Examples: Parallel systems, branches

Figure 1: System principle

Figure 1 exhibits a pump system with three parallel users. The pump transports a waterlike
solution from storage tank 1 in parallel to the closed pressure reactor 2 and also into basin 3
and 4. The length of the different pipe branches, their diameter as well as the resistance
coefficients of further built-in components such as valves and other as well as the pipe
friction coefficients are given. Also the height and the over-pressure in the closed reactor are
known:
h
1
= 3 [m] = 0.2 l
1
= 200 [m] d
1
= 100 [mm] 1= 0.02
h
2
= 1 [m] = 1.8 l
2
= 20 [m] d
2
= 50 [mm] 2= 0.023
h
3
= 5 [m] = 0.2 l
3
= 230 [m] d
3
= 80 [mm] 3= 0.0215
h
4
= 10 [m] = 0.2 l
4
= 35 [m] d
4
= 50 [mm] 4= 0.023
h5= 11 [m] = 0.2 l
5
= 85 [m] d
5
= 60 [mm] = 0.022
h
6
= 50 [m] = 0.2
h
7
= 52 [m] h
8
= 15 [m] h
9
= 38 [m] p
OP
= 7 [bar]
Find the operational point for the pump, the flow rate into the different basins and the reactor,
the required power consumption of the pump as well as the system efficiency. The potential
energy in the different tanks shall be regarded the system benefit.
The pump characteristics is given in figure 2.

Solution:
The hydraulic system according to figure 1 is composed of different users. Multiple pipe
branches can be observed which are switched in series or in parallel. The solution is found
by estimating the pipe resistance curves for the different branches and the graphical addition
in the diagram of the pump characteristics. The best way is to start with basin 4 and 3 i.e.
with the pipe branches 5 and 4 (knot 2 in figure 1). We calculate with relative pressures, i.e.
the ambient pressure is the reference pressure thus the relative pressures in the open basins
can be regarded zero which simplifies the calculation. If we would calculate with absolute
pressures the solution would be practically identical with the only difference that one term
more would have to be added.

So the static components are composed out of the geodetic height differences and the over-
pressure in the pressurized reactor. The dynamic resistances are basically the pipe friction
losses being proportional to the square of the flow velocity. The kinetic energy at all knots
cancel out in this example as the reservoirs and also the reactor can be regarded large
enough as compared to the pipes so that flow velocity at the liquid levels can be set equal to
zero. All other knots are internal ones where velocities and pressures can be ignored as they
will cancel out in the course of the addition.
dyn geod
dyn
fluid
OP
geod
OP bottom top geod
h h H
g
c
d
l
h
g
p
h h
h h h h
+ =

|
.
|

\
|
E + =

+ A =
+ =
.
2
.
.
2
,

The evaluation is performed best if a table for the system resistance for each single branch is
written down. The combination of the single branches is performed graphically directly in the
diagram for the pump characteristics or if the diagram would be regarded to small on a
sheet of millimeter paper into which the pump characteristic is transformed in a larger scale.
Parallel pipe branches are added over Q (horizontally) whereas serial branches are added
over H (vertically).

Note: In case of the exits above the water level the elevation of this exit must be used to
calculate the geodetic height difference. In case the exit is below the liquid level than the
elevation of this liquid level is relevant. Exit losses are generally quite low, but should
neverless be taken into a count.




Branch 5:
From knot 2 to basin 4. The sum of the different losses adds up of pipe resistance, exit loss
and valve loss.
2
2
2 4
3 9 5 , 0
6 . 206354
2 06 . 0
16
2 . 1
06 . 0
85
022 . 0
] [ 33 5 38
Q
g
Q
h
m h h h
dyn
=

|
.
|

\
|
+ =
= = =
t


Branch 4: From knot 2 to basin 3
2
2
2 4
3 7 4 , 0
14 . 228711
2 05 . 0
16
2 . 1
05 . 0
35
023 . 0
] [ 47 5 52
Q
g
Q
h
m h h h
dyn
=

|
.
|

\
|
+ =
= = =
t


Both branches are now sketched into the diagram of the pump characteristics (fig.1) and are
added horizontally over Q:
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04 0.045
H

