Boiler Feed Pump Calculator Web Application
Version: 1.0
Document Type: Product Requirements Document (PRD)
Audience: Product Managers, Mechanical Engineers, UI/UX Designers, Frontend Developers, Backend Developers, QA Engineers
1. Project Overview
Product Name
Boiler Feed Pump Calculator
Purpose
Develop a professional engineering web application that accurately calculates the required specifications for a boiler feed pump using industry-standard engineering formulas and accepted hydraulic principles.
The application should help engineers, consultants, students, plant operators, and boiler designers perform preliminary boiler feed pump sizing quickly and accurately.
The calculator must provide transparent calculations, engineering explanations, downloadable reports, and professional-grade results suitable for industrial use.
2. Objectives
The calculator should enable users to:
- Calculate required boiler feedwater flow.
- Calculate Total Dynamic Head (TDH).
- Calculate hydraulic power.
- Calculate shaft power.
- Calculate brake horsepower (BHP).
- Calculate required motor power.
- Calculate NPSH Available (NPSHa).
- Compare NPSHa with pump NPSHr.
- Recommend an appropriate pump size.
- Recommend a motor size.
- Generate a professional engineering report.
3. Target Users
Primary users include:
- Mechanical Engineers
- Boiler Engineers
- Power Plant Engineers
- Chemical Engineers
- Process Engineers
- Pump Selection Engineers
- EPC Companies
- Consultants
- Boiler Manufacturers
- Pump Manufacturers
- Engineering Students
4. Scope
Included
- Boiler Feed Pump sizing
- Pump power calculations
- Head calculations
- NPSH calculations
- Unit conversions
- Engineering report generation
- Responsive web interface
- Metric & Imperial support
- Engineering explanations
Not Included
- CFD simulation
- 3D pump modeling
- Manufacturer-specific pump curve generation
- Live equipment pricing
- Procurement workflow
5. Functional Requirements
FR-1 Boiler Information
The calculator shall allow users to enter:
- Boiler Operating Pressure
- Steam Generation Rate
- Boiler Capacity
- Boiler Horsepower
- Boiler Type (optional)
- Boiler Efficiency (optional)
FR-2 Feedwater Information
Inputs:
- Feedwater Temperature
- Feedwater Density (optional override)
- Blowdown Percentage
- Water Specific Gravity
FR-3 Flow Calculation
The calculator shall compute:
- Feedwater Mass Flow
- Feedwater Volume Flow
- Required Pump Flow
Supported Units:
- kg/hr
- kg/s
- lb/hr
- lb/min
- m³/hr
- L/min
- GPM
FR-4 Head Calculation
Inputs:
- Boiler Pressure
- Static Head
- Elevation Difference
- Suction Lift
- Discharge Height
- Pipe Length
- Pipe Diameter
- Pipe Material
- Number of Fittings
- Valve Losses
- Economizer Pressure Loss
Outputs:
- Pressure Head
- Static Head
- Friction Head
- Total Dynamic Head (TDH)
FR-5 Pipe Loss Calculation
Support:
- Darcy-Weisbach Equation
- Minor Losses
- Equivalent Length Method
Automatically calculate:
- Reynolds Number
- Velocity
- Friction Factor
FR-6 Pump Power Calculation
Calculate:
- Hydraulic Power
- Shaft Power
- Brake Horsepower
- Motor Power
Allow user input:
- Pump Efficiency
- Motor Efficiency
FR-7 NPSH Module
Inputs:
- Atmospheric Pressure
- Tank Pressure
- Static Suction Head
- Vapor Pressure
- Suction Pipe Loss
Outputs:
- NPSHa
- Required NPSH Margin
- Cavitation Warning
- Safe/Unsafe Indicator
FR-8 Pump Recommendation
Recommend:
- Pump Type
- Single Stage vs Multi Stage
- Horizontal vs Vertical
- Minimum Required Head
- Minimum Required Flow
- Motor Size
FR-9 Results
Display:
- Feedwater Flow
- Pump Head
- Hydraulic Power
- Shaft Power
- Brake Horsepower
- Motor Power
- Efficiency
- NPSHa
- TDH
- Velocity
- Reynolds Number
- Safety Margin
FR-10 Report Generation
Export:
- Print View
Include:
- User Inputs
- Engineering Equations
- Intermediate Calculations
- Final Results
- Engineering Notes
- Calculation Date
- Version Number
6. Input Fields
Boiler
- Pressure
- Capacity
- Steam Rate
- Blowdown %
Water
- Temperature
- Density
- Specific Gravity
Pipe
- Diameter
- Length
- Roughness
- Elevation
Pump
- Efficiency
- Motor Efficiency
- NPSHr
Losses
- Pipe Loss
- Valve Loss
- Economizer Loss
7. Output Fields
The calculator shall display:
- Feedwater Mass Flow
- Feedwater Volume Flow
- Pressure Head
- Static Head
- Friction Head
- Total Dynamic Head
- Hydraulic Power
- Shaft Power
- Brake Horsepower
- Motor Power
- NPSHa
- NPSH Margin
- Reynolds Number
- Flow Velocity
- Pump Recommendation
- Engineering Notes
