Determining Flowrates Through Pump an

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Parameters

Legend

Liquid density (kg m-3)

Liquid viscosity (Pa s)

1000
0.001

Gravity (m s-2)
Pipe diameter (m)
Pipe length (m)
Pipe roughness (m)

9.81
0.1
10
0.0001

Pipe cross-sectional area (m2)

Pump Curve Coefficients
Hpump =
Calculations
Guess value for liquid velocity
Reynolds number
Friction factor (Haaland)
Pump curve
System curve
Pump curve - System curve

Parameters specified by user

Intermediate calculations
Cells used in Goal Seek

0.007854

0.1

-0.001 Q

0.943791
94379.13
0.022083
0.100254
0.099993
0.000262

0 Q^2

Set to an initial guess value

With Goal Seek, vary this number

so that this number is zero

gh Pump and System Curves

ters specified by user

diate calculations

ed in Goal Seek

his number

Balancing a Pump Curve against a System Cu

Introduction

This article will demonstrate how you can balance a pump curve agai

First, we'll develop the equations that determine the liquid velocity i

The spreadsheet can be downloaded here, but read

Pump and Pipe System

Consider a centrifugal pump receiving liquid from a reservoir and for

First consider the pump. Its flowrate-head curve is can be described

Equation 1

But the volumetric flowrate is

Equation 2

where A is the cross-sectional area of the pipe and V is the liquid velo

Equation 3

This equation now describes the head produced by the pump as a fun

Now consider the pipe. Frictional head loss through the pipe can be d

Equation 4

We'll call Equation 4 the System Curve. f is the fric

Equation 5

where Re is the Reynolds Number.

Equation 6

The Haaland equation is only valid in turbulent flow, i.e. if the Reyno

For our pump and pipe system, the pump head is equal to the head lo

Equation 7

We can now use Excel to find the liquid velocity that satisfies Equatio

Excel Implementation
The Excel spreadsheet uses this cell coloring convention.

Step 1. First define the parameters and calculate the cross-sectional

Step 2. Now define the coefficients of the pump curve

Step 3. Set up the calculations required by Goal Seek

Step 4. Go to Data > What-If Analysis > Goal Seek. Make the changes

You should now have the correct value of the liquid velocity.

Ensure that the Reynolds number is greater than 2500 so that our assu

Visual Basic Macro to Automate G

If you're really keen, you can use Visual Basic to automate Goal Seek.
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim bSuccess As Boolean
On Error Resume Next
bSuccess = Range("C23").GoalSeek(0, Range("c18"))
On Error GoTo 0
If Not bSuccess Then
MsgBox "Goal Seek Failed"
End If
End Sub

Whenever any value in the worksheet is changed, the Worksheet_Cha

urve against a System Curve

w you can balance a pump curve against a system curve to calculate liquid velocity with Excel.

ns that determine the liquid velocity in a simple pump and pipe system. Then we'll discuss how these equations be solved using Excel's Goal Seek fea

e downloaded here, but read the rest of this article if you'd like to understand the theory.

System

eiving liquid from a reservoir and forcing liquid through a pipe to a reservoir.

wrate-head curve is can be described by a polynomial derived from empirical data, where a, b and c are best-fit coefficients, and Q is the volumetri

ea of the pipe and V is the liquid velocity through the pipe. Substituting Equation 2 into Equation 1 to eliminate Q gives

head produced by the pump as a function of the liquid velocity through the pipe.

al head loss through the pipe can be described by the Bernoulli equation and written as

e System Curve. f is the friction factor, given by the Haaland Equation.

lid in turbulent flow, i.e. if the Reynolds Number is over 2500.

the pump head is equal to the head loss in the pipe. Hence

e liquid velocity that satisfies Equation 7 (effectively determining the intersection between the pump curve and the system curve).

ntation

cell coloring convention.

ters and calculate the cross-sectional area of the pipe.

ents of the pump curve

required by Goal Seek

alysis > Goal Seek. Make the changes such that we find the liquid velocity that makes difference between pump curve and the system curve equal t

t value of the liquid velocity.

r is greater than 2500 so that our assumption of turbulent flow (and hence the use of the Haaland equation) is verified.

acro to Automate Goal Seek

e Visual Basic to automate Goal Seek.

(ByVal Target As Range)

Seek(0, Range("c18"))

sheet is changed, the Worksheet_Change() event is initiated . The VB code then asks GoalSeek() to find the liquid velocity ("C18") that makes the di

be solved using Excel's Goal Seek feature. Finally, we'll show Visual Basic code that can be used to automate Goal Seek so that any parameter chang

t coefficients, and Q is the volumetric flowrate

d the system curve).

mp curve and the system curve equal to zero.

uid velocity ("C18") that makes the difference between the pump and system curve ("C23") equal to zero.

oal Seek so that any parameter change will automatically calculate the new liquid velocity.