Pump curve
Feature Report
Optimizing
Pumping Systems
Often overlooked, pump system efficiency makes
a dramatic impact on process performance
Robert Asdal
Hydraulic Institute and
Pumps Systems Matter
I
nterest in energy efficiency is not
a fad. The economics of indus-
trial production, the limitations of
global energy supply and the re-
alities of environmental conservation
will be enduring themes for decades, if
not the millennia. As energy costs in-
crease, pump manufacturers respond
with an understanding of the impor-
tance of making equipment more effi-
cient at saving energy.
Traditional methods of specifying
and purchasing piping, valves, fittings,
pumps and drivers often result in low-
est first cost, but also often produce
subsequent unnecessary, expensive
energy consumption and higher main-
tenance costs. An organization that in-
corporates the energy, reliability and
economic benefits of optimum pump-
ing systems can enhance profits, gain
production efficiency and move ahead
with essential capital upgrades neces-
sary for long-term business survival.
System fundamentals
Pumping systems are typically de-
signed to support the needs of other
systems, such as process fluids trans-
fer, heat transfer and the distribution
of water and wastewater. Systems are
generally classified as closed-loop or
open-loop. Closed-loop systems recir-
culate fluid around set paths, whereas
open-loop systems have specified in-
puts and outputs, transferring fluids
from one point to another. For closed-
loop systems, the frictional losses of
system piping and equipment are the
dominant loads. Open-loop systems
often have significant static head re-
42 Chemical Engineering www.che.com April 2009
Pressure (head)
Static
head
Figure 1. Rotodynamic (centrifugal) pumps
have a variable flow-pressure relationship,
which is described by a pump curve. Likewise,
system curves graphically represent the opera-
tion of a given piping system
quirements due to elevation and tank
pressurization needs.
Pumps, piping, valves and end-use
equipment typically compose these
systems. Other common components
include filters, strainers, and heat
exchangers. Any evaluation of a
pumping system should consider the
interaction between these compo-
nents, not just the pump itself. This
is referred to as a systems approach
to pumping system evaluation. The
pumps and the system must be de-
signed and treated as one entity, not
only to ensure correct operation, but
also to reap the benefits of energy ef-
ficient pumping.
The Hydraulic Institute (Parsip-
pany, N.J.; www.pumps.org) recognizes
about 40 different types of pumps,
broadly classified into two categories
that relate to the manner in which
the pumps add energy to the working
fluid: positive displacement and roto-
dynamic also known as centrifugal.
Rotodynamic pumps are much more
common and have a variable flow-pres-
sure relationship, which is described
by a performance curve that plots the
rate of flow as various pressures. Posi-
tive displacement pumps have a fixed
displacement volume. Their flowrates
are directly proportional to speed.
The other major components of typi-
cal pumping systems have a large ef-
fect on the system efficiencies. The se-
lection of efficient and properly sized
electric motors is vital, along with the
use of variable speed drives when ap-
propriate. Proper piping inlet and out-
let configurations are also important
for efficient system operation. Addi-
tionally, the appropriate selection and
operation of valves is critical, espe-
cially any throttling or bypass valves.
System
curve
Duty point
Flowrate
Along with pump-speed control and
multiple-pump arrangements, bypass
valves and throttling valves are the
primary methods for controlling rates
of flow in pumping systems. The most
appropriate type of speed control de-
pends on the system size and layout,
fluid properties, and sometimes other
factors. Bypass arrangements allow
fluid to flow around a system compo-
nent but at the expense of system effi-
ciency since the power used to bypass
any fluid is wasted. Throttling valves
restrict fluid flow at the expense of
pressure drops across the valves.
Proper systems design
Pump engineers have long been
trained that the highest level of
pumping efficiency and equipment
reliability is achieved by matching
the pump to the system. Applying a
total-systems-optimization approach,
for instance, Pump Systems Matter
(see box on additional information re-
sources) advances significant savings
opportunities with both existing and
new pumping systems.
Proper system design and modifica-
tion require an understanding of the
operating range of the pumps being
considered. A pump curve is a graphi-
cal representation describing the op-
eration of a rotodynamic pump for a
range of flows. Likewise, system curves
graphically represent the operation of
a given piping system. When a pump
is installed in a system, the effect can
be illustrated as shown in Figure 1,
where the x-axis is the rate of flow and
the y-axis is the head (pressure). The
intersection of the pump curve and
system curve is the duty point.
Figure 1 shows that increasing the
system pressure will reduce the rate of
 Symptoms of an
Inefficient Pumping System
The key to improving the efficiency of existing pumping systems is process optimization.
