Pumps

Preparation for the PE Civil Engineering Exam

Dr. Haku Israni, P.E.

testmasters
PROFESSIONAL EXAM PREPARATION 
 HORSEPOWER FORMULAS FOR PUMPS

Horsepower = for Q in ft3/sec

where, γ = Unit weight of the liquid (for water use 62.4 lb/ft3)
Q = Flowrate in ft3/sec
H = Head in ft
e = Efficiency
S = Specific gravity of the liquid (for water, S = 1)

Horsepower = for Q in gpm

where, Q = Flowrate in gpm

H = Head in ft
e = Efficiency
S = Specific gravity of the liquid (for water, S =1)

1 hp = 0.746 kW
e=

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 PUMPS
A pump with the characteristics given is to deliver water through the following system. The
Hazen-Williams equation is to be used to estimate friction losses. The total length of pipe is
3,000 feet with a diameter of 10 inches and a Hazen-Williams coefficient of 100.

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1. The flow (gpm) and head (ft) through the system will most nearly be:

A. 510, 35 B. 650, 45 C. 870, 54 D. 1030, 62

2. The power (horsepower) that must be supplied to the pump is most nearly:

A. 6.2 B. 8.4 C. 10.3 D. 14.5

3. The power (kW) that must be supplied to the motor (e=80%) to run the pump is most nearly:

A. 16.5 B. 13.5 C. 18.5 D. 22.5

4. The pump should be installed

A. Near the upper reservoir

B. Near the lower reservoir
C. Anywhere along the pipeline

5. For the above pump, percent change in the head when its 6 in. diameter impeller is replaced by
a 5 in. diameter impeller, is most nearly:

A. 30 B. 45 C. 50 D. 60

6. Which change(s) to the pump would reduce the system flow?

I. Lowering the elevation of the pump

II. Decreasing the pump rotation speed

III. Reducing the pump impeller diameter

A. II B. II and III C. III D. I, II, and III

7. Which of the following will reduce the tendency for pump cavitation?

I. Increasing the discharge pipe diameter

II. Lowering the pump elevation

III. Increasing the suction diameter

A. II and III B. II C. I and II D. I, II, and III

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8. If two of these pumps were installed in parallel in the system, the flow rate (gpm) would be
most nearly:

A. 900 B. 1,050 C. 1,200 D.1,1540

9. For this piping system, the minimum required number of pumps, each having performance
characteristics as the above, in parallel to provide a head of 64 feet are

A. One B. Two C. Three D. Four

10. If the 10 inches diameter is replaced with 8 inches diameter pipe, the power (kW) that must
be supplied to the motor (e=80%) to run is most nearly:

A. 12 B. 14 C. 16 D. 18

11. What is NPSH?

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 AFFINITY LAWS

The changes in the discharge (Q), head (H), horsepower (P), with the changes in the
impeller diameter (D), and speed of motor (n) are given below:

Q2 D2 Q2 n2
 
Q1 D1 Q1 n1
2 2 2
H 2  D2  H 2  n2   Q2 

H1  D1 
          
H1  n1   Q1 
3 3 3
P2  D2  P2  n2   Q2 
     
P1  D1  P1  n1   Q1 

All these relationships assume that the efficiency of pumps doesn’t change if the impeller
diameter or speed of motor is changed. This is not strictly true. The larger pumps are usually
more efficient than smaller pumps.

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 PUMPS IN SERIES & PUMPS IN PARALLEL 
Procedure: 
1. Pumps in Parallel: For a head (H), add flowrates (Q). For two pumps, double the flow. 
For three pumps triple the flow. Draw the curve. The system curve does not change. The 
point of intersection of these curves gives Q and H.  

2. Pumps in Series: For a flowrate (Q), add heads (H).  For two pumps in series, double 
the head. For three pumps in series, triple the head. Draw curve. The system curve does 
not change. The point of intersection of these curves gives Q and H.  

 
   

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 PUMPS IN SERIES & PUMPS IN PARALLEL 
Procedure: 
1. Pumps in Parallel: For a head (H), add flowrates (Q). For two pumps, double the flow. 
For three pumps triple the flow. Draw the curve. The system curve does not change. The 
point of intersection of these curves gives Q and H.  

2. Pumps in Series: For a flowrate (Q), add heads (H).  For two pumps in series, double 
the head. For three pumps in series, triple the head. Draw curve. The system curve does 
not change. The point of intersection of these curves gives Q and H.  

a. From the attached graph, find the flowrate and head for the following conditions: 

              Q (gpm)       H(ft) 

One Pump          ___________________   ________________ 

Two Pump in Series        ___________________   ________________   

Three Pumps in Series       ___________________  ________________ 

Two Pumps in Parallel      ___________________  ________________ 

Three Pumps in Parallel      ___________________  ________________ 

b. For the above pump, percent change in the head when its 6 in. diameter impeller is 
replaced by a 5 in. diameter impeller. 

c. For the pump problem given in the class, find the flowrate for two pumps in parallel. 

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Pumps Solutions
PE Exam Review‐Civil Discipline 
 
 

Test Masters Educational Services, Inc. 
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 PUMPS SOLUTIONS
1. The system curve needs to be drawn to get flow, head, efficiency, and NPSH from the given
characteristic curves of the pump.
Start with the energy equation,
P1 V12 P V2
  Z1  H  2  2  Z 2  losses
 2g  2g

Let point 1 be on the liquid surface of the lower tank and point 2 on the liquid surface of the
higher tank. Consider gage pressures.

