pm6359

The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide November 2011

pump-zone.com

The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide

pump-zone.com

November 2011

Special Section: Predictive & Preventive

Maintenance

ChemShow Coverage

CHEMICAL PUMPS

Equipment in Harsh Applications

CHEMICAL PUMPS


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GORE and design are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. © 2011 W. L. Gore & Associates.


2 NOVEMBER 2011 www.pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMS

Letter from the Editor

PUMPS & SYSTEMS (ISSN# 1065-108X) is published monthly by Pumps & Systems, a member of the Cahaba Media Group, 1900 28th Avenue So., Suite 110, Birmingham, AL 35209. Periodicals postage paid at Birmingham, AL, and additional mailing offi ces. Subscriptions: Free of charge to qualifi ed industrial pump users. Publisher reserves the right to determine qualifi cations. Annual subscriptions: US and possessions $48, all other countries $125 US funds (via air mail). Single copies: US and possessions $5, all other countries $15 US funds (via air mail). Call (630) 739-0900 inside or outside the U.S. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address and form 3579 to Pumps & Systems, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. ©2011 Cahaba Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The publisher does not warrant, either expressly or by implication, the factual accuracy of any advertisements, articles or descriptions herein, nor does the publisher warrant the validity of any views or opinions offered by the authors of said articles or descriptions. The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Cahaba Media Group. Cahaba Media Group makes no representation or warranties regarding the accuracy or appropriateness of the advice or any advertisements contained in this magazine. SUBMISSIONS: We welcome submissions. Unless otherwise negotiated in writing by the editors, by sending us your submission, you grant Cahaba Media Group, Inc. permission by an irrevocable license to edit, reproduce, distribute, publish and adapt your submission in any medium on multiple occasions. You are free to publish your submission yourself or to allow others to republish your submission. Submissions will not be returned.

is a member of the following organizations:

When GE Energy executives Jim Rogers and Matthew Conkrite vis-ited our Birmingham, Ala., offi ces a

few months ago, they got our attention when they talked about maintenance as a profi t center.

It is common knowledge that maintenance is a key to getting the most out of industrial plants. Achieving the correct balance in system maintenance can positively aff ect plant effi -ciency and the bottom line.

Like GE Energy, many industrial compa-nies continue to look at predictive maintenance as a way to prevent unexpected equipment fail-ures. By detecting the onset of equipment degra-dation and addressing the problems when iden-tifi ed, downtime can be avoided, and money can be saved. A key element is gathering the right information at the right time.

Preventive maintenance explores ways to maintain equipment by providing for systematic inspection, detection and correction of failures before they occur and develop into catastrophic problems using time-based intervals. h ese tech-niques can also maximize uptime and reliability and increase profi ts in the long term.

h ere is a subtle but important distinc-tion between the two strategies, but one thing is certain—companies will continue to look for new ways to minimize the risk of equipment failure and unscheduled downtime and extend the life of their equipment. h e bottom line . . .

reducing risk increases profi ts.In this issue, we explore some specifi c strate-

gies in our Predictive & Preventive Maintenance special section, which begins on page 24.

As this common trend continues to gain momentum, we also encourage you to register for our free webinar this month on “Redefi ning Repair as a Failure of Maintenance: Using Life-Cycle Asset Management to Minimize Repairs and Maximize Plant Effi ciency.” Register at www.pump-zone.com, and then tune in on November 10 at 1 p.m. eastern to learn how to use improved maintenance to virtually elimi-nate the need for repairs, instead of living with the results of unplanned failure. h e webinar is sponsored by ITT Goulds Pumps and provides actionable advice on improving pump reliabil-ity, lowering repair costs and avoiding equip-ment breakdowns.

h is issue also examines chemical pumps and equipment used in harsh conditions (page 32). Look for the Pumps & Systems team at the ChemShow this month.

Best Regards,

Michelle SegrestEditor

PUBLISHER

Walter B. Evans, Jr.

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

VP-SALES

George [email protected]

205-345-0477

EDITOR/VP-EDITORIAL

Michelle [email protected]

205-314-8279

MANAGING EDITOR

Lori K. [email protected]

205-314-8269

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Laurel DonohoJoe Evans, Ph.D.Terry Henshaw

Dr. Lev Nelik, PE, APICS

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Greg Ragsdale

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Lisa [email protected]

205-212-9402

CIRCULATION & MARKETING

MANAGER

Jaime [email protected]

CIRCULATION

Jeff [email protected]

630-739-0900

WEB EDITOR

Jane [email protected]

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Derrell [email protected]

205-345-0784

Mary-Kathryn [email protected]

205-345-6036

Mark [email protected]

205-345-6414

Addison [email protected]

205-561-2603

Vince [email protected]

205-561-2601

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Ashley [email protected]

205-561-2600

INTERN

Jennifer Polzin

A Publication of

P.O. Box 530067Birmingham, AL 35253

Editorial & Production1900 28th Avenue South, Suite 110

Birmingham, AL 35209Phone: 205-212-9402

Advertising Sales2126 McFarland Blvd. East,. Suite A

Tuscaloosa, AL 35404Phone: 205-345-0477 or 205-561-2600

Editorial Advisory Board Thomas L. Angle, PE, Vice President Engineering,

Hidrostal AG

Robert K. Asdal, Executive Director, Hydraulic Institute

Bryan S. Barrington, Machinery Engineer, Lyondell Chemical Co.

Kerry Baskins, Vice President, Grundfos Pumps Corporation

Walter Bonnett, Vice President Global Marketing, Pump Solutions Group

R. Thomas Brown III, President, Advanced Sealing International (ASI)

Chris Caldwell, Director of Advanced Collection Technology, ABS, & President, SWPA

John Carter, President, Warren Rupp, Inc.

Jack Creamer, Market Segment Manager, Schneider Electric

David A. Doty, North American Sales Manager, Moyno Industrial Pumps

Joe Evans, Customer & Employee Education, PumpTech, Inc.

Ralph P. Gabriel, Chief Engineer—Global, John Crane

John Malinowski, Sr. Product Manager, AC Motors, Baldor Electric Company, A Member of the ABB Group

William E. Neis, PE, President, NorthEast Industrial Sales

Dr. Lev Nelik, PE, Apics, President, Pumping Machinery, LLC

Henry Peck, President, Geiger Pumps & Equipment/Smith-Koch, Inc.

Mike Pemberton, Manager, ITT Performance Services

Bruce Stratton, Product Manager, KLOZURE®, Garlock Sealing Technologies

Kirk Wilson, Vice President/General Manager, Integrated Solutions Group, & Vice President Marketing, Engineering & Technology, Flowserve Corporation

American-made, API 541 Fourth Edition and API 547 First

Edition, large AC induction motors from Siemens deliver

unrivalled life expectancy, energy efficiency, and the

lowest Total Cost of Ownership.

State-of-the-art manufacturing processes allow our

customers to benefit from the broadest range of power

outputs (up to 18,000 HP and 13.2 kV), lower noise and

operating temperature, minimized vibration, smaller

footprint, and the toughest, most reliable motors

available anywhere in the world.

www.usa.siemens.com/motors

Petroleum and Chemical Industry Applications

With decades of proven performance in both critical and

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Siemens is the leading provider of electric motors

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The most reliable, longest lasting API 541

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SPECIAL SECTION: PREDICTIVE & PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

p Pump Vibration AnalysisBrian P. Graney, MISTRAS Group, Inc.

Monitoring vibration—a valuable tool in predictive/preventive maintenance programs.

p Predictive & Preventive MaintenanceMichael Walsh, GE Energy

Do not let a catastrophic event be your wake-up call to adopt a proactive strategy.

COVER SERIES: CHEMICAL PUMPS

p Peristaltic Pumps in Chemical Applications

Rick Balek, Watson-Marlow Bredel PumpsProviding a low life-cycle choice for chemical metering

p Safe Chemical TransferMark L. Jones, Asahi America

The development of PE resin for industrial piping applications

p ChemShow 2011

SEALING

p New Leak Prevention TechnologyJack Tyler, P.E., Jack Tyler Engineering Company,

& Art Evans, Art Evans & AssociatesAir-operated piston assembly, injectable packing and air fl ush enhance this sealing system’s performance in harsh applications.

p Oil & Gas Project Sets New StandardsEllen Klier & Franz Schäfer, EagleBurgmann Germany

Tailored sealing solutions supply high-pressure sealing for Russia’s East Siberia Pacifi c Ocean pipeline system.

PRACTICE & OPERATIONS

p Safe FlushingKen Comerford, Vanton Pump and Equipment Corp.

Remove grit from pumped fl uids to safely fl ush bearings and seals

Table of Contents

DEPARTMENTS

P&S News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Pump Ed 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Joe Evans, Ph.D.Suction Specifi c Speed and Wastewater Pumps

Pumping Prescriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Luis Rizo, SABIC Innovative Plastics, & Lev Nelik, Contributing Editor, P&S Editorial Advisory BoardHow to Size Shims

Centrifugal Pump Hydraulics by the Numbers . . . . 22Terry HenshawThe Impact of the Area Ratio

Efficiency Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Dale Evers, EnviroGearThe “Real” Golden Age of Sealless Pumps

Maintenance Minders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Ross George, Littelfuse, Inc.Microprocessor-Based Pump/Motor Protection Relays

FSA Sealing Sense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48What are the key steps to cutting packing for optimum performance?

HI Pump FAQs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 What is a balanced mechanical seal, and when is it usually used? What is a pusher type seal, and what are the advantages of this design? What is an energy effi cient method for controlling the rate of fl ow in pumping systems?

Product Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

P&S Market. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

November 2011

Volume 19 • Number 11

The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide November 2011

pump-zone.com

The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide

pump-zone.com

November 2011

Special Section: Predictive & Preventive

Maintenance

ChemShow Coverage

CHEMICAL PUMPS


CHEMICAL PUMPS


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33

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P&S News

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS &

RECOGNITIONS

SIEMENS (ATLANTA, GA.) announced that Daryl Dulaney has been appointed chief executive offi cer of the company’s newly-formed Infrastructure & Cities (IC) Sector in North America, which comprises the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Central America. Dulaney will also continue to serve as president and chief executive offi cer of Siemens Industry, Inc., the legal entity comprising both the Infrastructure & Cities and Industry Sectors in the U.S.

Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector provides inte-grated mobility solutions, building and security technology, power distribution, smart grid applications and low- and medium-voltage products. www.usa.siemens.com/infrastructure-cities

ANVIL INTERNATIONAL (PORTSMOUTH,

N.H.) announced that Todd Beckley has joined the company as mechanical special-ist covering Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. Jim Roland has joined the com-pany as Mechanical/Industrial Specialist for the Midwest Region.

h e company also announced the pro-motion of Shawn Farrell to national mate-rial control manager. Farrell has been with Anvil for 19 years, serving for the past ten years as a material control manager, with responsibility for the Midwest, Northeast and Canadian Regions.

Anvil International, a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products Inc., is a manu-facturer of pipe fi ttings, pipe hangers and piping support for a wide range of applica-tions—including plumbing and mechani-cal, HVAC, industrial, fi re protection, mining and oil and gas. www.anvilintl.com

BEARINGS PLUS (PEWAUKEE, WIS.) announced that Dr. Bugra Ertas has been appointed as the business unit director at Bearings Plus. From 2000 through 2004, Dr. Ertas collaborated with Bearings Plus on development projects and rotor-dynamic analyses. His work was instru-mental in the upgrade of machinery with new technology products.

Bearings Plus, a business of Waukesha Bearings Corporation, designs, manufactures and services fl uid fi lm bearings, seals and fl exible couplings for turbomachinery applications. www.bearingsplus.com

NOV MONOFLO (HOUSTON, TEXAS) announced that Dwight Waters joined the NOV Monofl o team as sales director. Waters brings 20 years of international selling, consulting, project management, engineering and distribution experience in the PC pump industry.

NOV Monofl o manufactures pro-gressing cavity pumps. www.monofl o.com

FLUID AUTOMATION (GATESHEAD, U.K.)

announced that Kate Kilday has been appointed the new role of sales develop-ment and marketing manager. h e manu-facturer has created the role with the aim of U.K. sales development and brand growth.

Fluid Automation is a manufacturer of pumps and pumping systems. www.fl uidautomation.co.uk

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

LAROX FLOWSYS (LITHICUM, MD.) changed its name to Flowrox, eff ective September 15, 2011. h e reason for the signifi cant renewal of the corporate brand and image is the recent acquisition of the parent company Larox by Outotec. h e pump and valve supplier Larox Flowsys was not included in the deal and continues to develop and grow its business as an independent company.

Flowrox provides solutions for abrasive, corrosive and other demanding shut-off , control, pumping and dosing applications serving a range of process industries. www.fl owrox.com

WILO USA LLC (MELROSE PARK, ILL.) announced that its corporate offi ces moved to Rosemont, Ill. h e fi rst business day at the new facility was October 3, 2011.

WILO manufacturers pumps and pump systems for heating, cooling and air-conditioning technology, water supply and sewage and drainage. www.wilo-usa.com

KSB (HENRICO, VA.) will supply 20 pump sets worth several million dollars for one of Mexico’s largest infrastructure proj-ects—a combined wastewater/stormwater pumping station planned for completion in 2012. h e KSB pumps involved are the largest submersible motor units in the company’s his-tory. Each pump can handle 2,000 liters per second at a head of almost 44 meters.

KSB produces pump products for industrial and utility power plant services, environmental applications and water and wastewater processing. www.ksbusa.com

KISTLER (FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH.) announced the opening of its latest group company in Mexico, Kistler Instru-

Daryl Dulaney

Dwight Waters

Kate Kilday

Dr. Bugra Ertas

Todd Beckley

Jim Roland

Shawn Farrell



ments S de R.L. de C.V., based in Mon-terrey NL, Mexico.

Kistler provides sensors and instru-mentation that are used in R&D and critical manufacturing operations. www.kistler.com

NETZSCH (EXTON, PA.) announced the expansion of the distribution territory of Voigt-Abernathy from Alabama and the Florida panhandle to include Eastern Tennessee. Voigt-Abernathy will service the industrial, chemical, pulp and paper industries in this region.

NETZSCH off ers progressing cavity pumps, rotary lobe pumps, mac-erators, dosing systems and accessories. www.netzschusa.com

RUHRPUMPEN (TULSA, OKLA.)

announced that it acquired TIGER-FLOW Systems, LLC. TIGERFLOW manufactures packaged pumping sys-tems for domestic water, fi re water sys-tems, HVAC, industrial, heat transfer, municipal, landscape irrigation and cus-tom controls. It will continue operations at the Dallas, Texas, manufacturing loca-tion and will operate as an independent subsidiary.

Ruhrpumpen manufactures centrif-ugal pumps for the oil and gas, chemi-cal, power, industrial, water and mining applications. www.ruhrpumpen.com

NORD-LOCK (MATTMAR,

SWEDEN) acquired U.S. company Superbolt Inc. and Swiss company P&S Vorspannssysteme AG. Superbolt and P&S off er products for critical bolting applications. h e products are used in heavy industries such as off shore, energy and mining.

NORD-LOCK manufactures securing systems for bolted joints. www.nord-lock.com

THE FLUID SEALING ASSOCIATION—

FSA—(WAYNE, PA.) announced the enhancement of its Mechanical Seal Life Cycle Cost Estimator, which allows end users to estimate life cycle costs for seal-ing solutions on a comparative basis to

P&S News

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P&S News

assist in decision-making when specifying capital projects or upgrading existing rotating equipment technology. To access this tool, visit www.fl uidsealing.com/lifecycle.html.

FSA is a source of technical information that supports the development of related standards and provides education in the fl uid sealing area. h e organization promotes a safe, clean envi-ronment for society and a safe work place for employees. www.fl uidsealing.com

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY—EPA—

(WASHINGTON, D.C.), with other agencies, announced a strategy for the responsible electronic design, purchasing, management and recycling that will promote the burgeoning electronics recycling market and jobs of the future in the U.S. h e announcement included the fi rst voluntary commitments made by Dell, Sprint and Sony to the EPA’s industry partner-ship aimed at promoting environmentally sound management of used electronics.

h e Administration’s strategy also commits the federal government to take specifi c actions that will encourage more environmentally friendly design of electronic products, pro-mote recycling of used or discarded electronics and advance a domestic market for electronics recycling that will protect public health and create jobs.

h e EPA also proposed a rule to advance the use of carbon

capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, while protect-ing Americans’ health and the environment. CCS technolo-gies allow carbon dioxide (CO2) to be captured at stationary sources—such as coal-fi red power plants and large industrial operations—and injected underground for long-term storage in a process called geologic sequestration.

h e proposal is consistent with recommendations made by President Obama’s interagency task force on CO2. sequestra-tion and helps create a consistent national framework to ensure the safe and eff ective deployment of technologies that will help position the U.S. as a leader in the global clean energy race.

