Magazine For Pump Users Worldwide am PUMPS&SYSTENIS . . NE eet | _ q an Zz , : u 1 as | The Aftermarket Babbitt Bearing Repair for a Power Plant Pat Trentler and Jim Jenkins, Quadna, Inc. How skilled aftermarket Babbitt bearing experts helped a power plant return to service. Babbitt Bearings housings co ste, which creates a better bond and abit bearings, frequently Found in large steam eur- increases overall strength B Beer recieve det cutie.» Habancng machining peste snag id oe vide years OF service if property mainsined band scraping By using state-of-the-are technology and repair prac~ tices, aftermarket suppliers who specialize in Babbite bearings ean repair equipment and increase the life of Babbite bearings by: * Converting from lead to tin-based alloys, producing a strengthened bond and an increased bearing life + Providing centrifugal case ing, which can be a beter alternative to static pours to Fn strengthen the bond ‘Once a Babbice bearing has been reconditioned, repair centers should quality check the bearings, censure proper shaft clearances and oil relief, see that oil holes ate sized per specifications and concentric- ity and char all parts undergo an ultrasonic. inspection to ensure proper bonding, “To ensure a long service lite, itis imperative during the casting process thar new Babbitt material must be free from contamination bearing after en) eo eet casting machine Cs ca ee etd Ce eg 20 FEBRUARY 2010 ‘une pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMSand. meet stringene specifications. Specific temperatures for maintained to prevent shell. Specific # ¢ must also be maintained during the spit cast process. Ocher critical clemenss are good bonding of the Babbitc to the beari both che Babbitt and bearing must b the removal of tin, and oxidation to lutions per minu shell, as well as proper outside dimen pin alignment gsare durable, sions, joint line contact ‘While Babbitt bearings any bearings, they can eventually when operaced in adverse cond tions or when lik fail ‘occur within rotating equipment. The exacely what happened to one USS. power plant during a typical busi- ness day, Power Plant Reliability Ensuring power is available residents for busi- nesses an hours a day is a challenge for any power g entin: When one of che ly generation and transmission coopera ives in the United States experienced a problem with a turbine, an aftermarke supplier specializing in Babbiet bearings received the call for help The coal-fired power plant exper enced 2 forced shutdown of one of its turbines, Through a series of simultane fous and unlikely events, both the pri- mary and back-up oil lubrication pumps co causing a loss of lubrication supply to all of the critica Babbitt bearings within the turbine and generator set. The loss of lubrication significantly damaged the turbine and generator Babbite Babbitt, like most bearing ty} shat Babbiee bearings ate a fluid film, or hydrody- namic, type of bearing, meaning that a cl Is Fequired between the bearing surface and shaft. as ic Iubricares, reduces friction vex heat. This bearing type is used in ctitical equipment because of its unique abi speed and vibration. These unique bear uid film of lubri The oil film accuall shat to handle high shafe ings are also used for cheir imbeddabil ity in the event impurities are present in the operating environment, BASRCU 1s Immediately following the forced shutdown, the after market supplier was one of che first companies put on standby signi the repairs required an around-the-clock effort co meet necessary Due to the poten nt from lost product to assist wich upcoming repal ancial impact to the pl deliveries and restore power generation capabilities Once the cooperative was able to fully assess che damage, Luise ls 4 pt = NOV Monoflo eel eM Cavity eae) ea Cater renee) price and delivery iene eects circle 119 on card or go to psfreeinfo.com PUMPS & SYSTEMS np-zone.com FEBRUARY 2010 213 The Aftermarket it found significant damage to nine bearings, four of which buildup caused warping in all of che critical fi areas. tukimacely required a complete rebuild of the bearing shells as Rescoring these bearings wo a usable condition required wel as rebabbitting; nine oll deflectors required rebuilding as a weld build up of che spherical bear the be well ‘ouside dimension and stress relief of the shell, followed by The most serious d mage to hearings and defleccors came from the turbine journal contacting the bearing shell once it had worn dhrough the Babbit lining. The excessive heat PLANT MAINTENANCE 1Uy 1B WWW.PUMPLINK.NET AODD Pump aCe Celta aC} Dm a deacon Se een eu as CA CU saat Pee UL PTFE Diaphragms aang Mee has On OE Uy ee Cary EES cy Ee ii fect) 4 Now offering KANU Air Operated berets) MoE Tele teeta ooo Check out our specials on Teflon Diaphragm Pumps! Rebound Products Provides these items at reduced cost from OEM list prices (up to and beyond 30%) and quick deliveries from our warehouse in Houston, TX Rebound Products, Inc. Oey ean ere ys Cee Re ee Rg eee [rle 12 on card ar 0 pstesnf.com centrifugal casting of the Babbitt. In addicio machining, it was necessary co mill the split prior to final Aacness and re-drill and pin all of the alignment holes Afier repairing the bea the final restoration step was machi ing of the spherical bearing seat on the outside dimension of the beari dad this ONC lathe, then hand-fit co their 10 ensue they met the OEM's ly. Because welded. previo "¢ must be se finish ‘Through the course of the repairs, the aftermarket supplier merall required high required for this type from initial con standard of qual of work. The pro aly om ee ‘overnight bearing shipments, which weighed up to thiee tons each. Most ‘of the work was performed by Babbitt repair specialists in a centralized loca tion; however, due to the extent of the machine work required, and the rush , other resources sd upon nature of the proj Pes Pat Trentleris the Casper branch manager for B wads, Inc 1320 Overlook Drive, Casper, WY 82604, 307-234- 