PumpsAndSystems April

8/18/2019 PumpsAndSystems April

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APRIL 2016

PUMPSANDSYSTEMS.COM

The Leading Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide

SYSTEMS

Strategies for advancing today’soil & gas facilities 4 WAYS TO PREVENT

Seal Failure

TAKE THE Valve

Maintenance Test

ON PAGE 70

TRADE SHOW PREVIEW:Houston’s OTC 2016


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April 2016 | Pumps & Systems

Just a couple of weeks ago, oil

prices were continuing to make

headlines—in a good way. As this April

issue of Pumps & Systems went to the

printer, the price of U.S. crude was right

around $38 a barrel. A few days earlier

it had reached its highest price of

$38.51 a barrel since Dec. 9, 2015. Brent

crude futures were around $40 a barrel

after reaching a high of $41.48 over the

same time.

Oil prices are still a far cry from the

$70-a-barrel range a year ago, making

the need to increase effi ciencies and

save money as important as ever in the

oil and gas industry. e cover series in

this issue of Pumps & Systems focuses

on operational advancements in refineries.

e series begins with an article on page 46 about how a preventive maintenance

program can reduce costs and increase reliability at refineries, while the benefits of

monitoring technology at these facilities are explained starting on page 54. An article on

page 50 showcases an example of a Texas refinery improving its water management with

reverse osmosis units and by reusing 100 percent of its water on-site.

An article about the benefits encountered at a Midwest refinery from using graphite-

metal alloy bearings begins on page 52, and the series concludes with an article on page

58 about a Southwest pipeline station and tank farm addressing vibration-related issues.

is issue’s special section dives into the topic of sealing challenges with four

educational articles. Check out the benefits of using dry gas seals to pump liquids on

page 32, followed by four ways to prevent seal failure starting on page 36. An article

on page 40 looks at how the right bearings and seals help in harsh conditions, while

advancements in seal ring and face materials are discussed starting on page 42.In addition, anyone who has questioned the right time for performing maintenance

on control valves must check out the article by Singer Valve on page 68. e article

concludes with a matrix and scorecard that can help keep your equipment operating at

optimal performance.

At Pumps & Systems, we strive to be your primary go-to source for information

pertinent to individuals working in numerous facets of the industries we cover. With

every issue, we are committed to delivering informative articles that can help end users

with their jobs on a daily basis.

We have an open-door policy for suggestions, ideas and comments, so please email me

at [email protected].

Sincerely,

PUMPS & SYSTEMS (ISSN# 1065-108X) is published monthly by Cahaba Media Group, 1900 28th Avenue So., Suite 200, Birmingham, AL 35209. Periodicalspostage paid at Birmingham, AL, and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: Free of charge to qualified industrial pump users. Publisher reserves theright to determine qualifications. Annual subscriptions: US and possessions $48, all other countries $125 US funds (via air mail). Single copies: US andpossessions $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 andform 3579 to Pumps & Systems, P.O. Box 530067, Birmingham, AL 35253. ©2016 Cahaba Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproducedwithout 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. Theopinions expressed are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Cahaba Media Group. Cahaba Media Group makesno 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 freeto publish your submission yourself or to allow others to republish your submission. Submissions will not be returned. Volume 24, Issue 4.

Pumps & Systems is a member of the following organizations:

EDITORIAL

SENIOR EDITOR, PUMPS DIVISION: Alecia [email protected] • 205-278-2843

SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR: Mike [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR: Amelia [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR: Martin [email protected] • 205-278-2826

MANAGING EDITOR: Savanna [email protected] • 205-278-2839

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Lev Nelik,Ray Hardee, Jim Elsey

CREATIVE SERVICES

DIGITAL PROJECT MANAGER: Greg Ragsdale

ART DIRECTORS: Melanie Magee, Elizabeth Chick

WEB DEVELOPER: Greg Caudle

DIGITAL COMMUNITY MANAGER: Amy CashPRINT ADVERTISING TRAFFIC: Lisa [email protected] • 205-212-9402

CIRCULATION

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Lori [email protected] • 205-278-2840

ADVERTISING

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: Derrell [email protected] • 205-345-0784

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES:

Mary-Kathryn [email protected] • 205-345-6036

Mark Goins

[email protected] • 205-345-6414Garrick [email protected] • 205-212-9406

MARKETING ASSOCIATES:

Ashley [email protected] • 205-561-2600

Sonya [email protected] • 205-314-8276

PUBLISHER: Walter B. Evans Jr.