In addition, the agency launched a new tool to allow 28 industrial sectors to submit their 2010 greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution data electronically. Prior to being fi nalized, more than 1,000 stakeholders, including industry associations, states and NGOs tested the electronic GHG Reporting Tool (e-GGRT) to ensure clarity and user-friendliness.

h e data collected with e-GGRT will provide the public with important information about the nation’s largest station-ary sources of greenhouse gas pollution. Industries and busi-nesses can also use the data to help fi nd ways to decrease carbon pollution, increase effi ciency and save money.

For more information on the tool, visit www.epa.gov/cli-matechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html.

h e EPA was established to protect human health and

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PUMPS & SYSTEMS www.pump-zone.com NOVEMBER 2011 11

to safeguard the natural environment—air, water and land—upon which life depends. www.epa.gov

GODWIN PUMPS (BRIDGEPORT, N.J.) announced new loca-tions in the Midwest—Indianapolis, Ind.; Evansville, Ind.; and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Godwin Pumps is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of ITT Corporation and maintains a fl eet of over 6,000 portable rental pumps and 3,200 pieces of related equipment for dewa-tering in construction; mining and quarrying; drinking water supply; and in wastewater bypasses in municipal, industrial and environmental markets. www.godwinpumps.com

THE HYDRAULIC INSTITUTE—HI—(PARSIPPANY, N.J.) announced that both the Centrifugal Pump Test Standard (ANSI/HI 1.6 − 2000) and the Vertical Pump Test Standard (ANSI/HI 2.6 − 2000) have been superseded by the newly released Stan-dard for Rotodynamic Pumps for Hydraulic Performance Accep-tance Tests, (ANSI/HI 14.6 − 2011).

h e new test standard contains signifi cant updates from the 2000 version(s) and is considered the new global reference for testing centrifugal and vertical pumps.

HI is an association of pump producers and suppliers to the pump industry in North America. Its mission is to serve as a forum for the exchange of industry information, while providing

value-added services to member companies and pump users worldwide. www.Pumps.org or www.PumpLearning.org

AERCO INTERNATIONAL, INC., (BLAUVELT, N.Y.) announced the move of its corporate headquarters to 100 Oritani Drive, Blauvelt, N.Y. 10913. AERCO previously operated out of three separate facilities in Northvale, N.J. With 156,000 square feet, the new headquarters is more than twice the size of AERCO’s former location.

AERCO off ers commercial boilers and water heaters that simplify infrastructure, reduce project costs and minimize life-cycle expenses. www.aerco.com

INVENSYS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (LON-

DON, U.K.) has signed two contracts with TNK-BP, third largest oil company in Russia and among the top 10 private oil companies in the world based on produc-tion volumes.

Under the terms of the agreements, Invensys will provide automation solutions and services to help drive control, environ-ment and safety at TNK-BP’s Saratov oil refi nery in western Russia.

Invensys Operations Management, a division of Invensys, is a provider of automation and information technology, sys-tems, software solutions, services and consulting to manufac-turing and infrastructure industries. www.invensys.com

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UPCOMING EVENTS

CHEMSHOWNovember 1 – 3Javits Convention Center / New York, N.Y.203-221-9232 / www.chemshow.com

SAFETY AUTOMATION FORUMNovember 16 – 17 McCormick Place West / Chicago, Ill.440-646-4117www.safetyautomationforum.com

NATIONAL GROUNDWATER ASSOCIATION EXPONovember 29 – December 2Las Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nev.800-551-7379www.groundwaterexpo.com

POWER-GENDecember 13 – 15Las Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nev.918-831-9160 / www.power-gen.com

AHR EXPOJanuary 23 – January 25, 2012McCormick Place Convention CenterChicago, Ill.203.221.9232 / www.ahrexpo.com

WQA AQUATECH USAMarch 6 – 9Las Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nev.630-505-0160 / www.wqa.org

TEXAS WATERApril 10 – 13 San Antonio, Texas512-251-8010 / www.texas-water.com

WORLD FILTRATION CONFERENCEApril 16 – 20 Messe Center GrazGraz, Austria+49 (0)2132 93 57 60www.wfc11.at

OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE (OTC)April 30 – May 3Reliant Park / Houston, Texas972-952-9494 / www.otcnet.org

INTERPHEXMay 1 – 3Jacob K. Javits Convention CenterNew York, N.Y.203-840-5897 / www.interphex.com

WINDPOWER CONFERENCE & EXHIBITIONJune 3 – 6 Georgia World Congress CenterAtlanta, Ga.202-383-2500 / www.windpowerexpo.org

ECWATECH: INTERNATIONAL WATER FORUMJune 5 – 8 International Exhibition Centre “Crocus Expo” / Moscow, Russia+7 (495) 225 5986 / www.ecwatech.com

To have an event considered for Upcoming Events, please send information to Lori Ditoro at Pumps & Systems, P.O. Box 530067, Birmingham, AL 35253, 205-314-8269, [email protected].

P&S

P&S News


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In the February 2010 issue of Pumps & Systems, I wrote an article on my Excel-based Suction Specifi c Speed and Suction Energy calculators and how they can be used to

predict the onset of suction recirculation. During the past year, I have received several requests to revisit this topic and its application to wastewater pumps.

Clear Water ImpellersClear water impellers are usually designed for high effi ciency, but they can also be designed for low NPSHr. Increasing the eye diameter decreases the inlet velocity and, therefore, reduces the NPSH required to maintain uniform fl ow. It is this reduction in inlet velocity that causes the NPSHr to drop as fl ow moves to the left of a typical H/Q curve and when the rotational speed of the same pump is reduced.

h ese impeller designs can work well as long as fl ow remains at or near the best effi ciency point (BEP). If fl ow moves too far to the left of BEP, the increased peripheral velocity of the larger eye distorts the fl ow into the inlet and directs a portion of the fl ow back out of the impeller (suc-tion recirculation). During recirculation, intense vortices arise and cause low pressure areas that will lead to cavitation and severe pressure pulsations. h e eff ect of the impeller eye diameter on potential suction recirculation can be evaluated using suction specifi c speed (S or Nss).

Suction Specifi c SpeedIgor Karassik and two of his associates, G.F. Wislicenus and R.M. Watson, developed suction specifi c speed (S) in 1937 during their tenure at Worthington Pump. It is a dimension-less number that describes the suction conditions that occur due to the relationship of rotational speed, fl ow and NPSHr. Its development overcame the lim-itations of the h oma-Moody constant, which attempted to describe suction conditions by relating head to NPSHr.

S can range from about 5,000 to over 20,000 and is computed by the equation

S = N√Q/NPSHr3/4

Where: N is the rotational speedQ is BEP fl owNPSHr is the NPSHr at BEP

Several pump organizations including the Hydraulic Institute (HI) and American Petroleum Institute (API) rec-ommend an S of under 10,000 to maintain a reasonable range of fl ows without the potential for suction recirculation.

Wastewater ImpellersWastewater pump impellers are not intentionally designed for low NPSHr, but the relatively large eye required to pass solids can often lower their NPSHr and increase the value of S. h e H/Q curves for some higher fl ow wastewater pumps show a continuous increase in NPSHr as fl ow moves to the left of BEP. h is is exactly the opposite of the NPSHr versus fl ow for clear water pumps with normal eye diameters. In the case of wastewater pumps, discharge recirculation at the vane exits can also increase the possibility of suction recirculation. h is is due to the lack of any vane overlap on most wastewa-ter impellers, which results in the onset of discharge recircu-lation at higher fl ows than expected. For more information on suction and discharge recirculation, see Igor Karassik’s three part series “Centrifugal Pump Operation at Off -Design Conditions. It is available on the “Other Pump Topics” page of www.PumpEd101.com.

Figure 1 shows the S calculation for an 8-inch, 1,780-rpm wastewater pump with a BEP fl ow and head of 3,000 gallons per minute at 135 feet and a specifi c speed (Ns) of 2,450. BEP effi ciency and NPSHr are 82 percent and 10 feet. h e calculated value for S is 17,337.

Figure 2 shows the minimum continuous stable fl ow (MCSF) for pumps with a given Ns and S. MCSF is the fl ow at which the onset of suction recirculation can begin. h e Y axis is S and the X axis is percent of BEP fl ow. h e three

Joe Evans, Ph.D.

Suction Specii c Speed and Wastewater Pumps

Figure 1. Suction specifi c speed calculation for a wastewater pump

Pump Ed 101


curves represent various pump Ns. Note that MCSF is dependent upon both Ns and S.

h e example in this column has an Ns of 2,450, so the upper curve will be used. h e red horizontal line at Y = 17,337 intersects the curve at X = 80 percent. h erefore, this pump could potentially begin suction recirculation when the fl ow drops to just 80 percent of BEP fl ow. If the suction energy ratio (Pumps & Systems, February 2010) of this pump is examined, an NPSHa to NPSHr margin of 4.0 could be required to provide stable operation at or below 80 percent of BEP fl ow.

Many higher fl ow pumps with rela-tively low values of S can still exhibit an increase in NPSHr as fl ow is reduced. For example, the performance curve for an 18-inch by 16-inch wastewater pump (Ns = 2,735) with a BEP fl ow of 16,000 gallons per minute at 200 feet shows an NPSHr of 31 feet. h e calculated value of S is 11,072, which predicts an MCSF Figure 2. Minimum continuous stable fl ow



Pump Ed 101

of approximately 50 percent. However, at 13,000 gallons per minute (a fl ow reduction of just 19 percent), the NPSHr, as shown on the curve, increases to 44 feet.

Submersible Wastewater PumpsSubmersible wastewater pumps can be especially problematic. Although some undergo comprehensive NPSHr testing, many

are not tested at all. Others are tested at BEP only, and NPSHr values are calculated at other fl ow points. Often it is assumed that the additional inlet pressure provided by submersion will provide adequate NPSH.

Actually, submersion off ers no NPSH advantage since pumps installed in dry pits also have a similar level of submer-sion due to the water level in the wet well. Submersibles do

have one advantage, and that is lower inlet losses due to no inlet piping and fi ttings. h is, of course, goes away when they are installed in a dry pit submersible application.

If the manufacturer does not pro-vide NPSHr data, how can end users identify potentially problematic sub-mersible pumps? h ere is no perfect way, but what I do is compare untested pumps with similar ones from other manufacturers that have been tested at multiple fl ow points. To get a good com-parison, end users need to compute the Ns of the untested pump and compare it to tested pumps with the same or similar Ns, rotational speed, hydraulic effi ciency, eye diameter ratio, fl ow and head.

Here are some rules of thumb. S is directly proportional to rotational speed and the square root of fl ow. h erefore, higher speed and higher fl ow pumps will more likely have higher values of S. I have found that most 1,750-rpm pumps with 4-inch discharges and fl ows under 800 gallons per minute will have an S under 10,000, and 1,750-rpm pumps with 6-inch discharges and fl ows under 1,750 gallons per minute have similar values of S. However, as the eye diam-eter ratio of either approaches 0.6, S can exceed 13,000. If an end user plans to run a wastewater pump to the left of BEP and NPSHr is not part of the test curve, he should get the manufacturer to sign off on the application.

P&S

Joe Evans is responsible for customer and employee education at PumpTech, Inc., a pump and packaged system manufacturer and distributor with branches throughout the Pacifi c Northwest. He can be reached via his website www.PumpEd101.com. If there are topics that you would like to see discussed in future columns, drop him an email.

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Ireceived many comments and suggestions on proper instal-lation practices, following

my article “Grouting: Pumps and Telephone Poles,” Pumps & Systems, July 2010). My long-time friend and colleague, Luis Rizo, discussed these comments and wanted to share with the readers some addi-tional recommendations and ideas on the subject.

QuestionHow is the width and length of a shim determined for level-ing machinery during align-ment or installation? Are there general rule-of-thumb practices? We have a recycle gas Ingersoll-Rand barrel compressor pow-ered by an Electric-Machinery 1,500-horsepower/2,300-Volt motor with a 3420-S frame. h e motor rests on two continuous 60-inch long by 6-inch wide sole plates. h e two motor feet measure 59 inches by 5 inches each. What is the potential damage to alignment and/or the motor by using small (6-inch by 6-inch) shims versus large (24-inch by 6-inch) or con-tinuous (60=inch by 6-inch) shims?

Jerry ChoateMurphy Oil USA, Inc.Superior, Wisc.

The AnswerLuis Rizo off ers this advice:

h e question you should focus on is– “How do I create a mono-lith that will absorb all the force to the base and foundation of the equipment?” h e unbalanced force of a reciprocating compressor is

Luis Rizo, SABIC Innovative Plastics, & Lev Nelik, Contributing Editor, P&S Editorial Advisory Board

How to Size Shims

Pumping Prescriptions

Steps for Using Shims to Level Machinery

No. Step Description Date/initial

1. Inspect all the shims to be sure that they are either 306 or 316 SS steel.

2. Inspect the shims to be used to make sure that no single shim less than 0.005 inch (0.13 millimeter) is used alone. Any smaller shims must be sandwiched between heavier shims—0.040 inch (1 millimeter) to 0.060 inch (1.5 millimeter).

3. Verify that large stacks of shims have been replaced with equiva-lent thicker shims to avoid creating a spring condition under the base as a support.

4. Verify that the initial stack of shims under the baseplate is large enough to allow for multiple level adjustments. For example, start with a shim pack under each foot made up of one 0.062-inch.(1.6-millimeter) and one 0.31-inch (7.9-millimeter), one 0.025-inch (1-millimter) and two 0.015-inch (0.5-millimeter), 0.010-inch (0.25-millimeter) and 0.005-inch (0.127-millimeter). h is combination has proven to allow great adjustment fl exibility.

5. Check, with a torque wrench, that all anchor bolts have been properly tightened to the same torque value. Check to make sure that this procedure is followed after every shim change. See stan-dard torque values for B-7 bolts for the diameter used.

6. Using a machinist level (Starrett 98 or a master level), check the level of the pads with respect to each other. Maximum out of level is 0.002 inch (0.05 millimeter).

7. Inspect that all the machined surfaces on the baseplate are leveled within 0.0005 inch (0.013 millimeter)/foot in two directions 90 degrees, after the anchor bolts have been snugged down. Use of a master level (0.0005 inch/div.) is recommended. Do not exceed an overall level variation greater than 0.010 inch (0.25 millimeter).

8. Inspect that the shim packs or wedges used for leveling are located on both sides of the foundation bolt.

9. Inspect that the baseplate height has been set to the correct eleva-tion as called for in the drawing.

10. Check that all the leveling devices are in full and solid contact with the concrete or the baseplate.

11. After fi nal anchor bolt tightening, recheck the level. Do not exceed 0.010 inch/(0.25 millimeter) maximum out of level over the entire length of the baseplate. Consult the responsible reli-ability team member before continuing.

12. When all the steps have been accepted, the baseplate leveling is complete, and the baseplate is ready to be grouted.


proportional to the reactive force. In a liquid slug scenario as you probably know, this force is not measurable, so it amounts to an infi nite amount of force.

I would try to get a shim as large as practical to cover the width of the foot for the hold down bolt at each of the feet. Another option is to use a liquid chock to level and hold your machine down, so that the complete structure becomes a monolith. Figure 1 is a similar compres-sor, grouted many years ago, that it is still operational today at the Exxon Baytown refi nery/chemical plant complex.

On www.pump-zone.com, see the fi gure with some ideas on leveling tech-niques for horizontal baseplates. h ere are four methods to provide vertical adjustments to a horizontal baseplate. A single wedge, parallel wedges, shim packs and jacking screws on metal plates. h e preferred method of the author is the jacking screw on metal plates combined with metal shim plates. h e following drawings illustrate the four methods.

Julien Le Bleu adds:

h e fi rst question is generally to try to size the shims to match the feet if possible. When I was with GE, we often

had large sole plates. We would make several, non-shrink grout pads along the length of the plate and the same width as the plate. h is was done after the plate was leveled with jacking screws and checked for no humping or sagging. h e small pads were made with Styrofoam and liquid non-shrink grout poured in and allowed to set up.

h e plate was then pulled and the foam form was removed.

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h e grout was cleaned and the plate set down again. If all is correct, make another form around the entire plate and pour non-shrink grout into it and have it include the small pads poured previously.

If the plates need to be shimmed up to get to elevation do it with stainless steel shims on each of the small pads. When all is as you need it, then complete the step above, and put it all in the fi nal pour of non-shrink grout.

P&S

Dr. Nelik (aka “Dr. Pump”) is presi-dent of Pumping Machinery, LLC, an Atlanta-based fi rm specializing in pump consulting, training, equip-ment troubleshooting and pump repairs. Dr. Nelik has 30 years of experience in pumps and pumping equipment. He can be contacted at www.PumpingMachinery.com.

