CENTRIFUGAL PUMP SPECIFIC SPEED PRIMER AND THE AFFINITY LAWS

Jacques Chaurette p. eng., Fluide Design Inc.

November 2004
www.fluidedesign.com

There is a number called the specific speed of a pump whose value tells us something about
the type of pump. Is it a radial type pump which provides high head and low flow or an axial
or propeller type pump which provides low flow but high head or something in between. If
you are worried whether you have the right type of pump or not this number will help you
decide. The article gives you an example of how to calculate this number. Also if you are
worried that your pump may be cavitating there is another number related to specific speed
called suction specific speed that will help you diagnose and avoid cavitation.
There is a multitude of pump designs that are available for any given task. Pump designers
have needed a way to compare the efficiency of their designs across a large range of pump
model and types. Pump users also would like to know what efficiency can be expected from
a particular pump design. For that purpose pump have been tested and compared using a
number or criteria called the specific speed (NS) which helps to do these comparisons. The
efficiency of pumps with the same specific speed can be compared providing the user or the
designer a starting point for comparison or as a benchmark for improving the design and
increase the efficiency. Equation [1] gives the value for the pump specific speed, H is the
pump total head, N the speed of the impeller and Q the flow rate.

NS =

n(rpm) Q(USgpm)
H( ft fluid)0.75

[1]

5764 Monkland avenue, Suite 311, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4A 1E9 Tel: 514.484.PUMP (7867) Fax: 514.484.2294
E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.fluidedesign.com

Specific speed primer2

Figure 1 Specific speed values for the different pump designs.

(source: the Hydraulic Institute Standards book, see www.pumps.org)
Pumps are traditionally divided into 3 types, radial flow (see Figure 2), mixed flow (see Figure
3) and axial flow (see Figure 4). There is a continuous change from the radial flow impeller,
which develops pressure principally from the action of centrifugal force, to the axial flow
impeller, which develops most of its head by the propelling or lifting action of the vanes on the
liquid.

Figure 2 Radial flow

pump cross-section,
(source: Hydraulic
Institute
www.pumps.org).

Figure 3 Mixed flow

pump cross-section,
(source: Hydraulic
Institute
www.pumps.org).

Figure 4 Axial flow

pump cross-section,
(source: Hydraulic
Institute
www.pumps.org).

Specific speed primer3

Specific speed has also been used as a criteria for evaluating the efficiency of standard
volute pumps (see Figure 5). Notice that larger pumps are inherently more efficient and that
efficiency drops rapidly at specific speeds of 1000 or less.

Figure 5 Efficiency values for pump with different specific speeds (source:
The Pump Handbook published by McGraw Hill).

Specific speed primer4

The following chart provides the efficiency data for pumps of various types vs the flow rate
and maybe easier to read than Figure 5. However some corrections are required (use the
chart in the upper left corner of Figure 6) to the values predicted.

Figure 6 Efficiency values for pumps of different types (source: The Hydraulic
Institute www.pumps.org).

Specific speed primer5

Lets take an example, we have selected a Goulds pump Model 3175 which will provide us
with a head of 97 feet at a flow rate of 500 USgpm, what is the specific speed? The
efficiency of this pump according to the Goulds performance curve (see Figure 6) is 71.5%.
The chart in Figure 5 predicts that the efficiency should be 78% for a specific speed of 1266,
this is a fair difference, perhaps Goulds would suggest another pump as an alternative.

NS =

n(rpm) Q(USgpm) 1750x 500

=
= 1266
H( ft fluid)0.75
970.75

[2]

Figure 7 Goulds characteristic curves for a model 3175 3X6-12 pump at 1770 rpm
(from the Goulds pump catalogue).
SUCTION SPECIFIC SPEED
Suction specific speed is a number that is dimensionally similar to the pump specific speed
and is used as a guide to prevent cavitation.

S=

n(rpm) Q(USgpm)
N.P.S.H.A ( ft fluid)0.75

[3]

Specific speed primer6

Instead of using the total head of the pump H, the N.P.S.H.A (Net Positive Suction Head
available) is used. Also if the pump is a double suction pump then the flow value to be used
is one half the total pump output.
From the previous article on cavitation, the N.P.S.H.A at the pump suction is :

N.P.S.H.avail. ( ft fluid absol. ) = (H F1 S + HEQ1 S ) +

v1

2g

+ ( z1 z S + H1 ) + H A Hva

[4]

where HA and Hva are in feet of fluid. Equation [4] requires that the piping (HF1-S) friction
loss and equipment friction loss (HEQ1-S) be calculated. The meaning of some of the
variables in equation [4] are shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8 Meaning of the variables used for calculating the

N.P.S.H.A.
We can avoid doing the calculations for equation [4] by measuring the N.P.S.H.. The value
for the N.P.S.H.A can be deduced by taking a pressure measurement at the pump inlet and
using equation [5]

N .P.S .H . avail ( ft fluid absol .) = 2.31

p GS ( psig )
SG

+ z GS z S +

vS
+ H A + H va
2 g

[5]

Specific speed primer7

The meaning of some of the variables in equation [5] are shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9 Location of variables for measuring

N.P.S.H.A.

