Applets or instant web software for pumps

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APPLETS OR INSTANT WEB SOFTWARE

This page contains many applets that can help you do calculations and diagnose problems with your centrifugal pumps to
SAVE YOU TIME. All these applets have integrated help menus, see DISCLAIMER at bottom of page.

To run these applets you need to install on your computer the Java 2 Runtime Environment SE 1.4 available from Sun
Microsystems and allow the Java Plug-in to be installed. You should also have Internet Explorer version 6 installed and you
may have to disable any pop-up blocker software. If you only see a grey box, the applet is not running, it is possible that
you do not have the right java software. Some companies will not allow pure java software to run on their computers which
will stop these applets from loading.

APPLETS ON THIS PAGE

This image and others below in the same style come from a wonderful book called Slurry
Pump Basic published by Svedala, a major pump manufacturer
1. Calculate N.P.S.H.A.

This applet will help you calculate the

N.P.S.H.A. (Net Positive Suction Head Available)
to your pump. You can then check the pump
performance curve to see if it is sufficient for
your pump to operate properly. There are two
ways to do this calculation, one involves knowing
the tank level and the friction loss in the
suction piping and the other requires a pressure
measurement at the pump inlet.

View this applet's Help file.

ENJOY! Click on the image to start.

Want to hear the sound of cavitation.....!

2. Predict Cavitation

This applet is based on experimental trials

done by Dr. D. Thoma that were designed to
investigate the conditions that produce
cavitation. Cavitation depends on the specific
speed and the suction specific speed, these in

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Applets or instant web software for pumps

turn depend on the flow, the head and the rpm

of the pump. All the calculations are done for
you. Is your pump cavitating? This applet will
help you determine this. ENJOY! Click on the
image to start.

View this applet's Help file.

3. Predict centrifugal pump efficiency

This neat applet helps you do power

calculations prior to the selection of the pump
from a manufacturer's catalog. Save time in the
initial phase of the project and calculate power
requirement prior to the final pump selection.
Alternatively, compare the efficiency of the
final pump selection with the industry average.

View this applet's Help file.

4. Calculate head from pressure and flow from

velocity

This applet will convert your pressure

readings at the pump discharge and suction to
pressure head. Use these values to check against
the pump performance curve to see if you are
obtaining the predicted performance.

It also helps you convert flow rate to velocity,

simple but effective.

View this applet's Help file.

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Applets or instant web software for pumps

5. Calculate the mass flow rate of solids

suspended in a liquid

If you transport solids in a liquid via a pumping

system you need to know how many tons per
hour of solids are being displaced. This applet

will help you calculate this based on the

volumetric flow rate and other factors.

View this applet's Help file.

6. Affinity laws - Calculate a new impeller

diameter or speed for a new flow rate

The affinity laws can be used to calculate a new

impeller diameter for a new flow requirement. If
you are contemplating a permanent flow
reduction, reducing the impeller diameter will
allow your pump to run smoothly and more

efficiently. This applet will help you do

these calculations.

Alternatively calculate what speed is required

while keeping the diameter constant for a new
flow requirement.

In short the affinity laws are great, use them!

View this applet's Help file.

7.1 Calculate total head of a centrifugal pump

with pressure measurements

It's a long process to calculate the total head

of a pump and you need allot of information.
Fortunately it is quite easy to measure the
pressure at the pump outlet and inlet and then

calculate the total head. This applet helps

you do this calculation.

7.2 Calculate the pump power with motor

current

Motor amps are easy to obtain as most

installations have ammeters installed on the
motor control panel. You can calculate the power

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consumed by the pump with the amperage

reading of the motor and therefore determine
the mechanical status of the pump. You can use
this applet and the data provided to help you
with this calculation.

View this applet's Help file.

8. Pipe friction loss for pulp suspensions

This applet will be useful for people who

work in the pulp and paper industry. Pulp
suspensions are a special class of non newtonian
fluids. Depending on the consistency, the
friction factor can be much greater than that
of water.

The applet will help you calculate the

friction factor (feet/100 feet of pipe) for each
type of pulp suspension. It will also rank them in
order of high to low friction. This method can
only be used for pulp consistency higher than
2% and less than 6%. Two percent consistency
pulp is considered to have the same friction
factor as water.

View this applet's Help file.

9. Viscosity correction factors for centrifugal

pump water performance characteristic curves

This applet will help you calculate the

correction factors to apply to the performance
of a pump with a viscous fluid when the water
performance is known.

The applet will help you calculate the three

correction factors to apply to head, flow and
efficiency. This calculation is based on research
conducted by the Hydraulic Institute
www.pumps.org.

View this applet's Help file.

10. Minimum pump inlet submersion to avoid

vortex formation in the suction tank

This applet will help you calculate the

minimum submersion of a pump's inlet pipe in the
suction tank to avoid the formation of a vortex
and therefore air entrainment in the pump which
would reduce the pump's capacity.

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View this applet's Help file.

11. Impeller erosion - Calculate the impeller

tip speed to avoid excessive erosion due to
solid particles in suspension

The applet helps you calculate the tip speed

of the impeller. When pumps get large, impeller
tip speed can become an issue in terms of
excessive erosion due to abrasive particles. This
is especially prevalent in the mining industry
where very heavy concentrated abrasive slurries
are handled on a regular basis. The Hydraulic
Institute has issued guidelines on maximum tip
speed to avoid excessive erosion. These
guidelines are clearly shown in the applet.

View this applet's Help file.

12. Calculate the pressure anywhere within a

pump system

Often one needs to know the pressure at a

specific location in a pump system, this applet

is designed to help you do this. It may be at

the inlet of a control valve, or maybe at the
high point of the system. One critical location is
the pump inlet, this will allow you to calculate
the N.P.S.H.A. of the system.

View this applet's Help file.

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13. Pipe friction head loss

This applet will tell you how much friction

loss the fluid will produce at a certain flow rate
for a given pipe size, pipe roughness and flow
rate (Newtonian fluids only).

View this applet's Help file.

14. Maximum allowable piping pressure

This applet will help you calculate the

maximum allowable pressure in pipe according to
the ASME pressure piping code B31.3.

View this applet's Help file.

15. Pipe fittings friction loss

This applet will help you calculate pipe

fittings friction loss according to Crane Valve
Co. Technical Paper no.410.

View this applet's Help file.

16. Pipe size economic analysis

This applet will help you decide the pipe

diameter based on a comparison of pump power
costs and pipe installation costs. Size pipes
properly now, once they are installed it's too
late.

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View this applet's Help file.

Disclaimer: We are confident that these programs work as intended, however, we cannot be held responsible for any
negative consequences of their use. You may check the results at all times, a practice I encourage since the answers can be
easily calculated with the formulas provided either directly on the program display or in the Help menu.

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