Figure 3. Positioning of plates for jacking

screws near the anchor bolts

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In March 1980, I attended the ASME symposium on Predicting the Performance of Centrifugal Pumps and Compressors in New Orleans. I was about three rows

from the podium, sitting next to a fellow who introduced himself as “Hal Anderson” from Scotland. He said that he had one foot on his motorbike and the other in the grave. It turned out that he was H. H. Anderson of area-ratio fame and was at the symposium to deliver a paper on his area-ratio principle.

As we walked to the cafeteria and ate lunch together, Anderson was approached by people requesting his auto-graph (one was from Australia). He was well-known and well-respected—and his area-ratio principle was well-founded.

Anderson introduced the area-ratio principle in 1938 [1]. h e defi nition is:

Y = AR2

A4

(1)

Where:

AR2 = total relative discharge area of impeller = b2LR2

b2 = width of impeller vane at the outside diameter (OD) of the impeller

LR2 = distance from discharge vane tip to the closest point on adjacent vane

A4 = total throat area

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the two areas.Anderson’s work (1, 2, 4, 5) showed a defi nite correla-

tion between Y and NS (specifi c speed). h e higher values of

Y correlated to lower values of specifi c speed. Both h orne [3] and Jekat [6] also wrote about the area ratio principle. What seems to be the most useful is contained in reference 6.

Figure 3 is a redrawn graph from Jekat [6], with straight lines substituted for slightly curved lines. h e text says that the “band results from the author’s data and shows the con-siderable range of area ratios which are used in actual pump designs.” (Jekat recommended against extrapolating the graph to lower values of NS.) It is possible to write equa-tions for the (straightened) lines on the graph. Jekat’s “high effi ciency” line can be expressed as:

Terry Henshaw

The Impact of the Area Ratio

Centrifugal Pump Hydraulics by the Numbers

Figure 1. Partial impeller plan view showing pertinent perfor-

mance parameters

Figure 2. Partial impeller profi le view showing pertinent

performance parameters

Figure 3. Jekat’s chart plotting 1/Y, the inverse of the area

ratio, as a function of Ns


Y = 275

Ns

(2)

where NS is defi ned by the following equation:

NS = N√Qbep

(Hbep)0.75 (3)

Where, in U.S. units:NS = specifi c speedN = rotative speed of impeller

(revolutions/minute)Qbep = capacity of pump at the

best effi ciency point (gallons/minute)

Hbep = head of a single stage of the pump at the best-effi ciency-point (feet)

I have obtained high-effi ciency pumps with numerators ranging from 2,450 to 2,750. Note that a Y value of 1.0 occurs where NS is about 2,500, right in the middle of the Worthington graph, right where maximum pump effi ciencies reach their peak. Is that just a coincidence? (To view the graph, see “Centrifugal Pump Specifi c Speed” in Pumps & Systems, September 2011.)

h ree years after that visit in New Orleans, I wrote to Mr. Anderson with a question about throat area. My letter was returned, unopened, containing a hand-written note “gone away.” Had he taken his second foot from his motor-bike and placed it also into the grave? I never heard.

P&S

References

1. Anderson, H. H., h e Harland Engineering

Company, Scotland, “h e Hydraulic Design

of Centrifugal Pumps and Water Turbines,”

ASME paper 61-WA-320, American Society of

Mechanical Engineers, New York, N.Y., 1961.

2. Anderson, H. H., “h e area ratio system,”

World Pumps magazine, June 1984.

3. h orne, E. W., Worthington-Simpson Ltd.

U.K., “Design by the Area Ratio Method”,

Pumps 1979, Sixth Technical Conference of

the British Pump Manufacturers’ Association,

Canterbury, England, 28 – 30 March, 1979.

4. Anderson, H. H., “Prediction of Head,

Quantity and Effi ciency in Pumps – the Area

Ratio Principle,” h e 22nd Annual Fluids

Engineering Conference, h e American

Society of Mechanical Engineers, New

Orleans, La., March 9 – 13, 1980.

5. Anderson, H. H., Weir Group, Centrifugal Pumps, h ird Edition, Trade &

Technical Press LTD., England, 1980.

6. Jekat, Walter K., “Centrifugal Pump h eory,” Section 2.1 of the fi rst

edition of the Pump Handbook, edited by Karassik, Krutzsch, and Fraser,

McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y., 1976.

Terry Henshaw is a retired engineer living in Magnolia, Texas. He worked 50-plus years in the pump industry. He can be reached at [email protected].

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Special Section: Predictive & Preventive Maintenance

The most revealing information on the condition of rotating machinery is a vibration signa-

ture, according to some sources. h is article will introduce the basics of using vibration data to determine the mechan-ical condition of pumps and implement it in a predictive/preventive mainte-nance program. Vibration consists of amplitude, frequency and direction. h ese provide the information needed to diagnose the machine’s condition.

Pumps come in several types (such as centrifugal, turbo, propeller and posi-tive displacement). h ey generate pump-ing frequencies due to fl ow and recircu-lation (i.e., number of vanes multiplied by rpm for centrifugal/turbo pumps or number of screws, lobes or axial piston for positive displacement pumps). Pumps also have other mechanical prob-lems—imbalance, misalignment, loose-ness, worn bearings, pipe strain and resonance.

Vibration measurements are taken on each bearing location in three planes: vertical, hori-zontal and axial. h e diagnostic information from vibration analysis will be determined by:• Severity – Amplitude – In/Sec Peak • Frequency – Cycles per Minute CPM or Hz –

Cycles per Second

h e direction of the vibra-tion measurement or plane of measurement will also determine the machine vibratory prob-lem. Since vibration can occur throughout a broad frequency range, Table 3 has recommended frequency ranges and lines of resolution to help fi nd particu-lar machine problems. Severity

Pump Vibration AnalysisBrian P. Graney, MISTRAS Group, Inc.

Monitoring vibration—a valuable tool in predictive/preventive maintenance programs

Table 1. Overall Vibration Standards Velocity In/Sec Peak

STANDARD MEASUREMENT ALERT LEVEL ALARM LEVEL

Hydraulic Inst. Casing 0.3

ISO 2372 Casing 0.25 0.6

E.P.R.I. FP 754 Shaft 0.5 0.8

A.P.I. 610 Shaft 0.4

Rathbone Chart Casing 0.3 0.6

Figure 1. Vibration severity chart with frequency as follows: Left - Velocity In/Sec Peak,

Bottom - Frequency in CPM, Top Diagonal Down - Displacement Mils – Peak-Peak

Table 2. Overall vibration velocity guide line for various motor pump assemblies and speeds

Machine Type

1000+ RPM ALERT FAULT ADVANCED. FAULT

Motor/Pump Horizontal Centrifugal 0.3 0.45 0.6

Motor/Pump Horiz. Belt Driven Centrifugal 0.4 0.6 0.8

Motor /Pump Vertical Centrifugal (<5’) 0.3 0.45 0.6

Motor/Pump Vertical Centrifugal (5’<8’) 0.4 0.6 0.8

Motor/Pump Vertical Centrifugal (8’<12’) 0.5 0.75 1

Motor/Pump Horizontal Hydraulic 0.2 0.3 0.4

(continued on page 25)


indicates how bad the problem (Table 2) is, and frequency indi-cates what is causing the problem (Table 4). Vibration measure-ments have three diff erent ampli-tudes as follows:

Displacement – Mils – Peak-Peak:• Good for determining movement of

the machine• Turning speed vibration levels • Normally used to measure large

sleeve bearing machines • Severity requires the need to know

the frequency

Velocity – In/Sec Peak:• Used for broad frequency ranges 100

Cpm – 120,000.00 Cpm • h e most common measurement

used for machine vibration analysis• Velocity severity is independent of

frequency, which is why it is used by most severity guidelines

Acceleration – Gs RMS• Good for determining high-fre-

quency vibration problems due to worn rolling element bearings or gears

• Severity requires the need to know the frequency

When analyzing vibration data, an FFT vibration spectrum may be broken down into several frequency ranges to help determine the machine problem. Commercially available machine vibra-tion software has narrow band selective alarming, which is used to help screen vibration data and assist the analyst in determining the machine problem.

Horizontal center hung centrifugal pumps and vertical center hung cen-trifugal pumps have diff erent vibration measurement locations. For images of these locations, please go to www.pump-zone.com.

Overall vibration severity is used for determining the condition of a machine. h ere are several standards and guide-lines for determining severity of machine vibration as shown in Table 1.

600-900 RPM

Motor/Pump Horizontal Centrifugal 0.27 0.4 0.54

Motor/Pump Horiz. Belt Driven Centrifugal 0.36 0.54 0.72

Motor /Pump Vertical Centrifugal (<5’) 0.27 0.4 0.54



Motor/Pump Horizontal Hydraulic 0.18 0.27 0.36

Table 2. (continued from page 24)

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Table 4. Frequency diagnostic chart to help determine the machine problem

Frequency Plane Problem

1 x rpm Radial Imbalance - Sinusoidal TWF

1 x rpm Radial Eccentric Rotor/Sheave

1 – 3 x rpm Radial/Axial Misalignment - Sinusoidal TWF

1 – 2 x rpm Axial Bent Shaft

Multiplies of rpm, with ½ orders Radial Rotor Rub - Truncated Time Wave Form

1 x rpm Vertical Looseness - Structural - Asymmetrical TWF

Multiplies of rpm Radial Looseness - Mechanical - Impacting TWF

1 x rpm Radial Resonance 3:1 Amplitude Difference

1 x rpm Vertical Bearing Clearance - Sleeve Bearing

Multiplies of rpm Vertical Bearing Wear - Sleeve Bearing

.4 x rpm Radial Oil Whirl – Sleeve Bearing

1 x rpm Axial Thrust Clearance Sleeve

Multiple, non-synchronous peaks Radial/Axial Roller Bearings – High Frequency

#Vanes x rpm Radial Vane Passing - Cavitations – Pump

0.4 x rpm of pump Radial Turbulence – Pump

Multiplies of rpm Radial Reciprocating - Compressors – Diesel

#Gear Teeth x rpm Radial Gear Meshing – Gears

Multiplies of sub-synchronous vibration Radial Drive Belt Wear - Belt Driven

2 x Line frequency - LF Radial/Axial Electrical Vibration - Motors - Generators

#Rotor bars x rpm side bands at 2 x LF Radial High Frequency Electrical Vibration

#Stator slots x rpm side bands at 2 x LF Radial High Frequency Electrical Vibration

6 x Line Frequency Radial/Axial High Frequency Electrical Vibration

1 x rpm - side bands at slip frequency Radial/Axial Broken Rotor Bar

Table 3. General guidelines for how to set up motor/pump assemblies—frequency ranges,

lines of resolution, averaging type—for various speed ranges and bearing type

Machine Type RPM BRG Type Orders x RPM Fmax - Hz LOR Averaging # Averages

Motor/Pmp 450 Roller 50 375 800 Normal 6





Motor/Pmp 1,200 Roller 50 1000 1600 Normal 6



Motor/Pmp 450 Sleeve 20.0 150 400 Peak-Hold 6



Motor/Pmp 1,200 Sleeve 20.0 400 800 Peak-Hold 6




Case StudyA boiler feed pump—a horizontal centrifugal pump with a roller bearing—had a history of elevated vibration levels at turning speed (3,525 rpm) in the horizontal plane. h is was due to imbalance and off set misalignment.

h is pump’s problem was that the outer pump bearing, horizontal plane, had roller bearing deterioration. h e rapid rate of bearing deterioration was due to the increased load from the turning speed vibration in the horizontal plane. How can this data be analyzed?

h e overall vibration velocity levels are over 0.8749 In/Sec Peak (Refer to Table 2 for three tier alarm criteria for 1,000-plus rpm horizontal centrifugal pump). Overall vibration was in excess of 0.6 In/Sec Peak which indicates an advanced fault. Refer to Figure 1. Go to the left-hand side, amplitude In/Sec Peak, and look up 0.8749 In/Sec Peak which indicates danger failure near.

h e turning Speed Vibration is more than 0.486 In/Sec Peak. Refer to severity in Figure 1 with amplitude on the left-hand side and frequency along the bottom in Cpm. Machine speed vibration is occurring at 3,525 Cpm with an amplitude of 0.486 In/Sec Peak. Cross reference amplitude and the fre-quency is on the boundary of danger failure near. Refer to Table 4, frequency diagnostic chart, Line 1, Imbalance.

h e Non-Synchronous Peaks due to fault frequencies at 3.2 multiplied by the turning speed is the roller bearing, ball pass frequency outer (BPFO). h is indicates an outer race defect. h e high-est amplitude of this defect is 0.171 In/Sec Peak at the fourth harmonic of the fault frequency. Refer to Figure 1, cross reference amplitude 0.171 In/Sec Peak with frequency at 44,770 Cpm - danger failure near. Refer to Table 4, frequency diagnostic chart, Line 13, roller bearing, non-synchronous peaks.

When a rolling element bearing is failing, it produces high frequency vibration, therefore generating high acceleration levels measured in gs. h is is another severity indication of how advanced the bearing deterioration had become—a time wave form amplitude of 121 gs Peak-Peak with an RMS value of 16.2 gs. Refer to Figure 1, acceleration

right-hand side of chart bottom diagonal up, 16.2 gs RMS indicates danger shut down.

Refer to Table 5 and fi nd the trend data 1st and 2nd bear-ing bands. h e amplitudes are 0.827 In/Sec Peak and 0.278 In/Sec Peak. h e fi rst bearing band alarm is 0.12 In/Sec Peak, 40 percent of the overall level. h e second bearing band alarm is 0.09 In/Sec Peak, 30 percent of the overall level.

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Based on this analysis, the recom-mendation was to change out the pump bearings, check the alignment toler-ances and balance the pump impeller.

ConclusionBecoming a skilled vibration analyst takes years. However, vibration mea-surements can reveal important infor-mation regarding the mechanical reli-ability of a machine and are a critical component of any predictive/preven-tive maintenance program.

P&S

Brian P. Graney is currently the Vibra-Metrics national sales manager for MISTRAS Products & Systems and is responsible for the overall Vibra-Metrics business development. Brian is certifi ed in Vibration Analysis Level II; is an American Bureau of Shipping Recognized Condition Monitoring External Specialist; and is a member of Vibration Institute, Society of Maintenance Professionals and ASNT.

Table 5. Simple narrow band alarms for sleeve and roller bearings

Percentage of Overall Value for each Narrow Band Alarm

Sleeve Bearing – Simple

Band Name Band No. Percent Band Fault

Sub. Synchronous 1 15 – 20% Oil Whirl

1 x rpm 2 80 – 90% Imbalance/Misalignment

2 – 4 x rpm 3 60 – 67% Misalignment/Looseness

5 – 20 x rpm 4 30 – 40% Bearing Wear/Vane Passing

Roller Bearing – Simple

Band Name Band No. Percent Band Fault

Sub. Synchronous 1 15 – 20% Cage Defect

1 x rpm 2 80 – 90% Imbalance/Misalignment

2 – 4 x rpm 3 3 Misalignment/Looseness

5 – 20 x rpm 4 30 – 40% 1ST Bearing Band Note:1

21 – 50 x rpm 5 20 – 30% 2nd Bearing Band Note:2

Note: 1 Fundamental Bearing Defects Outer & Inner Race.

Note: 2 Harmonics for Bearing Defects Outer & Inner Race

mouvex.com

Seals-free design

Constant volumetric effi ciency

Low shear rate

High vacuum & compression effect

Self priming

Dry running up to 10 minutes

Constant performance overtime



All too often, we have found the tipping point to pre-dictive maintenance is a costly breakdown of motors, pumps and related systems, or worse, a serious catas-

trophe that not only damages equipment and cripples your operations, but impacts employee safety as well. According to a recent U.S. Department of Energy study, 55 percent of those responsible for industrial plant maintenance admitted to char-acterizing their program as “reactive” and 31 percent as “pre-ventive” only. It does not have to be that way.

It is established in the industry that predictive, rather than just reactive or preventive maintenance of existing equipment, will likely save money in the long run and can also help prevent the development of serious hazards leading to a safety problem. Whether an organizatin is a pharmaceutical facility using small 25-horsepower motors or an oil and gas plant operator requir-ing a 60,000-horsepower synchronous machine, the same pre-cepts apply: “Take care of it now or pay later.”

Predictive and Preventive Maintenance—

You Need BothPredictive and preventive maintenance are diff erent, but both are complementary and one should not be conducted exclusive of the other. h ey each can help protect equipment and people.

Predictive maintenance is a process that is custom-designed for your specifi c system, built out of regular observation and recordkeeping to understand trends and uncover anomalies. End users can, therefore, leverage this historical data to take future actions to optimize their operational effi ciency.