[
m
]
Q [m/s]
Branches 4+5
Pump characteristic
Branch 5
Branch 4
Sum 4+5

Fig. 1: Addition of the branches 4 and 5.
Q [m
3
/ s] 0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025
H [mWS] 33 38.16 53.64 79.43 115.54 161.97
Q [m
3
/ s] 0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025
H [mWS] 47 52.72 69.87 98.46 138.48 189.94
In the next step the single branch 3 is added to the sum of branch (4+5). These components
are switched in series and so now a vertical addition over H (fig.2) must be performed.
Branch 3: From knot 1 to knot 2
2
2
2 4
2 3 3 , 0
71 . 124671
2 08 . 0
16
08 . 0
230
0215 . 0
] [ 4 1 5
Q
g
Q
h
m h h h
dyn
=

|
.
|

\
|
=
= = =
t


0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04 0.045
H

[
m
]
Q [m/s]
Sum (4+5) + Branch 3
Pump characteristics
Branch 3
Sum 4+5
Sum (4+5)+3
Fig. 2: Addition in vertical direction: series connection.

The sum of ((4+5)+3) is switched in parallel with branch 2 according to the system diagram.
Consequently branch 2 and the sum ((4+5)+3) must be found horizontally over Q (fig.3). The
system curve for the single branch 2 is again found as follows where we again ignore as
before the pressures and the velocities at the knots as they are internal. The pressure at the
exit of branch 4 i.e. on the water level in basin 4 is the ambient pressure and is put equal to
zero as we calculate with relative pressures.


Q [m
3
/ s] 0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03
H [mWS] 4 7.12 16.47 32.06 53.88 81.92 116.2
Branch 2: From knot 1 to pressure reactor 2
2
2
2 4
5
2 5 2 , 0
1 . 137491
2 05 . 0
16
2 . 1
05 . 0
20
023 . 0
] [ 80 70 1 11
1000
10 7
Q
g
Q
h
m
g
h h h
dyn
=

|
.
|

\
|
+ =
= + =

+ =
t


0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04
H

[
m
]
Q [m/s]
Sum (4+5)+3 + Branch 2
Pump characteristics
Branch 2
Sum (4+5)+3
Sum (4+5)+3 + 2
Fig. 3: Horizontal addition of pipe 2 to the sum out of ((4+5)+3): parallel connection
Finally pipe branch 1 must be taken into a count. This must be added to the sum out of
[(4+5)+3]+2 over H as here we observe a series connection with the rest of the system
(fig.4). The intersection of this total resistance curve with the pump characteristics yields the
operational point of the pump we are looking for. If from exactly this pump operational point
the way of solution is followed in the opposite sense backwards to the single branch
resistance curves the flow rates for each single user can be found.




Q [m
3
/ s] 0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02
H [mWS] 80 83.44 93.75 110.94 135
Pipe 1: From storage tank 1 to knot 1. As no entrance loss is given, this can be neglected.
2
2
2 4
1 2 1 , 0
53 . 34868
2 1 . 0
16
2 . 2
1 . 0
200
02 . 0
] [ 2 3 1
Q
g
Q
h
m h h h
dyn
=

|
.
|

\
|
+ =
= = =
t

Q [m
3
/ s] 0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03
H [mWS] -2 -1.13 1.49 5.85 11.95 19.79 29.38

As knot 1 is lower than the liquid level in tank 1 this first pipe branch has a negative pipe
resistance for small flow rates. Only if the dynamic losses become larger than 2 meters the
sign changes from negative to positive (fig.4).
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04
H

[
m
]
Q [m/s]
Sum (4+5)+3 + Branch 1
Pump characteristics
Branch 1
Sum (4+5)+3 + 2
Sum [(4+5)+3]+2 + 1
eta Pump
Fig. 4: System characteristics and pump operational point.

