23/6/2016

Pumpsuctionpipedesignconsiderations

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SuctionPipelineDesign

Insufficientfluidpressureleadingtocavitationwithinthepump.

Contactus

Therootcauseofmanypumpproblemsandfailurescanbetracedtopoor
upstream,suctionside,pipelinedesign.Commonproblemstoavoidare:

Narrowpipesandconstrictionsproducingnoise,turbulenceandfriction
losses.
Airorvapourentrainmentcausingnoise,frictionandlossofperformance.
Suspendedsolidsresultinginincreasederosion.
Poorinstallationofpipeworkandothercomponents.

Cavitation

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Pumpsuctionpipedesignconsiderations

Aliquidsboilingpoint
correspondstothe
temperatureatwhichits
vapourpressureisthe
sameasthepressureof
itsenvironment.Ifwater,
forexample,issubjected
toasufficientdropin
pressureatroom
temperature,itwillboil.

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Acrossanypumping
systemthereisacomplex
pressureprofile.This
arisesfrommany
propertiesofthesystem:
thethroughputrate,head
pressure,frictionlosses
bothinsidethepumpand
acrossthesystemasa
whole.Inacentrifugal
pump,forexample,there
isalargedropinpressure
attheimpellerandan
increaseagainwithinits
vanes(seediagram).Ina
positivedisplacement
pump,thefluidspressure
dropswhenitisdrawn,
essentiallyfromrest,into
thecylinder.Thefluidspressureincreasesagainwhenitisexpelled.
Ifthepressureofthefluidatanypointinthepumpislowerthanitsvapour
pressure,itwillliterallyboil,formingvapourbubbleswithinthepump.The
formationofbubblesleadstoalossinthroughputandincreasedvibrationand
noisebutthebigdangeriswhenthebubblespassonintoasectionofthepump
athigherpressure.Thevapourcondensesandthebubblesimplode,releasing,
locally,hugeamountsofenergy.Thiscanbeverydamaging,causingsevere
erosionofthepumpscomponents.

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Toavoidcavitation,youneedtomatchyourpumptothefluid,systemand
application.Thisisacomplexareaandyouareadvisedtodiscussyour
applicationwiththepumpsupplier.

UnderstandingNPSH
Toavoidcavitation,thepressureofthefluidmustbemaintainedaboveits
vapourpressureatallpointsasitpassesthroughthepump.Manufacturers
specifyapropertyreferredtoastheNetPositiveSuctionHeadRequiredor
NPSHRthisistheirminimumrecommendedfluidinletpressure,expressedin
metres.Thedocumentationsuppliedwithyourpumpmaycontaincharts
showinghowNPSHRvarieswithflow.

reducesthedischargepressureby3%.So,indesigningthesuctionside
pipeworkforyoursystem,youmustensurethatitexceedsthemanufacturers
NPSHRratingfortheoperatingconditions.Yourcalculatedvalueistermedthe
NPSHAvailable(NPSHA).

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Infact,NPSHRisdefinedasthesuctionsidepressureatwhichcavitation

Remember,amanufacturersNPSHRratingistheminimumrecommendedinlet
headpressure:apumpisalreadyexperiencingcavitationatthispressure.
Consequently,itisimportanttobuildinasafetymarginof0.5to1mtotake
accountofthisandotherfactorssuchas:
Thepumpsoperatingenvironmentisthetemperatureconstant?
Changesintheweather(changesintemperatureandatmospheric
pressure).
Anyincreasesinfrictionlossesthatmayoccuroccasionallyorgradually
duringthelifetimeofthesystem.

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Pumpsuctionpipedesignconsiderations

Contactus

TurbulenceandFriction
Pumps,andespeciallycentrifugalpumps,workmostefficientlywhenthefluidis
deliveredinasurgefree,smooth,laminarflow.Anyformofturbulencereduces
efficiencyandincreaseswearandtearonthepumpsbearings,sealsandother
components.
Thereshouldbeatleast5pipediametersworthofstraightpipingconnectingto
thepump.Neverconnectanelbow,reducer,valve,orstrainerwithinthisfinal
runofpipework.Ifyouconnectanelbowdirectlytothepumpflange,thefluidis
effectivelycentrifugedtowardstheoutercurveoftheelbowandnotdirectedinto
thecentre(theeye)oftheimpeller.Thiscreatesstressonthepumpsbearings
andsealswhichoftenleadstowearandprematurefailure.
Sometimes,itsjustnotpossibletomakeprovisionforasufficientsettling
distanceinthepipeworkbeforethepump.Inthesecases,useaninlineflow
conditionerorstraightener.
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Itsstandardpracticetoemploysuctionsidepipingoneortwosizesbiggerthan
thepumpinletyoushouldcertainlyneveruseanypipingthatissmallerthan
thepumpsinletnozzle.
Smallpipesresultinlargerfrictionlosses,whichmeansitcostsmoretorunyour
pumpingsystem.Ontheotherhand,largerdiameterpipesaremoreexpensive
soyouneedtoweighuptheincreasedcostwiththelikelyenergysaving
resultingfromreducedfrictionlosses.
Italsomakessensetokeeptherunofpipeworktoaminimumbypositioning
thepumpascloseaspossibletothefluidsource.