6979, pereniler@quadna.com Siva Jenkins is the Salt Lake City SO 2702 manager for Quadna, 45 South 88401, 601-317-1820, jjenkins@ 22 RY 2010 wes pump-zane.com MPS & SYSTEMSCost Reductions Through Life Cycle Improvements George Harris, Hydro, Inc. and Ken Babusiak, HydroAire, Inc. A case study on the methods used to improve the reliability and extend the life of descaling pumps in a steel mill. ore than 15 years ago, a 160 in plate mill was expetieneing significant mainte nance problems with its descaling pumps: the typical mean time berween repairs was only 6 to 8 months. Some rebuilt pumps even failed on start-up. Descaling is one of the more severe, but criti cal, services in a steel mill. The pressures are higt and the rapid changes in flows and pressures severely impact che pumps. Ac the same time, che pumps performance can significantly impact the quality of the steel produced, Improvements ro. these pumps were imple- mented in various phases over several years. The path was not always straightforward and required close cooperation and teamwork between the after- marker service provider and mill personnel ro imple- ment various upgrades Root Cause Analysis— Rotor Condition Analysis ‘Ar the star ofthe projec, all of the pumps, which had been in service since the early 1970s, were exhibiting high noise levels along with abnormally high vibration, erosive wear and consis tent, frequent maintenance problems. ‘The fist step was to comprehensively analyze the pump rotor in a process called Rotor Condition Analysis. The Rovor Condition Analysis report, coupled with analysis of field oper- ating conditions, provided the forensic evidence to identify the root causes of pump problems. This data, when analyzed in conjunction with the operational daca, vibration readings and other field information, enables the aftermarket providers engi- neers to croubleshoot the pump and develop recommendations co solve the identified problems, Engineering Review and Upgrades Engincering review of the rotor and the field data revealed multiple issues. Because of the pumps’ complexity and critical natuce, the engineers and mill personnel agreed implement upgrades in a phased approach, analyzing system improvements ateach phase The problems affecting pump life can be categorized as system problems, mechanical problems, material selections and hydraulic problems. System Problems The firse major improvement, implemented in the late 1980s, was adding a water filtration system to remove sand from the scale water. This improvement not only solved the erosive ‘wear problem, but also made i feasible to address the other PUMPS & SYSTEMS ‘wore pump-zone.com FEBRUARY 2010 23The Aftermarket Mechanical Problems Pump Clearances and Concenericties Analyzing the dimensions of dhe impeller running clearances, cover-to-cover fits and volute-to-cover fits revealed that these clearances exceeded the aftermarket provider’ best practice ree- ‘ommendations by 30 to 200 percent. Reduced running clearances increase the pump’ overall VFD-Induced Bearing Currents Kill Motors! Save energy ' Capable of saving 30% or more in energy costs, VFS can help you create, “green” systems. But without an AEGIS” SGR to protect motor bearings, these systems will not be sustainable and truly green ® Safely channels harmful currents away from bearings to ground * Patented time-tested design proven in hundreds of thousands of installations © Maintenance-free, easy to install, lasts for life of motor * Standard sizes for any motor To download a free technical paper on bearing rotection technologies, vist our wets 1-866-738-1857 | sales @est-aegis.com www.est-aegis.com/ps1 24 FEBRUARY 2010 with a VFD, Save your motor with 0 epoxy mounting sees eit insionan Electro. Static Technology” ‘wore pump-zone efficiency by reducing the amount of internal leakage. Tighter clearances have been shown to reduce vibration by increasing damping in the pump. Concentricities are extremely critical to a pumps life gycle. Maintaining concentricties allows pumps to be built with tighter fits and clearances and better balance, all of which contribute to improved pump life If the rotacing impeller sing turns are nor concentric with the sta- tionary case wear Fings, chen some dia- metrical clearance is needed to prevent rubbing as the pump is operated Eccentricity ean occur if + The shaft is not straight. + The wear tings on the impellers are not concentric with the impeller bore. + The case wear rings are not concen tric to the easing bore. + The fic between the impellers and the shaft is loose (clearance) instead of tight (interference) + The fit between the stage pieces is loose instead of tight Allofthese issueshad to beaddressed in the upgraded pump rebuild. Manufacturing a pump shaft with a stringent TLR. requires a skilled machinist and properly prepared shafi- ing Specially heat-treated material ensures thac residual sresses do not cause bowing during oF after the machining proces. Balancing to 1W/N Many texts indicate that rotor unbal- ance accounts for 70 percent of rotat ing equipment vibration problems. The ‘excessive clearances and loose fic of the ‘components on the original rotor indi- cated a rotor with significant, unaceept= able unbalance. For increased reliability and longer runtimes, the aftermarket provider dynamically balances the impellers and tors of high-energy pumps co a sttin- gent standard of IWIN, where W rep- resents one half the weight of the com- ponent being balanced and N represents the operating speed. For comparison, API 610 recommends balancing to SWWIN for multistage pumps operating below 3,800 rpm. Unlike many centrifugal pumps, barrel pump rorors must be disassembled ‘am PUMPS & SYSTEMSafter the rocor has been balanced and reassembled when the ele ment i stacked. To maintain the same degree of balance during the stacking process, impellers must be repositioned in the same location and position using the same keys and locating rings with which they were initially balanced, Careful marking