Size of Diaphragm Tanks for Pressure boosting.

For constant pressure applications diaphragm tanks are often used in combination with a pressure boosting
system. The main purpose of the tank is to avoid operating the pump at very low flows and instead use the
capacity of the tank to supply pressurized water during low flows. The required sized of this tank is dependent
of the minimum flow from the pump and the accepted pressure band in combination with the maximum start
stops per hour of the pump.

Sizing of tanks in a fixed speed booster system.

Traditionally fixed speed booster system operated using an On/Off control
philosophy. When the discharge pressure of the booster pump system
reached the lower setting of the band (start pressure), the pump will start
and run until the system pressure reaches the upper part of the band (stop
pressure).

In the example in figure 2 the minimum set pressure is 40 metres and the
band is allowed to be 15 metres, hence a pump stop pressure of 55 metres .
According to the selected pump, in this case a CR5-11, the flow from the
pump is 7m3/h at the start pressure and 5 m3/h at the stop pressure. This
means that as long as required flow is between 5 and 7 m3/h the pump will
operate and supply water and pressure. If the application required a flow
that was constantly between 5 and 7 m3/h there where no need for a
diaphragm tank.
However in a booster
application the demand
flow goes up and down.
When the demand is below Fig. 1 Hydro Solo-S
5 m3/h a tank is required.
If we look at an example were the flow is just below 5m3/h:
The pump would stop as the stop pressure is reached and the
pressure will drop over time. If there is no tank at all the
pressure drop of 15 meter, required to start the pump again,
will happen almost instantaneously. This means that without
a diaphragm tank the pump will start and stop numerous
times per hour.
Pumps, especially fixed speed pumps, are not designed to be
Fig. 2 Pump curve fixed speed.
started and stopped that many times per hour. The maximum
recommended numbers of start and stops for a fixed speed CR
pump at 2,2kW is 200 pr hour. That is equal to a start every 18. sec.
To ensure that the pump does not start more than that, the tank needs to be able to keep the system pressure
above the start pressure for at least 18 sec.
In volume that is:
5m3/h / 3600 * 18 sec = 0,025 m3 Approx 25 litres
For the tank to supply this at the needed pressure the total tank volume needs to be larger. The tank size can
be calculated by looking at the tank in three situations:
Situation 1: The pump has just stopped and the pressure is 55 meter of head.
Situation 2: Just before the pump start and the pressure is down to 40 meter of head.
Situation 3: A pressure less system where the tank is empty and the pressure in the tank is equal to the pre-
charge pressure (0,9 * setpoint = 36m).

Fig. 3 Tank in Fig. 4 Tank in Fig. 5 Tank in

situation 1. situation 2. situation 3.
 We know that the difference in volume of air between situation 1 and situation 2 is 25 liter. And we know that
P1 is 55 meter, P2 is 40 meter. Based on this we can calculate the amount of air in the tank in situation 1 using
Boyles law:
P1 * V1 = P2 * V2=> V1 = P2 ((dV)/ (P2- P1)) => V1 = 40m * ((25l)/40m-55m) => V1 = 66,67 litre
The amount of air in situation 2 is:
V2= V1 + dV => V2 = 66,67l+25l = 91,67 Litre
The amount of ait in situation 3 can now be calculated using Boyles:
P2 * V2 = P3 * V3 => V3 = (P2 * V2) / P3 => V3 = (40m * 91,67l)/ 36m => V3 = 101,78 Litre

So for this fixed speed system a minimum tank capacity of 101,78 litre is needed.

Sizing of tanks in a speed controlled booster system

The speed controlled booster uses the ability to reduced the speed of the pump to
lower the flow while maintain the pressure. This is done based on a pressure sensor,
opposed to the pressure switch of the fixed speed booster. This technology means
that the pressure band used on the fixed speed system is no longer needed in the
normal operation range.
The pumps are normally not regulated further down than to 10% flow. Below 10%
flow it is not very efficient to operate the pump. Instead of operating the pump in
constant pressure at this low flow the operation of the booster is changed from
constant pressure to on/off mode.
In the example below this is happening approx. when the pump is speeded down to
74%. Fig 4. Hydro Solo-E
The pump then ramps up to increase the pressure to 45meter before it stops. The
pump is then stopped until the pressure is below 35 meter. So basically the pump operates with in a band
around the setpoint. The flow when the on/off operation mode is active is in this case 0,7m3/h.
The speed controlled motor is allowed many more starts/stops pr hour than a fixed speed motor, but for
comparison the below tank sizing is based on a maximum of 200 pr hour like the fixed speed.

Again the pump needs to be stopped for 18 sec which in this

case can be calculated to a volume of:
0,7m3/h / 3600 * 18 sec = 0,0035 m3 Approx 3,5 litres
To calculate the total needed tank size we look at the three
situations again:

Situation 1: The pump has just stopped and the pressure is 45

meters of head.

Situation 2: Just before the pump start and the pressure is down
to 35 meters of head.

Situation 3: A pressure less system where the tank is empty and

the pressure in the tank is equal to the pre-charge pressure (0,7
* Setpoint =28 m)
Fig. 5 Speed controlled pump

We know that the difference in volume of air between situation 1 and situation 2 is 3,5 litre, we know that P1
is 45 meter and P2 is 35 meter. Based on this we can calculate the amount of air in the tank in situation 1 using
Bolyes law:
P1 * V1 = P2 * V2=> V1 = P2 ((dV)/ (P2- P1)) => V1 = 35m * ((3,5l)/35m-45m) => V1 = 12,25 litre
The amount of air in situation 2 is:
V2= V1 + dV => V2 = 12,25l+3,5l = 15,75 Litre
The amount of air in situation 3 can now be calculated using Boyles:
P2 * V2 = P3 * V3 => V3 = (P2 * V2) / P3 => V3 = (35 m * 15,75l) / 28m => V3 = 19,68 Litre

So by these calculations it can be seen that the required tank size on a speed controlled system is much less
that of a comparable fixed speed system.
If you compare the on/off band of the speed controlled booster with the start and stop pressure of the fixed
speed booster, the on/off band is placed below the required pressure. However, this is only possible because
the on/off operation happens at such a low flow rate on a speed controlled booster. At this low flow the
friction loss in the system which the booster is supplying water to is also low, so for the end user the pressure
drop normally is not noticed.

The 200 start / stops pr hour is, even though the motor can cope with it, a high number and often the 100
starts pr. hour is used. Decreasing the number of start / stops pr. hour will increase the required tank size.

It should be noted that the band sizes used in the above is standard band sizes, if the band is increased it will
lead to a smaller required tank size, however this will also means a lager difference in pressure for the end
user.

The calculations are based on the minimum flow of the pump and there for the example also applies to
booster systems with pumps in parallel. In such a system the calculations must be based on the minimum flow
of the last pump in operation. This also means that if the system is equipped with a Jockey pump this
decreases the required sized of the diaphragm tank.