VP OF SALES: Greg Meineke

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Terri J. GrayCONTROLLER: Brandon Whittemore

P.O. Box 530067Birmingham, AL 35253

EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION

1900 28th Avenue South, Suite 200Birmingham, AL 35209205-212-9402

ADVERTISING SALES

2126 McFarland Blvd. East, Suite ATuscaloosa, AL 35404205-345-0784

Managing Editor

Martin J. Reed

[email protected]

FROM THE EDITOR

Pumps & Systems Managing Editor Martin Reed,Senior Editor Alecia Archibald, Managing EditorAmelia Messamore and Vice President of Sales GregMeineke attend the Hydraulic Institute’s annualconference in Tucson, Arizona, in February.


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This issue APRIL

46 IMPROVE ASSET PERFORMANCE WITH INNOVATIVE SERVICES By Harald Großmann, Sulzer

Preventive maintenance programs at refineries can result in reduced costsand better reliability.

50 TEXAS REFINERY REVAMPS WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM By Mike Jenkins, Progressive Water Treatment

e custom solution reduces supply and maintenance costs and provides aconsistent feedwater supply.

52 FACILITY CHOOSES GRAPHITE-METAL ALLOY BEARINGS By Eric Ford, Graphite Metallizing Corp.

e materials are able to withstand dry-run conditions.

54 SOPHISTICATED MONITORING SAVES LABOR HOURS& DOWNTIME IN REFINERIESBy Brian Phillippi, National Instruments

An industry with aging infrastructure and increasing demands needs bettermonitoring technology.

58 SOUTHWEST PIPELINE STATION EMPLOYS MODERN TOOLS TOIMPROVE PUMPING SYSTEM

By Jay Marchi, ProPump Services

Various analyses can identify problems and predict future systemvibratory responses.

COVERS E R I E S

2 FROM THE EDITOR

8 NEWS

88 PRODUCTS

92 ADVERTISER INDEX

92 PUMP USERS MARKETPLACE

96 PUMP MARKET ANALYSIS

OIL & GAS REFINERIESPUMPING PRESCRIPTIONS

16 By Lev Nelik, Ph.D., P.E. Pumping Machinery LLC

Letter from a Reader: Vibration Spectrum Analysis

PUMP SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT

20 By Ray HardeeEngineered Software Inc.

Examine Pump, Process & ControlElements to Solve Fluid PipingSystem Problems

COMMON PUMPING MISTAKES

24 By Jim Elsey Summit Pump Inc.

Guidelines for Submergence & Air Entrainment

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

30 By Mike Pemberton Pumps & Systems

e Future of PredictiveMaintenance

COLUMNS

58

46

ON THE COVER

Petro Star’s North Pole Refinery processes petroleum from the Trans Alaska Pipeline and distributes diesel products across the state. (Photo © Judy

Patrick, courtesy of Petro Star)

Volume 24 • Number 4


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DEPARTMENTS

62 EFFICIENCY MATTERSCompressors Assist in PropaneTransfer Transition

By Bill Holmes

Blackmer

68 MAINTENANCE MINDERSHow Reliable Is Your Control Valve Maintenance Program?

By Mark Gimson

Singer Valve

72 MOTORS & DRIVESHow Power Factor & InductionMotors Can Impact theBottom Line

By William Livoti

WEG Electric Corporation74 SEALING SENSE

Manage Rubber ExpansionJoints in Piping Systemsto Maximize Reliability &Effi ciency

By Lloyd B. Aanonsen, P.E.,

& Joshua Cocciardi

FSA Members

78 HI PUMP FAQS Air Pockets in a Piping System,Sealing Device Basics & Rotary

Pumping System LeakageBy Hydraulic Institute

S P E C I A L

S E C T I O N

SEALING CHALLENGES

This issue

THOMAS L. ANGLE, P.E., MSC, VicePresident Engineering, Hidrostal AG

BRYAN S. BARRINGTON, MachineryEngineer, Lyondell Chemical Co.

KERRY BASKINS, VP/GM, Milton RoyAmericas

R. THOMAS BROWN III, President,Advanced Sealing International(ASI)

CHRIS CALDWELL, Director ofAdvanced Collection Technology,Business Area Wastewater Solutions,Sulzer Pumps, ABS USA

JACK CREAMER, Market SegmentManager – Pumping Equipment,

Square D by Schneider Electric

BOB DOMKOWSKI, BusinessDevelopment Manager – TransportPumping and Amusement Markets/Engineering Consultant, Xylem, Inc.,Water Solutions USA – Flygt

WALT ERNDT, VP/GM, CRANE Pumps& Systems

JOE EVANS, Ph.D., Customer &Employee Education, PumpTech, Inc.

LARRY LEWIS, President, VantonPump and Equipment Corp.

