Suction Elbow Flow Test Project - Test Results Summary |
By President Mark Davis | |
January 11, 2018 | |
On September 30, 2017, the folks from GBW Associates, LLC and Water Supply Innovations, LLC conducted a number of flow tests on a variety of different makes, models, and styles of 6-inch, fire department suction strainers. Included in that work were flow tests on three models of 90-degree suction elbows. The results from the suction elbow strainer performance tests are presented in this document. All testing was done at the Hunterdon County Emergency Services Training Center in Annandale, New Jersey. Engine 1262 from the Glen Gardner Fire Company was used for each flow test. The pumper was equipped with a Hale QMax 2,250 gpm single-stage pump powered by a 515 hp diesel motor. The Test Conditions All test conditions were kept constant from flow test to flow test: The only variable in the entire flow testing process was the suction elbow being tested. Prior to the first suction elbow flow test a flow test was completed using no suction elbow. The Task Force Tips low level strainer with float attachment was attached to 20-feet of 6-inch suction hose which was then connected directly to the pumper’s officer’s side suction inlet. This test provided a baseline for comparison of all elbows: as elbows were added to the pump’s suction inlet, a restriction in flow was expected. For each flow test, data was recorded at peak output flow, which in most cases was also the point at which pump cavitation began.
• The baseline flow test measured maximum flow without the use of a suction elbow. The Findings All three, 90-degree suction elbows performed within a 25 gpm variance of each other. In all three flow tests, the suction elbows allowed at least 1,500 gpm to pass through to the pump. Having used the “big body” 2,250 gpm Hale QMax pump powered by a 515 hp motor, we feel that each of the elbows reached its maximum flow potential given the test conditions. The good news is that each elbow allowed for a 1,500 gpm supply. These test findings prove important when comparing the use of a front suction inlet (generally poor performance on a mid-ship pump) to the use of a 90-degree elbow on a main suction inlet. This comparison becomes even more important on pumps with lower capacity ratings (1,000 gpm to 1,500 gpm) – especially when desiring to draft from the front or rear of the vehicle. A more in depth written report is forthcoming explaining in detail more about the test set-up and suction elbow physical data. Contact Mark E. Davis, President of GBW Associates, LLC with any questions. (thebigcamel@gotbigwater.com). |
|
Attachments: |
| ||