When manually specifying pump curve data in PIPE-FLO Professional and Flow of Fluids version 2005 and earlier, users had the option of choosing between a "Water" curve or a "Process fluid" curve (see Figure 1). 

 
Figure 1.  Pump "Curve" tab screenshot from v2005

Most pump manufacturers specify their pump curve data using water as a reference fluid.  Selecting the option of "Water" for the curve allowed PIPE-FLO to make any viscosity corrections for flow, head and efficiency based on Hydraulic Institute standards.  Whatever fluid you had specified in the suction pipeline to the pump determined whether or not viscosity corrections were necessary.  On the other hand, selecting the option of "Process fluid" curve instructed the program not to make any viscosity corrections for head, flow and efficiency, because these corrections were assumed to already be accounted for in the specified curve data.


In version 2007 of the programs, the dialog box for pump curve data has changed, and these fluid buttons are no longer available (see Figure 2). 

 
Figure 2.  "Pump Data" screenshot from v2007

PIPE-FLO Professional and Flow of Fluids version 2007 will assume that you are entering a water curve whenever you include Efficiency data.  In this case, the program will perform viscosity corrections per HI Standards whenever you have a viscous fluid entering the suction side of the pump.  If you do not enter any efficiency data, then the program will not perform any viscosity corrections.  So if you want to enter pump curve data which has already been corrected for viscosity (like the Process fluid curve of v2005), you simply enter the data without any efficiencies.

The changes which have taken place in the program with regards to manually entered pump curves have allowed for greatly enhanced graphing capabilities.