WILLIAM LIVOTI, BusinessDevelopment Manager/EnergyEfficiency Specialist, WEG ElectricCorporation

TODD LOUDIN, President/CEO NorthAmerican Operations, Flowrox Inc.

MICHAEL MICHAUD, ExecutiveDirector, Hydraulic Institute

JOHN MALINOWSKI, Sr. ProductManager, AC Motors, Baldor ElectricCompany, A Member of theABB Group

WILLIAM E. NEIS, P.E., President,Northeast Industrial Sales

LEV NELIK, Ph.D., P.E., APICS,President, PumpingMachinery, LLC

HENRY PECK, President, Geiger Pump& Equipment Company

MARIANNE SZCZECH, Director,Global Marketing and ProductManagement, Pump Solutions Group

SCOTT SORENSEN, Oil & GasAutomation Consultant & MarketDeveloper, Siemens Industry Sector

ADAM STOLBERG, Executive Director,Submersible Wastewater PumpAssociation (SWPA)

JERRY TURNER, Founder/SeniorAdvisor, Pioneer Pump

DOUG VOLDEN, Global EngineeringDirector, John Crane

KIRK WILSON, President, Services &Solutions, Flowserve Corporation

JAMES WONG, Associate ProductManager – Bearing Isolator, GarlockSealing Technologies

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

APRIL

PRACTICE & OPERATIONS81 SOLID FOUNDATIONS INCREASE

ROTATING EQUIPMENT RELIABILITYBy Scott Sapita, BaseTek LLC& Thomas Hines, Chemtrade Logistics Inc.

84 A NEW APPROACH TOPRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

By Bill Blankemeier & Bill TaylorPeopleFlo Manufacturing

32 USING DRY GAS SEALS TO PUMP LIQUIDS

This unconventional solution features bonding consisting of a micro-crystalline layerthat has attributes of natural diamond.

By Emery Johnson, EagleBurgmann

36 4 WAYS TO PREVENT SEAL FAILURETake these precautions to maximize your investment.

By Andrew Kalinen, Flex-A-Seal Inc.

40 ADVANCED BEARINGS & SEALSOFFSET HARSH CONDITIONSA large petrochemical plant increasedthe service life of its equipment from sixmonths to three years.

By Tom McDermott, SKF USA Inc.

42 SOLVING SEALING PROBLEMS BYKEEPING FACES CLOSE & PARALLELAdvances in seal ring and face materialscan improve basic design issuesassociated with mechanical seals.

By Mark P. Slivinski,Carbide Derivative Technologies Inc.

84

32


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Motors and drives, the key components of yfacility, can be prone to a number of unse

problems causing costly downtime.

Download Fluke’s most popular applicationote that discusses:

• Common causes of motor failure

• What to look for

•

What the impact is• What tools to use

• How critical the issues are

Download “13 common causes of motor failure” at

fluke.com/13CommonCauses

Fluke. Keeping your world

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©2015 Fluke Corporation. 6006434a-en

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8 NEWS


BRYCE W. DAVIS

& JEFF KOEHLER

WATER PLANET

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 29, 2016)

Water Planet announcedthat Bryce W. Davis, Ph.D.,and Jeff Koehler, Ph.D.,

joined its growing team.Davis, who possesses a

doctorate in analytical chemistry, joined Water Planet as aresearch and development (R&D) scientist. Previously, he was aprincipal engineer at Polymer Group Incorporated, an applicationengineer for Fiberweb plc. and a materials scientist with FibeRioTechnology Corporation. Koehler is product development specialisttechnical liaison for commercialization of Water Planet’s PolyCeramembranes. Previously, Koehler was principal scientist anddirector of process development at NanoH2O Inc./LG NanoH2O, andprincipal scientist at Nanostream Inc. waterplanet.com

JOE ACCETTA, KALENBORN ABRESIST

URBANA, Ind. (Feb. 26, 2016) – Joe Accetta,president of Kalenborn Abresist Corporation,has announced that he will be retiring in May

2016. Accetta, a 1973 graduate of NorthwesternUniversity, was originally employed as vicepresident of sales in 1983 and was namedpresident in 1990. He has served in thatcapacity for 26 years. For 10 years prior to1983, Accetta was involved in the sales andAbresist product management for M.H. Detrick, an early jointventure partner in Kalenborn Abresist Corporation. abresist.com

CHRISTOPHER BRIDGEWATER

CORNELL PUMP

CLACKAMAS, Ore. (Feb. 25, 2016) – CornellPump has announced that ChristopherBridgewater has joined its team as Southwestagricultural regional manager, with

responsibilities for irrigation, farm dewateringand manure in California, the desert Southwestand the Mountain West. He has more than 20years of experience in the industries, workingin the supply chain process from manufacturing to installation.He has spent the last nine years as a territory manager, increasingsales in his area by more than 600 percent. cornellpump.com

