PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Jan. 17, 2013) – The Hydraulic Institute (HI) has updated the 1998 edition of the ANSI/HI standard on pump intake design and published ANSI/HI 9.8–2012 Rotodynamic Pumps for Pump Intake Design. Developed by experts in sump design, researchers specialized in fluid flow dynamics, and senior engineers representing pump manufacturers and the end user community, this standard enables designers, owners, and users to configure functional pumping facility designs and provides remedial measures for problem intakes. The standard provides a flowchart to serve as a guide to the use of this standard and can be used to locate the appropriate section(s) in the standard.

The following types of intakes are included in this standard:

  • Rectangular intakes
  • Formed suction intakes
  • Circular pump stations
  • Trench-type intakes for clear liquids and for solids-bearing liquids
  • Tanks – pump suction
  • Can vertical turbine pump intakes
  • Unconfined intakes
  • Circular plan wet pit for solids-bearing liquids


Other topics of interest in this standard include:

  • Physical model studies of intake structures and when they are necessary
  • Inlet bell design
  • Required submergence for minimizing surface vortices
  • Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
  • Performance enhancements for trench-type wet wells
  • Alternate formed suction intake designs


The updated standard is available for purchase at the HI eStore for $225 and is available in both hardcopy and pdf formats.

The mission of the Hydraulic Institute is to be a value-adding resource to member companies, engineering consulting firms, and pump users worldwide by developing and delivering comprehensive industry standards, expanding knowledge by providing education and tools for the effective application, testing, installation, operation, maintenance, and performance optimization of pumps and pumping systems, and by serving as a forum for the exchange of industry information.