Applications

In textbooks and seminar materials mostly

only general conclusions about the parallel
operation of two or more
pumps are given.
A formula is shown in which the flow
rates of the individual pumps are simply
added for a given constant head. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Mollenkopf

Abstract: At first sight, parallel operation of pumps does not seem to pose
any problems. Under real conditions, however, parallel pumping proves to
be rather more complex than typically portrayed in the relevant literature.
Fig.1 is shown in addition, which So as to ensure that pumps and systems produce the required flow rates
displays the information exactly and pressures detailed information is needed about the real curve of both
and correctly. the pumps and the system. The duty point of the individual pumps oper-
ated in parallel will shift and this will affect both efficiency and NPSH per-
formance. Only if these changes are taken into account will a parallel
pumping system function properly.

Characteristic curve pump I + pump II

H0
Characteristic
curve of pump I or
H pump II from the ideal textbook representa- the water levels) and the dynamic
Bparallel tion with regard to the system component of the losses of the
System curve HA Bsingle characteristics. common manifold. The dynamic
Head H

losses in the individual pipes

Qsingle
A pump system in which several (individual losses of each pump)
pumps can run in parallel is gen- are subtracted from their respective
erally arranged as shown in Fig. 2. pump characteristics. A flat pump
B Duty point
H0 Shutoff head characteristic becomes a steeper
Qparallel Each pump takes its flow from an one taking into account the losses
QI = QII = Qparallel / 2 Qparallel = QI + QII inlet sump via an individual pipe or directly attributable to that pump.
Flow rate Q from a manifold via an individual
connection, and discharges into a By adding the resulting characteris-
Fig. 1: Parallel operation of two identical cen- common manifold. tic curves reduced by the individual
trifugal pumps with stable characteristic curve
It is useful to calculate the system
curve (also called system characte-
Despite this simple formula, the ristic) using only the static com- System curve or characteristic: The
problem continues to occur during ponent (for example the difference system curve (or characteristic) is
pump operation in between the geodetic altitudes of the graph of the system head HA
parallel that the pumps required for the installation shown
or the pumping system as a function of the flow rate Q. It
H YAS
do not achieve the HVAS represents the flow resistance of
M HVAD Druckhöhenverlust in der
expected flow rate. HVAD Head loss in the discharge
Sammeldruckleitung the system for the pump. It is made
How such problems manifold up of static and dynamic com-
HYAS Druckhöhenverlust in der
can avoided will be H VPD
Sammelsaugleitung
HVAS Head loss in the suction ponents. The static components
HVPD manifold
explained under the HVPD Druckhöhenverlust in der zur (static head Hgeo and pressure
Pumpe individuell
HVPD Head gehörenden
loss in the pump's
following five head- Druckleitung
individual discharge pipe
difference between the inlet and
H
ings: H
VPS
HVPS Druckhöhenverlust in der zur outlet vessel (pout-pin)) are indepen-
VPS HVPS Head loss in the pump's
Pumpe individuell
individual gehörenden
suction pipe dent of the flow rate. The dynamic
Saugleitung
Real versus ideal HVADH
VAS
component consists of the flow
conditions resistance in the piping system and
grows as the square of the flow
The real conditions in Fig. 2: Pump system schematic (2 pumps velocity (Hv = f(Q2)).
pump systems differ operating in parallel)

4
 Applications

losses, the intersection with the If the efficiency is included in the Duty or operating point: Inter-
system characteristic and therefore characteristic curves, it becomes section of the system curve with
the total duty or operating point evident that when changing from the pump characteristic curve (for
and the operating point of each single to multiple pump operation, the actual speed of rotation). The
pump can be determined (see Fig. 3). the operating point of each indi- only possible working condition of
vidual pump increasingly shifts to- the pump in a non-controlled
The form of the system characteris- wards lower load conditions. system.
tic must be carefully considered
when an existing facility is to be ex- The choice of pump size for pumps
panded, for example by installing working in parallel is therefore NPSH performance: When cavi-
further pumps in parallel. As largely dependent on the expected tation (formation of vapour bub-
shown in Fig. 4 (presenting the sys- operating time. If it is planned that bles) develops in the impeller, the
tem curve of a cooling circuit), the most often three pumps will be performance of a pump (head,
total flow rate cannot be signi- working in parallel, then the best efficiency, noise emission, etc.) is
ficantly increased by installing efficiency point (BEP) of the pumps affected. The pump parameter
more pumps. should be chosen for this condition used to quantify this behaviour is
(Qtot = 3 • Qopt, individual pumps). the NPSH value.
Duty point selection However, it must be ensured that if
a single pump is operated on its
Each pump’s duty point is selected own, the increased flow of that HI + II

Head H
according to the mode of opera- pump still falls within the permis-
HI
tion, considering the efficiency of sible range, in particular with BI + II
each pump and the pump system, respect to NPSH performance (see HA
Bl
as well as the NPSH of the pumps. Fig. 5).