0  0  530  H  0  0  560  Losses

V2 V2
H  30  0.5  hL 
2g 2g
Entrance Exit
Loss Loss
V2
H = 30 + 1.5  hL
2g
For the system curve, take flows between 400 and 1200 gpm, as indicted in Table I. Use the
enclosed table to find V and head loss. Draw the system curve. The crossing point between Q
vs. H and system curve gives the operational point, which will give flowrate, head, efficiency,
and NPSH.
Q = 870 gpm
H = 54
e = 82%
NPSH = 7
Ans: C

QHS
2. Horsepower 
e3959
870  54  1

0.82  3956
 14.5HP
Ans: D

3. Motor drives the pump. The input to pump is the output of the motor. The efficiency of the
motor is 80%.
output
e
Input
14.5 HP
0.8  1HP = 0.746 kW
Input
14.5 HP 0.746kW
Input  
0.8 1 HP

  
 
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  13.5 kW Ans: B
4. Near the lower reservoir. Installing near the upper reservoir will result in negative pressure and
cause cavitation.

5. Use the Affinity Laws,

2
H 2  D2 
 
H1  D1 
2
5
H 2  54    37.5 ft
6
Final  Initial
Percent Change  100
Initial

37.5  54
  100
54
 30.5%
Ans. A

6. Look at the Affinity Laws.

Q2 D2 Q2 n2
 
Q1 D1 Q1 n1

The elevation of the pump does not impact the system flow but as the above relationships clearly
show, the reduction of pump rotation speed and impeller diameter will reduce the system flow.

The answer is B.

7. The increase of pressure will reduce the pump cavitation.

The diameter on the discharge side has no impact on the pressure inside the pump.
The total head in the pump is given by the following:
P V2
 Z
 2g

For a given total head, the reduction in Z (lowering the pump elevation) will increase P
(pressure). As Q = AV, increasing the suction diameter will decrease V for a given Q resulting
in increase of P. The increase of pressure P will reduce the tendency for pump cavitation.
Therefore, the answer is A.

8. Procedure for pumps in series and pumps in parallel is given below:

Pumps in Parallel: For a head (H), and flowrates (Q). For two pumps, double the flow. For
three pumps triple the flow. Draw the curve. The system curve does not change. The point
of intersection of these curves gives Q and H.

Pumps in Series: For a flowrate (Q), and heads (H). For two pumps in series, double the
head. For three pumps in series, triple the head. Draw curve. The system curve does not
change. The point of intersection of these curves gives Q and H.

  
 
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 Following the above procedure, draw the curve for two pumps in parallel. Remember, the
system curve does not change. The crossing point of this curve with given Q vs H. curve is the
operational point for the two pumps in parallel. From the graph, Q = 1050 gpm.

The answer is B.

9. Draw curve for two pumps in parallel. Check for Head. In this case it comes out to be 64 ft.

The answer is B.

If the head falls short of desired head (64 ft in this case) draw curve for three, or four pumps until
you get the required head.

10. Follow the procedure of problem #1. The only difference is that the pipe diameter now is 8”
instead of 10”. The result in Table II. Please plot the curve on the graph.

The answer is A.

11. Q: What is NPSH?

Ans: It is the acronym for Net Positive Suction Head. It is the head loss from the flange of
suction side to the center of impeller. It is provided by the pump manufacture above.

  
 
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 Pump Problem 
 

C = 100  Pipe Diameter = 10‫״‬
 

Q   Z  V  1.5V2/2g hL  H   

400  30  1.63  0.06  5.7  35.76   

600  30  2.45  0.14  11.7  41.84   
800  30  3.26  0.25  19.8  50.05   
1000  30  4.08  0.40  30.9  61.3   

1200  30  4.9  0.56  42.0  72.56   

 
Q= 870 gpm    HP = QH/e3956 = 14.5  
H= 54ft      For motor efficiency of 80% 
e = 82%      Motor Power = 13.5 kW 
NPSH = 7 
 
   
 

   

  
 
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Pump Problem 
 

  C = 100  Pipe Diameter = 8‫״‬ 
 

 
Q   Z  hL  H 
 
400  30  16.2  46.2 
 

 
600  30  34.2  64.2 
 
800  30  57.0  87.0 
 

  1000  30  89.1  119.1 

 
1200  30  125.1 155.1 
 

Q = 570 gpm   HP = QH/e3956 = 12.8  
H = 63 ft     For motor efficiency of 80% 
e = 71%      Motor Power = 11.95 kW 
NPSH = 6 
 

  
 
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 PUMPS IN SERIES & PUMPS IN PARALLEL 
Procedure: 
1. Pumps in Parallel:For a head (H), add flowrates (Q). For two pumps, double the flow. For 
three pumps triple the flow. Draw the curve. The system curve does not change. The point of 
intersection of these curves gives Q and H.  

2. Pumps in Series: For a flowrate (Q), add heads (H). For two pumps in series, double the 
head. For three pumps in series, triple the head. Draw the curve. The system curve does not 
change. The point of intersection of these curves gives Q and H.  

a.From the attached graph, find the flowrate and head for the following conditions: 

              Q (gpm)       H(ft) 

One Pump          ____1000________   _____80_________ 

Two Pump in Series        ____1320________   _____115________  

Three Pumps in Series       ____1450________   _____135________ 

Two Pumps in Parallel      ____1200________   _____100________ 

Three Pumps in Parallel      ____1250________   _____106________ 

b. For the above pump, percent change in the head when its 6 in. diameter impeller is replaced 
by a 5 in. diameter impeller. 
2 2
H 2  D2  5
   H 2  8 0    5 5 .6 ft
H 1  D1  6
H 2  H1
% ch an g e =  100
H1
 
5 5 .6  8 0
  1 0 0  3 0 .5 %
80

c. For the pump problem given in the class, find the flowrate for two pumps in parallel. 

Q  1050 gpm  

  
 
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