CAVITATION IN

CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS

PREPARED BY

M SAJID MANZOOR
CONTENTS
BASIC CONCEPT OF OPERATION
MECHANISM OF CAVITATION
CAUSES
SYMPTOMS
WHERE LOW FLOW CAVITAION CAN OCCUR
REMEDIAL MEASURES TO CATER THE PROBLEM
CASE STUDY
Q/A SESSION
BASIC CONCEPT OF OPERATION

„ ROTATING COMPONENT
„ STATIONARY COMPONENT
„ GENERATION OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE
„ CONVERSION OF KINETIC ENERGY INTO
PRESSURE ENERGY
„ HEAD PUMPS
„ ECONOMICAL
„ WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATION
MECHANISM OF CAVITATION
„ FORMATION OF BUBBLES
- Vaporization of Liquid
- Increase in Temperature of Liquid
„ GROWTH OF BUBBLES
- Operating Conditions
„ COLLAPES OF BUBBLES
- Implosion
- Liquid Micro Jet
- Impeller Pitting
CAUSES OF CAVITATION
„ LOW FLOW CAVITATION
- Load Variation
- start-up/shutdown
„ CAVITATION DUE TO ENTRAINED GASES
„ NPSHA LESS THAN NPSHR
„ PUMP NOT PRIMED
SYMPTOMS
„ OSCILLATIONS IN DISCHARGE PRESSURE
„ ERRATIC PUMP FLOW
„ VIBRATION IN SUCTION LINE
„ CRACKLING NOISE FROM INSIDE THE
PUMP
„ PUMP CASING HEAT UP
„ WEAR OF PUMP PARTS
APPLICATIONS WHERE LOW
FLOW CAVITATION CAN OCCUR
PUMPING FLUIDS WITH
„ LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY
„ AT HIGH TEMPERATURE
„ WATER AND WATER SOLUTIONS
„ OPERATION UNDER VARYING FLOWS
- Boiler Feed Water Pumps
- C.W Pumps
- Pump Discharge Through Level Control Valves
REMEDIAL MEASURES
„ Proper selection of pump
- NPSHA > NPSHR
- Characteristic Curve
„ BOOSTER PUMP
„ RECYCLE LINE
„ MFD
- Flow Sensing Element
- Disc Type NRV
„ LOW CURRENT TRIPPING
CASE STUDY
„ PUMP CAVITATION – ENTRAINED GASES
„ SUCTION LINE CHECKS
„ CHECKS ON SUCTION STRAINER
„ CHANGE IN FLOW
„ CRACKLING NOICE
„ GAMMA SCANNING
„ VENT LINE
„ ELEMINATING CAVITATION