Hydraulic Characteristics for Centrifugal Pumps

Capacity the rate of liquid or slurry flow through a pump. This is usually expressed as gallons per minute (GPM) by pump manufacturers and design engineers in the chemical and petrochemical industries. A few convenient conversions are  

For proper selection and corresponding operation, a pump capacity must be identified with the actual pumping temperature of the liquid in order to determine the proper power requirements as well as the effects of viscosity. 

Pumps are normally selected to operate in the region of high efficiency, and particular attention should be given to avoiding the extreme right side of the characteristic curve where capacity and head may change abruptly. 

Total Head the pressure available at the discharge of a pump as a result of the change of mechanical input energy into kinetic and potential energy. This represents the total energy given to the liquid by the pump. Head, previously known as total dynamic head, is expressed as feet of fluid being pumped. 

Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants 

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