Pump Station Spacing Calculator

Work out pump station spacing instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Pump Station Spacing Calculator

Each pump station can raise pressure to the pipeline MAOP, and pressure must not fall below the minimum suction requirement at the next station. The usable pressure divided by the friction gradient gives maximum spacing; dividing the route length by that spacing and rounding up gives the station count.

Formulas

Station spacing

Spacing (miles) = (maximum discharge pressure - minimum suction pressure) / friction gradient

Stations

Stations = ceil(pipeline length / spacing)

Worked example

With the default values below, Pump Station Spacing Calculator returns Pump Stations Required of 2. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Pipeline Lengthminimum 0 miles: 300 miles
Friction Gradientminimum 0 psi/mile: 8 psi/mile
Maximum Discharge Pressureminimum 0.01 psi: 1,400 psi
Minimum Suction Pressureminimum 0 psi: 100 psi

Results

Pump Stations Required: 2
Maximum Station Spacing: 162.50
Actual Spacing With Equal Stations: 150.00
Usable Pressure Per Segment: 1,300.0

Step by step

1Values used
2Station spacing
3Stations
4Pump Stations Required= 2
5Maximum Station Spacing= 162.50
6Actual Spacing With Equal Stations= 150.00
7Usable Pressure Per Segment= 1,300.0

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Pipeline hydraulic design must include surge analysis and overpressure protection. Station spacing and pressure limits are subject to pipeline safety regulation.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Pipeline hydraulic design must include surge analysis and overpressure protection. Station spacing and pressure limits are subject to pipeline safety regulation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does elevation change the spacing?

Substantially. Static head from elevation gain adds to friction, so mountainous routes need closer spacing on the climbs and may need pressure control on descents.

Why keep a minimum suction pressure?

To prevent pump cavitation and to keep the liquid above its vapour pressure. Column separation and slack line flow cause severe surge problems when the line is restarted.