By studying the different small flow cycles of pump, and combined with the analysis on the small flow cycle applied in the incineration projects, it is known that the setting of small flow cycle pipelines can protect the pumps under the condition of system with large load change. The stability of system operation is improved and the complexity of system operation is reduced. The selection of small flow cycle types should be comprehensively considered according to the factors of project investment, operator experience and system automaticity degree.