Purpose of the Guide

T
his guide is for anyone wishing to
buy or select pumps and save
money. The aim is to help you choose a
pump of good efficiency. This will
reduce your energy costs. In some cases
the saving from just one additional
point of efficiency can pay for your
pump. We hope this Guide will also
reduce the energy used across the EU,
benefiting everyone through a better
environment.
Pump types and duties
This Guide should only be used for single stage
centrifugal pumps handling clean water at up
to 95C. Pump types covered are:
End suction pumps having their own
bearings.
End suction close coupled pumps, with the
impeller on the motor shaft.
Double entry pumps having an axially split
casing.
The applicable ranges of flow and head are
shown on Figs 1 and 2 for pumps running at
nominally 2900 and 1450 rpm.
2
EUROPEAN GUIDE TO PUMP EFFICIENCY FOR SINGLE STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
1000
100
10
10 100 1000
Flow (m
3
/h)
H
e
a
d

(
m
)
10000
ESOB
DESC
ESCC ESCC
200 kW
96 kW
23 kW
2.5 kW 1.4 kW
ESCC End Suction Close Coupled
ESOB End Suction Own Bearings
DESC Double Entry Split Casing
1000
100
10
10 100 1000
Flow (m
3
/h)
H
e
a
d

(
m
)
10000
ESOB ESOB
DESC
ESCC
680 kW
67 kW
20 kW
7.4 kW
1.2 kW
ESCC End Suction Close Coupled
ESOB End Suction Own Bearings
DESC Double Entry Split Casing
Figure 1:
Range coverage at
best-efficiency
duties at 2900 rpm.
Figure 2:
Range coverage at
best-efficiency
duties at 1450 rpm.
EUROPEAN GUIDE TO PUMP EFFICIENCY FOR SINGLE STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
3
Method used for
producing the
efficiency plots
Performance curves published in
manufacturers catalogues have been used to
produce six plots (Figs 3 to 8). The upper
pump efficiency line on each plot shows the
Catalogue mean of best-efficiency points at
maximum impeller diameter, after correcting
for pump head.
The lower line is an average of efficiencies for
pumps typically selected for flows across the
range, which are not always operating at best
efficiency point or maximum impeller diameter
(Ref 1).
The two lines divide the plot into three areas:
Optimum efficiency selections: high
efficiency pumps operating at or close to
the best efficiency point
Efficient selections: pumps which
probably have a reasonable best efficiency
but, because of standard pump ranges,
may have been quoted away from BEP
(Best Efficiency Point)
Lower efficiency selections: selection in
this area should only be accepted if other
parameters override (such as very low
NPSH, pump operating with short run
times, spares inventory minimisation)
85
80
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200
Pump flow (m
3
/h)
P
u
m
p

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

+

C

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

c
o
r
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

=

C
Optimum efficiency selections
Lower efficiency selections
Efficient selections
130m
Head
110m
90m
70m
50m
40m
30m
20m
20m
90
85
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
20 60 100 140 180 220 260 300 340 380
Pump flow (m
3
/h)
P
u
m
p

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

+

C

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

c
o
r
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

=

C
Optimum efficiency selections
Lower efficiency selections
Efficient selections
Head
50m
40m
30m
20m
15m
10m
15m 10m
Figure 3:
Efficiencies of end
suction pumps with
their own bearings
at 2900 rpm.
Figure 4:
Efficiencies of end
suction pumps with
their own bearings
at 1450 rpm.
How to use the
efficiency plots:
1. Decide which type of pump you want.
2. Choose the flow and head at which you
would like maximum efficiency.
3. Get efficiency quotes from manufacturers
(or use published information).
4. Check that the chosen flow and head are
within the ranges of Figs 1 or 2.
5. Enter your chosen flow and head on the
plot that suits the quotes (Figs 3 to 8).
6. Read correction factor C on the right-hand
axis.
7. Add C to the efficiency that has been quoted.
8. Plot (quoted pump efficiency + correction
C) at your chosen flow.
If the point lies in the Lower efficiency
selections area, seek higher efficiency quotes.
If the point lies in the Efficient selections
area, you have a pump which may well have a
reasonable best efficiency but, because of
standard pump ranges, has been quoted away
from BEP. You should therefore seek higher
efficiency quotes, to see if you can get a pump
with the BEP closer to your operating point.
If the point lies in the Optimum efficiency
selections area, you have been quoted a
pump with high best efficiency and you are
operating close to BEP and you are unlikely to
improve on this selection.
85
75
30
35
25
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
80
10 30 50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 200 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Pump flow (m
3
/h)
P
u
m
p