In the opposite case, when parallel Flow rate Q

operation is only occasionally

required, for example to meet ∆η
Efficiency η

peak demands, the pump size

∆NPSH
should be chosen so that
p·g
∆pst

single pump operation is near

Hgeo +

HI + II (Characteristic curve pump I + pump II) HA the BEP. During parallel

operation the duty points of Flow rate Q
HI
H I* the individual pumps shift Continuous parallel operation of pumps: Qp = Qopt is
Head H

targeted. If one pump stops, the efficiency and the NPSH

HI + II
towards low flows with lower value deteriorate (∆η and ∆NPSH).
Bsingle efficiency. There is usually no
HI = HI – HVPS – HVPD Bparallel risk of insufficient NPSH. Fig. 5: Shift of operating point when pump
B = Duty points working in parallel is stopped
∆pst
HA = Hgeo + + HVAS + HVAD
p·g Pump
Flow rate Q characteristic curves
System curve: ∆pst Difference of the static pressures in the
suction- and discharge side vessel; pump curve after substrac- The pump characteristic
tion of individual losses (see Fig. 2)
curves and the system’s mode
Fig. 3: Pump characteristic curve taking into of operation are of para-
account the losses
mount importance. Various completely converted to heat
types of pumps, particularly within the pump, and a substantial
when the impeller is cut down increase of the temperature of the
substantially below its largest enclosed fluid can result.
3 pumps in parallel HA diameter, tend to hydraulic
instability, i.e., the developed ≠ Pumps
Head H

head at shutoff (Q = 0) is = Shutoff heads

Pump I
lower than at some other
2 pumps in parallel
operating point. For reasons of better utilization of
the pumps, a small pump (for
If such pumps are connected example OMEGA 300/560) is
QI QI+II QI+II+III in parallel, the second pump installed next to several larger
Flow rate Q cannot open its check valve pumps (for example RDLO
against the high operating 500/790) in some pump systems to
Fig. 4: Pumps operating in parallel: low pressure produced by the first achieve a more complete coverage
increase in flow rate with steep system curve pump and runs with of the flow range with good
Q = 0 (Fig. 6). The energy efficiency (see Fig. 7). By properly
input by the motor is almost choosing the speed and diameter
5
Applications

both pump sizes can be designed to smaller pump is running but H0 II

Head H
have the same shutoff head. It cannot open its check valve, and
HII
should be kept in mind, however, the motor energy heats up the H0 I HI+II
that depending on the motor, the fluid in the pump.
HI
actual operating speed can cause
significant head differences. These A similar mode of operation and
can lead to a major shift of the risk are present when a second
operating point, particularly for pump is started up with a vari- HA
the smaller pump. able speed drive in parallel to a
pump already running. QI Qmin QII QI+II
For the smaller pump, which Flow rate Q
usually has a higher operating Throughflow in the second pump
speed and correspondingly higher will only start when its shutoff Fig. 8: Parallel operation of two dissimilar
inlet and discharge velocity, the so- head exceeds the operating pres- pumps
called individual losses must be sure of the first pump (intersection
carefully calculated. with the system curve). Except for
this problem, a variable speed
≠ Pumps pump is an ideal partner to a fixed
≠ Shutoff heads speed pump for parallel operation. Shutoff head: Head developed by
Sufficient instrumentation with the pump for zero flow rate
In some rare cases pumps can be flow meters and pressure gauges is (operating against a closed valve).
run in parallel when they do not helpful in this case.
have the same shutoff head. As
shown in Fig. 8, satisfactory Shift of operating point: When
operation can only be achieved several pumps are operating in
when the shutoff head of the parallel against the same system
smaller pump is not exceeded. For curve, the total flow rate is
smaller flow rates the same divided among them according to
problem occurs as for a per- their individual flow rate for the
formance curve instability, i.e. the head imposed by the system. If the
actual characteristic curve of a
pump deviates from that of the
expected characteristic, for
Head H

example due to design tolerances

HA
HI HI+II
or variation of the speed, the
actual operating point of the
HB pump can vary substantially from
H0 the expected one.

HB = Duty point with only pump I running Inlet / discharge velocity: The
H0 = Shutoff head is lower than HB: pump II will run
with Q = 0; check valve cannot open. average flow velocity (Q/A) at the
Flow rate Q pump inlet or discharge

A = cross-section = 1 . π . DS,D
Fig. 6: Parallel operation of two pumps with 2

unstable characteristic curve 4

can be calculated using the actual
Head H

H0 (Shutoff head) inlet or outlet diameter.

HII

HI
HA (System curve)
BIIP

BIP
BIIE HI+II

BIE

QI QII QI+II

Flow rate Q
Pump I = smaller pump
Pump II = larger pump
BIP = Duty point of pump I when operating in parallel

Fig. 7: Parallel operation of two pumps with

equal shutoff heads
6