To begin, look for typical symptoms of an inefficient pumping system, such as those
contained in the following checklist:
points of the existing system. Com-
• Flow control valves that are highly throttled
paring the two can provide a general
• Bypass-line (recirculation) flow regulation understanding of the current pump
• Batch type processes in which one or more pumps operate continuously during a batch condition. Even a comparison of a sin-
• Frequent on-off cycling of a pump in a continuous process gle test point to the original curve can
• Presence of cavitation noise, either at the pump or elsewhere in the system determine whether the first step is to
• A parallel pump system with the same number of pumps always operating overhaul a worn pump or to investi-
gate the system further. Every roto-
• A pump system that has undergone a change in function, without modification
dynamic pump has a best efficiency
• A pump system with no means of measuring flow, pressure or power point (BEP). A pump operating out-
side of an acceptable operating range
flow. If the pressure reaches a certain cal of an inefficient system (see box) (within a reasonable range of BEP)
point, the flowrate may approach zero, should be considered for further inves- will be inefficient and have higher
a condition to be avoided. To allow for tigation, with priority given to large, energy use and shorter mean time be-
unforeseen pressure increases, pump- high-maintenance systems that are tween failures (MTBF).
ing system designers often select an mission critical to the process or facil- Other components of the existing
oversized pump. The consequence of ity operation. system must also be assessed. Incor-
this oversizing is that the system will Next, the pump systems selected rectly sized valves can create exces-
operate with excessive flow or will for assessment should be thoroughly sive pressure drops across the valves,
need to be throttled, thereby increas- evaluated to determine the system and the different types of valves have
ing energy use, increasing mainte- requirements. In some situations, it different loss coefficients. When throt-
nance requirements and decreasing may be determined that the system is tling valves or bypass lines are used
the life of the pump. operating with excessively high pres- to control flow, an analysis should be
Specific energy is a useful measure sure or rates of flow. Occasionally, this conducted to determine the most ef-
to consider when evaluating combina- analysis will find one or more pumping ficient means of flow control. These
tions of pump type, model and system. systems that can actually be turned off variable flow systems may benefit
Specific energy is the power consumed without compromising the process. An from pump speed control, such as
per unit volume of fluid pumped. It is awareness of system-demand variabil- variable speed drives.
determined by measuring the flow de- ity will help to better match flow and The system piping configuration
livered into the system over a period pressure requirements more closely to should be evaluated for optimiza-
of time and calculating the power con- the system need. tion opportunities. A proper configu-
sumed during the same period of time. The next step in the system opti- ration will include a straight run of
This measure takes into account all mization process involves data col- pipe leading into the pump inlet to
of the factors that will influence the lection. Data may be acquired with ensure a uniform velocity of fluid en-
efficiency of an installation, not just installed process transmitters or por- tering the pump. Turning vanes or
pump efficiency. table instruments to determine dis- some other means of “straightening”
Specific energy also takes into ac- charge flowrate, discharge pressure the flow should be used when this is
count where the pump is operating and power consumption. The instru- not possible. Also, the suction piping
on its curve when delivering flow ments used should be both accurate should be of sufficient size to mini-
into that particular system. Thus, and repeatable. The data acquisition mize friction losses.
a pump with a lower efficiency may equipment should be matched to the New systems. The design and selec-
consume less power than a higher ef- application, and the length of data tion of new systems provide the op-
ficiency pump, simply because of how collection should provide statistically portunity to optimize for minimum
its characteristics fit with the system valid averages. Systems with varying lifecycle costs, including energy, main-
in question. or seasonal loads may require long- tenance and other costs. Significant
Another benefit of using specific term data logging equipment. lifecycle opportunities exist through
energy as a measure is that it allows The collected data can be used to optimal pipe sizing (larger pipes can
some approximate comparisons be- compare the measured rates of flow deliver fluid at lower pressures), vari-
tween similar pumping installations. and head to the required rates of flow able-speed pump control, and pump
and head. This may reveal an imbal- and valve selection.
Steps to improving efficiency ance between measured and required The selection of pump type and size,
Existing systems. Process optimi- conditions, which is evidence of an in- the impeller size and pump operating
zation is the process of identifying, efficient system. Comparing the exist- speed all impact the pump operating
understanding and cost effectively ing operating conditions to the design point and determine the pump’s BEP.
eliminating unnecessary losses while conditions can also reveal an improp- Getting the BEP matched to the ac-
reducing energy consumption and erly sized pump. tual system operating point is an im-
improving reliability in pumping sys- If the original pump performance portant part of designing an efficient
tems. Pumping systems possessing curve is available, it will be useful to system. The piping size, material,
one or more symptoms that are typi- construct a curve for the operating and associated fittings and other
Chemical Engineering www.che.com April 2009 43

Feature Report
components influence the system re-
sistance and hence the system curve
and operating point. These materials
should be selected through the con-
sideration of lifecycle costs, especially
since they are the most difficult parts
of the pumping system to change in
the future.
