Centrifugal Pump Curves and Theory

A centrifugal pump is a dynamic machine that has performance characteristics which are partially determined by the environment in which it is operating. One of the best ways to display and study the capabilities of a given pump is with a graph called a pump performance curve. A pump performance curve is actually a set of curves showing a number of parameters versus flowrate. Pump curves can be combined with hydraulic requirements, or system curve, to determine the suitability of a pump for a given task.

• Describe what a pump performance curve represents • Describe the relationship between a system curve and a pump curve • Describe what pump affinity laws are • List the effects of changing pump speed on flow, head and required power • Describe pump specific speed • Describe the performance characteristics of a pump with a low specific speed