Pumping in Series and Parallel

Understanding how complex pumping systems perform, and why they are needed

Certain industrial processes require challenging combinations of flow rate and pressure, which cannot be achieved using a single pump. In these cases, it might be necessary to use multiple pumps arranged either in series or in parallel. Redundancy in the system is another common reason to advocate the use of multiple pumps.

The hydraulic loop and the control of the system becomes increasingly more complex with the number of elements involved, and it is therefore critical to deeply understand and estimate the impact of multiple pumps on the overall process performance.

In this lesson you will learn…

• …in which cases arrangements of multiple pumps are needed and why
• …how to flow pressure curves of multiple pumps are combined
• …how the hydraulic loop should be modified to accommodate multiple pumps
• …how multiple pumps are controlled simultaneously