& Construction

Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
& Manufacturing

Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Describe what a system head curve is and run a basic system head curve simulation.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
5 min.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
System head curves are designed to help InfoWorks WS Pro users in evaluating both existing and proposed pump stations, based on the hydraulics and nature of the water distribution system the pump is operating in. The system head curve simulation can assist in the configuration of a new pump that will be part of a system expansion, or it can replace an existing pump.
IMPORTANT: These simulations do not determine where pumps should be placed within the distribution network; rather, they assist in the generation of system head curves.
The System Head Curve Analysis within WS Pro describes the relationship between the system head and the flow capacity for a pump at different time ranges. Results from this analysis can help you with the selection of suitable pump types in your final network design, and they can assist with the planning of the capacity of pumps.
A system head curve is a pump station analysis, which is an analysis of the entire pump station and not of an individual pump.
Most systems will have a family of system curves. The curve will depend on boundary conditions, such as tank levels, demands, and what other facilities are operating. Pumps run where the pump curve and the system curves intersect.
IMPORTANT: As the system changes, the pump will still only operate in between the intersection points of the minimum and maximum system curves.
In determining a system head curve, a series of steady state runs are carried out in WS Pro, with the flow through a pump station varying between zero and the maximum flow. The difference in head across the pump station at the different flow rates determines the pump curve. WS Pro determines the upper and lower bounds of the system head curve by determining the maximum static lift with the highest headloss, and the minimum static lift with the lowest headloss, respectively.
To begin a simple system head curve analysis, create a System Head Curve simulation:
To access the System Head Curve Report:
The report opens initially in a grid, listing the pumps used in the analysis and a summary of various parameters.
To access pump curves for selected pumps and their operating parameters:
This output can be used to more accurately size existing or proposed pumps in the analyzed network.
The system head curve analysis can be used for individual pumps as well as multiple pumps set in parallel or in a series. A set of curves is produced for each pump in the analysis.
If a pump station with multiple pumps is being analyzed, then the simulation produces one set of curves derived from the full combined capaci
How to buy
Privacy | Do not sell or share my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use | Legal | © 2025 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved
Sign in for the best experience
Save your progress
Get access to courses
Receive personalized recommendations
May we collect and use your data?
Learn more about the Third Party Services we use and our Privacy Statement.May we collect and use your data to tailor your experience?
Explore the benefits of a customized experience by managing your privacy settings for this site or visit our Privacy Statement to learn more about your options.