12/20/2018 Pump Power Calculation – Neutrium

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PUMP POWER CALCULATION

SUMMARY
Power is consumed by a pump, fan or compressor in order to move and increase
the pressure of a fluid. The power requirement of the pump depends on a
number of factors including the pump and motor efficiency, the differential
pressure and the fluid density, viscosity and flow rate. This article provides
relationships to determine the required pump power.

1. DEFINITIONS

Ph : Hydraulic power of the pump (kW).

Ps : Shaft power of the pump (kW).
Pm : Required power to the Motor (kW).
Q : Volumetric flow of fluid through the pump (m3/h).

ρ : Density of the fluid being pumped (kg/m3).

g : Gravity (9.81 m/s2).

h : Head produced by the pump (m).

dP : Differential pressure across the pump (kPa)

ηp : Pump efficiency (%).
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ηm : Motor efficiency (%).

2. HYDRAULIC POWER
The hydraulic power which is also known as absorbed power, represents the
energy imparted on the fluid being pumped to increase its velocity and pressure.
The hydraulic power may be calculated using one of the formulae below,
depending on the available data.

Units Formula

P - kW

Q - m3/h
Qρgh
ρ - kg/m3 Ph =
3.6 × 106
g - m/s2
h-m

P - kW
QdP
Q- m3/hr Ph =
3, 600
dP - kPa

P - kW
QdP
Q - L/min Ph =
60, 000
dP - kPa

P - kW
QdP
Q - L/s Ph =
1, 000
dP - kPa

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3. SHAFT POWER
The shaft power is the power supplied by the motor to the pump shaft. Shaft
power is the sum of the hydraulic power (discussed above) and power loss due
to inefficiencies in power transmission from the shaft to the fluid. Shaft power is
typically calculated as the hydraulic power of the pump divided by the pump
efficiency as follows:

Ph
Ps =
ηp

4. MOTOR POWER
The motor power is the power consumed by the pump motor to turn the pump
shaft. The motor power is the sum of the shaft power and power loss due to
inefficiencies in converting electric energy into kinetic energy. Motor power may
be calculated as the shaft power divided by the motor efficiency.

Ps
Pm =
ηm

5. OTHER FACTORS WHICH INCREASE REQUIRED POWER

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There are several other pump and drive features which will increase the power
requirement to achieve a particular fluid transfer, these include:

Gearboxes

Belt drives

Variable speed drives (VSDs)

Each of these components will have their own efficiency ratings, which must be
factored into the power delivered by the motor.

6. TYPICAL PUMP AND DRIVE COMPONENT EFFICIENCY RANGES

The table below provides some typical efficiency values which may be used for
power requirement estimation for a selection of pump types. These values are
for correctly sized pumps, if a pump is oversized or poorly designed its efficiency
may be much lower than the values quoted below, this is particularly common
in small pumps.

Pump Typical
Type/Component Efficiency

Centrifugal Pump 60-85%

Sliding Vane Pump 60-90%

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Pump Typical
Type/Component Efficiency

Gearbox 70-98%

Belt Drive 70-96%

Variable Speed Drive

80-98%
at Full Speed

Variable Speed Drive

70-96%
at 75% Full Speed

Variable Speed Drive

44-91%
at 50% Full Speed

Variable Speed Drive

9-61%
at 25% Full Speed

7. FURTHER READING
1. Igor Karassik, Pump Handbook, Fourth Edition

2. Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook, Eighth Edition

Article Created: July 9, 2012    

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ARTICLE TAGS

Absorbed Power Efficiency Fluid Flow Hydraulic Power Motor Power

Power Pump Shaft Power

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