JOHN TOMLJENOVIC, MIKE MURRAY & KEVIN MOLONEY

SUMMIT PUMP INC.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (March 1, 2016) – John Tomljenovic is SummitPump Inc.’s newest addition as Western regional sales manager.Tomljenovic is responsible for the Western region of the U.S.,

Western Canada and all of Mexico. He has more than 25 yearsof experience in direct sales and sales management in themechanical seal business. Mike Murray has transitioned fromdirect sales to Midwest regional manager. He has more than 30years of direct professional experience in pump sales, applicationsand troubleshooting. Kevin Moloney is the Eastern regional salesmanager and has responsibility for the Eastern U.S., Canada andportions of the Caribbean. He has more than 30 years of pump andmechanical seal experience. The regional sales managers report to

Jim Elsey, general manager for Summit Pump.summitpump.com

NATHAN OLDS, GRUNDFOS

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (Feb. 11, 2016) – GrundfosPumps Corporation has appointed Nathan Oldsas the vice president of Domestic BuildingServices (DBS) Trade for the U.S. In this role,Olds will manage wholesale distribution for thecompany’s heating and plumbing products. Hewill report to the DBS executive vice president,Terry Teach. us.grundfos.com

STEVE BASCLAIN, PSG EBSRAY

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. (Feb. 10, 2016) – PSGhas appointed Steve Basclain to business

development manager for PSG Ebsray. In thisrole, Basclain will help drive new businessopportunities for the Ebsray brand and supportthe PSG sales teams globally while directing thefunctional areas of applications engineering,customer care, contracts, product managementand aftermarket. He will report directly to John Cosgrove, generalmanager for PSG Ebsray. psgdover.com/en/ebsray

ANTHONY MISIAK

& JEFF DAVIS

TSURUMI PUMP

GLENDALE HEIGHTS, Ill. (Feb.

4, 2016) – Tsurumi Pumphas announced that it hasadded two new regional salesmanagers to its staff. Joiningthe management team areAnthony “Tony” Misiak andJeff Davis. Misiak joined Tsurumi as a regional sales manager inDecember 2015. Misiak will be based in Byron Center, Michigan,and he will be responsible for the Midwest region. Also joiningTsurumi as a regional sales manager is Davis, who startedhis employment in January of this year. He will overseeTsurumi’s Western region and will be based in Lake Sherwood,Missouri. tsurumipump.com

Jeff KoehlerBryce Davis

NEW HIRES,PROMOTIONS & RECOGNITIONS

Nathan Olds

Steve Basclain

Jeff

Davis

Anthony

Misiak

Christopher

Bridgewater

Joe Accetta


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AROUND

THE INDUSTRY

Hydraulic

Institute

Recognizes

Four Industry Leaders

PARSIPPANY, N.J.

(Feb. 24, 2016)

The

Hydraulic Ins t i tute

(HI)

announced

the recip ients o f several awards

and honors during its 2016 Annual

Conference in Tucson , Arizona. Jack

Claxton , vice president of engineering ,

Patterson Pump Company , received HI's

Lifetime Ach ievement Award; Patrick

Hogg , product manager, Nidec Motor

Corporation ,

was

HI's Young Engineer

of

the

Year

award recipient ; Wil l iam

C.

Livoti , business development manager,

WEG

Electric Corporation , received the

organization 's f irst

PSM

Leadership

Award; and Paul Ruzicka , global

COE

residential, commercial wastewater and

chief engineer at Xylem

Inc.

Applied

Water Systems, received the 2015

Member

of

the

Year

award. Claxton

has

more than 40 years of service in

the pump industry and

has

been an

instrumental

HI

mem ber for more

than

30

years.

Hogg has

been involved

with

HI since 2013, is a member of

10

commit tees ,

serves

as a webinar

instructor, and ho lds leadership posit ions

on three committees. Livoti

has

more

than 40 years in the pump indust ry ,

designing, f ield testing , repairing and

troubleshoo ting mechan ical seals ,

compressors , motors and pump ing

systems. The

HI

Board of Directors

selected Ruzicka for his commitment to

HI

in leading and actively participating

in numerous

HI

commit tees in the

advancem ent of the institute's technical

work and guiding young engineers

within the institute's extensive technical

organization. •

pumps.org

US Poll Finds 60 Percent of

Participants Would Pay More

for Secure W ater Service

ALEXANDRIA,

Va.