The pump operational point is found to
H= 126 m
Q= 0,0285 m
3
/ s
= 65%

operational point
The flow rates of the three users is found by splitting up the pump flow rate to the single
branch flow rates by inversion of the way of solution starting at the pump operational point
(fig. 5):
Q
basin3
= 0,0065 m
3
/ s
Q
basin4
= 0,0108 m
3
/ s
Q
reactor2
= 0,0115 m
3
/ s
How exact the solution work was performed and how exact the different values were read out
of the diagram can be checked by summing up the different flow rates. Their sum must be
equal to the pump flow rate.

To calculate the system efficiency the benefit is found by using the geodetic height plus the
pressure in the basin of the pressurized reactor. The total benefit is the sum of the three
users which must be divided by the pump power absorbed:
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
% 4 . 28
10 2 . 54
10 7
3 10 0115 . 0 3 38 0108 . 0 3 50 0065 . 0
0115 . 0 0108 . 0 0065 . 0
3
5
1 4 1 9 1 6
2 . 2 tan 4 4 sin 3 . 3 sin
=

(

|
|
.
|

\
|

+ + +
=
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

+ + +
=
+ +
=
=
System
System
Pump
OP
Pump
geod kl storage geod ba geod ba
g
g
P
g
p
h h h h h h g
P
H Q H Q H Q g
Effort
Benefit
q

q
q


The pump power absorbed is found by

where the nominator is the hydraulic power contained in the liquid.


Fig.5: Split up of the total flow rate to the single users.
Additional questions:
Addition 1: The flow rate to basin three shall be increased to 0.01 m
3
/s by increasing the
rotational speed of the pump.

Which rotational speed is required?

Solution:
An operational point is always (!) the intersection of the system resistance curve with the
pump characteristics. Here the flow to basin 3 is required to be 0.01 m
3
/ s. This flow rate is
marked in the diagram fig.6 on the curve for branch 4. We follow horizontally to the sum
(4+5) and then go vertically (series connection) to the sum (3+4+5) from there we go
horizontally (parallel connection) to the sum (2+3+4+5) and we see that this sum curve is not
long enough! To prolong this sum curve it is not sufficient just to extrapolate the short curve
but the graphical addition of (3+4+5) with branch 2 must be performed graphically for higher
flow rates and higher heads. Otherwise the sum would not be exact enough. From (2+3+4+5)
we go vertically to the total resistance curve (1+2+3+4+5) where we again see that the
former curve was not long enough, so we enlarge the table for branch 1 to a flow rate of 0,05
m
3
/s, prolong the branch 1 resistance curve and graphically perform the vertical addition.
This point is the new operational point for the pump for which purpose the pump speed must
be increased.
To find the new pump speed we estimate the similarity parabola which must necessarily go
through the point of origin and also through the new operational point which we have just
found. The formula for the similarity parabola is

from which we can calculate a table for the similarity parabola. We draw the similarity
parabola in the diagram and read the intersection between the parabola and the old pump
characteristics which belongs to 2900 rpm as
H
inter
= 116,5 m
Q
inter
=0,0333 m/s
For the similarity parabola the rules of similarity hold and the new pump speed to satisfy the
new operational point found before can be estimated:

Fig.6: Flow rate to basin 3 shall be 0.01 m/s
Addition 2:
The same pump but with a rotational speed of 1450 rpm shall be installed in branch two.
In how far do the flow rates into the two basins and into the pressure tank vary?


Fig.7: Additional pump (1450rpm) in branch 2; resulting mass flow in tank2, basin 3 and 4
Solution:
If a pump is installed in a side branch than the system curve of all the other branches
remains unchanged, only the flow rate will change but always along the existing system
curves. For branch 2 the influence of the new pump is taken into account by estimating the
reduced curve for branch 2 by subtracking from restistants curve 2 (as found before) the
head curve of the new pump: 2-red

First of all we find the head curve of the new pump speed which is the half of the former one:

Q
old
m
3
/s 0 0,0165 0,025
H
old
m 143 140 133,5
Q
new
0 0,00825 0,0125
H
new
35,75 35 33,375

The points Q
old
, H
old
are arbitrarily chosen, Q
new
and H
new
are calculated.
The rest of the solution is found graphically as before. The sum (3+4+5) remains unaltered
and the branch 2-red is added horizontally over Q (parallel connection) and branch 1 is then
added vertically over H (series connection). This yields the new total resistance curve and
the intersection with the unaltered pump head curve gives the new operational point.