Preventive maintenance is similar to following the mainte-nance directions in an auto manual—such as when to change the oil, when to check the belts, when to rotate the tires, etc. Most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) rigorously test their equipment for a battery of conditions that ensure peak performance in many applications. Following included operating and maintenance documentation is always advisable.

Reaching out to the OEMs of major pump platform com-ponents may also be a good idea. In many cases, they will have

deep engineering expertise, application performance knowl-edge and global experience that your team could use.

With larger companies, a good knowledge base often exists in-house on most system components. However, in many of the best organizations, this knowledge is refreshed regularly with instruction by acknowledged industry experts with deep domain expertise. h is internal expertise can also be supple-mented from time to time with consulting experts in advanced diagnostics and troubleshooting technologies. Diagnostics can make all the diff erence in the world, and used in a healthy pre-dictive maintenance program, will catch problems before they severely impact operations.

A few OEMs may have deep technical knowledge on multiple components of equipment and could be made avail-able as a consultant on the fi ner points of condition monitor-ing instrumentation and diagnostic services for monitoring machinery vibration. Casting a wider net for knowledge of the system components will help develop a fi rm foundation upon which a truly predictive maintenance program can be built.

Economics and Safetyh e primary outcomes of predictive and preventive maintenance can have a real impact to an end user’s bottom line. h ese measures, too, can provide savings based on the avoidance of downtime, damage to equipment and employee wellbeing.

Many risk studies use similar numbers to illustrate the inherent advantage of adopting a more proactive maintenance approach. h ey can also be used as a template to uncover the resulting costs in operations to craft a more realistic model.

Consider that a reactive maintenance strategy would likely contain up to 14 percent risk, which equates to $140,000 of yearly maintenance on every $1 million worth of existing assets. Compare this to a predictive maintenance strategy, which would contain less than half the risk, about 6 percent, which equates to $60,000 of yearly maintenance per $1 million of existing assets. h at is a diff erence of $80,000 per year. End

Predictive & Preventive

MaintenanceMichael Walsh, GE Energy

Do not let a catastrophic event be your wake-up call to adopt a proactive strategy.



users may fi nd that these resulting savings will easily pay for a predictive program.

h en consider the other savings not mentione—such as unplanned downtime, injured workers and strained customer relationships. h e business reasons that justify this path become more evident as the real costs are investigated.

h rough experience, making adjustments now—perhaps

investing money now—is better than waiting for a disaster to happen and paying ten-fold from having personnel injuries, line stoppages and equipment replacement.

Some recommendations are given below to make end users’ systems as fail-safe as possible. h ese can make mainte-nance managers, plant operations personnel, fi nancial person-nel and the CEO rest better at night.

• Based on sound industry practices and experience, a comprehensive pro-active maintenance strategy requires a system that captures repetitive failures so that appropriate corrective changes are made. h is demands good record keeping of all maintenance pro-grams and a root-cause-analysis of any maintenance performed. h ese records should be reviewed annually and semi-annually.

• Conduct both preventive and predictive maintenance on systems. Follow the manufacturer’s minimum maintenance recommendations. Regularly take non-intrusive measure-ments—such as vibration analysis, infrared (IR) analysis and insulation readings—and then compare these measurements so that equipment failure can be predicted. Making these predictions allows maintenance and production departments to work together to schedule repairs.

• In today’s facilities, power quality problems can wreak havoc on high-tech controls and electrical devices—such as transformers, switchgear, switchboards, power panels, motor control centers and variable frequency drive systems. A recent study found that up to 80 percent of these power quality issues are born in facility electrical distribution and ground-ing systems. Consider using a power system study to maintain (and upgrade if necessary) the power-deliv-ery infrastructure.

• Apply vibration diagnostics to detect mechanical and electrical anomalies in motors and the rotating equip-ment that they drive. Problems can involve misalignment, improper mounting, infrastructure contamina-tion, bent shafts, a faulty motor or an unbalanced motor or pump.



• Apply IR analysis to detect electrical system overloading, under-loading or faults with connection. It also detects mechanical abnormalities, such as temperature diff erentials in the bearings or couplings. Detecting temperature diff er-ences or elevated temperatures along pump seals or gaskets can indicate impending failures.

• Motor insulation testing—or static testing—verifi es typical motor faults. Insulation testing helps verify if there are high-resistance con-nections within the motor winding, ground wall insulation condition and turn-to-turn insulation. Anomalies discovered in test results can lead to catastrophic failure if not corrected.

• Bearing troubles are often a lead-ing causes of motor failure. Contamination and poor lubrication are leading causes. Excessive load-ing or preassembly damage (from misalignment, pump cavitation, excessive pump fl ow and exposure to temperatures outside bearing thermal limits) can result in failures as well. Misalignment occurs when coupling the motor shaft to the pump shaft. In such cases, dynamic testing is required, and the equipment is acti-vated until the operating temperature is reached, and then the equipment is shut down. Alignment is performed while the motor and pump are at, or close to, operating temperatures.

• If a motor fails, the maintenance manager must decide if the motor should be replaced or rewound. Waiting for a motor failure is not the best maintenance strategy. Every facil-ity should have a repair/replace policy. Possible, a rewound motor can work fi ne and, perhaps, provide even more horsepower than the original. h e key bywords are reliability and effi ciency.

• Some motors will not be put into service for months and instead are stored. h e storage location must be clean and dry. Storage temperatures must be between 50 and 120 degrees F. Relative humidity must not exceed 60 percent. Motors with anti-friction bearings must be lubricated.

Conclusion

h e goal is to take care of problems before they occur. In the process, end users can ensure the operational

effi ciency and reliability of their equipment and the safety of their employees.

P&S

Michael Walsh is general manager of global Industrial Services for GE Energy. He has over 20 years of technical and operational experience in upgrades, maintenance and repair of industrial equipment. He resides in Atlanta, Ga., and can be reached at [email protected].



Cover Series: Chemical Pumps

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CHEMICAL PUMPS Equipment in Harsh Applications

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In recent years, peristaltic pumps have become a more popular choice than diaphragm metering and progressing cavity (PC) pumps for chemi-

cal metering and sludge pumping. Peristaltic pumps have the lowest total life cycle cost (LCC). Recent design improvements and advances in tubing materi-als are extending the technology’s range even further.

The BasicsPeristaltic pumps work by forcing fl uid along by waves of contraction produced mechanically on either fl exible tubes or hoses. Tubing pumps use a single rotating piece that incorporates rollers that occlude (squeeze) an extruded piece of synthetic elastomeric tubing. In between each roller pass, the tube restitutes (opens) to create a vacuum and draws in the pumped fl uid. h is continuous dynamic eff ect creates a positive displacement fl ow, pushing the fl uid through the pump.

In a hose pump, a sliding shoe with profi led or crescent shaped leading and trailing edges gives a gradual lead-in and termination to each hose occlusion. h is prevents an abrupt imposition and release of pressure and increases hose life. A spe-cially developed lubricant in the pump head eliminates external hose wear from contact with the sliding shoes.

In the past, the fundamental problem in applying peristal-tic hose pump technology to chemical metering was the devel-opment of a hose element that could accommodate continuous duty and required fl ow rates, with the ability to handle highly abrasive and chemically aggressive fl uids.

Due to advancements in hose and tubing materials and the integration of sophisticated electronics, including micropro-cessor-controlled robotic grade drives, peristaltic pumps have become the fastest growing type of positive displacement (PD) chemical metering and sludge pumps.

Today’s heavy-duty peristaltic pumps are designed to oper-ate around the clock and combine precise PD fl ow and low

maintenance requirements with the ability to handle extremely abrasive and aggressive fl uids.

Peristaltic Pumps Versus Diaphragm &

Progressing Cavity PumpsIn the past, the accepted pump choice for chemical metering had been the diaphragm metering pump, either mechanically, hydraulically or solenoid actuated. For sludge applications, the most frequently used pump was the PC pump. Both are so ubiquitous that operators simply accepted the need for opera-tor attention, along with routine maintenance and its attendant costs. A comparison shows that peristaltic pumps off er a reduc-tion in these costs.

For example, diaphragm pumps have internal check valves that can clog or wear out. h is is a common problem in chemi-cal pumping, when diaphragm pumps move solid-laden fl uids, such as lime or carbon slurry. Dirty chemicals—for example, ferric chloride or reclaimed methanol—also pose a threat.

Peristaltic pumps have no internal check valves to clog or wear out. Also, if air is accidentally introduced into the lines when pumping sodium hypochlorite, the hypo may partially

Peristaltic Pumps in Chemical ApplicationsRick Balek, Watson-Marlow Bredel Pumps

Providing a low life-cycle choice for chemical metering

Figure 1. Peristaltic chemical metering pump installation



crystallize and the this solid may cause havoc with a diaphragm pump’s check valves. h is is no concern for peristaltic pumps, because the crystals will pass through the system.

Another common diaphragm pump concern is the pumps’ inability to move entrained air, for exam-ple, in sodium hypochlorite applications. Sodium hypochlorite naturally erodes over time and emits an off gas, which can cause a diaphragm pump to lose prime even though the pump is still running.

When this phenomenon occurs, an operator must bleed the air from the line and re-prime the pump. Peristaltic pumps will move the pocket of air (off -gas) as effi ciently as it pumps the hypochlorite.

When a diaphragm pump is repaired, a new pump head is often required. If the actual diaphragm fails, the internal workings of the pump would be contaminated by the pumpage and could easily be corroded or worn if an abrasive product wearing the many metal-to-metal contacting parts. Replacement can be expensive.

By comparison, with a peristaltic tubing pump, one may simply slide the same piece of tubing that is currently installed just one foot or so, such that a new section of the tube is located within the pump head, allowing for new pinch points to be occluded by the rotor. h is preventative maintenance takes only seconds and since a 50-foot spool of tubing costs approximately $150 and lasts about fi ve years, the maintenance cost is negligible.

With PC pumps, the stator will quickly burn up if allowed to run dry. If the stator is not replaced soon after signs of initial wear, the chrome or ceramic plating may also wear, causing a signifi cant negative impact on the rotor. h e combination of these two most commonly replaced parts can easily equal 65 to 70 percent of the cost of an entire PC pump. By contrast, peristaltic pumps can run dry with-out damage. Replacement cost for a peristaltic hose pump is roughly 10 percent of the cost of a new pump.

Additionally, most PC pumps require two complex univer-sal joints to transmit torque from the pump’s drive shaft to the connecting rod and then to the rotor. h ese parts are typically protected by an elastomeric joint seal or cover, which frequently fails, allowing sludge to enter the joint and quickly wear out the pump’s internal components. By comparison, the rotating parts of a peristaltic pump are separated from the pumped fl uid because the fl uid only contacts the inside of the hose or tubing.

Servicing a typical PC pump can be a time consuming task that requires removing the motor from the pump, removing the pump from its base plate and transporting the pump to a workbench in a plant’s maintenance shop.

Servicing most peristaltic hose pumps is simple. As the hose is the only wearing part of the pump, one simply drains the lubricating fl uid from the pump housing, removes the pump fi ttings, and then runs the pump to expel the failed hose. To

install the new hose, the procedure is reversed. h e pump does not need to be removed from its base, and the pump motor can remain in place. h is self-loading design signifi cantly reduces maintenance time and cost while the pump actually performs the physical work.

One primary reason for the increasing acceptance of hose pumps in some applications is their ability to pump extremely abrasive sludge’s, even grit itself, without damage. Hose pumps do not wear due to abrasion, whereas the PC pump sustains pressure from the pump’s seal line equaling the length and circumference of the pumping elements, the rotor and stator. When pumping abrasive fl uids, this interference or compres-sion fi t between these elements will erode until there is a surface contact fi t, resulting in an ever-widening clearance fi t.

h is wear causes slip of the abrasive sludge, a primary reason for stator/rotor failure in PC pumps. Sometimes, the higher viscosity of the sludge may cause the automated variable speed drives integrated with programmable logic controllers (PLC) to automatically increase the speed of the PC pump. h is increased speed also greatly increases wear (4 times PC pump wear = 2 times rpm). By comparison, wear on a hose pump’s hose is linear (as opposed to exponential), as pump speed increases.

A fi nal major advantage of peristaltic pump technology

Table 1. Key advantages of peristaltic pump technology

Only one wearing part: the tube or hose

Can run dry without damage—no expensive protection package to buy

Hose does not wear due to abrasion—no slip

Metering accuracies to 0.5 percent

Turn down ratios to 1,000,000:1 with same pump

Tubing change in as little as three seconds

Can pump gasses—pump will never vapor lock—perfect for hypo

Can handle very high solid content materials

Reversible—100 percent effi cient in either direction

Suction lift to 31 feet

No internal ball check valves to clog or wear out

Pump is sealless: No mechanical seal or packing

Eliminates seal water fl ush systems & piping

Eliminates in-line check valves as the pump is the check valve

Eliminates de-gassing valves—the air is easily pumped through

Eliminates back pressure valves—peristaltic pumps do not require a minimum sustained back pressure to operate correctly

Pulsation Dampeners are often eliminated

Eliminates in-line strainers

Multiple pump heads on one drive

Flows from 0.1 micro liter to 350 gpm and pressures to 232 psi

Small footprint

Lowest life-cycle cost (LCC)


is the reduction of ancillary equipment required in a chemical pumping system. h e capital, installation and maintenance costs of this extra equip-ment must be added to that of the pump/motor to provide a true LCC for the entire pump system.

For example, Figure 1 shows an example of a chemical metering appli-cation in which three diaphragm pumps were replaced with three peristal-tic tubing pumps. Ancillary equipment for the diaphragm pump includes pulsation dampeners, artifi cial back-pressure valves, degassing valves and in-line strainers. None of these items are required with peristaltic tubing pumps. In addition, fl ow meters are often elimi-nated, as the accuracy of a peristaltic pump is usually superior to that of the fl ow meter itself.

Typical ancillary equipment for a peristaltic pump includes a high-pres-sure cut out sensor/switch combination to prevent pumping against a plugged line or closed valve. About 1 percent of tubing pump installations and 35 per-cent of hose pump installations incor-porate pulsation dampeners, which remove about 98 percent of trace pul-sation. h is device is recommended in most belt fi lter press and centrifuge feed applications. On occasion, a calibration column may be included as a simple way to calibrate the pump’s fl ow if the pump is fl ow paced from a remote input signal.

Benefi ts & Limitations

No PD pump technology is ideal for all applications. Limitations for peristaltic pumps include a maximum tempera-ture of 180-degrees F and a maximum pressure of 232 psi. Flow rates can range from 0.1 micro liters per minute to 350 gallons per minute (gpm).

Peristaltic hose pumps are virtu-ally maintenance free, with no seals to replace, no check valves to clog and no rotors or stators to wear. Unlike other pumps, the highly abrasive nature of materials pumped does not aff ect pump life because the fl uid is fully contained within the hose element and does not contact the moving parts, prevent-ing abrasive wear. With its self-loading design, hose replacement is quick and easy. h e pumps also off er a reduced footprint due to less need for ancillary systems. Table 1 has a complete list of advantages.

P&S

Rick Balek is the national sales manager for Watson-Marlow Bredel Pumps. He can be reached at [email protected] or 317-580-0031.




Selecting the right material for any industrial piping appli-cation can be a daunting task. h e life expectancy and overall success of a system is based on the material selected

and the media running through it. With material choices rang-ing from metal to fi berglass to plastics, it is helpful to fi rst examine the system’s specifi c application and then choose the material best suited to handle the job long-term.

Sulfuric acid and sodium hypochlorite are just two noto-riously troublesome chemicals that are diffi cult to safely store and transport through piping systems. Titanium, PVC, CPVC and fl uoropolymer-lined piping are potential system solutions, but each requires that certain conditions be met. Temperature, pressure and installed location are factors that should be taken into consideration when determining the best material f.

h e inherent properties of thermoplastics make them an ideal choice for corrosion resistance and more cost eff ec-tive than metal piping systems. PVC and CPVC have been the solution to sulfuric acid and sodium hypochlorite applications. However, their weaknesses are in the joining method, which requires solvent cement and glue. h is has made them a less ideal choice for these aggressive chemicals.

h ermally fused high density polyethylene (HDPE) is the leading thermoplastic material used for piping applications. Polyethylene outperforms other materials—including metal, fi berglass and other thermoplastics such as PVC and CPVC, with a more-aff ordable installed cost.

Previously, HDPE had been limited to water and some chemical applications. However, a new generation of the resin provides a cost eff ective solution to corrosion and enables its use in chemical systems. h is new resin, the fourth generation of HDPE, is PE 100-RC.

The Evolution of

a New ResinHDPE was developed in 1953 by chemists at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Germany. Two years later, HDPE was being used to manufacture pipe. Before the mid 1950s, industrial piping

systems were primarily made of metal. During the past six decades, HDPE resins developed for piping applications have evolved to cover four generations. h e current classifi cation of HDPE materials is based on a minimum required strength (MRS) European standard according to ISO 4427. (See Table 1.)

