NPSH and cavitation risk calculator
NPSH and cavitation risk calculator
Check whether the planned suction installation provides the pump with a sufficient supply of NPSH and there is no risk of cavitation. An auxiliary tool in the selection of submersible and industrial pumps.
NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head) is the excess pressure in the liquid above it evaporating pressure, measured in meters of liquid column at the pump suction flange. NPSHa (available) describes the conditions in the installation, a NPSHr (required) is the minimum value that a given pump must receive at a given operating point - it is provided by the manufacturer on the pump's catalog card/diagram.
If NPSHa falls below NPSHr, a local leak occurs in the liquid at the pump impeller evaporation and implosion of vapor bubbles - i.e cavitation. It manifests itself noise, loss of efficiency and accelerated wear of the rotor and bearings, and in extreme cases cases of pump damage. Therefore, a margin is always maintained in the selection of the pump NPSH safety over NPSHr.
The calculator is illustrative and supports pump selection. Actual conditions installation (pipeline condition, exact pump data, operating temperature) may change differ from the assumptions of the simplified model. In borderline and unusual cases installations, we recommend consulting the Dambat technical department.
