an

Engineering
& Technical
Service Bulletin
J.H. WRIGHT & ASSOCIATES
CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS AND
FOUR QUADRANT CURVES
In some process
applications the liquid
remains at a high
pressure after it has
completed it’s cycle. It is
therefore often desirable
to recover this energy
rather than just dissipate
it. In other pumping
applications, failure of a
power source could
cause back flow through
the pump and extreme
reverse rotation.
The two above cases bring me to a
rather esoteric, but interesting centri-
fugal pump subject – four quadrant
or Karman-Knapp pump curves.
Consider the above – a simplified
four quadrant curve of a typical
centrifugal pump.
Topics
You will note there are three per-
formance curves shown. One for zero
pump RPM, one for +1800RPM (in
the correct direction of rotation) and
one for -1800RPM (backward rotation).
Also, note that the ordinate and
abscissa represent GPM and TDH.
However, in Quadrant B & C they
also represent negative values. The
intersection of the two represents
zero flow at zero head.
Quadrant A: represents the normal
operation of a centrifugal pump, at
least as far as +1800RPM is concerned.
The curve labeled -1800RPM is the
performance of the same pump with
the impeller turning backwards!
Quadrant C: the -1800RPM line,
represents the performance of a
hydraulic turbine. You would use
one of these to recover the energy
remaining in a process fluid. High-
pressure fluid would enter the dis-
charge of the “pump” and exit
through the suction - driving the
“pump” (now a turbine) backward.
Energy can now be recovered from
the “pump” shaft. The flow in this
quadrant is therefore described as
negative.
Quadrant B: liquid has to be forced
through the pump with a suction
head pressure higher than discharge.
This head is therefore described as
negative. The -1800RPM curve in
Quadrant B therefore describes a
reverse flow turbine. +1800RPM and
zero flow in the Quadrant B are simply
energy dissipation. So is +1800RPM
in Quadrant C.
Your eyes are probably in a fully
glassed over condition at this point so
let me pose a few practical questions
that can be answered using these
curves. 1. If a pump is spinning fully
reversed due to discharge water
column after shutdown, will the
motor be able to restart it in the
correct direction? 2. What will the
pump speed be if the motor is shut
off and a high suction pressure forces
liquid through the pump in a forward
direction? 3. What will the performance
be of the pump running backward?
4. What is the maximum reverse speed?
A complete set of four Quadrant
curves is more complex (torque is
included) than my simplified version,
but hopefully you now have a basic
understanding of their usage.

334/621-1491 205/426-5165
Fax 334/621-8111 Fax 205/428-9875
P.O. Box 1085 P.O. Box 26283
Daphne, Alabama 36526 Birmingham, Alabama 35226

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J.H.WRIGHT & ASSOCIATES P.O. Box 1085 • Daphne, Alabama 36526 • (334) 621-1491 • Fax (334) 621-8111
© SalesFacs, Inc. (800) 428-7386 www.salesfacs.com Printed in USA 3141-JHW Centrifugal Pumps & 4 Quadrant Curves - 6/98