Dewatering Pumps Key Terms

Learn about common terms related to dewatering pumps

By Howard Robertson

Dewatering pumps are useful in various industries, ranging from the construction industry to the chemical industry. To choose the right dewatering pump, as per your application requirement, you will need to be aware of different types of dewatering pumps.

While interacting with suppliers of dewatering pumps, you will come across various technical terms that denote properties and characteristics of dewatering pumps. This guide will familiarize you with the key terms of dewatering pumps, including NPSH, viscosity, pump curve, fluid rate and pump head.

NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head)

NPSH is defined as the absolute pressure of a fluid at the pump inlet minus the vapor pressure of the liquid. As the piston speed and capacity increases, the required NPSH of a dewatering pump also increases.
Try: The Engineering ToolBox provides detailed information about NPSH.

Viscosity

Viscosity of the fluid is an important parameter for the design and performance of a dewatering pump. Viscosity indicates the resistance of the fluid to flow. The more viscous the liquid, the lower its flowing rate.
Try: To understand the meaning of viscosity and its units, read through information at STLE (Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers). Additionally, Eaton Corporation offers a hydraulics glossary that explains various definitions, including viscosity.

Pump curve

Pump curve evaluates the efficiency of all pumps, including dewatering pumps. In a pump curve, the fluid flow is plotted on the X-axis and the pump head on the Y-axis.
Try: You can read through detailed information on various aspects of a pump curve at Cole-Parmer, a leading supplier of pumps.

GPM (Gallons Per Minute)

GPM is the capacity of a dewatering pump to impel water. The unit of this measurement is cubic meter per minute.
Try: You can get information on GPM at KnowledgeDoor, an online resource.

Pump impeller

A pump impeller is a rotating device that pushes liquids, gases or vapors into a desired direction. Axial and radial are the most common type of pump impellers.
Try: Learn more about pump impellers and the various types of impellers at Engineers Edge, a useful resource for technical information on engineering components.

Flow rate (fluid flow rate)

Before selecting a dewatering pump, you must define the flow rate for your application. Flow rate is the amount of system fluid that passes through a pump per unit of time.
Try: To understand the definition of flow rate, read through the glossary of hydraulic terms at Nova Hydraulics, a reputable company in the field of hydraulic product repairs.

Pump head

When a dewatering pump operates, the liquid moves rapidly inside the pump. The force of this moving liquid exerts tremendous pressure. This pressure, measured in feet, is pump head.
Try: You can read through basic information on pump head and the formula to calculate it, at impeller.net.