the horizontal
plane. For vertical split-case pumps, the impeller casing is split in the vertical plane. To have the
casing split allows full access to the impeller for maintenance.
12

They are used mostly in fire protection systems but also have been used in the HVAC industry
for large capacity systems. Their capacity range is up to 6500 gpm and 600 ft of head. These
pumps are also available with increased operating pressures up to 400 psig. See Figure 3 for a
typical horizontal split-case pump.
These pumps typically have a reduced footprint within a plant space and do not require inertia
bases. Inertia bases are generally installed to reduce vibration from the rotating parts within the
pump. discharge piping are arranged in the horizontal plane. Vertical in-line pumps are available
as single- or double-suction.Vertical in-line pumps are close-coupled. The pump and motor are
directly mounted on the pump casing. The pump is typically mounted and supported by the
piping system in which it is installed. For larger capacity vertical in-line pumps, the pump
assembly may be provided with a base for floor mounting

5. Connection of Pump and pipe in Fire system

5.1 Parallel pump

Parallel pump installations, where two or more pumps take suction from a common manifold
and discharge into a common header, are very common in many industries, including the
Municipal Water and Wastewater markets. Pumps are operated in parallel as a means of flow
control and for emergency back up (installed spare). However, if the pumps are not properly
selected for parallel operation, or operated in the most optimum combinations, pump reliability
and overall system energy efficiency can be compromised. Operating the wrong pumps in
parallel can even cause one of the pumps to operate at shut off, resulting in over heating and
failure

13

5.2 Parallel Pump Operation

When pumps run in parallel they operate against the same discharge head. The combination
pump head-capacity curve is, therefore, determined by adding the respective flow rates of each
pump, at a series of specific head values. This is demonstrated in Figure 1, where, at a head value
of 240 feet, the flow generated by pump A at this head (320 gpm) is added to the capacity of
pump B at this head (640 gpm) to create the combination H-Q pump curve (960 gpm @ 240
ft).

14

The head (and therefore flow) that each of the parallel pumps will operate at in a given system is
then determined by the intersection between the system head-capacity curve with this pump
combination head-capacity curve. In Figure 1, the system and pump combination (pump A + B)
H-Q curves intersect at 575 gpm, at a head of 268 feet. The contribution of each of the pumps at
268 feet, are: pump A operating at 195 gpm and pump B operating at 380 gpm. This compares
with 455 gpm when only pump A operates on this system, or 542 gpm when only pump B
operates on the system (see Table 1). As can be seen, each of the pumps is forced to operate at
relatively low flow rates. These lower flow rates can result in higher energy costs (because the
individual pumps are operating at lower efficiencies and higher heads at these low flow rates),
and reduced pump reliability (also due to the low flow rates - see December 2007 column). In
this example, pump A has a best efficiency point (bep) of 400 gpm and pump B has a bep twice
as high (800 gpm). However, very little is gained (+6%) by operating both of these pumps in
parallel, while the energy effectiveness (gpm/kW) is reduced by 30% and 10% respectfully.

6. Equations used to Formulate the Pump and Calculation

The HazenWilliams equation is an empirical relationship which relates the flow of water in a
15

pipe with the physical properties of the pipe and the pressure drop caused by friction. It is used in
the design of water pipe systems[1] such as fire sprinkler systems, water supply networks,
and irrigation systems. It is named after Allen Hazen and Gardner Stewart Williams.
The HazenWilliams equation has the advantage that the coefficient C is not a function of
the Reynolds number, but it has the disadvantage that it is only valid for water.
6.1 General Form
Henri Pitot discovered that the velocity of a fluid was proportional to the square root of its head
in the early 18th century. It takes energy to push a fluid through a pipe, and Antoine de
Chzy discovered that the head loss was proportional to the velocity squared. Consequently,
the Chzy formula relates hydraulic slope S (head loss per unit length) to the fluid
V: velocity
R: radius

The variable C expresses the proportionality, but the value of C is not a constant. In 1838 and
1839, Gotthilf Hagen and Jean Lonard Marie Poiseuille independently determined a head loss
equation

for laminar

flow,

the HagenPoiseuille

equation.

Around

1845, Julius

Weisbach and Henry Darcy developed the DarcyWeisbach equation.

The Darcy-Weisbach equation was difficult to use because the friction factor was difficult to
estimate. In 1906, Hazen and Williams provided an empirical formula that was easy to use. The
general form of the equation relates the mean velocity of water in a pipe with the geometric
properties of the pipe and slope of the energy line.

where:
16

V is velocity

k is a conversion factor for the unit system (k = 1.318 for US customary units, k = 0.849
for SI units)

C is a roughness coefficient

R is the hydraulic radius

S is the slope of the energy line (head loss per length of pipe or hf/L)

The equation is similar to the Chzy formula but the exponents have been adjusted to better fit
data from typical engineering situations. A result of adjusting the exponents is that the value
of C appears more like a constant over a wide range of the other parameters.
The conversion factor k was chosen so that the values for C were the same as in the Chzy
formula for the typical hydraulic slope of S=0.001.[8] The value of k is 0.0010.04.
Typical C factors used in design, which take into account some increase in roughness as pipe
ages are as follows

17

Table 2 : Factors of Materials

18

The hydraulic radius R (which is different from the geometric radius r) for a full pipe of
geometric diameter d is d/4; the pipe's cross sectional area A is d2 / 4, so