(Feb. 24,

2016)

-

The

Value of Water Coa lition

has

released the

results

of

a new nat ional po l l

on

publ ic

attitudes ab out water, which found th at

Americans

are

deeply concerned with

the state

of

water infrastructure and

are

will ing to sup port efforts to invest and

mode rnize these systems to ensure and

ma intain reliable water and wastewater

services. Of the part icipants , 9 5 percent

support investm ent in water systems,

and

60

percent said they would pay m ore

for secure water. • theva/ueofwater.org

Flex-Pro ®Peristalt ic

Metering Pumps

provide smooth,

quiet

pumping

act ion and del iver accurate amounts of chemical

to your

system. Three Flex-Pro mod els are of fered, featur ing a broad range

of

output

rates, electronics

options

and features .

Advanced Electronics- wi th Exclusive- Built-in, patented

Tube

Failure

easy access

to controls. Detection.

Mult iple Signal Input and Innovative, Heavy Duty Rotor : Single piece plastic

Output (4-20mA, etc.) . rotor means no flexing and increased accuracy

One Button Prime Mode. with no metal springs or hinges to corrode.

Flex A Prene

Heavy Duty Peris ta l t ic Pump Tubing

Flex-A-Prene ®

s

a mult ichannel pump

tube assembly designed by B lue-White

exclusively for Proseries-M

8

and Flex-Pro•

Peristaltic Metering Pumps . Flex-A-Prene•

is engineered for opt imum performance,

including up to four t imes longer

service l ife than othe r pump

tube assemblies.

pumpsandsystems.com

I

April

2016


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11

pumpsandsystems.com | Apri l 2016

The EcoFlow Seal Flush thermal relief valve automatically and

reliably controls seal water flow and temperature from your double

mechanical seals for a drastic reduction in water consumption

and significant cost savings. A simple installation reduces water

usage and waste water treatment while boosting cost savings:

Immediate, significant reduction in seal water consumption

with no outside power required

No more monitoring and manually adjusting flow

Avoids dry runs and protects seal life

Allows users to leave the water supply on and ensures

water flows only when needed

Reduces pump downtime

Find out how this little valve creates such BIG savings,

visit ThermOmegaTech.com/EcoFlow today.

Little thermal

relief valve.

Big waterconservation

savings.

(877) 379-8258

THE WORLD LEADER IN SELFACTUATED TEMPERATURE CONTROL SOLUTIONS

C i r c l e 1 1 9 o n c a r d o r v i s i t p s f r e e i n f o . c o m .

will help support community-based job creation in U.S. cities and establishnational standards for professionalsseeking to work on GI projects. This

joint effort will support DC Water’srecently announced legal agreement toconstruct large-scale GI to help controlcombined sewer overflows in the Districtof Columbia, according to the groups.wef.org

Private Water Players ReshapeGlobal Desalination, PoseidonEnters Top 25BOSTON (Feb. 3, 2016) – The top 25

desalination system owners, includingboth public and private companies,added a quarter (approximately 25percent) of total capacity additionsin 2015, representing an estimated524,000 cubic meters per day, accordingto a study. Private water players tookan active role in the desalinationmarket in 2015, representing nine ofthe top 10 biggest movers by capacityadditions, according to rankingsreleased by Bluefield Research. Withthe commissioning of its Carlsbad,California, desalination plant, PoseidonResources became the first U.S.company to rank among the top 25private water owners globally,according to Bluefield Research.bluefieldresearch.com

ISA Announces theContinuation of Beamexas its Premier StrategicPartner for CalibrationRESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (Feb.3, 2016) – The International Societyof Automation (ISA) announced thatBeamex, a calibration company withproducts, services and support in 80

countries, will continue to serve asits strategic partner for calibration.Over the past several years, throughthe partnership, Beamex and ISAhave collaborated to provide ISAmembers and customers with access toBeamex’s diverse calibration resources,including publications, case studies,webinars, expert advice and more. Thisannouncement signifies that Beamexwill continue to work with ISA to co-develop informational and educationalresources. isa.org


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12


NEWS

Process Pumps & Steam Turbines

www.snm.co.jp

Generating Power for Human Life, SNM

TOTAL SOLUTIONS APPROACH

SNM is the only manufacturer in the world that produces

API610 process pumps and API611/612 steam turbines in

the same factory. This total solutions approach uniquelyaddresses the needs of the oil and gas industry.

ENERGY-SAVING SOLUTIONS

Mounting data confrms that

energy savings are realized when

old pumps in aging plants are

replaced with high eciency,

latest model pumps. At SNM our

pump products and solutions

address energy-savings concerns

facing clients across the globe.

FACTORY SALES OFFICES

TOKYO, JAPAN

+81-3-6737-2631

HOUSTON, TEXAS

+1-281-990-8594

GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA

+1-818-500-8165

BANGKOK, THAILAND

+66-2-262-0740

HIROSHIMA, JAPAN

+81-823-71-1111 C i r c l e 1 1 8 o n c a r d o r v i s i t p s f r e e i n f o . c o m .

