5.

5 Things Power Pumps in Power Plants 1

Plant Engineers Product Technology

Need to Know

Progressing Cavity Pumps

About Pumps

Three Screw Pumps

Centrifugal Pumps

Two Screw Pumps

Peristaltic Pumps

Gear Pumps
By Danielle Collins anD Jim Davis, Colfax fluiD HanDling

P
Application/System
umps and pumping sys-
tems are used in power Lube Oil
plants for primary appli- Control Oil
cations such as fuel oil Turbine Shaft Jacking
handling and for auxil- Water Injection (low NOx)
iary systems such as lubrication and Purge Water for Gas Turbines
cooling (Figure 1). On average, a 300 Secondary Cooling Water
MW combined cycle power plant will Sealing Oil for Turbo Generators
have more than 100 pumps. Compressor Washing
When looking for opportunities Fuel Injection for Gas Turbines
Fuel Unloading
to improve the performance metrics
Fuel Transfer
of a plant, these pumps and fluid
Fuel Feed
handling systems should be primary
Burner Operations
targets for evaluation, optimization
Feed Water Conditioning
and maintenance due to their sheer
DeNOx
number and their influence on
FGD Waste Water Cleaning
overall performance.
Service Water Purifying
However, because pumps and
Ash Water and Sump Pumps
pumping systems are located in
so many diverse applications and
locations throughout the plant,
their collective impact may be with centrifugal pumps, which use fluid’s velocity.
easily overlooked. an impeller to move fluid through Positive displacement pumps – and,
Both centrifugal the application in particular, rotary variants – are less
and positive dis- Pumps and fluid process. The veloc- common, but can prove to be more
placement pumps ity of the rotating cost effective and offer more efficient
are utilized in
handling systems impeller imparts fluid handling in many applications.
power genera- should be primary energy on the liq- Instead of creating pressure, positive
tion applications. targets for evaluation, uid and causes a displacement pumps simply move liq-
Of the two, engi-
optimization and rise in pressure (or uid. Pressure is generated due to resis-
neers are gener- head) that is pro- tance to movement of the liquid down-
ally more familiar maintenance. portional to the stream of the pump.
Things To Consider
Whether you are an original equip-
ment manufacturer (OEM), an engi-
Centrifugal Pump Performance 2
neering, procurement and construc-
Higher Viscosity
tion (EPC) firm designing a new Lower Viscosity
system, or a power plant operator 1100 System
looking to improve the performance 1000 Curve
and reliability of an existing system, 900
here are 5.5 things to consider regard- 800
ing pumps and pumping systems. 700
Lower
600

PSIG
Viscosity
500
1 liquiD 400 Pump
The type and nature of the liquid Curve
300
being handled is a primary consider- 200 Higher
ation when determining which pump 100 Viscosity
technology to use. When handling 0 GPM
viscous liquids such as heavy crude 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
oil, bunker or residual fuel oils, low
sulfur fuels and distillate fuels, mul-
tiple screw pumps – a variant of posi- economical choice when liquid viscos- handle corrosive or easily stained mate-
tive displacement pumps – provide ity changes, but flow volume remains rials, again at good efficiencies. Power
remarkably good operating efficien- constant. The efficiency of centrifugal ranges to 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) are avail-
cies as opposed to centrifugal pumps. pumps drops rapidly when viscosity is able on critical applications.
The high efficiency performance of outside the optimal range (also known
multiple screw pumps provides a clear as the Best Efficiency Point, or BEP), 4 oPerations
advantage over centrifugal pumps whereas positive displacement pumps When specifying pumps, consider-
where liquid viscosity exceeds 100 are less susceptible to these fluctua- ation should be given to the mode of
SSU (20 centistokes). Progressing cav- tions (Figure 2). operation as well as to the operating
ity pumps are an excellent choice for conditions; will either change signifi-
wastewater and fuel sludge, as they 3 DisCHarge cantly? If flow volume remains con-
can handle fluids that are contami- Whether pressure is constant or not is stant, but pressure or delivery head
nated or contain abrasive materials. another key factor in the determination varies, positive displacement pumps
of which pump technology is better suit- are the right choice due to their fixed
2 suPPly ed to the application. When the system displacement design (Figure 3). In
The specific hydraulic characteristics has varying pressure requirements, cen- contrast, centrifugal pumps are par-
of positive displacement and centrifu- trifugal pumps will be forced to operate ticularly efficient when operating on
gal pumps lead to clear recommenda- outside of their Best Efficiency Point, water-thin liquids at fixed operating
tions to keep total cost of ownership increasing the stress and wear on the conditions where it is possible to se-
(TCO) as low as possible. When the pump. In these conditions, positive dis- lect the pump based on exact require-
system pressure is subject to change, a placement pumps are the better choice ments. Centrifugal pumps will incur
positive displacement pump is recom- to ensure high reliability. Today’s high noticeably higher costs for spare parts,
mended, as it will remain efficient even performance three screw pumps can op- maintenance and downtime if viscos-
when operating at varying pressures. erate with system pressures up to 4500 ity and pressure are not constant. In
While centrifugal pumps provide good psi (310 bar) and flows to 3300 gpm either case, costs can be significantly
efficiency within a relatively limited (750 m3/h) with long term reliability reduced by operating a pump close to
range of heads (pressures), this effi- and excellent efficiency. Power levels to its most efficient range.
ciency deteriorates rapidly if the head 1,000 hp (745 kW) and higher are avail-
is too low. It suffers even more when able. Two screw pumps are available for 5 sizing & seleCtion
the head exceeds the ideal range. Posi- flow rates to 18,000 gpm (4000 m3/h), Selecting the right type of pump –
tive displacement pumps are the most pressures to 1450 psi (100 bar) and can centrifugal or positive displacement
Centrifugal pumps Centrifugal vs. Rotary Positive Displacement Pump Performance 3
offer good potential
Positive Displacement Pump Higher Viscosity
for optimization efforts, Lower Viscosity
simply because there 1100 System
Curve
1000
are more of them. 900
– is important, but it is also critical to 800
ensure that the pump and fluid han- 700
600