6.2 U.S. customary units (Imperial)

When used to calculate the pressure drop using the US customary units system, the equation is

where:

Spsi

per foot

= frictional resistance (pressure drop per foot of pipe) in psig/ft (pounds per

square inch gauge pressure per foot)

Pd = pressure drop over the length of pipe in psig (pounds per square inch gauge
pressure)

L = length of pipe in feet

Q = flow, gpm (gallons per minute)

C = pipe roughness coefficient

19

d = inside pipe diameter, in (inches)

Note: Caution with U S Customary Units is advised. The equation for head loss in pipes,
also referred to as slope, S, expressed in "feet per foot of length" vs. in 'psi per foot of
length' as described above, with the inside pipe diameter, d, being entered in feet vs.
inches, and the flow rate, Q, being entered in cubic feet per second, cfs, vs. gallons per
minute, gpm, appears very similar. However, the constant is 4.75 vs. the 4.52 constant as
shown above in the formula as arranged by NFPA for sprinkler system design. The
exponents and the Hazen-Williams "C" values are unchanged.

6.3 SI Units

When used to calculate the head loss with the International System of Units, the equation
becomes:

where:

S = Hydraulic slope

hf = head loss in meters (water) over the length of pipe

L = length of pipe in meters

Q = volumetric flow rate, m3/s (cubic meters per second)

C = pipe roughness coefficient

d = inside pipe diameter, m (meters)

6.4 Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)

20

The margin of pressure over vapor pressure, at the pump suction nozzle, is Net Positive Suction
Head (NPSH). NPSH is the difference between suction pressure (stagnation) and vapor pressure.
In a hydraulic circuit, net positive suction head (NPSH) may refer to one of two quantities in
the analysis of cavitation:
1. The Available NPSH (NPSHA): a measure of how close the fluid at a given point is
to flashing, and so to cavitation.
2. The Required NPSH (NPSHR): the head value at a specific point (e.g. the inlet of a pump)
required to keep the fluid from cavitating.
NPSH is particularly relevant inside centrifugal pumps and turbines, which are parts of a
hydraulic system that are most vulnerable to cavitation. If cavitation occurs, the drag
coefficient of the impeller vanes will increase drastically - possibly stopping flow altogether and prolonged exposure will damage the impeller.

6.5 NPSHA in a Pump

In a pump, cavitation will first occur at the inlet of the impeller. Denoting the inlet by i, the
NPSHA at this point is defined as:

where
is the absolute pressure at the inlet,
is the average velocity at the inlet,
is the fluid density,

21

is the acceleration of gravity

is the vapour pressure of the fluid.

Note that it is equivalent to the sum of both the static and dynamic heads that is, the stagnation
head from which one deducts the head corresponding to the equilibrium vapor pressure, hence
"net positive suction head".
Applying First law of thermodynamics for control volumes enclosing the suction free surface 0
and the pump inlet i, under the assumption that the kinetic energy at 0 is negligible, that the fluid
is inviscid, and that the fluid density is constant:

Using the above application of Bernoulli to eliminate the velocity term and local pressure terms
in the definition of NPSHA:

This is the standard expression for the Available NPSH at point. Cavitation will occur at the
point i when the Available NPSH is less than the NPSH required to prevent cavitation (NPSH R).
For simple impeller systems, NPSHR can be derived theoretically, but very often it is determined
empirically.
Note NPSHA and NPSHR are in absolute units and usually expressed in "m abs" not "psia".
Experimentally, NPSHR is often defined as the NPSH3, the point at which the head output of the
pump decreases by 3% at a given flow due to reduced hydraulic performance. On multi-stage
pumps this is limited to a 3% drop in the first stage head.

22

Another Alternative formula to calculate NPSH is through the following formula

23

Then through the help of the following graph we extrude out the Power and its effeincey

24

25

7. Results from Water CAD

26

8. Conclusions

After the above information, we are sure of that you may have a rough idea about strengths and
weaknesses of each kind of pumps and how to make a decision for a pump in our end suction
pump and split case pump categories. You can determine is by considering the budget cost,
bidding requirements, liquid properties, end users preference, ect., in order to select the best
pump to completely meet the application and to minimize the maintenance and life cycle costs as
well, especially for critical applications.

27

REFRENCES

Pump Users Handbook Life Extension, by Heinz P. Bloch & Allan R. Budris, 2nd Edition,
2006, The Fairmont Press, Inc. Retrieved from:

http://www.waterworld.com/articles/print/volume-24/issue-11/departments/pump-tipstechniques/hparallel-pumps-reliability-amp-efficiency-issues.html
Parallel Pumps: Reduce Energy Costs Without Breaking the Budget, Opflow, February 2008,
Allan R. Budris, P.E.. Rertrived from ; https://blog.craneengineering.net/operating-

centrifugal-pumps-in-series-or-parallel
Optimizing Pumping Systems: A Guide for Improved Energy Efficiency, Reliability & Profitability,
Pump Systems Matter and Hydraulic Institute, 2008, Allan R. Budris, P.E. (contributing
Author). WW. Retrieved , from http://www.csemag.com/single-article/selecting-an-hvac-

pump/6b970346df2dbfc4f12883a534782c55.html