reducerisaconstrictionandrequirescarefuldesigntoavoidbothturbulenceand
thecreationofpocketswhereairorvapourmightcollect.Thebestsolutionisto
useaneccentricreducerorientatedtoeliminatethepossibilityofairpockets.

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Largerpipeworkmeansthatyoullneedareducerbeforethepumpinlet.A

Asageneralruleofthumb,suctionpipevelocitiesshouldbekeptbelow2m/s.
Athighervelocities,thegreaterfrictioncausesnoise,higherenergycostsand
increasingerosion,particularlyifthefluidcontainssuspendedsolids.Ifyour
systemcontainsanynarrowpipesorotherconstrictions,bearinmindthatthe
pipevelocitywillbealothigheratthesepoints.

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AirorVapourEntrainment
Itsbesttokeepairorvapouroutofthepipework.Entrainedgasescausealoss
inpumpperformance,increasenoise,vibrationandcomponentwearandtear.
Itsthereforeimportanttopositionthefeedpipecorrectlyinthetankorvessel.
Itshouldbefullysubmerged.Ifitstooclosetothesurfaceofthefluid,the
suctioncreatesavortex,drawingair(orothervapours)intotheliquidand
throughthepumpingsystem.Thefeedpipeshouldalsobeclearofanyother
pipes,agitatorsorstirrerpaddlesanythingthatmightdriveairintothefluid.
Inshallowtanksorponds,itmaybeadvisabletouseabafflearrangementto
protectthefeedpipefromairentrainment.

SuspendedSolids
Youshouldalsomakesurethatthefeedpipeisnttooclosetothebottomofthe
tankorpond.Ifitis,thesuctionmaydrawupsolidsorsludgeinsteadofairor
vapour!Thefluidmaycontainsuspendedsolidsinanycase.
Somedisplacementpumpscancopewithamixedphasesupplywithoutany
damageormajorlossinperformance.Centrifugalpumpsarenotsorobustand
mustbeprotectedfromsolids.Inthissituationyoullneedtoinstallafilteror
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strainer.Filterscancreatealargepressuredropandberesponsiblefor
cavitationandfrictionloss.Thefilterscreenshouldhaveatleastthreetimesthe
freeareaofthepipecrosssection.Useadifferentialpressuregaugeacrossthe
screentolookoutforanyincreasedpressuredropbeforecloggingproblems
arise.ThiswillalsohelpintheaccurateassessmentofNPSHA.

Installation
Obviously,pumpsshouldbesecurelylocatedbutsoshouldthepipework.Dont
useonetosupporttheother.Allothercomponentsmustbejustassecurely
locatedandcreatenostressesorstrainsonanyotherpartsofthesystem.
Ensurethatthepipeconnectingtothepumpsinletflangeisalignedprecisely

Summary

Contactus

withit.Ifyouneedtoinstallnonreturnvalvesorflowcontrolvalvesfitthemon
thedischargesideofthepump,andneverinsuctionsidepipework.

Problemsinsuctionsidepipeworkoftenhavedamagingconsequencesforthe
systempumpandcanbeavoidedbyfollowingtheseguidelines:
Ensurethatconditionsdonotfavourcavitation,particularlyifyouare
usingacentrifugalpump.Thisrequirescarefulselectionofthepump,its
positioningandtheheadpressure.
Positionthefeedpipetominimizeentrainmentofair/vapourandsolids.
Minimizefrictionandturbulencebychoosingappropriatepipesand
components:
Usepipeswithadiametertwicethatofthepumpssuctionsideflange.
Ensurethatthepipeworkisalignedwiththepumpsflangeandstraightfor
atleast5pipediameters.
Useaneccentricreducerorientatedtoeliminateairpockets.
Keepthepipevelocitybelow2m/s.

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