of the posta: pelle bores with brink Bead eral cing components ensures that the right par ensure that parts recurn to their original balance positions When possible, the aftermarket provider further check balances the rotor with the coupling installed. This precision approach to balancing requires additional time and cost, but can signifi- cantly extend pump life Material Selections The aftermarket provider previously worked closely with Dr. Elemer Maka leading auchority on high energy’ who pioneered the use of a special gall resistant and free machining grade of stainless steel for wear rings. When hard- ened, this upgraded material permits the pump to be built with tighter running clearances without seiaing. In phase 2 of the implementation, the impellers, stage pieces and ewin volutes were upgraded to a spe weldabilty sainless steel to improve Rotor Stabilization Improvements Upgraded Design of Stationary Wear Components ‘The original pump was furnished with ‘saw tooth” grooves on the stationary ‘wear components: case wear rings, dif- Fuser bushings and break down bushings. barrel pump causing high turbulence and increased friction coefficient. Past experience with the saw toothed grooving in abrasive service applications indicates that saw tooth grooves trap and locally increase the concentration of abrasive particles. Coupled with high turbulenee, this results in an accelerated wear rate and larger running clearances. The aftermarket provider upgraded the stationary wear HIGH PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS Ae Me ORL = ee SEPCO® CAN SAVE YOU MORE THAN OUR PRODUCTS COST. See how to reduce your water and energy consumption, increase equipment reliability and improve your bottom line with SEPCO"s high performance sealing solutions. For your facility and your ‘own peace of mind, check out SEPCO®. if it doesn't say 100% Gr tient 800.633.4770 — wwew.sepcoUSA.com Figure 2, Vertical assembly of a mutistage GEO" is a registered trademark of W. L. Gore und Associates. circle 124 on card or go ptrecito com Pans asses pup zonecom TEBRUARY 2010 25The Aftermarket Popular Wear Ring Configurations Figure A- Sawtooth Figure 8 - Square Groove, ‘Concentie or Spiral 4 ABR Z ANT oe parol 7 N TW UL Z, ATI WHY, &. a EAA Figure C- Vee Groove ‘Concent or Spal Figure D - Normal Smooth Figure -Lomakin components by furnishing Lomakin grooves (see Figure 3). This improvement helps extend a centrifugal pumps wear cycle by damp- ing dhe vibration. Rotor Centraization This process involves the centering of the rotating hydraulic compo- nents (impellers) within the stationary hydraulic componencs (dit fusers or volutes) and must be performed to implement che A gap modification. It may also improve pump efficiency and reduce axial thrust loads. Before upgrading, the pumps impeller-to-volute center: lines were typically separated from each other by as much as +0,090 in. The rotor was centralized to significantly reduce turbulent flow. Hydraulic Design Improvements ‘A.and B Gap Modifications Figure shows the geometry associated with the A and B Gap modi- fications, which Dr Malay pionected in the 1970s for high-energy boiler feed pumps Coupled together, these modifications improve the shape of the head capacity curve at part load, stabilize axial thrust developed by the impellers, provide postive rotor dynamic damping and increase pump efficiency. ‘As descale pumps are in severe service, operating continuously berween minimum and rated flows, these improvements usually el | aa ao eral Our patented stud/oolt Tensioners eliminate unsafe and time consuming bolting methods. Only handlair tools required! 2 SUPEREORI TET si Ee www.superbolt.com ;cle 139 on card or go to psfreeinto.com ‘Nired Conhagen Inc. provides “one stop "repair, engineering ‘and upgrade services for pump, ‘urine, gearbox and mechanical seal repairs. Conhagen has over Boiler feed pump repair Pu dest latest inde sar Pump re-rate designs Field Service for power, refinery, and petrochemical facies [ circle 133 on card or go to psfreeinfo.com 26 FEBRUARY 2010 PUMPS & SYSTEMSModified Original led co a phase 3 improvement. Vane Pass Frequency ‘The descale pump was originally manufactured using both three and five vane impellers in the same rocor. [nthe last phase of che upgrade implementation, all impellers were converted i ally reduced the vibration ae vane ine impeller is the current, standard Overlap Following this upgrade, vibration was measured at just 0.17 inchesfsecond. (continued on page 60) George Harris is president of Hydro, Inc. a global pump CIRCULATION INJECTION Wood Group Surface PumpsPump System Optimization & Energy Conservation. Do not forget the middle ground in Figure 1 because the highest efficiencies are found there. Efficiencies ean be several points higher than ac nearby higher and lower specie speeds. A change in speed is needed to reach chis middle ground, at least for many instances where both head and flow may be frozen Speed can be adapted quite easily today and carries @ small price for gaining efficiency, a price often compensated by improved part load operations and savings. Our tradicional reliance on simple synchronous motors needs to be updated, and, in some cases, greater care will have to be taken to avoid cavitation (sce below). The good news is that higher rotational speeds lead to smaller diameter machines, which alford greater design opportunity. One of these opportunities isthe potential to include a proper diffuser to achieve a more efficient stage, and while these are now used worldwide for high performance engineered pumps, they are not common for mass-produced pumps. POee Cee ke ny Cee ee es eee Figure 2 gives an example of a pump stage reported in the past in Holland. ‘With better design speed, some reduetion in diameter and a diffuser included, there is the possibility of a performance gain—one chat is worthy of real design optimization, Other possibilities cxist as wel, including the usage of high perfor- ‘mance crossovers for