Recommended Practice forMotor Repair Re-Approved asANSI Standard

ST. LOUIS (Feb. 1, 2016) – An updatededition of the only American NationalStandard for repair of motors andgenerators—ANSI/EASA AR100-2015:Recommended Practice for the Repairof Rotating Electrical Apparatus—wasrecently published for use by the repairindustry and its customers. The standarddescribes industry best practices forthe repair, rewinding and testing ofelectrical apparatus in order to maintainor enhance the energy efficiency andreliability of both alternating and directcurrent motors and generators. ANSIrequires that standards be re-approved

at least every five years, promptingthe review and approval of the AR100-2015 edition. The revision introducednew requirements, added or tightenedperformance tolerances in several criticalareas and expanded testing procedures.The standard now includes requirementsrelating to the machining of commutatorsand slip rings, and it establishestemperature limits for the process ofremoving motor windings. Additionalperformance tolerances were addedfor balancing motors rated above 2,500rpm. Finally, testing procedures wereestablished or clarified relating to bearinginsulation, winding surge comparisonand resistance, no-load performance andvibration. ansi.org

To have a news item considered, please

send the information to Amelia Messamore,

[email protected].

MERGERS &

ACQUISITIONS


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Houston Office: 8885 Monroe Road, Houston Texas 77061 USA

Toll Free: 1.888.405.0209 Fax: 713.956.2141

[email protected]

www.pumpworks610.com • twitter: @PumpWorks610

We do it fast and we do it right.

Most pump OEMs make you wait 30 to 50 weeks to deliver

their API 610 compliant single and multistage pumps.

By comparison, the PumpWorks 610 Model PWH andModel PWV standard lead times are 16 weeks or less,

and PWM Multistage pipeline pumps are 28 weeks or less.

In addition, all of our pumps are manufactured in the USA.

PumpWorks 610 offers our online ePOD

Pump Selector to simplify pump configuration

by quickly providing you with pump selection

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At PumpWorks 610, you can count on our knowledgeable

staff to ensure that your finished product meets or exceedsyour exact specifications.

Why wait longer to get the pump you need when you need

it? Visit www.pumpworks610.com or call

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PWH API 610 OH2Pumps Deliveredin 16 Weeks

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Weeks

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610 VS6 & VS1 PumpsDelivered in16 Weeks

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14 NEWS


Reliable Plant 2016 April 5 – 7, 2016Kentucky InternationalConvention CenterLouisville, Kentucky 800-597-5460 / conference.reliableplant.com

PumpTec 2016(Advanced Training) April 6 – 7, 2016 Atlanta, Georgia770-310-0866 / pumpingmachinery.com/pump_school/pump_school.htm

Offshore Technology ConferenceMay 2 – 5, 2016NRG ParkHouston, Texas972-952-9494 / 2016.otcnet.org

2016 EASA ConventionJune 12 – 14, 2016Metro Toronto Convention CentreToronto, Ontario314-993-2220 / easa.com/convention

National Fire Protection AssociationConference & ExpoJune 13 – 16, 2016Mandalay Bay Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nevada800-344-3555nfpa.org/training/conferences/conference

American Water Works AssociationAnnual Conference & ExhibitionJune 19 – 22, 2016McCormick PlaceChicago, Illinois

800-926-7337 / awwa.org

World Nuclear ExhibitionJune 28 – 30, 2016Paris Expo - Le Bourget, Hall 2BParis, France33 147 56 65 37 / world-nuclear-exhibition.com

INDOWATER 2016July 20 – 22, 2016Grand City ConvexSurabaya (East Java), Indonesia+49-40-3999905-0 / indowater.com

(Image Courtesy of Corp orate Event Images)

The Offshore Technology

Conference (OTC) 2016,

the offshore energy industry’s

premier annual event, will

take place May 2-5 at NRG

Park, formerly Reliant Park,in Houston, Texas. is year’s

theme is “Endless Innovation.”

Sponsored by 13 nonprofit

technical societies involved

in the energy business, OTC

2016 is an opportunity to gain

technical knowledge, learn

more about best practices and

see new products and services.

More than 90,000

professionals—including

industry leaders, investors andentrepreneurs—from more

than 130 countries are

expected to attend. is year’s

event is expected to include

more than 2,100 exhibitors

from 45 countries and 18

international pavilions.

OTC offers learning

opportunities that include a

technical program featuring

global experts and topics

spanning risk management,

new and emerging markets, and

the operation of aging fields

and hardware.

e event will offer training

courses on deepwater riser

engineering, marine broadbandtechnologies and petroleum

geology for engineers. Courses

will be held at the George R.