Generation 1 includes PE 32, 40 and 63. h ese grades of HDPE material are suitable for low- to medium-pressure liquid applications. Generation 2 is PE 80 (also known as PE 3408 in the U.S.). PE 80 is suitable for low-pressure gas appli-cations and higher pressure liquid applications up to 1.6 MPa (230 psi). Generation 3 is PE 100 (also known as PE 4710 in the U.S.). PE 100 is suitable for higher pressure gas and liquid applications.

Like all materials used in chemical applications, HDPE has its limitations. h e upper temperature limit is +140 degrees F and the lower limit is -40 degrees F. h e primary weakness of generations 1, 2 and 3 is susceptibility of the material to crack

Safe Chemical TransferMark L. Jones, Asahi America

The development of PE resin for industrial piping applications

Table 1. ISO 4427 MRS for HDPE

Designation of Material MRS at 50 Years and 20 Degrees C MPa (psi)

PE 100 RC (generation 4) 10 (1450)

PE 100 (generation 3) 10 (1450)

PE 80 (generation 2) 8 (1160)

PE 63 (generation 1) 6.3 (913)

PE 40 (generation 1) 4 (580)

PE 32 (generation 1) 3.2 (464)

Figure 1. PE pipe installation Figure 2. Full notch creep test


under stresses, such as point loads. If an end user is burying the pipe, the trench needs to be dug wider so it can be backfi lled with the proper bedding material to avoid point loads from rocks on the pipe.

Any point load can develop a crack and, over time, cause premature failure. h is is known as environmental stress crack-ing and is certainly true of the fi rst three generations of HDPE. Cracking can also be caused by chemical attack.

Despite these limits, the benefi cial properties of HDPE are abundant. Some of PE 100’s benefi ts are:• Excellent resistance to a wide range of chemical applications • Can handle a pH from 1 to 14 • Highly ductile, fl exible and light-weight • h ermally joined, eliminating the use of solvents and glues• Excellent fl uid fl ow characteristics• Extremely low coeffi cient of thermal conductivity• Will not rust• Cost-eff ective and easy to install • Long life expectancy

The Next GenerationWhen the fi rst three generations of HDPE pipe fail, the cause is almost always stress cracking. Resin manufacturers have been trying to increase the crack resistance properties of the material. Innovations in the co-polymerization process have developed a

new PE 100 resin with just such characteristics. h e new resin has all the strength of the previous generation with a greatly improved crack resistance (RC).

h e full notch creep test (FNCT) is the standard test to measure the resistance of HDPE materials to stress cracking (ISO 16770). See Figure 2.

A notched test specimen is placed under load in a high temperature aggressive surfactant bath to accelerate failure. h e

Table 2. Full notch creep test requirements

PE Class Minimum Standard FNCT

PE63 30 Hours

PE80 100 Hours

PE 100 300 Hours

PE 100-RC 8,760 Hours (1 year)

Table 3. Full notch creep test average results

PE Class Average Results FNCT Rupture time in hours

PE63 7.5 Hours (2 samples)

PE80 114 Hours (3 samples)

PE 100 533 Hours (5 samples)

PE 100-RC 14,648 Hours (2 samples)




time it takes for the crack to go all the way through the coupon is the result of the test expressed in hours. Table 2 lists the mini-mum standards for each grade of HDPE resin. h e minimum standard for PE 100-RC is 8,760 hours (one year).

Looking at the average results (Table 3), the benefi ts in the evolution can be seen. h e weakness is now the strength, open-ing new application opportunities in which polyethylene has

never been considered. h e increase in crack resistance allows contractors and installers to consider HDPE for underground use in rough dug trenches without backfi ll or sand grading. h is provides lower installation cost and furthers the reach of ther-moplastic piping systems into mountain and desert terrains.

Another benefi t of HDPE’s increased crack resistance is its newfound industrial chemical piping applications. h e chemi-

cal resistance capabilities of the previous HDPE generations are already proven. Now, a good portion of the previously unacceptable applications will prove to be successful opportunities for PE 100-RC pipe and fi ttings. Why? If the material is attacked by the chemical, the time to failure will be substantially extended due to its greatly enhanced ability to resist cracks. In eff ect, if it lasts long enough, it is resistant.

h is could change what used to be only a short-term possibility into a long-term solution. An application with high concentrations of sodium hypochlorite transported in PE 100-RC piping is only one specifi c application that has already proven to increase previous short-term solutions into permanent, long-term installations.

Applications using higher con-centrations of certain acids are another avenue now open to HDPE. Because PE 100-RC is so versatile in terms of per-formance, low installation cost and an extremely long expected useful life, it can now be seriously considered for every new and existing chemical piping appli-cation that falls within its capabilities.

PE 100-RC is poised to be the material of choice for aggressive chemi-cal and water applications. Its inher-ent physical properties makes it ideally suited for today’s safety-conscious and budget-minded companies.

P&S

Mark L. Jones is the business development manager—indus-trial/environmental products—Asahi/America, Inc. He has been with the

company since 1998 and has more than 25 years’ experience selling plastic piping systems. Jones can be reached at [email protected] or 781-321-5409.

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HIGH PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS,

world class solutions.



November 1 – 3, 2011, New York, N.Y.

Exhibit Hours

Tuesday, November 1

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, November 2

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thursday, November 3

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

ChemShow 2011 off ers a diverse lineup. Educational oppor-tunities include American Institute for Chemical Engineers

(AIChE) Engineering Technologies Tutorials and its conferences on energy, safety and consulting. Nanotechnology workshops and conference are also available for an additional fee.

With more than 350 exhibitors, the exhibit hall is the place to visit. New this year and free to all visitors is the Process Control & Automation Center, which shows attendees how to increase productivity and streamline operations, and the Product Technology h eater, which gives an overview of new products. For more information, go to www.chemshow.com.


Twenty years ago, the managers of a wide range of manufactur-

ing and liquid-storage facilities predicted that the industry was about to enter “the age of the seal-less pump.” With stricter federal emissions regulations set to be introduced in 1992, this would have been welcome news for those in the petroleum refi n-ing, petrochemical, gas processing and chemical industries in which the use of hazardous/toxic materials or other pollut-ants was prevalent. Faced with tighter control guidelines for these types of emissions, plant and storage-facility operators needed a pump technology that could deliver the environ-mentally-sensitive, leak-free operation that they demanded, while also addressing maintenance and cost concerns.

Extensive documentation existed to support the thesis that sealless pump technology was the answer in these appli-cations. For example, in June 1990, a management-con-sulting fi rm produced a report for a leading manufacturer of industrial gear drives, pumps and compressors that pre-dicted, among other things, that: • h e best available control technology (BACT) for most

refi ning, petrochemical and chemical plants will be seal-less pumps.

• h e chemical industry is moving to use sealless pumps at a faster rate than the petroleum industry.

• h e sealless market will be served two-thirds by magnetic-drive units and one-third by canned-motor units.

• h e long-term answer to the new federal regulations will be sealless pumps.

• Sealless pumps will take an increased percentage of the market—probably 25 percent by 1995 and 50 percent by 2000.

A year earlier, a report titled “An Overview of BACT Guidelines for Centrifugal Pumps” was prepared by the South Coast (California) Air Quality Management District

which noted the No. 1 BACT in terms of effi ciency in con-trolling emissions in liquid-handling applications was seal-less pump technology, which was “becoming increasingly important, especially in the handling of toxic and hazardous fl uids.”

We now know that 1990 did not signal the beginning of the golden age of sealless pumps.

h e technology—as it was designed and constructed at the time—was not reliable enough, with too many instances of failures that were brought about by bearing and load defi -ciencies that led to seal and leakage issues.

h ese defi ciencies created an operational stigma that many manufacturers of sealless pumps are still trying to over-come today.

However after all that time, innovative sealless pump technology is available that eliminates the bearing and load concerns that aff ected the performance of traditional sealless designs.

h is technology has the capability of creating a new category of sealless gear pump that not only eliminates leak-age concerns that can compromise safety for both plant per-sonnel and the environment but also allows the operator to move all types of liquids, from thin to extremely viscous and the hazardous to the benign.

h is article will show how a fresh, clean-sheet approach to the conundrums inherent in traditional sealless pump design were confronted and led to the creation of a line of sealless gear pumps.

In short, these pumps increase product sealing reliability while eliminating the unacceptably high ownership, mainte-nance and environmental costs—as well as the reputational taint—that have dogged past sealless pump designs.

Effi ciency Matters

The “Real” Golden Age of Sealless PumpsDale Evers, EnviroGear

Critical design improvements enable the promise of sealless pump technology.

Exploded view of the improved

sealless gear pump


The Challengeh e leakage that occurs in traditional mechanically sealed pumps results in two types of prohibitive costs for plant operators: maintenance and environmental. According to the Hydraulic Institute, as much as 40 to 50 percent of the cost of owning a pump is spent after the pump is purchased due to maintenance issues. h e leading causes of high maintenance in conventionally sealed pumps includes that associ-ated with mechanical seal replacement and the premature wear of the bushings and close-fi tting metal parts because of insuffi cient support of the pumping elements.

h e environmental cost of leakage includes cleanup and potential local, state or federal fi nes that may need to be paid in extreme cases. Another non-monetary cost is the resulting bad press and community mistrust after a leak or accident occurs.

Leaks can create several costs:• Replacement of the raw materials that are lost and the fi nished goods that are

damaged • Paying a fi rm to clean up the spill• Disposal of the material cleaned up• Potential slip-and-fall hazards • Environmental compliance fi nes and fees • Lowered worker morale • h e need to replace workers who may choose to seek employment elsewhere

As mentioned, any pump design that is deemed sealless must overcome the stigma that has been attached to the technology for more than two decades. In fact, while the reports cited above were trumpeting the use of sealless pumps, eff orts began almost immediately to discredit the technology’s eff ectiveness and reliability when handling hazardous or toxic materials.

A report entitled “Meeting Emission Regulations with Mechanical Seals” released in April 1990 by the Seals Technical Committee of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) stated that “eliminating seals in pumps is not the solution to emission controls.” h e standards committee included seven leading seal manufacturing companies working in conjunction with chemical company clients. h e report also stated “sealless pumps seem like the perfect solution but rely on bearings being lubricated by the product being pumped. h erefore, bearing prob-lems result from converting to sealless pumps.” h e seal manufacturers eff ectively removed themselves as the weak link and focused on the perceived and sometimes real bearing issues.

h e report listed a number of perceived problems that were present when rely-ing on the product being pumped for lubrication, including: the sometimes poor lubricity of the pumped product; high instances of costly downtime for in-shop repairs; and the elevated chance that leaks will still occur, which exposes plant per-sonnel and the environment to the pumpage. As pump manufacturers rushed their sealless off erings to market, an overzealous sales force misapplied or over-applied their products. Initial failures, most common among high-speed centrifugal manu-facturers lent credibility to the seal manufacturer’s warnings. End-users became cau-tious. h ose burned would hesitate to consider sealless technology again.

h en, most damningly, the report concluded: “Obviously, there is question-able, if any, benefi t (of using sealless pumps) to the end-user who is genuinely con-cerned with the environment and his personnel.”

Times Have Changed (so Have Sealless Pumps) Traditionally, sealless gear pumps are designed with a cantilevered load where a large rotor gear is attached to the end of the pump shaft. As hydraulic force is applied to the rotor during pump operation extra pressure is put on the shaft and bearings. h is pressure can lead to shaft defl ection and increased bearing wear, which results in more rotor-to-casing or rotor-to-head contact wear. h e result is reduced pressure

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Effi ciency Matters

and fl ow rate. Secondly, traditional sealless gear pumps feature two fl uid

chambers—a hydraulic chamber in which the gears work and a second chamber for the magdrive coupling unit—that are joined together by a bracket, which also serves as a barrier between the two chambers. h is complicated design requires that a portion of the material being pumped through the hydraulic chamber must be used to cool the magnets in the other chamber. h ese requirements result in a long, compli-cated pump with elongated, narrow fl ow paths and the need for more parts which makes the pump more expensive and diffi cult to maintain. h is also limits the viscosity of the liquids that can be pumped, as well as the types of solids that can be handled.

The Solution

h e approach to fi nding an ultimate solution to the sealless pump quandary removed the word sealless from the devel-opment process. When looking to create a gear pump that is aff ordable, controls leaks and reduces maintenance costs and environmental concerns, the fi rst step is to identify the areas in which sealless pumps fall short and look for improvements. As mentioned, the No. 1 area in which traditional sealless pump operation is compromised is the bearings and how they inter-act with, and are aff ected by, the pump’s cantilever load. h e second step is to fi nd a superior replacement for the

two-fl uid-chamber design that complicated the pump’s operation and limited its fl uid-handling range.

Taking these main concerns into account, and approaching the design process with an open mind, the result is a gear pump line that is sealless, not because the designers and engineers felt that it needed to be, but because its design enhancements led them to the conclusion that it would operate most eff ectively as a sealless pump.

h is pump also features two design enhancements to over-come the long-time challenges of excessive bearing wear and a fl uid chamber design that complicates operation and limits product range. h ese enhancements are: • Between-the-bearing support system—As opposed to

the performance-robbing, one-sided support found in a cantilevered-load design that exists in traditional sealless pumps, the new gear pump supports the rotor and idler gears at three locations through the creation and incorpora-tion of:

º A patented eccentric spindle that is supported in the head, the crescent location and the back of the contain-ment canister, eliminating much of the eff ects of cantilever load. In tests in which 200 psi of pressure was applied to the rotor, only 0.005 inch of shaft defl ection occurred in this pump, compared to 0.056 inch of shaft defl ection in a traditional seal-less pump, giving the new design 11 times less shaft defl ection.

º Larger diameter materials that provide more rigid support for less shaft defl ection and bearing wear. For example, a traditional 3-inch sealless pump will have a shaft that is 17⁄16 inch in diameter. h e diameter of the new design’s eccentric spindle is 2 inches.

º Large, long radial bushings that support the entire length of the rotating element, which spreads out the hydraulic forces and allows the bushings to last longer. h e new pump’s bushings are also made of premium-grade carbon graphite that will last up to eight times longer than more common bushing materials.

Single-fluid-chambered sealless gear pump


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• One-l uid-chamber design—As noted earlier, traditional sealless pump design features two fl uid chambers that are separated by a bracket. h is design creates opera-tional diffi culties while limiting the types of fl uids that can be handled by the pumps. h e improved design has only one fl uid chamber with the pump’s magnets placed on the back of the rotor and close-coupled, or “piggy-backed,” on the rotor gear. h is design gives the pump a much shorter, simpler fl ow path. It also allows the pump to easily handle viscosities in the 20,000 to 30,000 cP range and as high as 50,000 cP, while still maintaining the ability to run thin liquids—such as caustics and solvents. h ese redesigned pumps can also pump liquids and slurries that contain solids.

Another feature that this design off ers is dimensional interchangeability. h ese pumps have been designed to be interchangeable with 95 percent of the other gear pumps that are currently available on the market. h is means that a plant can run a traditional sealed pump in the morning, have it pulled out in the afternoon and drop this single-fl uid chamber gear pump into the footprint while reusing the same piping, gear box, motor and base plate, all while receiving the same hydraulic performance pro-vided by the previous pump.

While this pump is designed to eliminate all the operational concerns found in old-style sealless gear pumps, its simple design—which consists of only seven primary parts: a magnet housing, containment canister, casing, rotor magnet assembly, eccentric spin-dle, idler gear and head—greatly reduces maintenance and environmental costs.

Conclusion

In the end, the design of these new seal-less gear pumps makes them beyond a traditional sealless pump. h ey are an engineered solution for environmentally conscious fl uid-handling that lowers maintenance costs and eliminates envi-ronmental costs.

P&S

Dale Evers is the director of business development, Engineered Products, for the Dover Corporation’s Pump Solutions Group (PSG), Downers Grove, Ill. He can be reached at [email protected]. You can fi nd more information on EnviroGear at www.envirogearpump.com. PSG is com-prised of seven leading pump brands—Almatec, Blackmer, EnviroGear, Griswold, Mouvex, Neptune and Wilden. You can fi nd more information on PSG at www.pumpsg.com.

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Pumps are indispensable in mining, petroleum recovery (wellhead operations), pipelines,

refi ning and many manufacturing operations, so their failure causes costly unscheduled downtime. In the case of an electrical ground fault the pump’s drive motor can be destroyed, and it can result in high voltage potential on the pump equipment framework that is a serious safety hazard to personnel. A pump and drive motor can fail in other ways, including pumps running dry and jammed pumps causing the motor to overload, which can lead to catastrophic damage to the motor and other electrical system problems.

