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ultiple symptoms associated GAS BOUND IMPELLERS A pump in this gas bound state,
6%
70 0% go into solution, into the
2% pumpage.
150 60 4%
6% 4. Vacuum systems, valves, seals,
250 50 0% flanges, or other equipment in a
Bhp@ sp gr=1.0
200 6% suction lift application allowing
150
air to leak into the pumpage
stream.
5. Gas evolution from an incom-
plete or gas producing chemical
reaction.
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 If a particular application pro-
Gallons per Minute duces entrained gas or has the poten-
Size: 6x8-18 Speed: 1780 rpm Impeller Diameter: 17 1/4” tial to do so, the best solution is to
eliminate as much entrainment as
impeller position, type and valving head loss at 5% gas volume, the possible by applying corrective pump
arrangement, among other variables. Gould’s open impeller experiences a system design and/or a gas handling
Degassing is easier to accomplish 12% head loss at this volume. Some pump. If liquid gas mixing is desired,
with a variable speed driver, such as open impeller paper stock designs employ a static mixer on the dis-
a steam turbine, than with a constant can actually handle
speed electric motor drive. In addi- up to 10% entrained
tion, a recycle line to the suction ves- gas because clear- FIGURE 3. DEVELOPMENT OF A VORTEX
sel vapor space is often an effective ance between the
method for degassing an impeller, case and impeller
since with this arrangement the vanes allows more
pump is not required to work against turbulence in the
a discharge head. (Ref. 1 describes process fluid, which (a)
methods for venting gas on modified tends to break up
pumps that are gas bound.) gas accumulation
As a rule, if the probability of more efficiently
entrained gas exists from a chemical than an enclosed
reaction, the inlet piping design impeller with wear
should incorporate a means to vent rings. In addition,
the vapor back to the suction vessel’s other designs, such (d)
vapor space or to some other source. as a recessed im-
peller pump, may (b)
EFFECTS OF ENTRAINED GAS ON
handle up to 18% A. Incoherent surface swirl
PUMP PERFORMANCE
entrained gas. In
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the fact, most standard B. Surface dimple with coherent
effect of entrained gas on a LaBour centrifugal pumps surface swirl
enclosed impeller and a Gould’s handle up to 3%
paper stock open impeller. As illus- C. Vortex pulling air bubbles to
entrained gas vol- intake
trated by the figures, 2% entrained ume at suction con-
gas does not produce a significant ditions without AIR D. Fully developed vortex with air
head curve drop. Note that while the difficulty. (Ref. 2 core to nozzle outlet
LaBour impeller experiences a 22% (c)
charge of the pump. In addition, an eliminate entrained gas in pump draw-off nozzle of the pump as illus-
anticipated drop in pump head due to suction piping is to prevent vortex trated by Figure 6a.
an entrained gas situation may be off- formation either by avoiding vortex It may be difficult to understand
set by oversizing the impeller. introducing mechanisms or by em- how a pump with 60 ft of vertical
Of the five aforementioned ploying an appropriate vortex break- suction could be affected by en-
mechanisms, vortexing is the most er at the vessel outlet. A ”hat” type trained gas, but in this real case
common source of entrained gas. vortex breaker, illustrated in Figure example Murphy’s law applied twice.
Therefore, a user should be especially 4, covers the vessel outlet nozzle to First, since the pump system in ques-
cautious employing mechanical reduce the effective outlet velocity. tion has a NPSHA greater than 50 ft,
equipment, such as tangential flash This design doesn’t allow a vortex to the piping designer employed a small-
gas separators and column bottoms stabilize because the fluid surface er suction pipe with a liquid velocity
re-boilers, likely to produce a strong senses only the annular velocity at of 10 ft/sec. Second, the column
vortex. the hat outside diameter (OD). In draw-off nozzle was sized according
addition, the vanes supporting the to normal fluid velocity practice. As a
VORTEX BREAKER DESIGN hat introduce a shear in the vicinity result, the tray liquid had an exit
The extent of gas entrainment in of the outlet to further inhibit vortex velocity of 5 ft/sec with a liquid level
the pumped fluid as the result of formation. An annular velocity of 6-in. above the top of the draw-off
vortex formation depends on the 1/2 ft/sec at the hat OD produces a nozzle and a vortex formed, feeding
strength of the vortex, the submer- viable solution. Variations in hat gas into the draw-off nozzle.
gence to pump suction outlet, and diameters from 4d to 5d and hat As in the above example, due to a
the liquid velocity in the pump suc- annular openings of d/2 to d/3 are lack of proper submergence, gas is car-
tion nozzle outlet. Vortices form not acceptable when annular velocity cri- ried into the pump suction piping as a
only through gravity draining vessel teria are met. Annular design veloci- high liquid downward velocity exceeds
applications, but also in steady state ties of more than 1 ft/sec are not the upward velocity of a gas bubble.
draining vessels, and in vessels recommended. Many draw-off vortexing prob-
under pressure or with submerged ”Cross” type breakers, installed lems may be eliminated by proper
pump suction inlets. Vortex forma- above or inserted in vessel nozzle out- pump system design or by one of two
tion follows conservation of angular lets as shown in Figure 5, work for vortex breaker designs illustrated by
momentum. As fluid moves toward some applications by providing addi- Figures 6b and c. The selection of the
the vessel outlet, the tangential tional shear to inhibit a mild vortex breaker design may depend on the
velocity component in the fluid from feeding gas into a nozzle outlet downcomer arrangement and space
increases as the radius from the out- (providing enough submergence is limitations. The most effective vortex
let decreases. Figure 3 shows various available). However, this design will breaker is the slotted pipe design
stages of vortex development. The not stop a strong vortex and will shown in Figure 6c.
first phase is a surface dimple. This decrease NPSHA. A user should be Application of these corrective
dimple must sense a high enough aware of these limitations. pump systems designs or installa-
exit velocity to extend from the sur- COLUMN VORTEXING tion of an appropriate gas handling
face and form a vortex. (For experi- pump can solve suction side gas
mental observations regarding If a column draw-off pump is entrainment problems, resulting in a
vortex formation see Refs. 3, 4.) erratic and/or nearly uncontrollable, a smoother process operation. ■
The most effective method to vortex may be feeding gas into the
Figure 6b. Plate extension over outlet nozzle lowers high outlet
velocity.
AREA OF SLOTS—3X
PIPE CROSS SECTION
AREA. CHECK
VELOCITY INTO SLOT
AREA ≤ 1’/sec.