How to Build a Centrifugal Pump Curve Part 5: Net Positive Suction Head

How to Build a Centrifugal Pump Curve Part 5: Net Positive Suction Head

We are almost finished building our e-1510 pump curve! In this final blog of our series, we’ll introduce positive suction head (NPSH) to our curve and explain what NPSH is and why it matters....

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Steam Basics Part 16: Return Temperature & Condensate Pumps

Steam Basics Part 16: Return Temperature & Condensate Pumps

One challenge to selecting a steam condensate return unit is the return temperature of the condensate after leaving the steam heat exchanger. This week we'll offer some suggestions to assist the engineer or designer...

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How To Read A Pump Curve - Part 2

One of the most important lines on a pump performance curve is the Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) curve.  Discreetly applied either below or above the pump performance and efficiency curves, this single plotted line is the key to avoiding cavitation. Required NPSH or NPSHR for a given pump increases with flow.  So, using the pump curve shown in Figure 1, we can see that the NPSHR for this Model 1510 B & G pump with a 8” impeller and 800 GPM and 33 Feet of Total Head is 12 feet of head. 
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How To Read A Pump Curve – Part 1

If a picture is worth a thousand words then a pump curve must be worth several thousand.

 Make no mistake, there’s a lot of information on a centrifugal pump curve like the one shown here.  It’s no wonder that many newly practicing engineers are a little intimated by them.

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