PSIG
dling system is properly sized. Figure Centrifugal
500
4 is a performance curve typical of Pump Curve
400
multiple screw pumps. It shows excel- 300
lent efficiency over a broad range of 200
discharge pressures. When properly 100
sized, multiple screw pumps also can 0 GPM
handle various grades of liquid fuels, 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
such as distillate or residual oil, using
the same pumps and driver. This can
provide a utility with some diversifica-
tion of available oil supplies. For ex- Rotary Positive Displacement Pump Performance 4
ample, combustion gas turbines can be
started and stopped using light distil-
Performance at Lower Viscosity Performance at Higher Viscosity
late fuel while running on less costly
(and higher heat value) heavy fuels. 1100 System
1000 Curve
If each piece of equipment is over-
engineered, the power plant will have 900
800
a system that is too large, performs
700
at less than optimum efficiency, con-
600
PSIG

sumes excessive energy and adds

500
higher maintenance and service costs. 400
Conversely, a pump that is undersized 300
may cost less at the outset, but the cost 200
to rework or replace the system to meet 100
performance expectations will out- 0 GPM
weigh the initial savings. 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
Higher Viscosity Lower Viscosity
The best rule of thumb is to size for
worst-case flow and power require-
ments. In order to ensure the system
is delivering adequate flow – especial- lift capability, which provides an op- Centrifugal pumps should be selected
ly in applications where fuel is being eration margin for “upset” conditions, for, and normally operated at, the
delivered to a turbine – size the pump such as during startup when the liquid manufacturer’s design rated conditions
for the highest temperature and low- may be cold and more viscous or when of head and flow. This is usually at the
est viscosity conditions. In contrast, there is an extended distance to the best efficiency point, which is where
during startup (cold) conditions, the supply reservoir. This operation mar- pump impeller vane angles and the
fluid will have a higher viscosity, re- gin allows the use of smaller supply size and shape of the internal liquid
sulting in a higher power require- piping, reducing component costs and flow passages provide the optimum
ment. In this case, motor sizing is also a simpler design. combination of pressure and flow.
important, making sure it can deliver Centrifugal pumps offer good po- As you move away from a centrifugal
the required power. tential for optimization efforts sim- pump’s BEP, the shaft will deflect and
Screw pumps offer excellent suction ply because there are more of them. the pump will experience vibration.
Pumps used in optimum efficiency and reliability: pumps), and housing – can often be
auxiliary systems •  Radial Bearings: if not sealed, replaced in the form of what some
these will need periodic lubrica- manufacturers refer to as a “major kit.”
for lubrication will tion and may need to be replaced When repairing a pump with a ma-
require less preventive if vibration or excessive heat is be- jor kit, the user essentially has a new
maintenance. ing generated pump, at a cost that is somewhat lower
•  Mechanical Seals: check for than replacing the entire pump.
This causes reduced performance and leakage and replace if necessary; it When servicing pumps and fluid
accelerated wear. should be noted that a mechanical handling systems, it is recommended
shaft seal is not a zero leak device to only use replacement parts manu-
maintenanCe •  O-rings and Gaskets: check for factured or certified by the pump
Power plant operators tasked with deterioration and replace if necessary manufacturer. Knock-offs, or “pirated
improving efficiency and reliability As a service to their end users, many parts,” may work initially, but are typi-
should initiate a scheduled preventive pump manufacturers provide these cally not manufactured to the same
maintenance program as part of the parts in what is sometimes called a standards as OEM parts and could re-
operational plan. Pumps used in aux- “minor kit,” allowing the customer to sult in early failure, leading to system
iliary systems for lubrication will, by easily identify and order the parts they downtime, damage to other compo-
nature of their clean working condi- need for a scheduled maintenance pro- nents or even injury. In most cases,
tions and application, require less pre- gram on the pump. use of non-OEM parts will void any
ventive maintenance than pumps used In addition to the items mentioned original equipment warranties. Using
for primary applications such as fuel above, centrifugal pumps also require parts approved by the manufacturer
injection and fuel forwarding. inspection of the impeller, which can will result in a longer service life, ex-
In both positive displacement and be replaced if worn or damaged. For tended intervals between mainte-
centrifugal pumps, the following com- positive displacement pumps, virtu- nance, a more predictable process and
ponents should be inspected, serviced ally every wearing part of the pump – an increased system efficiency – not to
and replaced when necessary to ensure screws, gears (in the case of two-screw mention peace of mind.

Eprinted and posted with permission to Colfax Corporation from Power Engineering
February © 2013 PennWell Corporation

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