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Job Listings How Screw Pumps Can Achieve 80%-Plus Efficiency in Crude Oil Pipelines, Part 2 of 3Multiple screw pumps
for crude oil pipeline service are produced in two basic configurations. The twin screw pump is illustrated in figure 1. It ◦ September
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independently supported with bearings external to the pumped liquid. The mesh of the screw set is synchronized Matthews
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http://www.pump-zone.com/blog/2008/12/crude-oil-transport-by-jim-brennan/how-screw... 23/09/2011
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The smaller outside

screws, called idler rotors, are driven by the center screw, called a power rotor. Thus there is metal to metal contact
and these designs cannot be used with high gas content or for 100% water. Each type has its merits depending on
pressure, flow and the condition of the crude oil.

Screw pumps are positive displacement machines. Every revolution of the pump shaft causes a specific volume of space
to be opened to the system inlet pressure environment and then closed off from the inlet. The volume moves in an axial
direction and is expelled from the pump by the next succeeding volume. Flow is very smooth and almost completely free
of any measurable pressure or flow pulsation. At constant speed, screw pumps have a theoretical displacement
dependent upon the size and geometry of the screws and the screw pitch or lead.

The pumps, obviously, have internal running clearances and will not be able to deliver 100% of their theoretical flow
when pumping against a differential pressure. Slip flow occurs through the running clearances. The slip flow is a function
of differential pressure and fluid viscosity. Increasing differential pressure and decreasing viscosity cause slip to
increase. Slip flow is the volumetric inefficiency.

A pump having a theoretical flow of 432 GPM operating at 1000 PSID and 20 centistokes (100 SSU) might have a slip
flow of 59 GPM. Thus the pump would deliver 432-59 or 373 GPM. The volumetric efficiency of the pump would be
373/432 or 86%. At higher viscosities, common on crude oils with an API gravity less than 200, the volumetric
efficiency of a multiple screw pump can reach well into the 90 to 95% range.In order to limit the slip flow characteristics
of multiple screw pumps, higher pressure designs use more “wraps” of screw thread than lower pressure designs. Each
wrap acts as a barrier to slip flow, effectively causing the pump pressure rise to occur in stages, figure 3.

The staging effect

lowers the loading on rotating pump components as well as providing greater resistance to slip flow.

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At low viscosities, slip flow is the major contributor to the inefficiency of a multiple screw pump. At increasing viscosity,
the slip flow is reduced, sometimes to a negligible level. However, as viscosity increases, more power is required to
rotate the pumping screws within their close clearance stationary boundaries. Viscosity is defined as a liquid’s resistance
to shear. The pumping screws shear the liquid that is within the running clearances and this is the major contributor to
inefficiency when operating at high viscosity.

Proper selection of pump size and speed can keep these viscous shear losses within reason and usually not require and
pump speed reduction devices except under the most severe conditions. Figure 4 shows the performance curve of a
typical crude oil pipeline screw pump at constant speed.

The effects of
viscosity and differential pressure are clearly evident.

Note that, like all machines, the pump efficiency is zero at zero differential pressure. This is the point where the
machine would pump its theoretical flow but since there is no pressure rise, there is no power output yet it requires
about 15 HP minimum to keep the pump rotating. Also note that there is no “best efficiency” point as with a centrifugal
pump. Multiple screw pumps have a rapidly rising efficiency curve which then holds fairly high throughout its design
pressure range.

Check back in a few days for additional content on how screw pumps are an efficient option for crude oil pipelines.

For more information, contact Jim Brennan at

jimb@pumpxpert.com, and visit www.colfaxcorp.com

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 1:23 pm and is filed under Jim Brennan Blog. You can follow any responses to
this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “How Screw Pumps Can Achieve 80%-Plus Efficiency in Crude Oil
Pipelines, Part 2 of 3”

1. Napeaseri Says:
December 11th, 2009 at 10:23 am

Stunning .. really amazing matter. I am going to write about it likewise.

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