Mastering Fluid Pump Systems: 3 Key Insights on Pressure-Flow Dynamics

If you have a fluid pump system that you are responsible for maintaining, it helps to know what you need to do to keep the system on track. You need to understand the relationship between pressure and flow in order to keep your fluid pump system working properly.

#1 ­Understand The Relationship Between Flow and Pressure

To start with, you need to properly understand the relationship between flow and pressure. With a fluid pump system, when the flow is high, the pressure of the pump is going to decrease. When the flow is is low, the discharge pressure is going to increase. The discharge pressure is always going to be the opposite of the flow.

#2 Watch The Flow

You need to keep an eye on the flow. Although it is okay for the flow to be low, you never want the flow to be at zero. Keeping the flow at zero can stress out the centrifugal pump within your fluid pump system. When the flow is too low, your system is designed to shut off. The pressure within the system gets too high when there is no flow to balance out the pressure, which is why your pump system will turn off when no flow is maintained for an extended period of time.

#3 Install Pressure Gauges

Your fluid pump system should have more than one pressure gauge. A pressure gauge allows you to make sure that the pressure is not getting too high within your system. You should have one pressure gauge on the outlet of the pump where substances are discharged from the system. Having a pressure gauge near the discharge area will allow you to keep an eye on the pressure, which will also help you monitor the flow of the system since the flow is the inverse of the pressure.

You should also have a pressure gauge near the on the suction side of the system. Although you don't need to have one near the suctions side, it can provide you with useful information. Having a pressure gauge near the suction side can allow you to see if the pressure is consistent across the entire system.  Keep in mind that if there is an elevation drop between the two suction and discharge areas, there may be a slight difference in pressure readings.

With a fluid pump system, it is important to understand the relationship between flow and pressure and monitor both. You need proper flow through the system to maintain the pressure at a safe level. When the flow is too low, the pressure gets too high, and your entire system will shut down. Contact a service, like Compressor-Pump & Service, Inc., for more help.