Estimation of branch 2-red:
Q m
3
/ s 0 0,005 0,01 0,015
H m 80 83,44 93,75 110,94
-H
p
m -35,75 -35,5 -34,5 -30,75
H
2red
44,25 47,94 59,25 80,19

The flow rates into the different basins and the pressure tank are found as in the original
problem by going backwards from the operational point to the different branches.

Addition 3:
The original system, i.e. without the additional pump is again to be investigated. Now the
speed of the pump shall be increased from 2900 rpm to 3190 rpm, i.e. by 10%. What are the
new flow rates into the basins and the pressure tank?


Fig.8: Pump with 3190rpm; resulting mass flow in tank2, basin 3 and 4

Solution:
In this example the system remains completely unchanged which applies to the single
branches as well as to the total system curve. Only the pump head curve is changed and the
new one can be found by means of the rules of similarity. For a number of flow rates the
head of the pump (2900 rpm) is read from the diagram and the appropriate new flow rates
and head curves are calculated:



Q m
3
/ s 0 0,0083 0,014 0,0165 0,025 0.0333 0.05
H

m 143 142,5 141,5 140 133,5 117 60
Q
2
m
3
/ s 0 0.0092 0.0153 0.0183 0.0275 0.0367 0.0550
H
2
m 173,03 172,425 171,215 169,4 161,535 141,57 72,6

The new pump characteristic Q
2
/ H
2
is sketched into the diagram.
As before the new operational point is the intersection of the system resistance curve
(unaltered) with the new pump characteristic:
Q
op
=0,034 m/s
H
op
=148

And the flow rates into the different basins and the tank are again found by going backwards
to the branches into the said basins and the tank.

Addition 4:
In the original system without the auxiliary pump a second and identical pump shall be
installed in parallel (see fig. 9).

The new suction pipe 11 has the following dimensions and resistances:

11
= 0,4
l
11
= 300 m
d
11
= 100 mm

11
= 0,03
h
11
= -5 m


Fig.9: New system with an additional pump


Fig.10: Additional pump parallel
Solution:

Although an identical pump is switched in parallel to the existing one not the naked pump
curves maybe switched in parallel but only the reduced pump curves i.e. for both curves the
system resistance curve for branch 1 or branch 11, respectively, must be reduced from the
pump characteristics. As the branch 1 and branch 11 are now taken into account together
with the respective pump characteristics the total system resistance curve just consists of the
sum (2+3+4+5) which is identical to the solution that was found before and can directly be
sketched in the diagram (fig.10). The head curve for branch 1 was also found before thus the
reduced pump characteristics (P1 red) can directly be found by reducing branch 1 from pump
1 characteristics. The system curve for branch 11 is found in an analogous way.

And the result is documented in the following table:
Q m
3
/ s 0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03
H
11m
6 7,89 13,55 22,99 36,21 53,20 73,97

The total pump characteristic is found by horizontally adding P red and P1 red because both
reduced pumps are installed in parallel, the operational point is again the intersection of the
pump sum with the system sum. And the flow rates through each one is found by simply
going left from the operational point to each of the two reduced pump curves where the
specific flow rates can be read.

Pump 1: H
1
=120,5m
Q
1
=0,023m/s
Pump 11: H
11
=120,5m
Q
11
=0,0145m/s

And the flow rates to the two basins and the pressure tank are found by going backwards
from the operational point to the individual branch flow rates. First of all we go left to branch 2
where Q
tank2
= 0,017m
3
/ s can directly be read and to the sum (3+4+5).
From the letter point we go vertically downwards to the sum (4+5) and horizontally to branch
4 and branch 5 where the flow rates into the two basins can be read.

Q
basin3
=0,0085m/s
Q
basin4
=0,012m/s