Brown Convention Center on

the days before and the day

after the conference.

Other events and activities

at OTC 2016 include the

Distinguished Achievement

Awards Luncheon at the NRG

Center on May 3.

e second d5 conference—an OTC event designed to spark

creativity and innovation in

the industry—will be at Rice

University on May 6. Speakers

will include Helen Greine,

co-founder of iRobot and CEO

of CyPhyWorks; Ram Shenoy,

former chief technolog y offi cer

at ConocoPhillips; and Gindi

Vincent, an author, speaker and

counsel at ExxonMobil.

For registration or more

information about OTC 2016,

call 972-952-9494 or visit

otcnet.org.

Offshore TechnologyConference

PreviewMay 2-5, 2016NRG ParkHouston, Texas

Exhibition Hours

Monday, May 29 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 39 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 49 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 59 a.m. to 2 p.m.

EVENTS


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18/100

Letter from a Reader:Vibration Spectrum Analysis

Regarding the vibration

spectrum on page 12 of

the February 2016 issue

of Pumps & Systems (“Using Pump

Effi ciency Monitoring to Make

Faster Decisions,” Figure 1), your

question of what the spectrum is

showing needs more information

to enable an accurate answer:

• Where is the sensor located?

• What kind of pump?

• What is the orientation of the

sensor? X, Y or Z axis?

• Is the data averaged, peak hold

or instantaneous?

• Is the pump speed constant

or changing?

• Is the flow steady or changing?• How many vanes are on

the impeller?

• Are the units root mean square,

peak or other?

• What is the power required by

the pump?

• Is this a Category I or II pump

per International Standards

Organization (ISO) 10816-7?

Making some assumptions

about the data, an unbalance

problem appears to be present. It

is not misalignment or cavitation.

However, if you look at the

spectrum, there is a slight peak

just above one time per revolution

at maybe 70 hertz (Hz). is could

be resonance. If so, the running

speed is less than 20 percent away

from this natural frequency, and

the response could be amplified by

this resonance. While unbalance

is indicated, it may be a resonance

problem, and balancing is not, in

my opinion, a permanent fix.

Assuming this is a small pump,

judging by the operating speed, the

amplitude is probably acceptableper ISO 10816-7. e overall level

of vibration is probably less than

0.098 in/s-RMS, which is the Zone

A/B boundary for new machines.

But if the small peak at 70 Hz is a

resonance, then all bets are off. If

I were the end user, I would not be

happy with a resonance less than

20 percent above running speed. As

the machine wears, the resonance

will drop in frequency, potentially

to the point where the running

speed will sit right on the natural

frequency. With the low amount of

damping present in the spectrum,

this would create amplitudes well

in excess of the ISO 10816-7 limit.

—Reader from California

Nelik’s Response

Let me start with your ending

notes first: very observant! e

small peak just past the 1X is a

potential problem. With wear and

lowered stiffness of the system over

time, the 70 Hz peak may creep

right onto the 60 Hz resonance.

Frequent or even continual

monitoring would be important.e values are still small, and the

unit is small, judging from data

shown on the performance curve

above the spectral plot. Unbalance

(1X) is small, but the proximity to

the possible critical frequency may

lead to issues—though it is hard to

predict how soon. While immediate

pump pull and fix is not necessary,

monitoring is.

Making some assumptions about the data, an unbalance

problem appears to be present. It is not misalignment or cavitation.

However, if you look at the spectrum, there is a slight peak just

above one time per revolution at maybe 70 hertz (Hz). This could be

resonance. ... While unbalance is indicated, it may be a resonance

problem, and balancing is not, in my opinion, a permanent fix.

16 PUMPING PRESCRIPTIONS


By Lev Nelik, Ph.D., P.E.

Pumping Machinery, LLC, P&S Editorial Advisory Board

Troubleshooting & repair challenges


19/100


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20/100

PUMPING PRESCRIPTIONS

Regarding

your other points, the

location of

the

sensor is relevant,

but

they

are

most often on bearing housings.

The type of pump would

not

make much

difference,

although if it

is ver t ica l ,

then

any unbalance would be a serious i ssue .

Impeller

wear

way below the soleplate

is

not

often detectable by

the

analyzers

I EP O

e a l i n g Equipment Products Co.

,

: 4 1 1 1 1 : : X :

See how to reduce

your

water and energy

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Systems

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on card or visit psfreeinfo.com.

at the top of the structure motor

area),

and

vertical turbine vibrations are

not easi ly detectable

by

the

vibration

instruments at the

top.