multistage pumps, such as shown in Figure 3 ‘These crossovers have been shown to have excellent dif Fusion and low losses, a fact chat can be cartied over to many other applications. Tools to Improve Performance Clearly, possibilities exist to achieve improved performance. The ‘modern tools to improve the designs include Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and three dimensional (3-D) finice cle- ment stress and modal analysis (FEA). Interestingly, however, these cools will no achieve much if we tay locked in the design world of the pastand try co tweak low speed designs where disk friction will dominate, An inexperienced designer might pick Figure 2. conventional clear water pump with an added difuser ee ee one tg Pee eee eee up a point here or there with such tools, but a beter designer probably does not leave such glitches in his designs in the first place Pi When modem applications are considered with modern rotors and controls, it is tempting to start into new designs with some of the available modern cools available. However, ‘much has been leamed fom experience that should not be lost ac this sage of the provess. ‘Meanline design must come first so that intelligenc choices are made for the optimal inlet velocity triangles, both with respect to efficiency and cavitation avoidance. Likewise, the exit velocity eriangles must be careflly selected and matched to the diffusers downstream, a process that has been handled better in the compressor industry than in the pump industry. Therefore, ‘we would be well-advised ro borrow a few pages from compres- sor design experience in this particular case. One should never miss the opportunity to sort out issues at the meanline level; otherwise, one pays for such oversights all che way through the process and never fixes the damage done. For the past 50 years, designers have leamed how co develop good stages without CFD, andl bester ones today aided by CFD. Using conventional blade shaping techniques with Perce ka atc Se ec hei of earlier pumps. Note the pressure distortion in the volute exit Su This distortion is a primary source of radia sideloads on pump systems with reduced service life. Note the nod for improved, Ce eeu 30 FEBRUARY 2010 ‘une pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMSthrough: ow solvers pemieces |i exercise of fe the skills results of, David Japikse is chairman of the board, founder and CEO of Concepts NREC (wi. Concepts NREC com) where he oversees the design and development of various centrifugal com- presor pump and turbine stages including the development of design tools. Japikse has written ar ‘coauthored seven books: Axial and Radial Turbines, Advanced Experimental Techniques in ‘Turbomachinery, Introduction to Turbomachinery, Advanced Topics in Turbomachinery ‘Technology, Centrifugal Compressor Design and Performance, Centrifugal Pump Design the pase five “ decades. Optimization is key for competitive success today. The skilled practitioner of modern design can explore from a stress (FEA) and a performance (CFD) basis and has several altemative codes awailable in each area. At this point, one considers the full impact of open versus closed impellers on the details of leak- age, thrust and optimum blade design, (One looks at the process of design for minimum weight and stress co masi mize life and lower cost but keep best performance. Material selection enters in, including even plastics (which are rather common today in- many pump applications). In addition, the choice of metals, when required, is made with greater confidence. CED js based on a full -D solu- tion of the Navier-Stokes equations, which are the full viscous low equa cst. FEA is the full -D solution for the solid body forces and the body response to the operation of the hardware. Figure 4 illustrates some of the computational possibilities, Ie is only recently that we could even dream of possible solutions for these equations, and only the last few years have given us fast, powerful com- puters for individual usage with these systems. We must, therefore, be careful of shortcomings thar might accompany these powerful but new took Conclusion Even though we use billions of pumps coday, there will be large increase in the number of pumps in use worldwide, and we need all ofthe efficiency dat we can get to minimize the power usage. This will be achieved by a combination of historical experience and powerful new tools such as CFD and FEA. Pas PUMPS & SYSTEMS and Performance and Turbomachinery Diffuser Design Technology, NATIONALE RUMP. COMPANY, En a tere gt) Peeters Cay eed arent a ere er ear ees sete) eee eric) aed For additional information, orto find out how you can become. National Pump expert, call 800-966-5240 or visitus on the web at www nationalpumpcompany.com FEBRUARY 2010 31PUMP for ALL Centrifugal Pumps Enclosed : Impellers arge Bore Backplates with Higher Efficiency Enclosed and Open ImpellersMechanical Seals & Sleeves Casing Rings & Wear Rings Open Impellers Guide Bearings, Sleeve Bearings stabilizing Bushings SUWWS Pump Company Custom-engineering pumps to meet your specific requirements. Since 1919 www.SIMSITE.com Sims Pump Valve Company, Inc. * 1314 Park Ave, Hoboken, NJ 07030 Toll Free 1-800-746-7303 * Phone |-201-792-0600 * www.SIMSITE.comMaintenance Minders: Are Your Vertical Pumps Throwing Money Down the Drain? Dennis Onken, LUDECA, Inc. Vs a popuilar choice in the water indus- ty because they provide many advantages. A vertical pump typically uses one-quarter of the Hoor space of a motor-driven horizontal pump. The driver is off the floor and less prone to flood damage. Since impellers are always sub- merged, they are self priming and can start a full eapacty. Vertical pumps are designed to be “self aligning” due to the rabbee fie between pump and driver, thus eliminating the need for precision shafe alignment, Noswithstanding these advantages, this article will focus on the need for alignment of vertical pumps. Many assume chat since the pump and driver havea