Automated PreventionMost fault conditions can be mitigated with the right kind of protective device. Today’s electronic motor protection relays (Figure 1) can communicate motor operating information to a programmable logic controller (PLC), motor control center or an automated monitoring system. h ese real-time diag-nostic features are important predictive/preventative mainte-nance functions that indicate that a problem needs attention before a catastrophic failure.

Some motor protection relays have inputs for tempera-ture sensors. Temperature inputs in some relays shut down the motor before it becomes too hot and causes an insulation failure. More importantly, collecting temperature data from the ambient surroundings, pump and motor bearings and the motor windings can be used for predictive/preventative maintenance.

By monitoring and analyzing motor thermal trends, operators can see that the motor may become overheated if operating conditions are not altered. Overloading the motor, ambient tem-perature and lack of cooling when needed may overheat the motor. With temperature sensor inputs, the relay’s thermal model of the motor can be biased to refl ect operating conditions or adjust for hot spots on the motor, such as windings or bearings. h ese diag-nostic features provide more effi cient troubleshooting and help avoid motor damage, freeing up staff and eliminating many repairs and replacements. Instead of reacting to failures, maintenance staff can proactively schedule corrections.

Drive Motor Ground FaultsPumps are often used in dusty and damp environments that can compromise insulation in the drive motor and its input wiring. h ese conditions can increase “earth leakage” currents—persistent, small currents from a high potential point to ground that may be a precursor to a major ground fault. Some causes of phase-to-ground faults are shorts in the motor windings or input wiring due to worn or melted insu-lation. Ground faults can cause electrical shocks, fi res or even major arc-fl ash events.

h ermal Overload Relays Earlier methods of detection and protection against ground faults are still being used. h ese electromechanical devices include bimetallic or melted alloy (eutectic) overload

Microprocessor-Based Pump/Motor Protection Relays Ross George, Littelfuse, Inc.

Today’s lean maintenance staff needs pump and motor protective devices that

diagnose and predict problems before they become acute.

Maintenance Minders

Figure 1. Electronic pump/motor

protection relay


mechanisms. h ey contain heating elements wired in series with the motor inputs that cause either a pool of solder (eutectic alloy) to melt or a set of bimetallic strips to bend and release the contacts when current becomes excessive.

Bimetallic overloads generally have a limited range of adjustable trip points. No adjustability is possible with eutectic alloy mechanisms. Some bimetallic over-loads will reclose automatically when the motor cools suffi ciently. Bimetallic over-load design can include compensation to prevent ambient temperature changes from aff ecting the trip point. Ideally, a thermal overload should be installed in the same ambient temperature as the motor it protects. In practice, these devices are often installed in the motor starter, which may be in an air-conditioned switchgear room away from the motor. What’s more, their simple design precludes intelligent feedback.

Solid-State Electronic Protection

Certain types of solid-state overload relays have been introduced to resolve the inac-curacies of electromechanical devices. However, many of these have pre-calculated setpoints and cannot provide the same level of protection as more recent designs. In one type, the current is measured using a set of current transformers, which may be internal or external to the device. h is protection system includes monitoring and current interruption in case of ground faults, overloads, unbalance, jams, etc.

However, using a current transformer may allow some level of damage to occur before the relay trips. An alternative to current monitoring is to use an insulation monitoring relay. h is device monitors phase-to-ground insulation resistance and prevents the motor from starting if system insulation resistance falls below a selected set-point, avoiding potential motor damage.

An insulation monitoring relay applies a DC voltage and measures the leakage current to determine the system’s insulation resistance to ground. By establishing a setpoint for this resistance and providing a signal output when it is too low, mainte-nance staff is made aware of degradation, allowing for scheduled maintenance and repair.

Another benefi t, compared to electromechanical relays that pass motor current through heating elements, electronic relays do not cause excessive heat buildup on a power panel. Besides saving on power consumption, this helps avoid panel de-rating and the use a larger enclosure for heat dissipation.

Yet another type of electronic device combines ground fault protection with a ground-check function, which monitors the integrity of an equipment ground. It is used if ensuring ground continuity is the foremost issue. h ese relays are also used with trailing cables, when the equipment may be a large distance from the starter or breaker.

By ensuring a ground connection, this prevents a potential voltage rise across the fl uid or on the framework of the equipment during a ground-fault, which may represent a shock hazard to operating and maintenance personnel. Common appli-cation environments are surface mines, underground mines, quarries and submers-ible pumps. h ese devices are even used on the pumping equipment for golf course watering systems. h ey can also be used as a remote permissive for the pumping equipment.

In many electrical systems, a neutral grounding resistor (NGR) is used on the grounding system. h is is sometimes called a high resistance ground (HRG), where a resistor is placed between the neutral of the supply transformer and ground.

Using resistance grounding can minimize the amount of damage caused by a ground fault. In some cases, it may allow operations to continue until the fault can be cleared. In addition, an NGR used in conjunction with an NGR monitor relay can provide a predictive maintenance function by alerting staff to the ground-fault before excessive damage is done. Moreover, resistance grounding also prevents a re-striking fault from elevating the system voltage relative to ground, which adds more c

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stress to the insulation and can lead to a phase-to-ground-to-phase fault.Pump manufacturers are being asked to incorporate ground-check relays into

their equipment. h is includes a zener diode termination assembly that is part of the relay’s open and shorted ground-check loop functions for portable power cables. h e relay feeds two diff erent levels of current to the termination assembly and checks to make sure that the voltage drop is the same across the zener diode at both levels. h is is a more desirable way of ensuring ground integrity compared to a resistance terminated loop, as a high-impedance fault with the right amount of resistance can provide an erroneous indication.

Benefi ts of Microprocessor-Based ProtectionMicroprocessor-based relays may incorporate several of these protective and predic-tive functions to guard pumps and motors from overload damage and some other fault conditions. Depending on the design and feature-set, they may include a lim-ited functions or a wide range of protection and monitoring features. Some of the advanced features include protection in the event of phase loss, phase imbalance, improper phase sequence, jam and undercurrent protection. Other features may include digital inputs/outputs, internal data logging, and interfacing data commu-nications. See Figure 2.

A useful feature for maintenance personnel is continuous real-time monitoring of an operating motor’s thermal capacity. As mentioned earlier, this may prevent a motor from becoming overloaded, avoiding insulation damage.

Combined with a data communications interface, this monitoring allows trend analysis by a central control system computer or PLC and subsequent scheduled maintenance.

A pump jam will cause motor overload due to excessive current that can damage the motor windings’ insulation. A motor protection relay will interrupt the supply power as it does for a ground fault. A pump running dry does not cause an overcurrent condition but a low current—a common occurrence in submersible pump applications. Mechanical fl oats may not be suffi cient, as they may be prone to failure. In many cases, a pump that runs dry means a loss of lubrication, which can lead to bearing damage or other failure modes.

A microprocessor-based relay with a low-current setpoint can protect against

Figure 2. Microprocessor-based motor protection relay simplifi ed circuit diagram

Maintenance Minders

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a dry pump situation. During normal operation the micropro-cessor sees nominal operating amperage.

If the pump runs dry, this current drops to an “idle” amper-age level, which is defi ned by the motor. When that occurs, the protective relay can send a signal to an interrupt device, or signal to a PLC for analysis, which may actuate the interrupting device.

Cost ConsiderationsMicroprocessor-based motor protection devices can be sophis-ticated. In addition to current inputs, some devices have pro-visions for voltage inputs, which can calculate power, power factor and other parameters. h ese parameters are fed back to a motor control center or PLC where the data can be logged and/or analyzed.

Network communication capabilities may include proto-cols for Ethernet, DeviceNet or Profi Bus. With these, micro-processor-based motor protection can be used to help optimize a pump/motor system electrically and mechanically. Some deci-sions and actions that may be taken are load analysis, altering fl ow rate or changing power factor correction.

h e cost of devices with this level of sophistication may be prohibitive for pumping systems operating with 50-horsepower or smaller motors. In these cases, simpler microprocessor-based devices may be a cost-eff ective way to upgrade an antiquated pumping system or add protection to a system.

Another consideration is the mea-surement devices required for use with the protection relays. For example, some microprocessor-based relays have built-in current transformers (CTs) for overcur-rent detection circuitry with specifi ed cur-rent ranges. In other cases, these CTs must be purchased and installed. In some cases, using separate CTs may be appropriate, allowing a protection relay to be tied into almost any power system.

Of course, reliability in harsh industrial environments has a signifi cant impact on the overall cost of ownership when a pump/motor protective device is purchased. Besides exposure to water and electrically conductive dusts, corro-sive liquids and vapors are common in many applications. For example, hydro-gen sulfi de (H2S) can be present in or around petrochemical fl uids, which aff ects equipment used at the wellhead, on pipelines and in refi neries. It reacts with water vapor to form sulfuric acid that eats away at electrical components.

For these and other harsh environ-ments, protective devices designed spe-cifi cally to survive in such applications should be chosen. In addition to rugged mechanical design for use on machinery

with strong vibrations, the electrical circuit boards need to be conformal coated with an insulating material. When done properly, this seals the components and circuit traces so they cannot be attacked by corrosive liquids, vapors and gases.

A unit designed primarily for indoor factory applications may last only a short time in a mining or petrochemical appli-cation. However, protective devices designed for rugged envi-ronments can supply 20 or more years of reliable service in such environments. A long service life may be a compelling reason to purchase a reliable protective device, even for less demanding applications, because of its low cost of ownership.

SummaryMicroprocessor-based pump/motor protection relays off er a cost-eff ective way to prevent catastrophic failures due to a number of fault conditions. In addition, they can protect oper-ating and maintenance personnel by mitigating or removing shock hazards and potential arc-fl ash events. h ose with real-time monitoring and diagnostic functions for predictive/pre-ventative maintenance programs can reduce maintenance costs.

P&S

Ross George is a technical sales engineer with Littelfuse. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. He can be reached at [email protected].


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Mechanical packing is a versatile seal-ing device. One of the best features of braided mechanical packing in

roll form is its fl exibility and ease of use. In today’s world of maximizing plant effi ciency with limited maintenance resources, some important steps to follow when installing pack-ing are often overlooked. One of these is prop-erly cutting the braided packing.

One of the best ways to enhance packing life is to focus on installation. After packing is installed, a few fi xes can prolong life when a leak has occurred. As Ben Franklin stated, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of a cure.” h is is true about packing, since instal-lation is the key to long packing life. Cutting packing rings incorrectly can result in a low mean time between failure (MTBF) for valves and pumps and is easily preventable with some basic training. h is article discusses some fun-damental concepts to improve packing life by properly cutting the rings.

Important Stepsh e best way to cut packing accurately is to focus on a few simple steps: • Use a mandrel to cut rings• Use a sharp knife• Use a forceful cutting motion

Sometimes, bad habits that are developed when cutting packing rings can start at a plant and can severely limit pack-ing performance. Training and education will help prevent bad maintenance practices and provide understanding of the importance of the task. Unacceptable practices for cut-ting packing rings can be handed down from technician to

technician because it is hard to see the eff ect that it has on the sealing failure of the equipment.

SizingOne of the more prevalent practices is using the packing rings that were removed when unpacking a valve or a pump as a length guide for cutting the new rings. h e problem is the rings that were removed could have been incorrectly sized the last time so the error will just be repeated. Also, the rings that are unpacked might have been chemically attacked and may have shrunk or become deformed while in service.

h e most accurate way to cut packing rings is to use a mandrel that is the exact size of the shaft or stem. By taking the mandrel and placing it in a vise and wrapping the pack-ing around it, an accurate length can be determined for the packing ring.

What are the key steps to cutting packing for optimum performance?

This month’s “Sealing Sense” was prepared by FSA Member Ron Frisard and sponsored by the Compression Packing division.

From the voice of the fl uid sealing industry

SEALING SENSE

Figure 1. Cutting on a mandrel


Cuttingh e rings should either be cut on the mandrel at a 45-degree angle for a skive cut or a 5-degree, almost-straight cut for a butt cut. Check the installation instructions of the packing manu-facturer for the correct cutting type required by the application. Rings should be held tightly on the mandrel but not stretched. When cutting skive joints, a miter board should be used so that each successive ring can be cut at the correct angle.

After each ring is cut, it should be wrapped around the mandrel as a double check to ensure that the ends adjoin with each other. h is is similar to a “go/no-go” gauge. Skillfully cut-ting rings with a mandrel does take some practice of the pack-ing pulling and the wrapping technique. Focusing on the end result of the ring fi tting on the mandrel with no gap will quickly provide a feedback loop to perfect the practice. Each style of packing will pull around the mandrel slightly diff erently.

Unraveling EndsAnother issue to watch for is trimming rings that have been cut long. Cutting a small section of one of the packing ends can result in the packing unraveling—a major failure point when it is installed. If this happens, the damaged ring should be scrapped, and another ring should be cut, concentrating on getting the size correct.

Toolsh e second component to an accurately cut packing ring is the tools that are used. Another major poor practice is using a pocket knife to cut packing rings. A number of major issues can arise from using this type of cutting tool.

h e fi rst problem is that most knives are not very sharp, and a dull knife will make the cutter use a back and forth cut-ting motion instead of clean slice of the packing. h is back and

Figure 2. Checking Ring Size

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FSA Sealing Sense

forth motion causes the packing to open up (bloom) making installation and sealing more diffi cult. A sharp knife makes a clean cut that keeps the strands together in the original shape. Cutting packing will dull any type of knife quickly, so make sure there is easy access to knife sharpeners.

h e second issue with using a pocket knife is the lack of a good grip. When cutting packing, a considerable amount of

force must be applied to cut in one stroke, and without a good handle, this is much harder to accomplish. It is very important that the tool used to cut packing is a straight edge blade and not serrated. h is will also help reach the goal of a clean cut without deformed packing ends.

h e correct way to cut packing is to have the knife at an angle to the packing (handle higher) and not parallel to it. h is

method results in better leverage on the packing resulting in a better cut. Many tutorials are available that highlight this method when cutting in the kitchen. Correctly cutting a piece of packing is very similar to cutting in a professional kitchen.

Excess Material

Cutting packing will always results in some waste. h is could be rings that are too long or short but also can be rings whose ends have unraveled or blossomed to the point at which they could result in a leak path. One of the easiest ways to sidestep errors in cutting is to order cut rings from the packing supplier. Besides no scrap, there is also a considerable time savings from not having to cut the rings. h e drawbacks to using cut rings every-where is having good documentation of the actual size of the packing beforehand to know what to order. h is can be a bigger hurdle than fi rst thought since a major paradigm shift needs to occur regarding creating a database of equip-ment dimensions.

Conclusion

A couple of other simple ways to create a good environment that will result in a better cut ring are fi rst to order (or get a machine shop to create) accurate mandrels for all stem and shaft sizes. h e other is to have in the cut ring area some good knives and access to a knife sharpener.

Next Month: What factors should be considered for stainless steel fasteners in bolted fl ange connections?

We invite your questions on sealing issues and will provide best eff ort answers based on FSA publications. Please direct your questions to: sealingsensequestions@fl uidsealing.com.

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Q. What is a balanced mechanical seal, and when is it usually used?

A. Balancing a mechanical seal involves reducing the eff ective forces on the seal faces. A general rule is to use a balanced seal when seal chamber pressures are above 1,380 kPa (200 psi). Each application should be reviewed because the seal faces are aff ected by pressure, rotational speed, temperature and the properties of the liquid being sealed. At higher pressures or speeds, ensuring that an adequate lubricating fi lm builds up is important. h is is done by using a mechanical seal with a bal-ance between 60 and 90 percent. See fi gure 5.12.

h e hydraulically loaded area is 10 to 40 percent smaller than the sliding surface area, and the closing force is reduced to

the same extent. h is measure increases the leakage rate because balanced seals tend to have higher leakage rates than unbal-anced. Each mechanical seal is a compromise between:• Ideal liquid friction in the sealing gap (as, for example, in a

balanced seal) with the advantages of lower power con-sumption and increased service life but the disadvantage of higher leakage

• Mixed friction (as, for example, in an unbalanced seal) with shorter seal life as a result of increased friction but with lower leakage; see Chapter 4 of the Mechanical Seals for Pumps: Application Guidelines, published by HI, for more details on seal face balancing

Q. What is a pusher type seal, and what are the advantages of this design?

A. h is is the broadest classifi cation. It is determined by the secondary sealing element used in the fl exible portion of the seal. In a pusher type seal, the secondary sealing element moves axially to compensate for wear, vibrations and movement of the shaft. Several types of secondary elements are used, most com-monly O-rings, wedges and spring-loaded polymer seals.

In the non-pusher seal, the secondary sealing elements include bellows (elastomeric compounds, PTFE or metal). h e convolutions of the bellows compensate for wear, axial move-ments and vibrations.

h e application fi elds of both seal types are wide and may overlap. h e most apparent distinction is the pressure limit. Pusher type seals cover the entire pressure range of mechanical seals up to and exceeding 20.7 MPa (3,000 psi). Non-pusher seals are typically limited to 7 MPa (1,000 psi) for elastomeric bellows and 2,070 kPa (300 psi) for metal bellows. h e last type is popular for sealing of hot fl uids without external cooling.