8. Calculation Engine
The application shall use accepted engineering equations for:
- Feedwater Flow
- Pressure Head
- Static Head
- Darcy-Weisbach
- Hydraulic Power
- Shaft Power
- Brake Horsepower
- Motor Power
- NPSH Available
Every formula shall include:
- Equation
- Variable definitions
- Unit definitions
- Engineering assumptions
9. Unit Conversion
Support:
Pressure
- bar
- MPa
- psi
- kPa
Flow
- m³/hr
- L/min
- GPM
- ft³/min
Head
- meter
- feet
Temperature
- °C
- °F
Power
- kW
- HP
- BHP
10. Validation Rules
The calculator shall:
Reject:
- Negative flow
- Negative pressure
- Negative head
- Efficiency >100%
- Efficiency ≤0%
- Impossible temperatures
Warn:
- Low NPSH Margin
- High Pipe Velocity
- Cavitation Risk
- Unrealistic Head
- Extremely Low Efficiency
11. User Interface Requirements
The interface shall include:
Header
- Calculator title
- Description
- Standards reference
Input Panel
Grouped sections:
- Boiler
- Feedwater
- Pipe
- Pump
- Advanced Settings
Results Panel
Cards showing:
- Flow
- TDH
- Power
- NPSH
- Recommendations
Calculation Breakdown
Expandable section showing:
- Every equation
- Every substitution
- Intermediate calculations
12. User Experience Requirements
The website shall be:
- Mobile Friendly
- Tablet Friendly
- Desktop Optimized
Features:
- Live Calculation
- Instant Validation
- Auto Unit Conversion
- Copy Results
- Print Results
- Share URL
- Dark Mode
- Light Mode
13. SEO Requirements
Primary keyword:
Boiler Feed Pump Calculator
Supporting keywords:
- Boiler Feed Pump Sizing
- Boiler Feed Pump Calculation
- Pump Head Calculator
- Feedwater Pump Calculator
- Pump Power Calculator
- TDH Calculator
- Boiler Feedwater Flow Calculator
- NPSH Calculator
Each page shall include:
- SEO title
- Meta description
- FAQ schema
- Breadcrumb schema
- Article schema
14. Engineering Standards
The application shall reference, where applicable:
- ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) Section I
- Hydraulic Institute (ANSI/HI 9.6.1 and ANSI/HI 9.6.3)
- ISO 9906
- API 610 (industrial centrifugal pumps)
- EN 12952-7
The calculator shall clearly state that it provides preliminary engineering sizing and that final pump selection must be verified using manufacturer pump curves, project-specific hydraulic data, and applicable engineering standards.
15. Performance Requirements
- Initial page load < 2 seconds
- Calculation response < 100 ms
- Fully client-side calculations (no server dependency)
- Offline-capable after first load (Progressive Web App optional)
- Responsive on all modern browsers
16. Accessibility Requirements
The application should conform to WCAG 2.1 AA by providing:
- Keyboard navigation
- Screen-reader support
- Sufficient color contrast
- Accessible form labels
- Clear validation messages
17. Security & Privacy
- No user login required
- No personal data collection by default
- HTTPS-only deployment
- Optional anonymous analytics
- No calculation data stored without user consent
18. Future Enhancements
Planned enhancements include:
- Pump performance curve visualization
- Manufacturer pump database integration
- Fluid property library beyond water
- Multi-boiler system sizing
- Energy consumption and lifecycle cost analysis
- Saved projects and calculation history
- Cloud synchronization
- REST API for external integrations
- Batch calculation mode
- AI-assisted pump selection guidance
19. Acceptance Criteria
The product will be considered complete when it:
- Correctly calculates feedwater flow, TDH, hydraulic power, shaft power, motor power, and NPSHa.
- Supports both SI and Imperial units with accurate conversions.
- Validates inputs and provides meaningful warnings.
- Generates a printable and downloadable engineering report.
- Works across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
- Clearly documents formulas, assumptions, and engineering references.
- Meets the stated performance and accessibility requirements.
- Presents results in a professional, engineer-friendly interface suitable for preliminary boiler feed pump sizing.
20. Success Metrics
- Calculation Accuracy: Results align with accepted engineering methods and manual verification.
- Usability: Users can complete a calculation in under 3 minutes without documentation.
- Performance: Median calculation latency below 100 ms.
- Reliability: Zero critical calculation defects in production.
- Adoption: High completion rate for calculations and strong engagement with report generation and sharing features.