HI Data Tool — The Complete Guide: Pipe and Pump Calculators in the Browser
The HI Data Tool is a website from the Hydraulic Institute, the North American pump industry association, that gathers short calculators and engineering background on pumps and pumping systems. The content is written and reviewed by an expert committee, and you use it directly in the browser with nothing to install.
HI Data Tool
Hydraulic Institute
An online Hydraulic Institute resource with pipe friction loss, unit conversion and tank volume calculators plus reference material on pumps.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- Pipe friction loss — a quick pressure-drop check for a line from flow, diameter and material.
- Unit and viscosity conversions — including kinematic to dynamic viscosity.
- Tank volumes — horizontal, vertical and spherical tanks by fill height.
- Atmospheric pressure and bearing losses — for NPSH checks and long line-shaft pumps.
- Reference material — pump types, NPSH, pump and system curves, pipe and flange dimensions.
Who it suits and where it stops
Mechanical, water and process engineers who need an order-of-magnitude check or a refresher on principles while designing a pumping station. Metric units are supported, so it works for projects outside the US as well. It is a collection of separate calculators: it does not build a model of a whole network and does not replace the full HI standards.
Related tools
For flow and piping calculations in Python — fluids. For accurate fluid properties — CoolProp. For analysing a complete water network — EPANET.
fluids
Caleb Bell
A Python library for flow calculations — pressure drop in pipes and fittings, pumps, compressible flow, control valves and flow meters.
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CoolProp
CoolProp Project
Thermophysical property data for over a hundred fluids, callable from any language.
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EPANET
US Environmental Protection Agency
Water distribution network model — flows, pressures and water quality. The engine behind most commercial tools.
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HI Pump Savings Calculator
Hydraulic Institute
A Hydraulic Institute Excel workbook that calculates energy and life-cycle cost savings from choosing a more efficient pump.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
The HI Data Tool is a fast, trustworthy stop for pipe and pump checks. Bookmark it and open it when you need a quick number rather than a model.