It is also important to note that all
pumping systems change over time,
affecting their operating points. As
the systems age, corrosion, abrasion
or solids buildup are likely to occur in
the piping, altering the effective pip-
ing diameters. Cyclic mechanical and
thermal loadings may cause piping
fatigue damage over time. Valves, gas-
kets and other components are subject
to wear and corrosion as well. Worn
or damaged impellers and other parts
in the pump itself will impact system
performance. This also has a degrad-
ing impact on the process control loop
associated with the pumping system.
Additionally, operational changes
over the life of the system will influ-
ence system efficiency, as industrial
processes are often evolving or chang-
ing to changing demands. Thus, the
pump operating parameters can
change as well as the duty cycles.
Economics: Lifecycle costing
The pursuit of optimum systems ef-
ficiency is typically not a sufficient
justification for a pumping-system
improvement or replacement project.
Fortunately, systems optimization
projects can often be justified based
on having lower total cost of owner-
ship. The odds of receiving approval
for optimization projects are greatly
enhanced when the potential projects
can be proven to improve plant profit-
ability and reduce operating costs.
Since industrial and municipal
pumping systems often have life
spans of 15 years or longer, it is valid
to consider the total cost of owner-
ship for each project, factoring in the
lifetime costs of energy, maintenance,
and other elements. A lifecycle cost
(LCC) analysis is one proven way to
determine and compare the total costs
for projects.
The basic elements of lifecycle cost
include the following:
• Initial purchase
• Installation and commissioning
44 Chemical Engineering www.che.com April 2009
Additional information resources
P
ump Systems Matter (PSM; www.pumpsystemsmatter.org) is an educational initia-
tive created to assist North American pump users gain a more competitive business
advantage through strategic, broad-based energy management and pump-system-
performance optimization. PSM’s mission is to provide the marketplace with tools and
collaborative opportunities to integrate pump-system-performance optimization and ef-
ficient energy-management practices into normal business operations.
PumpLearning.org is the knowledge center of the Hydraulic Institute, and was cre-
ated to serve as the ultimate “go to” center for information on pumps and pumping
tehnologies.  ❏
• Electrical or other energy costs portant to consider and qualify. These
• Operation costs (labor costs of nor- benefits may include the following:
mal system supervision) • Increased productivity
• Maintenance and repair costs • Reduced production costs
• Downtime costs • Improved product quality
• Environmental costs • Improved capacity utilization
• Decommissioning and disposal • Improved reliability
costs • Improved worker safety
LCC analysis requires evaluation of These benefits should be documented
alternative systems. It is quite com- in any presentation or proposal to
mon for the lifetime energy and main- management. Existing industry lit-
tenance costs to dominate lifecycle erature can be very helpful and sup-
costs. Thus, it is important to know the portive in convincing management of
current cost of energy and to estimate the available opportunities.
the annual price escalation for energy When management is reluctant to
and maintenance costs. Other LCC el- approve a project based on perceived
ements can often be estimated based risks or lack of familiarity with simi-
on historical data for the facility. lar projects, it may also be helpful to
The various costs incurred in the reference documented case studies of
operation of a pumping system will successful projects implemented at
occur at varying times throughout other facilities. The Industrial Tech-
the life of the system. Therefore, the nologies Program within the U.S. De-
analysis should use present or dis- partment of Energy (www.eere.energy.
counted value for these cost elements gov/industry) and the Pump Systems
to accurately assess the different solu- Matter initiative both have case stud-
tions. Minimizing lifecycle costs often ies and tip sheets on various pumping
requires trade-offs between cost ele- systems efficiency projects at a variety
ments, such as paying a higher initial of industrial and municipal facilities,
or installation cost to reduce mainte- as well as a wealth of other pump-sys-
nance, energy and downtime costs. tem related information.
Winning project approval The future
An analysis showing the financial ben- Pump systems do matter. Industrial
efits of a pumping system optimization companies face stiff competition for
project may not always be sufficient to global market share. This puts down-
ensure approval of a given project. To ward pressure on price, while labor,
help ensure success, the project devel- capital and raw material costs are all
oper should do the following: escalating at the same time. Faced
• Seek support from a key member of with margin pressure from multiple
management before pursuing any fronts, companies must find new av-
projects enues to reduce operating costs. In
• Obtain input from key department many cases, sustainable net earn-
personnel to identify current corpo- ings increases can only be achieved
rate priorities through higher manufacturing effi-
• Begin with simple projects to in- ciencies, requiring reengineering of
crease chances of success existing or new processes to achieve
• Create a written summary or quantum leaps in performance. Mak-
proposal that clearly identifies ing pumping systems more intelligent
the options with the greatest net and integrating them into production
benefits and asset management systems is be-
Some of the benefits of pumping sys- coming of paramount importance for
tem optimization cannot be readily the future.
quantified through a cost-benefit or Historically, the fundamental build-
LCC analysis, but are nonetheless im- ing blocks of process automation have
been process sensors and control
valves, with little consideration given
to the role of pumps. Still, one of the
easiest and often overlooked ways to
make a dramatic impact on process
performance is through increased
pump systems efficiency.
