Thanks! This help a LOT and I need all the help I can get. It's usually me against the entire dinner crowd!
Chris, I was traveling during this period and missed this conversation entirely, but found this thread with some searching for ideas.
I am getting very close to starting my own experiments to establish my system curve...yeah I know it’s nerdy but I just want to know all the data about my system. Did you follow up on this and go through with the measurements necessary to develop your system’s curve? What data did you (or are planning) to take? I’ve really appreciated looking at
@mas985 pump spreadsheets but want the data specifically for my system. It also helps me get my head around understanding it better by going through a process.
My plan (probably still about a month away) is to take data that will include varying my VS Pump RPM over a range of system conditions, from my system’s highest head condition to its lowest head condition. TBD, how many stages in between these two extremes, and how many RPMs at each stage. It will depend on how automatic the collection of data can be.
From previous experiments, I believe that these are the two extremes for my system:
(1) IFCS On: highest pressure, most restrictive, highest head condition
(2) 100% Wall Returns: lowest pressure, least restrictive, lowest head conditions
TBD on data collection for how the suction sources impact this: main drain versus skimmers. It will depend on how much these impact the results. It may be that one of these (probably main drain) folds into condition (1) above, and skimmer draw folds into (2) above.
At each data point I will take the following data:
1) RPM
2) PSI (pump vacuum side)
3) PSI (pump filter side)
4) GPM (via FlowVis), must be manually entered
5) pump watts
And then I will process the data...my goals include:
1) developing an accurate, dynamic GPM model for my system
2) next, remove my FlowVis to measure how it impacts (impacted) GPM/efficiency
3) understand better how dynamic changes in system head (via dirty filter, debris baskets full, IFCS) impact my system
4) use the information to help determine if there are better pump RPMs to do what I am doing, but more optimized/efficient
5) having some fun
Are these realistic goals and am I missing something obvious that will NOT allow me to accomplish them?