Booster System Basics:

Constant Speed Systems

Pressure Booster Systems

WHAT IS A BOOSTER SYSTEM?

BOOSTER SIZING REQUIREMENTS
BOOSTER SYSTEM CONTROL
ENERGY SAVING STRATEGIES
DRAWDOWN TANKS

What is a Pressure Booster System?

Pumps
Control Panel
Pressure Reducing Valves
Headers, Piping and Isolation
Valves, Pressure gauges, Solenoid
Valve, Aquastat and copper tubing
All components mounted on a
common base, tested and
calibrated to site conditions

What you need to size a

booster system?
Calculate the total flow requirement for
the building
Number of Domestic Water Fixtures
Type of fixtures in the building
Type of building (residential, public, heavy use)
Special services

Total Flow = Total Fixture Units

100

100

GPM
50

HUNTERS CURVE

50

50

50

100

100

Fixture Units

What you need to size a

booster system?
Calculate the total flow requirement for
the building
Calculate the total pressure required for
the building

Static Pressure
Based on the vertical boost
required above the packaged
system manifold
This component never varies

stat

Fixture Pressure
Required pressure to operate fixture
at farthest point from system.
Must overcome valve start-up
pressure (i.e. 25 PSI min. required for
flush valves to operate)
Never varies, this is always required
as a minimum

fix

Packaged System Losses

Systems are designed to
have no more than 5psi loss
from suction manifold to
discharge manifold
This must always be added
into pressure calculations

loss

Available Suction Pressure

Typically varies by about
10-30 PSI
Can vary over time due to
growth
Can also vary due to
municipal re-structuring

city

Friction Losses
Usually calculated at 10% of
total static requirement
Typically a very small boost
pressure component
Can be larger as in the case of
boost over a campus-style
area or large low-rise building

fric

Pressure Requirement

System Press

Fixture pressure

PRV Losses

Static head

Friction Head

Supply pressure after water mete

Pump Boost Pres

Pressure Requirement
Pump Boost Pressure
(TDH)
= Fixture Pressure
+ Package Losses
+ Static Head
+ Friction Head
- Supply Pressure

Pressure Requirement
Boost Pressure
= System Pressure - Supply
Pressure

Significance of System Flow

in Booster Systems
Flow impacts system demand, not pressure - as
demand increases, flow must increase at a
constant output pressure
Flow governs pump actuation - therefore, flow
should govern pump sequencing and actuation
System capacity matched to system flow
requirement is most efficient and cost effective
for domestic water pressure boosting

What are the most popular methods

of booster pump control ?
Flow meter or flow switch
Instrument is in contact with corrosive water
therefore requiring more maintenance

What are the most popular methods

of booster pump control ?
Flow meter or flow switch
Pressure Switch
Requires non-overloading (NOL) motors
Requires a pressure drop across
operating range
Can be unstable in operation resulting in
starving the system of water (end of
curve operation)
Mechanical switches increase possibility
of failure

PRESSURE

Effect of Suction Pressure

(PSI)

50

Discharge
Pressure

40

HP

30
20

Suction
Pressure

10

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

GPM

Effect of Suction Pressure

PRESSURE
(PSI)

50

Discharge
Pressure

40

HP

30
20

Suction
Pressure

10

Suction
Pressure
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

GPM

What are the most popular methods

of booster pump control ?
Flow meter or flow switch
Pressure Switch
Current or kW Sensing

Current Sensing

As the flow increases, so does the pump load

The motor must match the pump load
Current / Power draw for motors is proportional
to the load (pump flow work)

Current - Flow Relationship

PRESSURE
(PSI)

50
40

PUMP CURVE

HP

30
20

Motor Amps
10

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

GPM

Effect of Suction Pressure

PRESSURE
(PSI)

50

Discharge
Pressure

40

HP

30
20

Motor Amps

Suction
Pressure

10

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

GPM

Effect of Suction Pressure

PRESSURE
(PSI)

50

Discharge
Pressure

40

HP

30
20

Suction
Pressure

10

Suction
Pressure

Motor Amps
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

GPM

% Change Full Load Amps

Effects of Voltage
Fluctuations on Motors
% Voltage Change

- 10

+11
-7

+10

Current Sensing
Motors sized to match the power
requirement
Current sensing allows flexible pump
sizing to match the system load profile
and energy requirement
Duplex:
33% - 67% capacity split
Triplex: 20% - 40% - 40% capacity split

Current Sensing

Duplex allows
up to three
steps of
sequencing

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

P1

P2

P1&P2

Current Sensing
100%

Triplex
allows up to
five steps of
sequencing

80%
60%
40%

P 1 /P 2 /P 3

P 2 /P 3

P 1 /P 2

P2

0%

P1

20%

Time
23h00

22h00

21h00

20h00

19h00

18h00

17h00

16h00

15h00

14h00

13h00

12h00

11h00

10h00

9h00

8h00

7h00

6h00

5h00

4h00

3h00

2h00

1h00

0h00

400

350

300

250

50-50 Split
200

Actual
Consumption
150

100

50

Flow Rate ( GPM)

