Pump System Diagram

Flow Rate Usually, the flow rate of liquid a pump needs to deliver is determined by the process in which the pump is installed. This ultimately is defined by the mass and energy balance of the process. For instance the required flow rate of a pump feeding oil into a refinery distillation column will be determined by how much product the column is required to produce. Another example is the flow rate of a cooling water pump circulating water through a heat exchanger is defined by the amount of heat transfer required. Total Differential Head The total differential head a pump must generate is determined by the flow rate of liquid being pumped and the system through which the liquid flows. Essentially, the total differential head is made up of 2 components. The first is the static head across the pump and the second is the frictional head loss through the suction and discharge piping systems.

Total differential head = static head difference + frictional head losses