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

+

C

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

c
o
r
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

=

C
Optimum efficiency selections
Lower efficiency selections
Efficient selections
Head
130m
110m
90m
70m
30m
40m
50m
20m
20m
85
90
75
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
80
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
Pump flow (m
3
/h)
P
u
m
p

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

+

C

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

c
o
r
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

=

C
Optimum efficiency selections
Lower efficiency selections
Efficient selections
Head
50m
40m
30m
15m
20m
25m
10m
4
EUROPEAN GUIDE TO PUMP EFFICIENCY FOR SINGLE STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
Figure 5:
Efficiencies of end
suction close
coupled pumps at
2900 rpm.
Figure 6:
Efficiencies of end
suction close
coupled pumps at
1450 rpm.
EUROPEAN GUIDE TO PUMP EFFICIENCY FOR SINGLE STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
5
Important note: Although a quoted low efficiency
may be due to poor pump quality, it is more likely
to be due to your chosen duty not coinciding with
that pumps best-efficiency point. Your flow may be
below or above the optimum for that pump. Your
head will probably require a reduced diameter
impeller. A survey has suggested that you are
unlikely to receive more than one quote in five in
the Optimum efficiency selections area.
80
85
90
70
40
45
50
55
60
65
75
130 150 170 190 210 230 250 270 290 310 330 350 370 390
Pump flow (m
3
/h)
P
u
m
p

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

+

C

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

c
o
r
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

=

C
Optimum efficiency selections
Lower efficiency selections
Efficient selections
Head
50m
70m
90m
110m
130m
150m
85
90
95
75
45
50
55
60
65
70
80
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500
Pump flow (m
3
/h)
P
u
m
p

