Contents Pump Definition Classification of pumps Dynamic pump Positive Displacement Pump Pulsation Dampeners Horsepower and Efficiency

ciency NPSH and Cavitation Pump performance curve Mechanical seals Pump Testing and Inspection Pump Installation Design and Dimension of Pump foundation Types of pump foundation

Pump Definition
Pump is a machine used to move liquid through a piping system, and to raise the pressure of the liquid. Why increase a liquid pressure? A. Static elevation B. Friction C. Pressure D. Velocity

Classification of pumps
According to Principle of Energy Addition:

Screw Pump

Dynamic pump
Here the energy is continuously added to liquid to increase its velocity. When liquid velocity is subsequently reduced, the pressure increases.

Centrifugal Pump:

General components of a centrifugal pump

A centrifugal pump operating at fixed speed and with a fixed impeller diameter produces a differential pressure or differential head. The amount of head produced varies with the flow rate. The characteristic head-capacity curve is shown below

H-Q curve of centrifugal pump

Volute Casing and Diffuser Casing

Different Kinds of centrifugal Pumps on the basis of direction of flow

As the specific speed Ns of a pump design increases, it becomes necessary to change the construction of the impeller from a radial type to an axial type

Generally, it can be said that for low specific speeds (low flows and high heads) radial impellers are used whereas for high specific speeds high flows and low heads) axial impellers are used

POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP In this type, Energy is periodically added to the liquid by the direct application of a force to one or more movable volumes of liquid. This causes an increase in pressure up to the value required to move the liquid through ports in discharge line. Here every time,

Fixed amount of liquid is taken from one end.

Positively discharged at other end.

When to choose a P.D. Pump:

High Pressure Low Flow High Viscosity High efficiency Self priming Solid handling capability

Reciprocating Pump
In reciprocating pump, liquid is displaced due to the reciprocation of piston inside a closed cylinder. The piston is driven by a connecting rod which converts rotary motion of a motor into reciprocating motion of piston.

Rotary pump
A rotary pump is a positive-displacement pump that consists of vanes mounted to a rotor that rotates inside a cavity. In some cases these vanes can be variable length and/or tensioned to maintain contact with the walls as the pump rotates. Internal gear pump

 External gear pump

Lobe pump

Vane pump

A screw pump is a positive displacement pump that use one or several screws to move fluids or solids along the screw(s) axis.

Pulsation Dampeners
A pulsation damper is a vessel with gas inside, normally nitrogen.

Horsepower and Efficiency: Brake Horsepower(BHP) refers to the amount of energy which must be supplied to operate a pump. Water Horsepower(WHP) is the amount of energy available in the liquid at the pump outlet. It is given as WHP=
Efficiency: Eff = (WHP/BHP) * 100 The BHP is greater than WHP because of four losses
1.Hydraulic Losses 2.Volumetric Losses 3.Mechanical Losses 4.Disk Frictional Losses

Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) and Cavitation

Cavitation is a phenomenon that occurs when vapor bubbles form and move along the vane of an impeller. As these vapor bubbles move along the impeller vane, the pressure around the bubbles begins to increase. When a point is reached where the pressure on the outside of the bubble is greater than the pressure inside the bubble, the bubble collapses.

The effect of cavitation are :

The collapsing bubbles make a distinctive noise, which has been described as a growling sound. pump performance drops off of its expected performance curve, referred to as break away, producing a lower than expected head and flow.

Mechanical damage can occur due to excessive vibration produced

due to the uneven loading of the impeller as the mixture of vapor and liquid passes through it in the pump.

 Net positive suction head is the term that is usually used to describe the absolute pressure of a fluid at the inlet to a pump minus the vapour pressure of the liquid. The resultant value is known as the Net Positive Suction Head available (NPSHa). It is a function of the suction system. NPSHa = P H Hf Hvp A similar term is used by pump manufactures to describe the energy losses that occur within many pumps as the fluid volume is allowed to expand within the pump body. This energy loss is expressed as a head of fluid and is described as Net Positive Suction Head required (NPSHr). It is a function of pump inlet design.

NPSHr

Understanding NPSHa and NPSHr

Pump Performance Curve

Mechanical Seals in Pump

A seal is separating two areas of different pressure levels, and should prevent product from entering from one area into another area, or vice versa. In a mechanical seal for rotating shafts, the sealing is done by two rings, which are called seal faces.