We may be considering an increase in the pumps speed to increase the flow rate. If so, be
aware that an increase in speed will also require an increase in N.P.S.H. required. The
suction specific speed value give us an indication of what the impeller speed limitation will be
for a given N.P.S.H.A . The Hydraulic Institute recommends that the suction specific speed
be limited to 8500 to avoid cavitation. Other experiments have shown that the suction specific
speed could be as high as 11000.
In the previous example the N.P.S.H.A of the pump was determined to be 15 feet absolute.
Therefore the suction specific speed will be 5130.

S=

n(rpm) Q(USgpm)
N.P.S.H.A ( ft fluid)0.75

1750 x 500
=
= 5130
150.75

[6]

This is well below 8500. We can easily calculate the new suction specific speed if we were to
change the impeller speed.
When a pump has a high suction specific speed value, it can mean that the impeller inlet area
is large reducing the inlet velocity which is needed to enable a low NPSHR. However, if you
continue to increase the impeller inlet area (to reduce NPSHR), you will reach a point where
the inlet area is too large resulting in suction recirculation (hydraulically unstable causing
vibration, cavitation, erosion etc..). The recommended cap on the S value is to avoid reaching
that point. (paragraph contributed by Mike Tan of the pump forum group).

Specific speed primer8

Keeping the suction specific speed below 8500 is also a way of determining the maximum
speed of a pump and avoiding cavitation. For a double suction pump, half the value of Q is
used for calculating the suction specific speed.
According to the Hydraulic Institute the efficiency of the pump is maximum when the suction
specific speed is between 2000 and 4000. When S lies outside this range the efficiency must
be de-rated according to the following figure.

Figure 10 Pump efficiency correction due to suction

specific speed.

AFFINITY LAWS

The affinity laws are derived from a dimensionless analysis of three important parameters
that describe pump performance: flow, total head and power (ref: The Pump Handbook by
McGraw-Hill, chapter 2). The analysis is based on the reduced impeller being geometrically
similar and operated at dynamically similar conditions or equal specific speed. If that is the
case then the affinity laws can be used to predict the performance of the pump at different
diameters for the same speed or different speed for the same diameter. Since in practice
impellers of different diameters are not geometrically identical, the author's of the section
called Performance Parameters in the Pump Handbook recommend to limit the use of this
technique to a change of impeller diameter no greater than 10 to 20%. In order to avoid over
cutting the impeller, it is recommended that the trimming be done in steps with careful
measurement of the results. At each step compare your predicted performance with the
measured one and adjust as necessary.
The affinity laws were developed using the law of similitudes which provide 3 basic
relationships.
Flow vs. diameter and speed

Specific speed primer9

Q
=K
nD 3

or

Q1 n1 D1
=
Q2 n2 D2 3

or

H 1 n1 D1
=
H 2 n2 2 D2 2

Total Head vs. diameter and speed

gH
=K
n2 D2

Power vs. diameter and speed

P
3 5
n D
g

or

=K

P1 n1 D1
=
P2 n2 3 D2 5

where subscripts 1 and 2 denote the value before and after the change. P is the power, n the
speed, D the impeller diameter, H the total head.

If the speed is fixed the affinity laws become:

Q1 D1
=
Q2 D2 3

H 1 D1
=
H 2 D2 2

P1 D1
=
P2 D2 5

If the diameter is fixed the affinity laws become:

Q1 n1
=
Q2 n2

H 1 n1
=
H 2 n2 2

P1 n1
=
P2 n2 3

The process of arriving at the affinity laws assumes that the two operating points that are
being compared are at the same efficiency. The relationship between two operating points,
say 1 and 2, depends on the shape of the system curve (see Figure 11). The points that lie
on system curve A will all be approximately at the same efficiency. Whereas the points that
lie on system curve B are not. The affinity laws do not apply to points that belong to system
curve B. System curve B describes a system with a relatively high static head vs. system
curve A which has a low static head.

Specific speed primer10

Figure 11 Limitation on the use of the affinity laws.

Specific speed primer11

Symbols
Variable nomenclature
g

acceleration due to gravity: 32.17 ft/s2

NS
specific speed
S
suction specific speed
H
head
N.P.S.H.
Net Positive Suction Head
HEQ equipment head difference
HF friction head difference
p
pressure
SG

specific gravity; ratio of the fluid density

to the density of water at standard
conditions
flow rate

N
v
z

impeller speed
velocity
vertical position

Imperial system
(FPS units)
ft/s2 (feet/second
squared)

Metric system
(SI units)
m/s2 (meter/second
squared)

ft (feet)

m (meter)

ft (feet)
ft (feet)
psi (pound per square
inch)
non-dimensional

m (meter)
m (meter)
kPa (kiloPascal)

USgpm (US gallon per

minute)
rpm
ft/s (feet/second)
ft (feet)

Cubic meters per

hour
m/s (meter/second)
m (meter)