Pump Practices & Life

Presented by:

Paul Barringer, P.E.

Barringer & Associates, Inc.
Reliability, Engineering, and Manufacturing Consultants
P.O. Box 3985
Humble, TX 77347-3985

Phone: 281-852-6810
hpaul@barringer1.com

FAX: 281-852-3749
http://www.barringer1.com

Reliability measures the capacity of equipment or processes to operate

without failure for a specified interval when put into service and used correctly.
Barringer & Associates, Inc. 2004

Pump Curve Practices & Life-ANSI

ANSI Pump Curve Sensitivity For Pump Reliability
Discharge
Recirculation

Low Flow
Cavitation
High Temperature Rise

% Head

Low Bearing &

Low Seal Life

Suction
Recirculation

Best Efficiency Point

Barringer & Associates, Inc. 1999

Best Practice
= -10% to +5% of BEP

+Reconsider!!+

Low Bearing &

Low Seal Life

Better Practice
= -20% to +10%
Good (Commercial) Practice
= -30% to +15%

0.92

Optimum

Cavitation

Avoid!!

0.53

0.1

Reliability Curve

% Reliability

Lower Impeller Life

Weibull
Characteristic
Life ~MTBF

Pump Curve

% Flow
Barringer & Associates, Inc. 2004

Pump Curve Practices & Life-API

API Pump Curve Practices And Effects On
Pump Life From Variability About BEP
Discharge
Recirculation

Low Flow
Cavitation
High Temperature Rise

% Head

Low Bearing &

Low Seal Life

Suction
Recirculation

Best Efficiency Point

Barringer & Associates, Inc. 1999

Best Practice
= -10% to +5% of BEP

1.00
0.98

Better Practice
= -20% to +10% of BEP

0.90

Optimum

+ Reconsider!!+

Low Bearing & Low Seal Life

Life Based On Best Practices For

Installation And Use For All
Features Except How Close The
Pump Operates To BEP

Cavitation

Avoid!!

Good Practice
= -30% to +15% of BEP

% Reliability

Lower Impeller Life

Weibull
Characteristic
Life ~MTBF

0.75

Reliability Curve
Pump Curve

% Flow
Barringer & Associates, Inc. 2004

Pump Curve Practices & Life?

High Speed & High Head Pump Curve Practices And
Effects On Pump Life From Variability About BEP
Discharge
Recirculation

Low Flow
Cavitation
High Temperature Rise

% Head

Low Bearing &

Low Seal Life

Suction
Recirculation

Best Efficiency Point

Barringer & Associates, Inc. 1999

Best Practice
= -10% to +5% of BEP

?
??

Better Practice
= -20% to +10% of BEP

???

Optimum

+ Reconsider!!+

Low Bearing & Low Seal Life

Life Based On Best Practices For

Installation And Use For All
Features Except How Close The
Pump Operates To BEP

Cavitation

Avoid!!

Good Practice
= -30% to +15% of BEP

% Reliability

Lower Impeller Life

Weibull
Characteristic
Life ~MTBF

????

Reliability Curve
Pump Curve

% Flow
Barringer & Associates, Inc. 2004

Reliability Practices On Weibull Life,

Best Practices
Impeller
Housing
Pump Bearings
Mech. Seal
Bearing Seal
Shaft
Coupling
Motor Bearings
Replacement Mtr.
Motor Starter

Pump
Curve %
Off BEP

L/D
Suction
Straight
Runs

Rotational
Shaft
Alignment

Piping
Alignment

Rotational
Balance

Foundation
Design

Resulting
eta
Multiplier

+ 5% to
-10% of
BEP

L/D =
10 to 12

0.001
inches/inch
error

0.003 inch
error

Smooth at
0.0198 ips

5 Times
Equipment
Mass

0.9726
0.8547
0.8719
0.9533
0.8719
0.9801
1.0000
1.0000
1.0000
1.0000

98%
86%
98%
98%
98%
98%
99%
100%
99%
100%

100%
100%
100%
99%
99%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Better Practices

Impeller
Housing
Pump Bearings
Mech. Seal
Bearing Seal
Shaft
Coupling
Motor Bearings
Replacement Mtr.
Motor Starter

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
99%
100%
99%
Resulting
100%
eta
Multiplier

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Pump
100%
Curve %
100%
Off BEP
100%
100%
+ 10% to
100%
-20% of
BEP

0.6583
0.5163
0.3950
0.4314
0.3950
0.5705
0.6036
0.9776
0.6036
1.0000

Reliability practices must be

connected with costs to find
the lowest long term cost of
ownership calculated by net
present value.

100%
100%
99%
100%
100%
L/D
99%
Suction
100%
Straight
100%
Runs
100%
100%
L/D =

6 to 8

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Rotational
100%
Shaft
100%
Alignment
100%
100%
0.003
100%
inches/inch
error

Grouting
Monolithic
And
Adhesive
Epoxy
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Piping
100%
Alignment
100%
100%
100%
0.010
inch

Barringer & Associates, Inc. 1999

Rotational
Balance

Foundation
Design

Grouting

Good at
0.0448 ips

3.5 Times
Equipment
Mass

Slightly
Pourous But
Adhesive

95%
95%
90%
90%
L/D
90%
Suction
90%
Straight
Runs
95%
95%
100%
L/D =
100%
1 to 3

95%
95%
90%
90%
Rotational
90%
Shaft
90%
Alignment
90%
90%
0.009
99%
inches/inch
100%
error

98%
95%
90%
90%
90%
Piping
90%
Alignment
91%
90%
99%
0.125
100%
inches
error

Rotational
Balance

75%
80%
60%
60%
60%
60%
80%
80%
100%
100%

90%
83%
58%
58%
40%
58%
65%
55%
100%
100%

69%
64%
40%
40%
40%
40%
71%
80%
100%
100%

81%
79%
61%
61%
64%
61%
78%
75%
100%
100%

error

88%
95%
95%
94%
73%
95%
95%
92%
79%
90%
88%
88%
88%
90%
90%
84%
Pump
88%
90%
90%
84%
Curve %
79%
90%
88%
88%
Off BEP
92%
95%
90%
94%
94%
93%
94%
97%
+15% to
Resulting
100%
100%
100%
100%
-30% of
Good Practices
eta
100%
100%
100%
100%
BEP
Multiplier

Avoid

Impeller
Housing
Pump Bearings
Mech. Seal
Bearing Seal
Shaft
Coupling
Motor Bearings
Replacement Mtr.
Motor Starter

0.1949
0.1438
0.0151
0.0095
0.0151
0.1149
0.0737
0.8625
0.0737
1.0000

68%
70%
65%
65%
51%
65%
76%
78%
100%
100%

Barringer & Associates, Inc. 2004

Rough at
0.248 ips

Foundation
Design

Grouting

0.5 Times
Cementitous
Equipment
& Low
Mass or StiltAdhesion
Mounted
88%
88%
78%
80%
50%
55%
50%
55%
55%
55%
50%
55%
70%
75%
60%
60%
100%
100%
100%
100%

Summary
Important impacts on life involve:
Equipment grade
Installation grade
Operation grade
Maintenance grade

Remember effects of abuses are

cumulative! You may try to hide
your atrocities but the equipment
accumulates the history and
someone pays in the end

No free lunchessomeone pays for

everything
Think about the life cycle cost of your
actionsengineer the results
Barringer & Associates, Inc. 2004