Q. What is an energy effi cient method for controlling the rate of fl ow in pumping systems?

A. Many pumping systems require a variation of fl ow or head. Either the system curve or the pump curve must be changed to get a diff erent operating point. Where a single pump has been

PUMPFAQs®

Figure 5.12. Balanced seal

Figure 5.8. Pusher type seal

Figure 5.9. Metal bellows seal

Figure 5.10. Elastomeric bellows seal


installed for a range of duties, it will have been sized to meet the greatest output demand. It will, therefore, usually be oversized and will be operating ineffi ciently for lower rate of fl ow duties.

Energy cost savings can be achieved by using control meth-ods that reduce the power to operate the pump during reduced demand. In cases where interruption of fl ow can be tolerated, on/off control may be the most energy effi cient option.

Varying pump performance by speed change is often an effi cient control method. Figure 4.14 shows the energy con-sumption of other popular control methods when compared to variable speed control. More pump control principles and control examples can be found in Variable Speed Pumping: A Guide to Successful Applications.

Typically, variable frequency drive (VFD) upgrades are most viable when the systems are part of the original instal-lation, when only the incremental premium must be justifi ed. However, some installations can take advantage of the possible power savings provided by VFDs.

h e typical VFD system today is a squirrel-cage induction motor fed from a VFD. h e most common VFDs use insulated, gate, bipolar power transistors (IGBT) to create the voltage source pulse width modulation (PWM) to generate the variable voltage frequency for the motor. PWM/IGBT drives have the best overall performance, with high power factors throughout the speed range and are the most common type for small- and

medium-horsepower motors. h ey generate low-speed torque, quiet motor operation and improved low-speed stability.

PWM/IGBT drives do stress the motor and drive cable, due to the fast output voltage rises that cause voltage doubling in the feeder cable from voltage refl ections. An impedance load reactor should be used on the load side of the VFD when the motor lead length exceeds 100 feet. VFDs are an effi cient type of variable speed drive. h e most recent generations of VFDs perform well and have few complications when properly applied and matched to the motor and electrical system.

Figure 4.14. Energy consumption



HI Pump FAQs

h e energy consumed by a pump varies as the third power of the speed. h erefore, a 50 percent reduction in speed will reduce the power consumed by as much as 80 percent, depend-ing on the system head curve characteristics. It is then possible to match pump operating speed to the exact conditions of ser-vice without throttling.

Not all this horsepower diff erence is savings, however, because a variable speed device has its own losses. h e effi ciency of a VFD (inverter) is aff ected by operating speed, ranging from about 97 percent at 100 percent of rated speed to around 91 percent at 50 percent of rated speed (input frequency), for the latest generation of drives.

A VFD causes harmonic losses in the motor, due to imper-fect sinusoidal waves from the VFD supplying the motor. h ese losses cause the motor to heat up, which is why the motor may need to be de-rated when running with a VFD. Inverter-rated motor windings are required for 440 volts and above.

VFD drives can generate stray motor currents. h is may require grounding of the motor rotor and/or the use of a bear-ing with an insulating coating on the outer ring. Small elec-tric discharges between the rolling elements and the bearing raceway can eventually damage (pit) the bearings and/or cause them to run hotter, especially with larger motors over 100 kilo-watts (150 horsepower).

P&S

Pump FAQs® is produced by the Hydraulic Institute as a service to pump users, contractors, distributors, reps and OEMs as a means of ensuring a healthy dialogue on subjects of common technical concern.

HI standards are adopted in the public interest and are designed to help eliminate misunderstandings between the manufacturer, the purchaser and/or the user and to assist the purchaser in selecting and obtaining the proper product for a particular need.

As an ANSI approved standards developing organiza-tion, the Hydraulic Institute, process of developing new stan-dards or updating current standards requires balanced input from all members of the pump community.

We invite questions and will endeavor to pro-vide answers based on existing HI standards and technical guidelines. Please direct your inquiries to: [email protected].

For more information about HI, its publications, Pump LCC Guide, Energy Saving Video-based educa-tion program and standards, please visit: www.pumps.org. Also, visit the new e-learning portal with a compre-hensive course on “Centrifugal Pumps: Fundamentals, Design and Applications,” which can be found at: www.pumplearning.org.

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Sealing

A leak prevention system (LPS) is available that is eff ec-tive in sealing pumpage with particulates and for clear liquids. It can be used with pumps, mixers, agitators,

ribbon blenders, fans and sealing shafts for dry powder han-dling and includes fast and slow rotating equipment.

The Technologyh e LPS is analogous to a double mechanical seal that uses a fl exible sealant as a barrier fl uid. h is barrier fl uid is main-tained at a pressure slightly above stuffi ng box pressure by an air-operated piston. Close-fi tting bushings at either end of the seal retain the fl exible sealant. In essence, the LPS traps the sealant within the LPS assembly, and the pumpage has no chance to escape from the pump since it sees no leakage path.

h e pressurizing sealant does not rotate with the shaft and, in remaining static, is actually a fl exible stationary seat. h e vertical edges of the machined crenellations (perpendic-ular to the shaft axis) act as rotating heads. In an LPS with two crenellations, four sealing surfaces are on the shaft sleeve.

Use with High and Low Shaft Speedsh e initial versions of the LPS were designed for low shaft speeds, with shaft peripheral velocity less than 0.5 meters/second (1.64 feet/second). h ese designs, typically used on blenders, mixers or progressing cavity pumps, require no cooling. Higher shaft peripheral speeds, such as those of most centrifugal pumps, require cooling of the LPS assembly. An illustration of the cooled LPS assembly as used in centrifugal pumps is shown in Figure 1.

h e cooling chamber is formed between the LPS hous-ing and the bore of the existing pump stuffi ng box with an O-ring seal—the cooling medium does not contact the pro-cess liquid. Guide vanes in the cooling chamber distribute the fl ow from the in/out ports in a serpentine path.

h e Kevlar bushings provide a tight clearance against the shaft sleeve, limiting any intrusion of the fl exible sealant into the pump. Similarly, the graphite and Tefl on bushing

combination limit the fl exible sealant from exiting the pump.Crenellations on the shaft sleeve provide radial sealing

surfaces to accommodate shaft movement due to defl ection and/or vibration. For process pumps (e.g. ANSI or paper stock), a hook-type shaft sleeve is supplied to protect the pump shaft and to help position the impeller on the shaft as well as enabling axial travel for impeller clearance adjustment.

Since no process fl uids migrate through the stuffi ng box, no solids will enter the seal assembly. Solids ejection vanes are furnished on the shaft sleeve to keep solids from settling on the bottom of the stuffi ng box.

New Leak Prevention TechnologyJack Tyler, P.E., Jack Tyler Engineering Company, & Art Evans, Art Evans & Associates

Air-operated piston assembly, injectable packing and air fl ush enhance this sealing

system’s performance in harsh applications.

Figure 1. Leak prevention system general arrangement


Standard material of the seal assembly is 304SS and other materials can be fur-nished for compatibility with the pumped liquid.

Velocity ConsiderationsShaft tangential or peripheral velocity is an important consideration when selecting the shaft seal type. Calculating this parameter can be accomplished with these equations:

English/American Units

VT = Dia x π x rpm

720Where:

VT = shaft tangential velocity, feet/second

Dia = Shaft diameter, inchesMetric Units

VT = Dia x π x rpm

60,000Where:

VT = shaft tangential velocity, meters/second

Dia = Shaft diameter, millimeters

Pressure AssemblyIn the LPS, the pressure on the fl exible sealant within the assembly is main-tained at about 1 bar (approximately 15 psig) above stuffi ng box pressure. h is is accomplished by an air-operated piston assembly. See Figure 2.

h e pressurizing piston provides a consistent and moderate pressure on the fl exible sealant. h is pressure is between four times and seven times the pressure in the air chamber, depending on the pump application and pressur-izing device furnished. h e required air pressure is calculated on a case-by-case basis.

Virtually no air consumption occurs for this device. If air pressure is lost, the seal will continue to operate for at least 45 minutes before leakage through the seal will occur. Once air pressure is restored, the seal will return to normal operation.Figure 2. Sealant pressurizing assembly


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Sealing

h e sealant reservoir contains approximately 2 inches3 (33 centimeters3 or 60 grams) of sealant, which is suffi cient for about 18 months of operation in most cases. If the reservoir needs to be replenished, this can be done while the pump is running and takes about three minutes.

h e proximity rod can be fi tted to engage a switch that activates a signal to an attendant when/if sealant has to be replaced in the reservoir. h e signal can be a message to a cell phone, SCADA or other monitoring device. h is allows a time period cushion of about three weeks in which the sealant reser-voir can be replenished before the supply is exhausted.

Since the pressure on the fl exible sealant must be main-tained slightly above pump stuffi ng box pressure, calculating the stuffi ng box pressure, which is diff erent for each pump type, is important. In many cases, the stuffi ng box pressure is the same as the pump suction or discharge. Some exceptions are:

Open Impeller w/ Back Pump-Out Vanes

PS'Box = PPump Discharge - PPump Suction

4 + PPump Suction

Open or Enclosed Impeller w/ Balance Holes

PS’Box = PPump Discharge - PPump Suction

10 + PPump Suction

When pump suction pressure is variable, use the higher value for suction pressure for the stuffi ng box pressure. If the pump is to be operated against a closed discharge valve at any time, use the pump discharge pressure at shut-off . If the pump is on a suction lift, the stuffi ng box may be at a pressure lower than atmospheric and air may be drawn through the shaft seal. h is is no problem for the LPS since it can run dry indefi nitely.

Flexible Sealant

h e fl exible sealant used in the LPS is also important. h ere are several types, but the most common is injectable packing. h is has been available for decades for use in more traditional stuffi ng box arrangements in which the injectable packing is pumped into a stuffi ng box with a ring of packing at each end. In this mode, the injectable packing was intended to maintain a seal for the pumped liquid.

Over-pressurization during installation and the lack of packing pressure maintenance led to irregular and often unsat-isfactory performance, such as leaky stuffi ng boxes. Conversely in the LPS, the injectable packing is held within the system assembly and forms a barrier through which the pumped liquid cannot pass. No over-pressurization occurs since the pressuriz-ing piston assembly maintains a moderate and steady pressure.

h e choice of a fl exible sealant depends on the requirements


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of the application. Chemical compatibility, temperature, oper-ating pressure, shaft tangential velocity and FDA certifi cation for food-related products must be considered.

More than 400 variations of fl exible sealant are available from injectable packing to high-viscosity greases. Higher stuff -ing box pressures may be accommodated by a Plan 13 seal piping arrangement.

ApplicationsTypical applications for the LPS include sealing a fl uid where fl ushing the seal faces with water or another barrier fl uid is undesirable, applications in which cavitation of the pump is a common occurrence and the cavitation destroys the seal faces in a short time or applications in which abrasives in the sealed fl uid lead to premature seal face failure.

Pumping brine solution when dilution of the fl uid with seal fl ush is not wanted can be particularly challenging for con-ventional mechanical seals. Salt particles in the brine are abra-sive and wear traditional seal faces prematurely.

In pulp and paper, sealing black liquor can be problematic because of the need to fl ush the seal faces with water or another barrier fl uid to prevent the liquor from solidifying on the seal faces and causing failure. Some black liquor processes purge the black liquor pumps with live steam while running to clean the system, causing severe pump cavitation. h is procedure

destroys seal faces in short order. h e LPS is able to handle abrasive fl uids easily and pump cavitation without failure.

New Developmentsh e latest development for the LPS is “air fl ush.” A small amount of compressed air, typically 0.17 SCFM at 8 psig, is fed to the back of the stuffi ng box via an internal port in the seal. h is air forms a bubble between the back of the impeller and the back of the stuffi ng box. h e bubble expands to create a torturous path even more diffi cult for the fl uid pumped to penetrate than the pressurized sealant. h e result is leak free

h e LPS presents opportunities for handling tough-to-seal pump applications where traditional packing or mechanical

seals cannot provide the performance required. P&S

Jack Tyler, P.E., is the CEO for Jack Tyler Engineering Company, Inc. He can be reached at [email protected] or 901-794-1413.

Art Evans, Art Evans & Associates, can be reached at [email protected] or

315-539-4127.


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Sealing

TransNeft was set up in 1992 to provide coordination and transport of oil and petroleum products through pipelines in Russia and other countries. h e company

has 50,000 kilometers of pipelines, more than 300 pump sta-tions and 900 oil tanks with a capacity of more than 16 million m3, and transports 93 percent of the oil produced in Russia.

Construction of the fi rst pipeline phase, ESPO-1, got underway fi ve years ago. Each year, 30 million tons of oil are transported over a distance of 2,757 kilometers through fi ve pump stations with 20 pumps from the city of Taishnet in the Eastern Siberian region of Irkutsk to the city of Skovorodino in Russia’s eastern Amur region. h e planned ESPO-2 phase will extend the pipeline for another 2,100 kilometers from the Skovorodino station to the port of Kozmino on the Pacifi c Ocean.

Including the planned extension to phases ESPO-1 and ESPO-2, roughly 80 million tonnes of oil will be transported annually by 2013/2014 over a distance of 4,857 kilometers through 43 pump stations with four pipeline pumps each. h e ESPO-1 section to Skovorodino and the two-billion-dollar oil terminal Kozmino near Nahkoka on the Pacifi c Ocean were opened in 2009. Until ESPO-2 is completed, the oil is being taken by rail from the Skovorodino station to Kozmino. h is means that Russia now has a new oil route.

No Leakage Even Under the

Harshest Conditionsh e pipeline runs through earthquake hazard zones and over-comes large geographic diff erences in altitude. Once the entire pipeline is complete, the average distance between pump sta-tions will be roughly 150 kilometers. Currently, only seven

pump stations are on the ESPO-1 pipeline, which means that the average spacing is around 400 kilometers. h e distances between stations, the overall length of the pipeline (which is 1.22 meters in diameter), the extreme and varied climatic con-ditions, the transportation capacities and oil delivery commit-ments of the operator pose substantial technical and business challenges for machinery and component suppliers.

h e seals, which are at the “heart” of the pumps, have to function without “personal” care. h e pump stations are dif-fi cult to access and are located in rough terrain. h is means that the pump components have to meet stringent quality, durability, availability and service life standards. h e seals have

Oil & Gas Project Sets New StandardsEllen Klier & Franz Schäfer, EagleBurgmann Germany

Tailored sealing solutions supply high-pressure sealing for Russia’s East Siberia

Pacifi c Ocean pipeline system.

The East Siberia Pacifi c Ocean (ESPO) is a project of superlatives. The state-owned Russian company

TransNeft is in the process of building the ESPO Pipeline in two phases. The 5,000 kilometer pipeline will

supply Siberian oil to China, Japan and Korea. Completion and operation at full capacity are scheduled for

2014. Phase 1 has been operating since the end of 2009.

Double mechanical seals have a proven track record in applications

with corrosive and abrasive media.


to adapt precisely to the diff erent operating conditions, e.g. pressure and temperature fl uctuations and speed variations, to ensure optimal leakage protection and service life. Also given the logistics involved, service, maintenance and repair outlay must be kept to a minimum.

h e sealing company’s international footprint, Russian subsidiary and local presence (at the Ukrainian pump manu-facturer) played a crucial role in the contract acquisition along-side of its technical expertise. All these factors guaranteed fast,

un-bureaucratic cooperation and compo-nent availability.

Sealing Know-How Is the

KeyStandardized mechanical seals do not meet stringent pipeline requirements and are unable to withstand the loads placed on the pumps and the seals inside them. For that reason, engineered seals are used almost exclusively on pipelines. h e seals are designed for the specifi c application in close collaboration with the pipeline plan-ners, pump manufacturers and users.

In 2006, the seal company received an initial query on the ESPO-1 project from

several well-known international pump manufacturers. A lot was expected from the seal design and the high-pressure seals. Engineering analysis and test runs were needed to optimize the seals for the specifi c application. For cost and availability reasons, oil is used rather than water as the buff er fl uid in this particular project. h e operating conditions were defi ned:• Pressure to be sealed 10 to 78 bar (pressure varies because

four pumps per station are connected in series).

Russia’s new oil route

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Sealing

• Buff er pressure on all pumps is set to 90 bar.• Product temperature is -15 degrees C to 60

degrees C.• h e speed is 1,500 rpm or 3,000 rpm depending

on pump manufacturer.

A double mechanical seal was selected for this application and was set up for the operating condi-tions listed above. h e seal has a solid track record in pumping applications with corrosive and abrasive media. During operation, the eff ects of pressure and temperature deform the sliding faces. h e type and extent of mechanical and thermal deformation and the degree of overlap depend on the design and the face materials.

