Overview
ISO 17769-1:2012 - "Liquid pumps and installation - General terms, definitions, quantities, letter symbols and units - Part 1: Liquid pumps" is an international standard that defines the terms, letter symbols and units used for the flow of liquids through rotodynamic (centrifugal) and positive displacement (volumetric) pumps and their installations. Its primary purpose is to standardize pump-related vocabulary and notation to improve clarity of communication between designers, manufacturers, operators and plant constructors. The part applies only to conditions described by positive values for flow rate and pump head and identifies commonly used units while allowing use of other legal units.
Key topics
- General terms and definitions covering basic pump concepts and common nomenclature.
- Special terms for rotodynamic pumps, addressing terminology unique to centrifugal and similar machines.
- Additional terms for positive displacement (volumetric) pumps, covering terminology specific to piston, gear, lobe and similar pump types.
- Comparison of specific energies and corresponding heads, clarifying the relationship between energy metrics and pump head.
- Comprehensive lists of symbols and quantities, including letter symbols and their recommended units for use in documentation and calculations.
- List of letters, figures and subscripts used to form and define compound symbols.
- Annex A (informative) with figures illustrating definitions, plus bibliography and multilingual indexes for cross-reference.
Practical applications
ISO 17769-1 is a reference standard used to:
- Create consistent technical specifications, datasheets and contract documents for pumps and pump systems.
- Standardize test reports, performance curves and calculation sheets by using agreed symbols and units.
- Improve clarity in engineering drawings, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and operation manuals.
- Support procurement and tendering by ensuring product descriptions use common terminology.
- Aid training, maintenance manuals and technical publications where unambiguous pump terms are required.
Typical users:
- Pump designers and manufacturers
- Installation designers and plant constructors
- Commissioning engineers, operators and maintenance teams
- Technical writers, standards developers and procurement specialists
Related standards
- ISO 17769-2: Pumping system - complements Part 1 by covering system-level terminology and quantities.
- Developed by ISO/TC 115 (Pumps), ISO 17769-1:2012 supersedes ISO 17769:2008.
Using ISO 17769-1 ensures consistent pump terminology, reliable communication across disciplines, and reduced ambiguity in engineering and commercial documentation for liquid pumps and installations.
Open preview (PDF)Liquid pumps and installation — General terms, definitions, quantities, letter symbols and units — Part 1: Liquid pumps