Typical Daily Demand Curve

500

450

Time
23h00

22h00

21h00

20h00

19h00

18h00

17h00

16h00

15h00

14h00

13h00

12h00

11h00

10h00

9h00

8h00

7h00

6h00

5h00

4h00

3h00

2h00

1h00

0h00

400

350

300

250

50-50Split
200

Actual
Consumption
150

100

50

Flow Rate ( GPM)

Duplex Booster - 50/50 Split

Conventional Split
500

450

Duplex Booster - 33/67 Split

3 Step Control with No-flow shutdown

500

33-67 Split

400
350
300
250
200

50-50 Split

Actual
Consumption

150
100
50

Time

23h00

22h00

21h00

20h00

19h00

18h00

17h00

16h00

15h00

14h00

13h00

12h00

11h00

10h00

9h00

8h00

7h00

6h00

5h00

4h00

3h00

2h00

1h00

0h00

Flow Rate ( GPM)

450

Energy Consumption
HP

GPM X Feet (Head)

3960 X (Pump Eff) x (Motor Eff

Smaller pump at lower flows will be more

efficient and consume less energy
Smaller motor is more efficient at lower loads

Time
23h00

22h00

21h00

20h00

19h00

50-50 Split

18h00

17h00

16h00

15h00

14h00

13h00

12h00

11h00

10h00

9h00

8h00

7h00

6h00

5h00

4h00

3h00

2h00

1h00

0h00

33-67% Energy Savings: 19%

12

10

Actual
Consumption

33-67 Split
4

Consumption (kWhrs)

Energy Savings

Conventional vs. 33/67 Split

14

Energy Savings

Conventional vs. 33/67 Split

Total Energy Savings =
Energy Cost = $0.12

19%

/ kWhr

Savings per Year: $2,280

What are the most popular methods

of booster pump control ?

Flow meter or flow switch

Pressure Switch
Current or kW Sensing
VFD with pressure transducers

No-Flow Shutdown and Tank

Sizing

When do you use it? Where should

you install it? What size should it
be?

Sizing and Selecting

Drawdown Tank
Tanks are to be used in systems that
do not have a continuous water
demand
Tanks should NOT be sized according
to booster size
Tanks should be sized to store 20 - 30
Gallons of water (2 - 3 GPM leak
loads)
Tanks maintain pressure in piping
system and supply small demands to
allow pumps to be shutdown

Sizing and Selecting

Drawdown Tank
Tank Storage Volume is governed
by the Ideal Gas Law
Solving for storage volume gives:

Vstorage

Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(PTotal +PAtmosphere)

3 factors must be considered

Tank Volume
Vstorage

Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(PTotal +PAtmosphere)

The bigger the tank, the better the

storage

Differential Pressure
Tank storage Volume is proportional
to the difference in the cut out and
cut in pressures of the pumps
The larger the pressure differential
the more water that will be stored
in the tank

Vstorage

Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(PTotal +PAtmosphere)

Pressure Differential
Calculation
Pdifferential = Pstop - Pstart
Pstop = Pressure at the tank when

the system shuts down

For adjacent or package mounted
tanks, this means the suction
pressure plus the shutoff head of the
pump
For remote mounted tanks, this is
simply the normal system pressure at
the location of the tank

Pressure Differential
Calculation
Pdifferential = Pstop - Pstart
Pstart = Pressure at the tank when

the system starts again down

For adjacent or package mounted
tanks, this means the setting on the
no flow (call on) pressure switch
For remote mounted tanks, this is
simply the system pressure at the
location of the tank when the call on
pressure switch brings the system
back on

Total Pressure
A lower Total Pressure will yield larger
water storage for the same pressure
differential
Lower Total Pressure allows for lower
tank pressure rating

Vstorage

Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(Ptotal +PAtmosphere)

Lower tank pressure rating

Sizing and Selecting

Drawdown Tank
All three of these factors must be
considered in selecting the
appropriate tank

Vstorage

Pdifferential x VTotal Tank

(PTotal +PAtmosphere)

Where Should the Tank be

Installed ?
Packaged Mounted
Tank water storage may
be limited by tank size
Will require higher tank
pressure rating
More Costly
Difficult to maneuver due
to weight and may
require building structural
reinforcement.

Where Should the Tank be

Installed ?
Adjacent Mounted
Tank is supplied as a
loose component for
connection on site
Tank is not mounted on
skid with pumps
Contractor has freedom
to locate tank in
mechanical room
System is easier to
maneuver

Where Should the Tank be

Installed?
Remote Mounted
Roof mounting - Lowers Tank Total
Pressure and Tank Pressure
Rating Required
Allows for the use of smaller tanks
for desired water storage
Contractor has flexibility locating
and installing tank

Questions

&

Answers

Thank You