rabbet Fit thae there is no misalignment. This is theoretically correct, since the excellent machining of the mating surfaces suppos- edly guarantees it. In practice, however, is is most often not true. Misalignment occurs on this type of drive as often as on horizontally mounted drive systems (Shaft Alignment Handbook, 3rd Edition, John Piotrowski, pg. 678). Aligning this equipment to precision alignment toler ances will produce the same benefies tha have long been proven to occur with horizontal drive machines, such as extended equipment life, increased efficiency and reduced vibration levels. With today’s modern laser alignment sys- tems, the process is greatly expedited, producing even greater savings through reduced labor cost. Consider the following when implementing ‘ment program for vertical pumps. an align Alignment Program Considerations First, what technology will you use? Dial indicators have been :utied and true method alignmene method for many yeats but have a step learning curve and can be tedious under the best circumstances. Typical dil indicators have a resolution of 0001 in, but some modern laser alignmen systems have 1 micron resolution, ‘This resolution makes chem extremely accurate while greatly simplifying and speeding up the precision algn- ment process with easy-o-understand graphical results and instructions that guide the user shrough the alignment proces. They aso provide reporting and documentation capabilites. ‘Shape: Mount type: Face Circle ‘Center Xs ‘Center Ys Number: Layout: Figure 1. Motor flange setup screen from a laser toal for @ vertical pump alignment application. Second, what are the radial clearances between the shaft and the pump housing or support structure? Ifa laser-based is used, will the components and bracketing fic (Crrent laser alignment systems can function with as litle as Figure 2. Results screen with shim corrections for flange bolt kt 34 FEBRUARY 2010 wow pump-zone.c PUMPS & SYSTEMS3 in of radial clearance from the shaft and 90 deg rotation, Third, has the pump ever been precision-aligned!? With a vertical drive applica- the pump shaft and driver shaft parallel. Once the shafts are parallel, moving the driver laterally corrects for offset misalignment, This may require that the typi- cally tight rabber fic clearances meant to ensure proper alignment be machined and opened to allow for movement of the driver relative wo the pump. This is often the case on vertical pump applications and can be accomplished by either machining the driver flange, or machining che pump housing or support structure lan Another consideration is what coupling type is used. Vertical applications chat use flexible style couplings are the most straightforward. Multistage vertical turbine pumps have rigid type couplings. When installed, this coupling type not only trans- fers torque from the driver to the pump, but ic is also adjusted axially to “lft” the centire pump shaft assembly to set the impeller clearances in che bow. Once the proper lifts set for impeller clearances, the coupling is assembled and becomes rigid. Tn other words, there is no flex once the coupling is installed. Even these types of alignments can be expedited in a timely manner with some of today’s laser systems. Candan shafts are a popular coupling choice for vertical applications in the ‘water industry. Cardan shafis differ from conventional couplings in thar they have ge offsets au-joint on cither end of the coupling spacer and can accommodate between pump and driver. They function jus like the drive sha What is critical in cardan shaft alignment is the angularity at each flex plane, not offsec. The pump and driver shaft must be parallel, bur have intentional offsets to the w-oine, With the use of cardan type brackets, even this typically dificult align- ment is expedited with modern laser alignment systems. es at the u-joints co ensure proper lubrication of the needle bearings in Conclusion Typical industries chat use vertical pumps include il refineries, water treatment plants, pond lift station pumps and paper mills. Some cooling towers ako fexure vertical pump applicazions. The commitment o implement precision lse alignmenc of vertical pump applications can be justified in part by the positive feedback and benefits of similar suc~ csfll programs for horizontal drive applications Ir must have che support of manage- ment and properly trained personnel, and involve the right ser alignment system. muse understand that modifications may have to be made co existing equipment before the alignment can be effected. Rabber fits may need 10 be machined to increase clearances and allow for offsee misalignment correction. When 2 motor or pump that has nor been previously laser aligned goes for repairs, the rabloe fis should be machined co increase clearances so that eventual alignment corrections can be made. Jacking bolts should also be installed on the support structure in the four chosen cardinal directions to facilitate the alignment process. The benefits of precision alignment of vertical pump applications far ourweigh needed to allow for necessary alignment correc- tions. This initial cost is eypically a one-time event, unless the deiver or pump hous- rabbet fits are rebuilt or equipment is replaced. Increased equipment life means less unscheduled downtime. A smoother running machine means greater efficien the initial cost of the preparation and energy savings. This alone can justify precision alignment of vertical pumps. How much money are poorly aligned vertical machines costing you? Pes li itor at LUDECA, He has more Dennis Onken isan application specialise and ins than 31 years of heavy industrial experience primarily in the ail, gas and power generation industries, and 15 plus years directly related to alignment of rotating ‘equipment. He can be reached at 305-591-8935 or Dennix. Onken @ludeca.com. Know the flow. Skip the meter. Think about ITT. ee ed Peat eee een PEER crs) uces energy and ees! Prenat eee te pare er | en DT ke eel