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ansi-hi-14-6.md

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title Hydraulic performance testing — ANSI/HI 14.6
description How rotodynamic pumps are tested for acceptance and what the tolerance grades mean

ANSI/HI 14.6 — hydraulic performance testing

ANSI/HI 14.6 (current edition: 2022) is the rotodynamic pump acceptance test standard. When a buyer specifies "tested per HI 14.6 Grade 1B" in a purchase order, this is what they are referring to.

What gets tested

The test bench measures, at a defined speed and fluid temperature:

  1. Q — flow rate, via calibrated flow meter
  2. H — total head, via pressure transducers at suction and discharge flanges
  3. P — input power, via torque cell or calibrated motor
  4. η — efficiency, derived as (ρ·g·Q·H) / P
  5. NPSHr — measured by progressively dropping suction pressure until head drops 3% (the "3% drop" criterion)

Several points are taken across the curve: typically 0%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 110%, and 120% of rated flow.

Acceptance grades

The standard defines tolerance bands the as-tested results must fall within:

Grade Application Q tolerance H tolerance η tolerance
1U Critical / API 610 ±5% ±3% -3%
1B Industrial standard ±8% ±5% -5%
2B Commercial / utility ±10% ±8% -8%
3B Light duty ±10% ±8% none

Grade 1B is the typical acceptance target for industrial process duty.

Grade 1U is mandatory for API 610 (refining and petrochemical) — see API 610 §8.3 for the additional vibration and bearing temperature limits that stack on top of HI 14.6.

What the buyer receives

A factory acceptance test (FAT) per HI 14.6 produces:

  • A test certificate with serial number, test date, and operator signature
  • Numerical data at each test point (Q, H, P, η, NPSHr)
  • A performance curve plotted from the data
  • Witness sign-off if the buyer attended (witnessed FAT)

Shipping a pump without an HI 14.6 certificate to a process plant is unusual — ask for it explicitly when negotiating.

What FB Bombas tests

Our hydraulic test bench in Cabreúva runs ANSI/HI 14.6 acceptance tests up to the size envelope of our catalog. See Por que FB Bombas for the test capability matrix.

Further reading

References

  • ANSI/HI 14.6-2022 — Rotodynamic Pumps for Hydraulic Performance Acceptance Tests.
  • API 610-2021 §8.3 — Performance, mechanical, and NPSH tests.
  • ISO 9906:2012 — Rotodynamic pumps — Hydraulic performance acceptance tests — Grades 1, 2 and 3 (the international equivalent).