A LIQUID IS SUPPLIED TO THE PUMP SUCTION CENTRIFUGAL FORCE EXPELS THE LIQUID OUT FROM THE IMPELLER

AS THE PUMP SHAFT ROTATES

Main Components of Mechanical Shaft seal

Mechanical shaft Seal in Operation

In order to enable the seal to work, a few basic principles have to be understood: The seal faces have to be in contact, subsequently closing forces are required

The sliding seal faces required some kind of lubrication and

cooling in the sealing gap, in order to prevent or reduce wear on the faces. With the lubrication and cooling of the faces a small amount leakage (generally invisible) has to be accepted.

Closing forces Static closing force Hydraulic closing force

There are two closing forces that keep a mechanical seal closed: 1. The spring force, supply a static closing force due to permanent tension of the compressed springs. This force keeps the seals closed. 2. The second closing force is given by the product pressure acting on the seal. Since this force is mostly transmitted by fluids they are called hydraulic closing forces.

Media as lubricant and cooling

An independent lubrication of the seal faces is difficult to arrange therefore as basic principle for a mech. seal the product which is to be sealed provides the lubrication film. This also avoids the process contamination.

Acceptable minimal leakage

The amount and direction of leakage is depending on the pressure and operating conditions under which the mechanical seal is working. In principle a small acceptable amount of leakage is necessary for a proper performance of the seal, due to requirement of the lubrication film. Compared to other sealing devices,

Seal Selection

The parameters for seal selection are as follows:

Media, to be sealed or in contact

Operation temperature
Pressure

Speed of the shaft

PUMP TESTING AND INSPECTION A general overview of the inspection and testing requirements and guidelines are as follows: Inspection and testing requirements are based on ANSI B73.1M: Horizontal Centrifugal Pumps ANSI B73.2M: Vertical Centrifugal Pumps API 610 9th Ed.: Centrifugal Pumps Specifying inspection and testing requirements Shop test acceptance criteria Preparation of inspection and testing checklist Review of the shop performance and procedures Reporting of test.

Pump testing and inspection includes:

a. MATERIAL INSPECTION
b. SHOP TESTS c. PERFORMANCE TEST PROCEDURE

a. MATERIAL INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS

The inspection requirements related to the material of construction

of the pumps include: Material checks (chemical composition and physical properties) Casting defects and their classification Non-destructive testing (NDT) Repairs procedures of castings and welding.

Material checks The material specifications of pump components are usually based on the API 610. The 8th Edition of API 610 Table H-1 tabulates the material class for various pump components and Table H-2 provides with the ASTM specifications. The standards usually provide with the chemical composition limits and the desired physical properties of the specified material grade. Tests are usually recommended in special applications like: Pump components are exposed to traces of hydrogen sulfide (in this case, materials of specific components have to conform to NACE standard MR-01-75) Pumps in highly corrosive or hazardous services Pumps in low temperature applications (less than 50 C, some specifications consider 29 C as the limit).

Casting defects and classification

Special attention is paid to the pressure containing parts of the pump, which include the pump casing and seal housings. The Casting process is adopted to manufacture these components.

It is considered mandatory that the castings are free from any defects such as porosity, cracks, blowholes, shrink holes, scales, and any other serious defects.

Non-destructive testing (NDT)

Material Inspection for Castings and Welding are carried out by the following NDTs:
Visual Inspection (VI) Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) Dye Penetrant Checks (DP) Ultrasonic Examination (UT) Radiography (RT)

b. SHOP TESTS

Hydrostatic test
All pressure containing parts that include the auxiliary components/piping shall be hydrostatically tested at 1.5 times the maximum allowable pressure that can be anticipated from the pump or system. All cooling water jackets or passages should be tested at 7.9 bar-g or as specified by the purchaser.

The hydrotest is considered satisfactory when no seepage or leak is observed for atleast 30 min as per API 610.
A failure of a hydrotest due to leaks from other than bolted or threaded joints is considered a major failure and the purchasers written approval is required prior to any repairs to rectify the defect.

C. PERFORMANCE TEST PROCEDURE

The performance test of horizontal or vertical pumps needs different configurations of the pump testing facility Typical layout of a test stand for a horizontal pump is shown in Figure. This is a closed loop configuration, which implies that the same water is recirculated for the entire test duration, however, in some cases there could be an open loop configuration.