Sku) Pee yoo Len Preece ee ees Berets Ree eee at wwttme.com, or cal cee Crag 2 6 ITT poe PUMPS & SYSTEMS ww pump-zone.com FEBRUARY 2010 35 cirele 127 on card or go to psfreeinfo.comEfficiency Matters Metering Expectations Tom O'Donnell Choosing the correct metering pump will ensure that liq is are injected in the most precise, efficient, environmentally friendly and energy-conscious manner. The Challenge t their simplest, metering pumps are used to inject A Tiquids at precisely controlled, adjuscable flaw rates, which isa process called metering. As defined by the Hydraulic Institutes Metering Pump Section, controlled volume metering pumps are reciprocating, positive displace- ment pumps typically used for the injection of chemical additives, proportional blending of multiple components or metered transfer of a single liquid. Metering pumps pump chemical solutions and expen- sive additives for products manufactured in a wide variety of industries, including industrial, medical, chemical, food and dairy, pharmaceutical and biotech, environmental, fuel cell and laboratory. Metering pumps are designed to pump into low oF high discharge pressures at conteolled flow rates that are constant when averaged overtime. Metering pumps consist ofa solenoid drive or a gearbox with motor, control mechanism and pump head with valves to control the flow direction through which the liquid pumped enters the inlet connection and exits che discharge connection Since liquids are only slightly compressible, they can be discharged at high pressure by metering pumps. Gases, on the other hand, are much more compressible, making them incompatible with metering pump use. Therefore, problems can occur in a metering pump application when gas bubbles center the pump head. When this happens. the pump an sufler from vapor loc, in which the pump will stop pump- ing the liquid that contains gas bubbles while repeatedly compressing and decompressing the bubbles. ‘Another challenge in the use of metering pumps can ‘occur when the pumps outlet pressures lower than the inlet pressure. When this situation arises, both check valves will ‘open simultaneously and the liquid will ow through the pump head unconcrollably from inlet to outlet. A properly rated pressure-differential check valve placed downstream of the pump will arrese this undesirable flow condition. Despite these concerns, metering pumps remain ver- satile, relied-upon technologies for the safe, accurate and efficent injection of a unique array of chemicals up to 20,000 eps and slurries containing up to 10 percent solids This article will help che user define the variables to evaluate ‘when choosing and installing the proper metering pump or ‘complete chemical-feed system. Choosing the proper system will not only help inject liquids or slurries regardless of viscosicy, but also ensure that itis done inan ef tally friendly and energy-wise The Solution Size does matter when determining the proper metering pump for an application— specifically, che size terms of capacity of both the pump's flow rate and discharge pressure, Simply pur, metering pumps should nor be oversized. In facta 36 FEBRUARY 2010 ‘une pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMSPlanning a Metering Pump Installation ‘A metering pump installation must be planned from the day tank or liquid source up to the injection point. Remember that metering pumps will push against great pressures but they will not pull for great distances. Since it is easier to prime and ‘more forgiving, 2 flooded suction is always preferred, and must be used for fluids ‘where vapor pressure might be less than the suction li Be careful to limit the suction to 4 ft in a suetion-lift application, and a foot valve must be used in a top-mount application. Limit the length ofa flooded suc- tion (0 6 or 7 ft and use an adequately sized line with minimized bends, elbows or other restrictions. When considering the piping, the safest rule-of-thumb for selecting suction pipe size isto use one size larger than the pump suction connec- tion. For discharge piping, specify piping suitable forthe discharge pressure. Other acvessories to consider when planning a metering pump installation include: * Suction strainer + Flanges, unions or compression fittings * Iolation valves, + Calibration column + RelieFvalve Back pressure valve Pressure gauge Pulsation dampener Injection quill and check valve Remember that when replacing equipment or changing chemical programs, it is best to ask questions. Will the new program operate at the same feed rates, as the previous one? Is the equipment properly sized for the new products? How ‘well has the equipment been operating? Any problems with reliability, accuracy cor unusually high maintenance requirements? There is no better start to a new chemical-feed program than to ensure that the chemical is delivered accurately with trouble-free equipment. metering pump should be sized so that its maximum expected flow rate is 85 to 90 percent of the pump's capacity, which leaves additional capacity, if needed. At che other end ofthe spectrum, a metering pump’s minimum capacity should never be less than 10 percenc of the capacity; anything less will affect che pump's accuracy. Determining the proper low rate and discharge pressure cannot be done until the types of substances to be pumped are identified per the application, including, the viscosity ofthe liquid or itis a slurry: Standard metering pumps handle clear liquids with viscosities generally ranging from water—which has. viscosity 1 eps—to 1,500 eps. Special liquid ends for applications outside this viscosity range are available for viscosities up to 5.000 eps. When considering true slurries or liquids with even higher viscosities, special cubular diaphragm heads are compat- ible with viscosities to 20,000 eps and slurries that contain 10 percent solids Materials of eonscruction are another consideration. When selecting a meter ing pump, consider any corrosion, erosion or solvent action that may