In terms of flow rate when pumps are connected in series, what remains constant?

When pumps are connected in series, the volume flow rate remains constant throughout the system. This characteristic allows for consistent flow since all pumps in a series setup handle the same volume of fluid; adding additional pumps in series primarily increases the pressure differential across the system rather than changing the amount of fluid that flows per unit time.

The series configuration focuses on augmenting the pressure by adding the head produced by each pump, but since all pumps are dealing with the same flow pathway, the volume flow rate remains unchanged. This principle is crucial for various applications where maintaining the same flow rate is necessary while increasing the system's overall pressure output.

In contrast, while the pressure differential increases with each additional pump in series, the horsepower requirement will vary based on the total dynamic head and the efficiency of the pumps, and the efficiency of each pump might not be uniform or constant across different operational conditions. Understanding this behavior is essential for designing pump systems effectively.