The required instrumentation is connected and activated. The pump is then started and allowed to stabilize. Once the pump and motor temperatures flatten out, the following readings are taken. A recorded test data comprises of: Flow rates Discharge pressure Suction pressure Elevation corrections Test fluid temperature Test fluid specific gravity Power reading Voltage at driver Current to the driver Power factor of the supply Frequency of the electrical supply Vibration levels Bearing temperatures Noise levels Speed.

Example of test curve format

In case, the shop running test fails to meet the acceptance criteria, corrective actions have to be taken and a possible retest. The common causes of pump test failure are: Incorrect Impeller diameter Impeller with high residual imbalance Unexpected seal failure Rubbing at wearing rings Poor Impeller surface quality Uncalibrated instruments Incorrect data collection and computational errors

Misinterpretation of test results and acceptance criteria.

Pump installation
After proper specification, selection, sizing, inspection, and testing, installation is the next key factor in the reliable operation of any centrifugal pump. When properly installed, operated, and maintained, a pump can offer many years of trouble-free service. a. Site location This is one of the pre-installation activities. Prior to the receipt of the equipment, drawings specifying layout dimensions are available and this enables one to select and mark out the site location for the equipment. Ergonomic considerations are a prime factor in the selection of a proper site. When equipment is accessible for maintenance, technicians perform better and operators activate and control it more efficiently. A pump or its motor that is difficult to access and maintain becomes a cause for longer downtime and lower availability.

b. Receipts and physical inspection All pumps and auxiliary equipment or components should be examined upon receipt for any signs of apparent damage. If any damage is indicated, it should be notified. In case the installation is not planned immediately, it is best to store it in a clean, dry location where it will be protected from possible damage. When storing equipment, it is best to follow the manufacturers recommendations and protect it from environmental extremes. Following are some good recommended practices: All nozzles, openings should be kept covered or plugged until the piping is attached. The bearing housings should be filled with oil of the recommended viscosity. If greased bearings are installed, new grease should be pumped in and old one should be displaced. All exposed surfaces should be coated with a rust preventive. If the pump is anticipated for preservation for more than 6 months then the internals too should be coated with suitable rust preventive or an oil mist. Careful handling has to be taken for pumps installed with mechanical seals. They should not be subjected to impact or excessive vibration.

c. Pre-alignment checks In the event of an immediate installation after the receipt of the pump, an alignment check of the pump with its motor on the base-plate should be carried out. This is to insure that it is possible to achieve the final alignment tolerances as per the specification. This check is recommended using a reverse dial indicator method or laser alignment method.

DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS OF PUMP FOUNDATION

The pump foundation has two specific purposes: 1. It serves as a support for the pumps to operate in a safe manner. 2. The foundation mass will damp the pump vibrations. The pump foundation must provide enough rigidity to absorb axial, transverse, and torsion loads that the rotating pump imposes.
A foundation design has to take into consideration the following aspects: Functional support to the pump; it should have a mass that is, at least thrice the total weight of supporting equipment. The foundation rests on solid or stabilized earth that is completely independent of other foundations, pads, walls, or operating platforms. A minimum of 3000 psi steel reinforced concrete should be used. The foundations resonant frequency cannot be excited by pump operating speed or multiples of operating speed. All units, including the pump, gearbox, and motor rest on a common foundation. The foundation is designed for uniform temperatures to minimize distortion and misalignment. The foundation is designed taking into account the seismic activity in the region.

Some rules of thumb are followed for general pump foundation design and dimensions

Drop two lines from the pump center that are 30 to the vertical. The width of the foundation should be more than its spread. Weight of foundation should be a minimum 3 times more than the mass of supported equipments. For pumps less than 500 HP, the distance between base plate edge and foundation edge, all the way around should be at least 3 in. For pumps with higher horsepower, it should be 6 in.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PUMP FOUNDATION

Floor Direct Mounting on floor, Hence direct vibrations

Plinth Poured directly on concrete Floor, Hence as floor

Floating Plinth Resting on dead material e.g. sand, Hence Reduced risk of vibration transmission

Foundation suspended on vibration dampeners Optimum solution with controlled vibration Transmission