Tagged: Best Efficiency Point
The Best Efficiency Point, or BEP, is a term that is used quite often in pump vernacular. Like the terms Shut-off (SO) or Run-out (RO), the Best Efficiency Point identifies an operating region or point along the pump performance curve. The Best Efficiency Point is defined as the flow at which the pump operates at the highest or optimum efficiency for a given impeller diameter. When we operate a pump at flows greater than or less than the flow designated by the BEP, we call this “operating pumps away from the Best Efficiency Point”. Therefore, operating a pump at flows higher or greater than the flow at the BEP is called “operating to the right of the BEP”, and conversely, operating a pump at flows lower or less than the flow at the BEP is called “operating to the left of the BEP.”
Under ideal circumstances, a pump will not operate at flows greater than BEP plus 10% or flows less than BEP minus 10%. While we try not to stray too far from the BEP, in general, most pumps operate away from the BEP to one degree or another, and this is acceptable for intermittent duty. There are many consequences, however, to operating your pump too far to the left or right of its Best Efficiency Point for a sustained period of time.
Thank you for your interesting article.
I am wondering: does the efficiency (and thus energy use) of a pump change significantly within +- 10% of the Best Efficiency Point? Or are these changes negligible?
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