Parsippany, N.J. To further facilitate the exchange of ideas and information pertaining to specific pump and pump-related topics across various industries, the Hydraulic Institute (HI) has established an on-line discussion forum at its web site, www.pumps.org. The topic, NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head) Margin, kicks off the forum, as participants respond to an article entitled "How Much NPSH Does Your Pump Really Require?" by Terry Henshaw. The article appeared on page 42 of the September 2001 edition of Pumps and Systems Magazine.
"For quite some time, there have been misconceptions about how much margin is needed for MPSH, with experts in the field finding it difficult to agree. Henshaw's article raised several important issues regarding the practical meaning of MPSHR," said Gregg Romanyshyn, technical director of HI. "This on-going debate prompted HI representatives and other industry experts to respond to Henshaw in a follow-up article, appearing in the January 2002 issue of Pumps And Systems. HI's new on-line forum is a continuation of these discussions.
Romanyshyn said, "The noise, vibration and reliability of a pump and mechanical seal may be affected significantly, if an adequate MPSH margin is not provided above the pump's published MPSHR. These subjects are addressed through the discussion forum."
To participate in the forum, contributors can log-in as a new user, a guest or an existing user, provided they agree to the rules and conditions defined for the discussion. Guests entering the discussion are limited to read-only access. Before entering the discussion forum, participants can familiarize themselves with NPSH margin through an on-line HI tutorial, based on the ANSI/HI 9.6.1 -- 1998 American National Standard for Centrifugal and Vertical Pumps. They can then join in the discussions, pose their questions and respond to other contributors.
To obtain a PDF version of HI's NPSH Standard, participants can order and download the full electronic version of the ANSI/HI standard from the HI e-store at the same web address. A hardcopy version is also available at the e-store.
The 85-year old Hydraulic Institute is the largest association of pump producers in North America. It serves member companies and pump users by providing product standards, and forums for the exchange of industry information.
