
8.1 PUMPING SYSTEMS AND SYSTEM-HEAD CURRVES 8.77
Throttling Orifices In addition to measuring flow, orifices can be used to (a) reduce flow
by adding artificial resistance to increase system head, (b) dissipate energy to provide a
desired pressure reduction, and (c) create a high-velocity jet. Orifices for these purposes
are called throttling orifices. In order to maintain a desired minimum flow to prevent dam-
age to a centrifugal pump, a throttling orifice, or a series of throttling orifices, can be used
in the bypass system. The orifice provides additional bypass resistance to maintain the
required bypass flow.
A throttling orifice can be fabricated by drilling a hole in a metal plate (or through bar
stock) that, when inserted between flanges in a pipe (or threaded to pipe), will create the
desired loss of head at the design flow. The resistance coefficient K
1
may be calculated as
if the throttling device were a single hole in a perforated plate, using Table 9 and Eqs. 30,
31, and 33, and the loss of head calculated using Eq. 24.
Energy is dissipated through a throttling orifice because pressure head is converted to
velocity head and this conversion is followed by an inefficient pressure head recovery. Con-
ditions may exist at the orifice vena contracta that could cause vaporization of the high-
velocity, low-pressure liquid jet. Care must be taken in selecting the orifice size to avoid
excessive cavitation noise or choke flow. An orifice cavitation index used to check the ori-
fice selection is described by Tung and Mikasinovic,
12
who also discuss the use of orifices
in series to avoid cavitation.
Although orifices are used to meter flow, accuracy requires that they be fabricated to
standard proportions and that pressure taps be precisely located (Reference 6 and Figure
45). A distinction should be made between meter differential pressure, which is used to
measure flow and is the difference in pressure at the upstream and downstream vena con-
tracta taps, and meter loss of head calculated using the resistance coefficient K
1
, which is
the total overall loss of energy as measured at the upstream tap and past the downstream
vena contracta tap.The loss of head through a standard orifice meter should be calculated
as discussed previously under Meters.
Water Meters and Backflow Preventors Tables 11 and 12 from Reference 17 provide
indicative values of losses through these devices.
PUMP FLOW, HEAD, AND POWER IN VARYING TEMPERATURE SYSTEMS_____
In a pumping system where the weight of liquid pumped is constant, the volumetric flow
rate will vary through system components having different temperatures. An example
would be the condensate and feedwater system in a steam power plant. The following
equation may be used to calculate volumetric flow rate using the specific gravity corre-
sponding to the temperature of the liquid at the location in the system where flow is
required:
In USCS units (41a)
In SI units (4lb)
When calculating the total head required of a pump or pumps to overcome total system
component losses, the actual volumetric flow rate and temperature through each compo-
nent must be used because head loss is a function of velocity and viscosity. Information
provided in this chapter permits computing pipe, valve, and fitting losses in ft
•
lb/lb or ft
(N
•
m/N or m) of liquid passing through the component. If the pump is at a location in the
system where the temperature is different than at the locations where the head losses are
calculated, the total head to be produced by the pump cannot be found by simply adding
the individual component heads.
The pump head required to produce a specific increase in pressure varies inversely
with specific gravity. Therefore, to calculate pump total head, either the component total
m
3
>h
kg>h
998 1sp. gr.2
gpm
lb>h
500 1sp. gr.2