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

+

C

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

c
o
r
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

=

C
Optimum efficiency selections
Lower efficiency selections
Efficient selections
Head
20m
30m
40m
50m
60m
80m
140m
120m
100m
15m 20m
40m 30m
Figure 7:
Efficiencies of
double entry axially
split casing pumps
at 2900 rpm.
Figure 8:
Efficiencies of
double entry axially
split casing pumps
at 1450 rpm.
Worked example:
Chosen pump type: End suction with own bearings.
Chosen duty for maximum efficiency: 80 m
3
/h at 110 m.
Quoted pump performance: 60% efficiency at 2900 rpm.
(Check materials, suction performance, etc,
are satisfactory)
Is chosen duty within ranges covered: From Fig 1, yes.
From Fig 3: C = 14.
Plot on Fig 3: Pump Efficiency + C = 60 + 14 = 74%.
Fig 3 suggests that an additional 3 points of efficiency
or more is possible.
Action: Seek further quotes.
Correction of efficiency
for pump head
Correction C, as shown on Figs 3 to 8, is
based on pump flow, head and speed. It is
actually a correction for pump Specific Speed.
Pumps of relatively low head and high flow
(high Specific Speed) or high head and low
flow (low Specific Speed) lose efficiency due to
unavoidable secondary hydraulic losses. Within
Ref 2 there is a curve to allow efficiency
correction for Specific Speed. This is actually
the correction proposed by Anderson (Ref 3).
Alternative curves to correct for Specific Speed
can be derived from Ref 4 and Ref 5.
None of these curves appear to provide an
optimum correction for the published
manufacturers data analysed for this Guide.
We have therefore chosen to use an
intermediate Specific Speed correction curve,
which produces the minimum scatter of the
points plotted. There is no strict theoretical
justification for this approach but we believe
that it serves well for the purpose for which
this Guide is intended. (Further information
can be found in Ref 6.)
Loss of pump efficiency
with time
A pump of high efficiency is of little value if the
efficiency falls rapidly with time. You can
minimise this risk. Choose materials carefully,
particularly for wear rings. Avoid high and low
flow operation in relation to your chosen duty.
Ask for cast iron casings to be protectively
coated if the water is known to cause serious
roughening due to corrosion.
Life Cycle Cost (LCC)
It is likely that the design of the pumping
system and the way the pump is operated will
have a greater impact on the energy
consumption than the pump efficiency alone.
You should carry out an LCC analysis to
compare different technical alternatives of
designing, operating and maintaining a
pumping system. The LCC represents the total
expenses to purchase, install, operate, maintain
and repair a pumping system during its
projected life. Down time and environmental
costs are also considered.
A well-documented guide has been published
by Hydraulic Institute and Europump (Ref 7).
The guide explains how the operating costs of
a pumping system are influenced by system
design, and shows in detail how to use an LCC
analysis to estimate these costs. Using the
recommendations of the guide, you should
take into account not only the initial
investment cost, but also all the other costs
and expenses of operating the system during
its projected life.
Basic principles of
choosing a pump
The fundamentals of pump selection are
covered in Appendix 3 of Ref 6, together with
notes on the basics of centrifugal pump
characteristics, reducing impeller diameter,
reducing speed, and the effect of wear.
Efficiency plots used in
this Guide compared to
other sources
For practical reasons it has only been possible
to source a limited amount of data to produce
the plots in this Guide. To assess how
meaningful the results are, it is useful to
compare them with other sources. The best
efficiencies (corrected to optimum Specific
Speed) for end suction pumps having their
own bearings at 2900 rpm are plotted in Fig 9.
The mean of these points is marked
Catalogue mean. Additional curves (all at
optimum Specific Speed) are derived as
follows:
Hydraulic Institute
Fig 1A (Ref 2).
Anderson
Fig 7.3 (Ref 3).
Maximum practically attainable
(EUROPUMP) - Figs 7 to 10 (Ref 4).
Theoretically attainable
(EUROPUMP) - Using Figs 7 to 10 of Ref 4
(Ref 5).
From Fig 9 we deduce that the Catalogue
mean curve is suitable for use in this Guide.
The Hydraulic Institute ANSI/API curve
is low, particularly at low flows. This is
probably mainly due to the use of relatively
large wear ring clearances, as required for
pumps in special materials or to meet the
American Petroleum Institute (API) Standard.
6
EUROPEAN GUIDE TO PUMP EFFICIENCY FOR SINGLE STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
EUROPEAN GUIDE TO PUMP EFFICIENCY FOR SINGLE STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
7
References
1. Evaluation of efficiency values considering the
effect of pump size modularity, Stoffel, B.,
Ludwig, G., and Meschkat, S., Technical
University of Darmstadt, 2002.
2. Efficiency prediction method for centrifugal
pumps, Hydraulic Institute, 1994.
3. Centrifugal pumps and allied machinery,
Anderson, H.H., Elsevier Advanced
Technology, 1994.
4. Attainable efficiencies of volute casing
pumps, Europump Guide No. 2, 1999.
5. Theoretically attainable efficiency of
centrifugal pumps, Stoffel, B. and Lauer, J.,
Summary of the final report on the research
project for VDMA, Technical University of
Darmstadt, 1994.
6. Study on improving the efficiency of pumps,
Report produced for the European
Commission SAVE, 2001. Available via
http://energyefficiency.jrc.cec.eu.int/
motorchallenge
7. Pump life cycle costs: A guide to LCC
analysis for pumping systems, Europump
and Hydraulic Institute, 2000.
(ISBN 1-880952-58-0)
85
90
95
75
55
60
65
70
80
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200
Pump flow (m
3
/h)
P
u
m
p

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

a
t

o
p
t
i
m
u
m

S
p
e
c
i
f
i
c

S
p
e
e
d

(
%
)
Theoretically attainable
Hydraulic Institute
Large Pumps
Maximum practically
attainable
Catalogue mean
Anderson
Hydraulic Institute
ANSI/API
Figure 9:
Comparison of
efficiencies of end
suction pumps from
various sources.
This Guide has
been produced by
a Project Team
comprising:
Future Energy Solutions (UK)
Project Leader
CETIM (France)
David T Reeves (UK)
NESA (Denmark)
University of Darmstadt (Germany)
EUROPUMP (membership)
The work was funded principally by the
European Commission with additional
funding provided by the Project Team. Pump
motor system energy efficiency continues
through the European Commission through
the Motor Challenge Programme;
more information can be found at
http://energyefficiency.jrc.cec.eu.int/
motorchallenge/index.htm
For further information
please contact:
European Commission, JRC
Dr Paolo Bertoldi
DG Joint Research Centre
I-21020 Ispra
Varese
Italy
Tel. +39 0332 789299
Fax +39 0332 789992
Paolo.bertoldi@cec.eu.int
http://energyefficiency.jrc.cec.eu.int
EUROPUMP
EUROPUMP
Diamant Building
BD A. Reyers 80
B-1030 Brussels
Tel. +32 2 7068230
Fax +32 2 7068250
secretariat@europump.org
EUROPEAN GUIDE TO PUMP EFFICIENCY FOR SINGLE STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
European Commission. This edition printed May 2003.