NPSH Visualized
If you’ve ever fallen asleep reading pump texts about NPSH, you’re not alone. But here’s an easy-to-understand, graphical approach to ensuring your calculations.
If you’ve ever fallen asleep reading pump texts about NPSH, you’re not alone. But here’s an easy-to-understand, graphical approach to ensuring your calculations.
The pressure at which the entire capacity of the pump is bypassing through the relief valve. In other words, this is the maximum differential pressure rating for pumps with internal relief valves or the maximum discharge pressure rating for pumps with return-to-tank valves or in-line system valves.
Calculation: Dependent on the valve used, spring used, and capacity of the pump.
The maximum continuous pressure for which the pump is designed.
Calculating: MAWP can be established as the lowest pressure limit of the following 3 components:
1) Shaft Seal
2) Joint Seals
3) Port Connections
The maximum allowable difference between the Discharge Pressure and the Inlet Pressure for a given set of operating conditions.
Calculating: Provided by the Pump Selector program or Catalog Performance Curves, but may be increased or decreased depending on the application specifics, pump size, and construction. This may be less than or equal to the Full Bypass Pressure of the relief valve.