This simulator models an instrumented two-station measurement bench that infers total pump head from independent pressure, bore and elevation readings at the suction and discharge stations — separating the pressure-head, velocity-head and elevation-head contributions that together make up the pump's total energy rise.
• A real-time 3D cutaway workbench (suction measurement station, pump under test, discharge measurement station, pressure instruments and sensing lines, elevation datum and survey ruler, hydraulic/energy-grade columns, and a flow/power measurement station) with home view, focus-selected-part, show full enclosure, exploded view, auto-rotate, expand and hide-labels scene tools. • Experiment controls: measured volume flow (0–70 m³/h), suction gauge reading (−0.5 to 2 bar(g)), discharge gauge reading (0–6 bar(g)), suction station bore, discharge station bore, suction tap elevation, discharge tap elevation and liquid density sliders, plus pause/resume, single-step and 1 s-step buttons and four playback speeds. • A Curves & measurements analysis tab with two live charts (pressure/velocity/elevation head terms; total head), the underlying head, velocity, HGL and EGL equations, and snapshot readouts (flow, pressure-head/velocity-head/elevation-head contributions, total head, hydraulic power, suction/discharge hydraulic and energy grade). • An Experiments tab with four guided fixtures (default measurement, equal bores, same tap elevation, inconsistent forward-pump reading that yields a flagged negative head) and a Model verification bench with a timestamped event log and copyable trial report. • A Learn & assess tab with four guided lessons, a knowledge-check quiz with reset, and a written model-scope statement linking to a DOE pump reference.
Total pump head is the sum of three independently measured contributions: the pressure-head term (pd − ps)/(ρg), the velocity-head term (vd² − vs²)/(2g) that accounts for different pipe bores at each station, and the elevation term (zd − zs) referenced to a common datum. Because continuity requires the same volume flow through both stations, a smaller discharge bore means higher velocity and therefore a larger velocity-head contribution — shown directly in the equal-bores experiment, where that term drops to zero.
The simulator's hydraulic-grade-line (HGL = z + p/ρg) and energy-grade-line (EGL = HGL + v²/2g) columns visualize this decomposition: total pump head is simply EGLdischarge − EGLsuction.
If the entered readings imply the discharge energy grade is lower than the suction energy grade, the model reports a negative head rather than silently clamping it to zero — this is a deliberate diagnostic signal that the flow direction, instrument reading or measurement setup should be reviewed, as shown in the inconsistent-reading experiment.
This is an independent-measurement-input model with uniform incompressible flow, a kinetic-energy correction factor of one, and no gauge uncertainty or swirl correction. Both taps are assumed to be at their stated elevations only — no motor or hydraulic transient is computed, since this lab represents a measurement exercise rather than a coupled operating-point solver.
Meters of the pumped liquid. Head is energy per unit weight of liquid, so it has units of length regardless of the liquid's density — a fixed pressure rise corresponds to more head in a less dense fluid.
Continuity requires the same volume flow through every cross-section, so a smaller bore produces a higher velocity. The velocity-head term (v² / 2g) differs between differently sized suction and discharge stations even when pressure and elevation contributions are unchanged.
No — only the difference between the suction and discharge tap elevations enters the head equation. Raising both by 1 m leaves total pump head unchanged, which the simulator's same-tap-elevation experiment demonstrates.
It signals an inconsistency — most often a reversed flow direction assumption or a measurement error — because a properly operating pump should raise, not lower, the fluid's total energy grade. The simulator retains and flags negative results for diagnosis rather than hiding them.