WAYS TO INCREASE & REDUCE NPSHa

-If necessary to increase a system’s NPSHa, one or more of the following steps may be employed.

1. Raise the level of the liquid in the suction vessel.

2. Cool the liquid (after it leaves the vessel)
3. Reduce the losses in the suction line by reducing its length, increasing its diameter, reducing
number of fittings, etc.
4. Install a booster pump.
5. With a reciprocating pump, or pulsating rotary pump, install a bottle or suction stabilizer in the
suction stabilizer in the suction line adjacent to the pump.

WAYS TO REDUCE NPSHr

-If the pump is in the selection stage, one or more of the following options may be employed to reduce
the NPSHr.

1. Use a double- suction impeller.

2. Use a larger pump.
3. Use a lower speed pump
4. Use an inducer (a small axial flow impeller built into the eye of the main impeller)
5. Install the pump at a lower elevation
6. With a vertical turbine pump, lower the first- stage impeller (make the pump longer).

-All of the above will normally increase the initial cost of the pump and/ or installation. Options two
and three will also likely result in higher operating cost due to lower efficiency.

Option two may result in a pump operating in the hydraulically unstable range.

-If the pump is already installed, one or more of the following options may be employed to reduce the
NPSHr.

1. If operating near or beyond the BEP, reduce pump capacity.

2. If operating near shut-off increase pump capacity (with a bypass if necessary)
3. Reduce wear ring clearance.
4. Reduce seal flush flow
5. Vent the seal Chamber (stuffing box) back to the suction vessel.
6. On a horizontal multistage pump with a balancing drum, pipe the balancing line back to the
suction vessel. The valves in this line must be locked open.
7. On a vertical multistage pump, pipe the bleed-off line from the throat bushing back to the
suction vessel.

The valves in this line should be locked open.