Pump manufacturers have made
substantial improvements in mechani-
cal efficiency over the years. Unfortu-
nately, once a pump is installed, its ef-
ficiency is determined predominantly
by process conditions. The major fac-
tors affecting performance include effi-
ciency of the pump and system compo-
nents, overall system design, efficiency
of pump control, efficiency of drives
and appropriate maintenance cycles.
To achieve the best efficiencies avail-
able from mechanical design, pump
manufacturers must work closely with
pump users to consider all of these fac-
tors when specifying pumps. In the fu-
ture, pump selection and sizing should
be considered in the context of the
overall system, not just the efficiency
of the individual components.
Industry consolidation and out-
sourcing are major trends driven by
the need to reduce cost and achieve
economies of scale. Accordingly, end
users are increasingly seeking new
services from their suppliers. Some
manufacturers have embedded the
service into the product itself. How-
ever, even with these design upgrades,
it is difficult to provide everything
that is needed in the product or sys-
tem. Increasingly, suppliers are offer-
ing the required mix of products, in-
formation, training, plus application
and implementation services to fully
address the user’s needs.
Outsourcing has opened the door
for pump manufacturers to provide
new and innovative products and ser-
vices that support plant optimization.
While this is the good news, as is often
the case, there are significant barriers
to entry in the market.
In spite of the financial and operat-
ing benefits, industrial managers face
many hurdles when implementing
new technology. Among the major bar-
riers is the lack of awareness among
facility managers, plant engineers
and distributors of new technologies
and strategies to improve plant per-
formance. When understood, the per-
ceived risk from changing long estab-
lished operating practices often delays
decisions and project implementation.
Ad v a n c e d Pr o c e s s So l u t i o n s
LEADING WORLDWIDE IN MIXING TECHNOLOGIES
Low levels of staffing in mainte-
nance, operations and engineering
departments limit time available for
evaluating and commissioning new
technologies. Considering these con-
straints, a common attitude among
plant staffs is “If it ain’t broke, don’t
fix it.”
Alternately, on the supplier side
of the equation, there are conflicting
incentives for promoting efficient sys-
tems and practices. Many pump users
continue to make buying decisions
based on first cost rather than spend
the incremental capital required to
achieve long-term savings.
To capture the many benefits of
pump optimization, pump users, man-
ufacturers and distributors, as well as
design engineers, must work together
to change the way they do business.
This is no easy task, but the payback
for all of these stakeholders is too com-
pelling to delay the journey. ■
Edited by Dorothy Lozowski
Hall 5.0, Stand B19-C26

Author Having advanced to world market leader, the EKATO GROUP has been providing
Robert Asdal is the execu- their customers with the technical excellence and experience for more than 75 years.
tive director of the Hydraulic
Institute, a national trade as- The companies within the EKATO GROUP offer a broad spectrum of mixing technologies.
sociation that provides prod-
uct standards and a forum
for the exchange of industry
information (6 Campus Drive,
Parsippany, N.J. 07054; Phone:
973–267–9700 ext. 13; Email:
rasdal@pump.org; Web: www.
pumps.org). Asdal led the cre-
ation of an Associate member
program for the Institute, strengthening pump From modulary designed industrial agitators to turnkey pruduction plants,
company relationships with the major suppli-
ers to the industry. He also led the association the EKATO GROUP provides a range of engineering services and custom-made
in launching a national pump systems market
transformation and education initiative called solutions for the most challenging customer applications. The synergies within the
“Pump Systems Matter” (PSM) to focus on sav- EKATO GROUP ensure reliable and cost-effective solutions that meet the highest
ing energy and improving profitability. Asdal
serves on the PSM Board and also serves as its quality standards for every application. This is supported by a global service network.
executive director. Asdal holds a B.S.E.E. degree
from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He was
previously a member of the staff of IEEE and
the American Electronics Association (AEA) and
worked as an electrical engineer at RCA’s Astro-
Electronics Division. He is currently a member of
Your contact in Europe
Tel.: +49 7622 29-0
GROUP Your contact in the USA
Tel.: +1 201 825 4684
the Board of Directors of the Council of Manufac-
turing Associations of the National Association e-mail: info@ekato.com www.ekato.com e-mail: ecorp@ekato.com
of Manufacturers and a member of ASAE. He is
also a member of the editorial board of Pumps
and Systems magazine.
Circle 39 on p. 70 or go to adlinks.che.com/23013-39
Chemical Engineering www.che.com April 2009 45
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