Finite element analysis (FEA) was used to deter-mine the optimal geometry for the seal face and seat under the given operating pressure, temperature and speed conditions. To further improve seal running characteristics, lubrication grooves were placed on the face of the rotating seat. By fi ne-tuning the design, the engineers were able to minimize leakage, friction loss and seal face wear. h e seals were then subjected to extensive dynamic and static testing.

During the test phase, further modifi cations were made to optimize seal running characteristics under fl uctuating operat-ing conditions. Friction losses and leakage volumes were con-siderably below the minimum specifi ed by the customer.

Further modifi cations and optimization were made to the seal’s running characteristics to accommodate the diverse operating conditions. Friction losses and leakage volumes were considerably below the minimum specifi ed by the customer.

In 2007, 24 single, high-pressure seals for booster pumps, 60 double, high-pressure seals for main pipeline pumps and 24 API-Plan 53B buff er systems with heat exchangers were deliv-ered for the project. h e seals have demonstrated the durability needed for this harsh application. h ey have been running for two years without problems.

Positive Results

Following the success of the ESPO-1 project, the seal com-pany was chosen to supply for TransNeft and the HMS Group (Russian machinery holding company and a pump manufacturer) including its Ukrainian production plant in

Nasosenergomash. h e HMS Group and the plant in the Ukraine were selected to supply the pumps for six additional pump stations on the ESPO-2 project and fi ve pump stations on the ESPO-1 extension. Based on the performance, the HMS Group signed a delivery contract for double seals and supply systems for the fi rst ESPO-1 extension and single seals and cyclone separators for the ESPO-2 project.

Since last year, visitors from the HMS Group and Nasosenergomash have travelled to the seal company’s facility to take part in the test runs on seals that were ordered.

“Before this contract, we already had many years of expe-rience with EagleBurgmann on other projects. h e expert advice and the engineering design, quality and durability of the mechanical seals and systems have always been the reasons why we selected EagleBurgmann as our seal supplier,” says Vladimir Jumburenko, executive board chairman and president of the Ukrainian pump manufacturer and Igor Tverdochleb, director of New Pump Trials & Development at the HMS Group.

h e ESPO-1 and ESPO-2 extensions are planned to start up in 2013/2014. h e next extensions after that will include 22 stations and 88 pumps.

P&S

Ellen Klier is a press offi cer with group marketing, EagleBurgmann Germany. She can be reached at [email protected].

Franz Schäfer is in direct sales with Eastern Europe sales, EagleBurgmann

Germany.Seat (left) and seal face (right)

Successful test run: sales manager for the seal company assessed the results

with the customer.


Practice & Operations

Pumps handling dirty fl uids risk damage to the mechan-ical seal and line shaft wet bearings if they are not con-tinuously fl ushed by clean fl uids. When clean water

is available, it can be routed through small diameter tubing for lubricating and cooling purposes. However, clean water is often unavailable, too costly and sometimes the addition of water cannot be tolerated. In these cases, a cyclone separator can be employed to remove dirt and grit from the fl uid being pumped, before safely using it for the seals and bearings.

Pumps with product-lubricated (wet) bearings, such as many vertical sump pumps, require a supply of clean fl uid to lubricate and cool the bearings. If the pumped fl uid is free of solids, a small stream can be piped directly from the pump discharge to the bearings. A similar approach works well for the mechanical seals and packing of horizontal pumps.

However if the pumped fl uid contains abrasives or other solids, an alternate solution is needed. Sump pumps often handle wastewater, which can contain abrasive particles. A common solution is to arrange a separate supply of clean water to fl ush wet bearings, seals and packing.

Even at modest fl ow rates, however, water consumption for bearings and seals soon mounts, especially in facilities in which a large number of pumps are operating. In other cases, clean water may simply not be available. For applications such as these, fl ush fl uid recirculation systems incorporating cyclone separators can soon pay for themselves by replacing the need for clean water.

Thermoplastic Outperforms Cast IronOne application in which cyclone separators have proved themselves in practice is at a refi nery in Louisiana. h e refi n-ery operator originally installed more than 30 cast-iron, ver-tical sump pumps for a variety of wastewater duties. Some of these pumps were located in remote locations, making reliability critical. h e iron pumps soon began to experi-ence corrosion, with correspondingly high maintenance and replacement bills.

Searching for a better solution, the company contacted a process equipment sales representative FLIP, Inc., (in Baton Rouge, La. h e company suggested using corrosion-resistant thermoplastic sump pumps. All the fl uid-contact compo-nents of the 15-foot-long (5-meter) pumps were molded of solid polypropylene, including a thick-sectioned sleeve encapsulating the stainless steel shaft. With no metal parts

in contact with the pumped fl uid, the pumps were a good choice for this challenging service.

h e thermoplastic pumps showed good resistance to abrasion compared to their metal counterparts, but in this application, the water was so contaminated that it called for special measures to protect the pumps’ submerged line shaft bearings. Because of the remote locations, piping clean water for fl ushing would have been expensive, and the 15-foot sump depth (5-meter) ruled out bearingless pumps of canti-lever design. Instead, the sales representative used his experi-ence with pump systems to create a better solution.

Strainer Plus Cyclone Saves WaterRather than pipe in an external water supply, each pump was fi tted with a large thermoplastic basket strainer plus a cyclone separator. A small fl ow of wastewater from the pump discharge passed through the strainer and to the inlet of the cyclone, which removed fi ne particles. h e dirty waste stream from the bottom of the cyclone returned to the sump, while clean water from the cyclone’s top discharge nozzle was piped down the pump column to lubricate the ceramic line shaft bearings.

Since the fi rst trials, the refi nery has installed more than a dozen thermoplastic sump pumps with cyclone fl ushing

Safe FlushingKen Comerford, Vanton Pump and Equipment Corp.

Remove grit from pumped fl uids to safely fl ush bearings and seals.

Figure 1. The mounting plate of this vertical sump pump has

plenty of space to install a strainer and cyclone needed to pro-

vide clean water to the shaft bearings.


Practice & Operations

systems. h ese have been more reliable than the cast iron pumps.

h e cyclone separators can supply clean fl ush water both for wet bearings in vertical pumps and mechanical seals in horizontal thermoplastic pumps. h e cyclones themselves are made of abrasion-resistant polyvinylidene fl uoride (PVDF) with rubber seals. In the right applications, this arrangement has proven to be both eff ective and economical.

Putting Solids in a SpinCyclone separators (also known as hydrocyclones when used for liquid service) use centrifugal force to multiply small density diff erences between fl uids and particles of dirt. In pump appli-cations, they are useful if clean fl ushing water is not available, or when savings in water usage are required.

Entering the cyclone body through a tangential nozzle, the fl uid is forced into a downward helical path following the coni-cal inside cavity of the cyclone. Dirt-laden fl uid exits the base of the cyclone and returns to the pump suction or drains back into the sump beneath. A valve installed in this line allows the fl ow rate to be adjusted. Clean fl uid fl ows up, inside the helix, and leaves the top of the cyclone. From here, it is piped to the bearings or seals for fl ushing.

P&S

Figure 2. A cyclone separator fed from the pump discharge sup-

plies grit-free water to fl ush the mechanical seal on a horizontal

thermoplastic pump.

Ken Comerford is vice president, Vanton Pump and Equipment Corp. Since joining the company in 1982, he has served in a variety of roles and was promoted to vice president in 2006. He currently sits on the board of directors and is a member of WEF Association. Comerford can be reached at

[email protected] or 908-688-4216.


Publication Title:Pumps and Systems Magazine

Publication Number: 1065-1084

Filing Date: 9/27/2011

Frequency: Monthly

Number of Issues Published Annually: 12

Annual Subscription Rate $48.00

Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication

1900 28th Avenue South Ste 110

Birmingham, Alabama 35209

Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher


Birmingham, Alabama 35209

Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publishers, Editor and Managing Editor

Walter B. Evans, Jr.


Birmingham,Alabama 35209

Editor: Michelle Segrest



Managing Editor: Lori Ditoro



Owner: Cahaba Media Group

P.O.Box 530067 Birmingham,AL 35253

Stockholder: Walter B. Evans Jr

P.O.Box 530067 Birmingham,AL 35253

Average No. of

Copies Each Issue

During Proceeding

12 Months

No.Copies of

Single Issue

Published Nearest

to the filing date.

Issue Date of Circulation Below: September, 2011

Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run) 42,063 42,155

Paid/Requested Outside County Mail Subscriptions Stated on form 3541

(Include advertisers proof and exchange copies) 30,652 28,935

Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 30,652 28,935

Free Distribution Outside County as stated on 3541 10,449 11,342

Free Districution Outside mail 325 800

Total Free Distribution 10,774 12,142

Total Distribution 41,426 41,077

Copies Not Included 637 1,078

Total: 42,063 42,155

Percentage Paid and/or Requested Circulation 73.99% 70.44%

Walter B. Evans, Jr. Publisher 9/27/2011

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes

false or misleading information on the form or who omits material or informatiotn requested on the form may be

subject to criminial sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties)

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation


Quarter-Turn Electric Actuators for

Rugged Industrial

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Flatness Measurement of Machine

Bases and FoundationsLUDECA, Inc., announces the automatic LEVALIGN EXPERT rotating laser. h is laser easily and accurately measures surface fl atness, levelness, parallelism and straight-ness—single operator, wireless, 3D graphics and more.Circle 202 or go to psfreeinfo.com

Rubber Seated Ball ValveVal-Matic’s Ener•G AWWA rubber seated ball valve is for surge control, low head loss and energy savings. When fully open, the valve provides 100 percent clear fl ow area equal to the pipe size. h e Ener•G features the advantages of a standard fusion bonded epoxy interior and exterior coating and a bi-directional resilient Tri-Loc seating system. h e Tri-Loc seat retention system provides a low friction, wear resistant seat.Circle 203 or go to psfreeinfo.com

Progressive Cavity TemplateSimerics releases the Progressive Cavity Pump Template for PumpLinx, the virtual test bed for pumps and valves. PumpLinx helps improve performance, reduce cavitation, cavitation damage and noise. h e Progressive Cavity Pump Template extends virtual pump testing capabilities to the progressive cavity pump type for a range of fl ow dynamics. PumpLinx is fast, accurate, and created for design engineers.Circle 219 or go to psfreeinfo.com P&S

Product Pipeline


Congratulations!2011 Frost & Sullivan Excellence in

Best Practices Award Recipients

Vistagy, Inc. | Warren Rupp, Inc. | IFS

Siemens Industry, Inc. | Yokogawa Electric Corporation

Invention Machine Corporation | ILS Technology LLC

TelventDTN | Honeywell Process Solutions

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company’s Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO’s Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community iurp"ryhu"73"riÛfhv"rq"vl{"frqwlqhqwv1"Wr"mrlq"rxu"Jurzwk"Sduwqhuvkls/"sohdvh"ylvlw"kwws=22zzz1iurvw1frp"ru"contact Britni Myers at 210.477.8481 or [email protected].


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Advanced Engineered Pump, Inc. 159 69

Advanced Sealing International (ASI) 117 15

ALMATEC 116 19

Baldor Electric Company 100 13

Blue-White Industries 118 27

Boerger, LLC 119 50

Carver Pump Company 120 16

Concepts NREC 143 57

Dan Bolen & Associates, LLC 160 71

Dickow Pump Company 121 20

Dynal ow 161 69

EagleBurgmann 137 47

Electro Static Technology 122 23

Frost & Sullivan 144 66

Garlock Sealing Technologies 101 BC

Garlock Sealing Technologies 156 68

Global Pump 102 55

Graco, Inc. 138 42

Greene, Tweed 115 8

Grundfos Pump Corp 103 9

Hydraulic Institute 145 58

Inpro/Seal 124 43

Jack Tyler Engineering 146 64

Jordan, Knauff & Company 147 58

Junty Industries, Ltd. 163 70

Larox Flowsys Inc. 125 10

Leistritz Corp. 126 25

Liquil o 106 51

Load Controls, Inc. 127 12

Load Controls, Inc. 157 68

LobePro 162 71

LUDECA Inc. 139 45

Magnatex Pumps, Inc. 165 70

Meltric Corporation 166 69

Met-Pro Global Pump Solutions 107 17

Motor Protection Electronics 148 53

Mouvex 128 28

MSE of Canada Ltd. 164 69

NETZSCH 149 49

NSK 108 21

Oberdorfer Pumps, Inc. 129 30

Poultry Expo 130 61

PowerGen 109 67

Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd. 150 57

Pump Solutions Group 140 41

Pumping Machinery 158 68

Revere Controls Systems 151 49

Ruhrpumpen 132 31

Scenic Precise Element Inc. 167 70

SCHENCK 133 35

SEPCO 134 38

SEPCO 168 68

SERFILCO, Ltd. 135 37

SERO Pump Systems 169 70

Shanley Pump and Equipment, Inc. 152 59

Siemens Industry, Inc 110 3

Sims Pump Co 111 7

Sims Pump Co. 111 69

Summit Pump, Inc. 171 70

Tamer Industries 172 68

TAW 178 71

TAW 179 71

TechCast, LLC 154 53

Trachte, USA 173 70

Trask-Decrow 174 71

Trul o Pumps, Inc 112 5

Tuf-Lok International 175 70

Varisco 176 71

Vaughan 113 IBC

VERTIFLO 155 59

Vesco 177 69

VibrAlign 141 46

W.L.Gore & Associates, Inc. 114 1

Watson-Marlow Pumps Group 136 11

Xylem 104 IFC

Zoeller Company 180 69

* Ad index is furnished as a courtesy and no respon-sibility is assumed for incorrect information.

Advertiser Name R.S. # Page Advertiser Name R.S. # Page

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS


P U M P U S E R S M A R K E T P L A C E P U M P U S E R S M A R K E T P L A C E





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www.trask-decrow.com

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Employment

P&S Market


P&S Market

The Jordan, Knauff & Company (JKC) Valve Stock Index was down 11 percent during the last 12 months, well below the broader S&P

500 Index, down 1.3 percent. h e JKC Pump Stock Index was down 5.1 percent for the same time period.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded slightly in September for the 26th consecu-tive month. h e Institute for Supply Management‘s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) moved higher in September to 51.6, up from 50.6 in August. However, survey responses noted the weak economic environ-ment and continued anxieties regarding global demand, causing a high degree of caution in the marketplace. Over the past 12 months the PMI has averaged 56.6.

h e global manufacturing sector’s performance has weak-ened since January 2011. h e JPMorgan Global Manufacturing

PMI was 49.9 in September, below the 50.0 mark for the fi rst time since June 2009. h ird-quarter production growth was negligible and fell sharply from fi rst-quarter peaks.

h e Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that September hiring was stronger than expected with employers adding 103,000 jobs. h e Labor Department also revised reports for July and August, showing an additional gain of 99,000 jobs during the summer. Industries adding jobs included construc-tion, retail and professional and business services. h e manufac-turing sector lost 13,000 workers.

h e number of oil and gas rigs in operation in the U.S. continued to increase in September to 1,978, their highest level since September 2008. Worldwide rig counts, at 3,662, are at levels not seen since the beginning of 1985.

Oil prices continue to face upward price pressure due to supply uncertainty and downward price pressure because of lowered economic growth expectations. On the supply side,

a downward price pressure may occur if Libya is able to ramp up production and exports sooner than anticipated. h e U.S. Energy Information Administration believes that about one-half of Libya’s pre-disruption production will resume by the end of 2012. West Texas Intermediate crude oil spot prices fell from an average of $97 per barrel in July to $86 per barrel in August and September.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fi nished

the third quarter down 12 percent, its largest percentage decline since the fi rst quarter of 2009. h e Dow’s September decline capped its fi fth straight month of losses. Financial stocks were hard hit during the quarter with many banks falling 25 percent or more. Markets were volatile, moving up and down on a daily (or hourly) basis. Investors grew increasingly worried that the U.S. and European economies will slide back into recession.

P&S

Wall Street Pump and Valve Industry WatchJordan, Knauff & Company

Jordan, Knauff & Company is an investment bank based in Chicago, Ill., that provides merger and acquisition advi-sory services to the pump, valve and fi ltration industries. Please visit www.jordanknauff .com or email jgonder@jor-danknauff .com for further information on the fi rm.

Figure 2. U.S. Energy Consumption and Rig Counts

Source: Capital IQ and JKC research. Local currency converted to USD using historical spot rates. h e JKC Pump and Valve Stock Indices include a select list of publicly-traded companies involved in the pump and valve industries weighted by market capitalization.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration and Baker Hughes Inc.

Figure 3. U.S. PMI Index and Manufacturing Shipments

Source: Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Report on Business® and U.S. Census Bureau.

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Figure 1. Stock Indices from October 2010 to September 2011


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