occur when handling specific substances. For example, solvents may dissolve plastc-headed pumps, acids and caustics are only compatible with stainless stecl or certain steel, alloys, and abrasive slurries ean erode some materials. The best metering pump lines are available in a range of construction materials, allowing the end user to choose the best option for his specific applications. ‘When considering the type of head the pump should feature, remember that double-diaphragm heads with leak detection and alarm capabilities are available around Neptune Metering Pumps 2UDeksi Pie tenet, B58 2980-0 repo cam parce PUMPS & SYSTEMS ‘wore pump-zone.com FEBRUARY 2010 37Ai Efficiency Matters for applications where any diaphragm failure must be sensed a driver is also an area off concern. A driver should be chosen by matching to the available utilities, which usually include electric, air, gas or other means of driving the pump. When the pump’s parameters are determined, consider the environmenc in which the pump will operate, Hazardous portable pump: * Self priming - Starts pumping immediately. * Choke resistant to allow the free passage of sludge and solid up to 911, * High performance yet portable. * No suction hose is necesary. * Flexibility - Choose from gas, diesel, electric or pneumatic drive units. PumpBiz, Inc. www.pumpbiz.com sales@pumpbiz.com 800-PumpBiz (786-7249) fax 847-589-3935 MPCIZ om 800-PumpBiz 38 FEBRUARY 2010 ‘wwe pump-zone.com area requirements must be identified when selecting the driver. ‘When evaluating a hazardous environment, remember to con- sider dust, which ean ignite, jus like fumes or vapors. Will the pump be used indoors or outdoors? IF it is located outdoors, ic should be sheltered from direct sunlight For cemperature requirements, most pumps will operate in freezing conditions, provided that the pumped fluid will noe freeze and that the correct lubricants are selected. In this case, freeze protection and heat-cracing may be required, while operation in corrosive environments ‘may require special pump coat Determining the pump’s control method is next on the list of determin- ing factors. The choices usually include manual continuous operation, on/of® operation or automatic proportional control in response to a process signal. In general, metering pump flow rates can be manually adjusted with 2 micrometer dial. This manual con- trol allows the pump to be operated berween 10 and 100 percenc of eapacity by changing the stroke length, By com: parison, a manual variable speed drive changes the stroke speed. A combina- tion of the two may allow additional adjustability or turndown aver the range of the drive, depending on the pumps stroking speed. For example, a pump operating at 75 strokes per minute (which could be decreased to 15 spm) ‘would allow a 5:1 urndown on speed when using the variable speed drive and 2 10:1 cumdown on stroke lengch when PUMPS & SYSTEMSusing the micrometer dial Metering pump flow rates can also be controlled auomaceally in response to a process signal) by electric position- cexsthat change the pumpysstroke lengch, or by variable speed drives thar alter the stroking speed. Using a positioner gives the operator 2 full 10:1 curndown, which isthe full adjustable range. Using, a variable speed drive will supply only as much turndown as the ratio of the pump stroking speed divided by the pump’s minimum operating speed. Remember that it is not practical to use a variable speed drive on motor- driven pumps that normally operate at less than 100 spm to 150 spm. Slowing the mowor causes cach stroke to take longer from start to finish and, as a practical matter, motor-driven pumps should not be operated at less chan 15 spm. Electronic diaphragm pumps, which are pulsed by a solenoid, can operate at less than a single stroke per minute because the characteristic and timing of each stroke, from seart to finish, i the same aall stroking speeds The moving parts in modern diaphragm pumps offer long, reliable service ac all stroking speeds, The highest stroking PUMPS & SYSTEMS A driver should be chosen by matching it to the available uti include electric, air, gas or other means s, Which usually of driving the pump. RedalPs HORIZONTAL SURFACE Multistage centrifugal pumps you can count on Need a split case pump? Think RedaHPS. RedaHPS* horizontal multistage centrifugal pumps have proved tobe viable, cast effective aomative to APL10 spit case pumps. Quick ‘elivery and reduced inventory, maintenance, nd life cyte costs are standard benefits when choosing RadaHPS pumps. Y Flow rate to 2500 gal/min Pressure to 6,600 psi Y Power to 2500 hp ¥ Full functional testing ‘The powerful surface pumping system that delivers, www.slb.com/redahps Expertise | Innovative Technology | Measurable Impact eae Schlumberger FEBRUARY 2010 39 ‘owe pump-zone.comUptime solution. Arefreshing blend of system reliability and intelligent control. Reliable Emerson Control Techniques variable frequency pump controls squeeze the most out of your energy dollar through optimized uptime, extended equipment ife and signifi cantenergy savings. Easy to install, program and diagnose, Features and benefits include: + loating master control ~ multislex system never goes down + Reduces vibration, heat and noise + Motor, pump and system protection + Dynamic V/Hz control + Save upto 60% on maintenance and energy costs + Dedicated constant pressure control oto wwww.emersonct.com|ps3 to sian up forsystem performance enhancing toolsand tps and FREE energy assessment £ EMERSON Industrial Automation es Efficiency Matters speeds should be avoided with viscous or abrasive chemicals. ‘When automatic or electric stroke posiioners control a metering pump, the ‘number of doses remains constant and the dose size is reduced, thus keeping the doses uniformly distributed in a constantly Rowing line, Use of a variable speed. drive changes the stroke speed, while the size of the dose injected on each stroke remains the same, butmakes the doses less frequent. This, however, can