Net Positive Suction Head Analysis for Testing the Condition of a Centrifugal Pump

Background/Objectives: To manage centrifugal pump acceptably, it is essential to establish Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) analysis which compute the usable energy at the pump inlet. Methods/Analysis: The NPSH analysis indicates that the pump will be operating outside the cavitation region or inside the cavitation region. This is achieved by analyzing the values of NPSHA and NPSHR and also the 3% head drop. Results/Findings: Based on the manufacturer's graph and NPSH 3% head drop curve cavitation condition of centrifugal pump is obtained. A decrease in pump efficiency was also observed prior to 3% head drop criteria. Conclusion/Applications: NPSH analysis helps to obtain valuable information about the cavitation condition of centrifugal pump and also provide the safer operating range of chosen pump.