Intro
Fountains are a source of fun and joy. Everyone loves a fountain that is made in a variety of unique ways. They certainly add beauty and elegance to that area.
However, designing a fountain is a work of engineering. I searched for a ton of online materials to design a water fountain in an easy way. However, no such designs were available that were also applicable to the real fountain.
I needed to know what HP of the pump to be used, the number of nozzles, the diameter of the nozzle, and the height of water that would be raised.
Hence, this article and design sheet tries to simplify the process of designing a water fountain. The design just needs some basic inputs desired to be present in a water fountain. Try with different values and get your custom-made water fountain design that works.
How fountain works
Fountains are made in a variety of designs. Usually, fountains are a set of nozzles where water comes out with high pressure from the pipes, usually through motor pumps.
Fountain Design Excel Sheet
- Refresh the page to get original values: REFRESH
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How to use this Excel sheet?
Using the design sheet is easy. You just have to enter the INPUT VALUES that includes the number of nozzle, diameter of nozzle hole. The desired lift of the water should also be entered.
The sheet will calculate the power of the pump to be used in horsepower (HP) (usually in decimal values). Input the desired HP of the motor used and get the new lift of the water.
The input HP of the pump should nearly match the pump’s required HP.
- Conversion, 1HP = 746 Watts
This sheet is not only limited to the water fountain. This sheet can be used for a variety of water for spray aeration, as a water sprinkler for irrigation and in multiple applications.
Increase/decrease water height of fountain
You might not get sufficient lift of the water in your fountain. However, you can attain your desired lift. The main logic is maintaining the water pressure. The different options are:
Increase the water lift
* Increase the Power (HP) of pump
* Use a smaller diameter nozzle
* Decrease the number of nozzles used
* Close big central nozzles
* Use multiple pumps: Add another
* Partially close the nozzle valves
Decrease the water lift
* Decrease the Power (HP) of pump
* Use a bigger diameter nozzle
* Increase the number of nozzles used
* Add central big nozzle fountain
* Release pressure inside water: Through openings
Theory of the Fountain Design: Technical
Bernoull’s principle which is essentially the law of conservation of energy is the main element behind the design and working of a water fountain.
The steps for the design of a water fountain involve:
First, Calculate the water velocity required from the nozzle
For this, the height of the water desired is H.
The formula, V = sqrt (2 * g * H)
- g is the acceleration due to gravity
- H is the height of water desired
- V is the velocity from the spray nozzle
Then, the discharge through each nozzle is calculated: Q = A * V
- Q is the discharge
- A is the area of each nozzle
Discharge through all nozzle is, Qt = n * Q
- Qt is the total discharge required
- n is the number of nozzle
Then, the power required by the pump is calculated as
P = (Q * ρ * g * Ht) / η
- P is the power (in watts).
- Q is the flow rate (in cubic meters per second).
- ρ is the density of the fluid (in kilograms per cubic meter).
- g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s²).
- Ht is the total head (in meters), which is the height the fluid needs to be lifted.
- η is the pump efficiency (dimensionless, between 0 and 1).
- Discharge increases, head available by water pump decreases
Thus, the required pump power is obtained. If other power pumps are used, the same formula is used to calculate the NEW lift of the water.
This is the simplified design of the pump. There is more complex design factor to it and field application is also a challenge.
Hence, the design sheet is validated to model the actual water fountain.
Calibration and validation of the design sheet in real field
Oversimplifying the water fountain design may make the output application in real scenarios. Hence, calibration of the design sheet is done so as to maintain the simplicity of the design as well as make it applicable to the actual water fountain.
Validation sheet: M1
When cleaned, lift increased (Used: 1 HP Pump)
Validation sheet: G1
Validation sheet: G5
Complexity of the full design
There are different factors that comes into play when designing a water fountain in an engineered way. Th e complexity incudes:
- The pump’s actual working differs which is defined by pumps performance curves. Using it make the design more accurate. However, the design becomes more specific and much more complex.
- The pump’s efficiency in the design sheet is taken as 30% only as this only validated the real water fountain.
- The coefficient of discharge values depends on the nozzle type
- The incorporated leakage and other head losses also makes the design complex
The simplified Excel design gives the design values easily. However, it should be only taken as a preliminary assessment tool. With various uncertainties, the actual workings may vary.
Limitations of the design sheet
The Excel design can be used creatively in a variety of ways to design a water fountain.
The Excel sheet, however, is found invalid for getting water lifted to lower values (1 meter or below). The pumps efficiency needs to be adjusted to nearly 20% from initial 30%.
Also, for getting high lifts of water (5 meter or above), the pumps efficiency needs to be adjusted to nearly 60% from initial 30%.
Thus, care must be taken while designing a water fountain. In any case, even after installing a water fountain, there are several ways for adjustments as discussed above.