produce an Slowing the motor causes each stroke to take longer from start to finish and, as a practical matter, motor-driven pumps should not be operated at less than 15 spm. Undesirable process result in a constantly flowing linea the disereet slugs of chemic cal are more widely separated than ifa constant dose interval were maintained. Finally, consider the application and quality level. Is the unit used for inter- ‘miteent operation in an HVAC or light-duty application where economy is an important consideration? Is the unie for an industrial planthwaste-treatment facil- ityfrefinery/power plant where ruggedness and additional features are required? Is initial cost or life cycle cost more important? Pes ‘Tom O'Donnell is senior product specialise for Lansdale, PA-based Neptune Chemical Pump Co. (wn neptunel.com), an operating company with the Pump Solutions Group (PSG™). He can be reached at tadonnell@neptune!. com or 215-699-8700. PSG (www: pumpsecom) is comprised of Wilden", Blackmer, Griswold™, Neptune™, Abmatee® and Mouves?. 40 FEBRUARY 2010 ‘une pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMSIntegrated CAE Pump Design and Testing CFTurho & PumpLinx March 11, 2010 1 p.m, Eastern Cost to Attendees: FREE Register today at WWw.pump-zone.com This webinar wit demonstrate the use of CFTurbo and PumpLinx for the complete CAE design and testing of pumps. CFTurbo is design software that enables the creation of high quality ‘prototypes starting from basic pump requirements. PumpLinx is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFO) sotware that vitually tests pumps, motors and compressors forthe fll spectrum of flow ‘dynamics and cavitation. With a seamiess link between CFTurbo and PumpLinx, the two packages ‘enable @ complete virtual design and testing process. The demonstration wil start with pump requirements such as size, efficiency, flow rates and head, and use CFTurbo to create a virtual ‘rottype. Pumpin wil hen be direct launched from CFTurbo to automaticaly create a fll 20 CFD model tobe run i real-time. Final, decsion-enabling engineering output wil be presented, ‘including: fw, pressure and aeration with cavtation. Cavitation damage prediction and of design conditions wil also be discussed, Pump professionals of al kinds are encouraged to attend, ‘Sponsored by About the Presenters re uate Dr. Sam Lowry ii President, Simerics, Inc. ed) Sam Lowy teetved an AB. in Engineering and Applied Physics ftom Harvard Cotege, an MS. in Mechanical Enginetng from Case Western Reserve Univers anda PhD. in Eginetng Sciences trom the University of Tennessee Space inst. Or. Lony's ror work exper ence includes more than 10 years at CFO Research Corporation, concluding as drecor of advanced echraogy, and fe Simerics, Inc. years as a NASA enginer in the Turbomachiney Branch atthe Marshall Space Fight Center Dr. Edward Bennett Director of Fluids Engineering, Mechanical Solutions, Inc. Ed Bennett has been involved with Fluid Dynamics. and the aerofhydredynamic design of ‘urbomachinery for 25 years. intialy, Dr. Bennett served as a steam turbine and axial fan design ‘engineer for Coppus Murray, where he designed steam turbine stages fr a wide varety of sizes and services, as well as a series of ventilator fans. He subsequently moved to CONMEC (now a division of GE Oil and Gas) where he designed multiple steam turbines, gas expanders and centitugal ‘compressor stages. He was also employed at Concepts NREC wihere he led the development of specialized software for turbomachinery CFD analysis and designed a varity of compressors and turbines. In 1995, Dr. Bennett founded ASC Turbo a design nouse that combined the CFD sotware from Advanced Scientific Computing and specialized design sotwae, During this te, he worked onthe development of BladeGen, a 30 turborachinery blade geometry kernel hats now part ofthe |ANSYS software suit) Today, he serves as Director of Fluids Engineering for Mechanical Solutions, CFturbo° ‘nc. where he oversees fluid dynamic design and analysisTT CAT emcee eee SEALING SENSE How Can Packing Solve My Sealing Problem? This month's Sealing Sense was prepared by FSA Members Jim Drago, Chris Boss, Rex Carriker and Phil Mahoney « you havea large eotating drum that canna keep a of water annually just ro keep the packing operat- ing satisfactorily? What abou a problematic Hange join? This article will show chtee examples of how compres- sion packing can solve these difficult scaling problems. Sealing a Large Rotating Drum Problem Ina paper mill bleaching and rinsing process, a 12 fe diam: coer drum washer is dexigoed ro maineiin a yacwur 10 pull water from the paper stock. The drum romtes at about 5 tpm and handles acidic bleach chemicals that are off the pH scale, The tomperature is 160 deg F. Seals are required at Figure .Vacuum drum washer packing system both ends ofthe drum Anyone who has tried to seal a vacuum knows that nature abhors a vacuum. In addition, the old drum washer be lost The packing needed co address these problems, includ- ing corrosive chemicals, moderate temperatures rotation (run-out) and the need co maintain a vacuum, Solution: Energized Compresion Packing The packing manufievurer's application specialist consid- cred all factors and offered lubricated PTFE. packing to withstand the corrosive media and temperature. The more difficult problem was how to maintain positive contact with the sealing surface to achieve a reliable seal. All packing has some degree of resilience, which is a property more asso Gated with rubber, but PTFE packing is not particularly resilient ‘A novel packing system was designed to create resil- ience and maintain positive seal contact as the drum wob- bled through its rorations. An inflatable polymeric hose was installed behind the PTFE packing, The air pressure inside the hose added the needed resilience, enabling the packing to track the drum surface as it rotated (sce Figure 1). Figure 2. Hose with braided PTFE tape 42. FEBRUARY 2010 weave pumpz PUMPS & SYSTEMS