Your point on

sensor

location has

another important

aspect. If

the

signal

comes

from

the axial direction,

then

the

angular misalignment

may

be

an

i ssue , which is often

shown

not as a

2X but a

lX

component. In such cases,

having

another

sensor direction

is

important. f it is

at the

offset direction

(para l le l

of

vertical,

for

example)

and

s h o w s 2X (twice

running

speed) , then

misalignment

is l ike ly (presence

of

lX

and 2X).

The pump

speed

is constant in this

case, but

the

cloud of higher head

data

is

an

indication of

the second pump

joining

in at some

time,

with two of

them

now

generating higher head,

but at a flow

only slightly

higher-a

typical situation

with

two pumps

running in para l le l .

Vibration data are

at

RMS, as shown

at the vertical

axis . The

pump

is

small,

and vibrations are wel l within

the

limits, as you

noted.

Interest ingly, the

resonance

concern was expressed

in

this

particular case, which is why

continual

monitoring is planned .

Thank you for

your insightful

comments and observations . f you

want

to be

involved in

our committee

work, let me know, and we wi l l get you

involved . For more

information, visit

pumpingmachinery.com . •

Dr. Nelik

(aka

Dr.

Pump ) is president

of Pumping Machinery,

LLC, an

Atlanta-based firm specializ ing in

pump consult ing, t ra in ing, equipment

troubleshooting and pum p repairs.

Dr.

Nelik has 30 years of experience in

pumps and pumping equipment. He

may be reached at pump-m agazine.

com. For more in format ion, v is i t

pumpingmachinery .com/pump_school /

pump_school .h tm.


21/100



22/100

Examine Pump, Process & Control Elements toSolve Fluid Piping System Problems

My past Pumps & Systems

columns have dealt with

using basic engineering

principles to better understand the

interaction of pump, process and

control elements in fluid piping

systems. e articles demonstrate

how to hone your troubleshooting

skills while improving the

operations of piping systems.

is month, we will start

demonstrating how to use this

knowledge to work through

problems on real-life systems.

I am not calling them case

studies because case studies

provide a system description,

as well as information on the

company, the plant facility, theproblems encountered and maybe

even the people involved. is

degree of detail requires multiple

levels of permission—even before

the lawyers take a look at it.

Instead, I will use the line

from the movies: “Based on an

actual event.” In this column, all

the names and places have been

omitted, but the other pertinent

facts are presented. ese columns

are based on actual systemproblems I have encountered in

my 45-year career in operating,

designing, testing and supporting

fluid piping systems. Many of the

examples come from technical

support questions from our

software users and feedback from

our piping system training classes.

Increasing System Flow Rate

In the late ’90s, I was working

with an electrical utility in British

Columbia that had a program to

help its large utility customers

reduce their plants’ energy

consumption. e utility would

evaluate a customer’s pump

systems to see what could be done

to reduce energy consumption.

I got a call from the consultant

performing the analysis on a water

makeup system in a nickel mine,

where water was pumped from

a river to the mill through a

5-mile pipeline.

Over the years, the plant’s river

water requirements increased.

e sales engineer for the vertical

turbine pump manufacturer was

called in each time. e increased

A better understanding of complete system operation

Figure 1. Flow diagram showing the mine water piping system with calculated results(Graphics courtesy of the author)

Figure 2. Pump curve for one of four identical 10-stage vertical turbinesfor the river water system

20 PUMP SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT


By Ray Hardee

Engineered Software, Inc.


23/100

system capacity was accomplished byadding stages to the existing vertical

turbine pumps, as well as adding

new pumps. When I was called, four

10-stage vertical turbine pumps

were providing approximately 4,100

gallons per minute (gpm) of river

water to the mine with a fifth pump

on standby.

e Total System

e utility’s consultant modeled

the river water system using acommercially available piping

system simulation program. e

river water level was 100 feet above

sea level, and the elevation of the

mine reservoir liquid level was 435

feet. e supply header was 12-inch

steel schedule 40 pipe with a length

of 21,000 feet from the river to the

mill. e consultant built the system

model and asked me if I would look

at his results (see Figure 1).

e first thing I asked was if hehad an accurate pump curve for the

installed vertical turbine pumps. He

did and provided me with a copy (see

Figure 2).

I then asked how the model’s

calculated results matched the

physical system. He said the only

system instrumentation was

a pressure gauge on the pump

discharge header reading 430

pounds per square inch (psi), which

closely matched the simulation’scalculated results. He also

mentioned that he double-checked

the river and tank elevations, pipe

lengths and pipe diameters based on

existing design documents, and they

were correct.

e fact that he had a

manufacturer’s supplied pump curve

and that the actual pump discharge

pressure closely correlated with the

calculated pump pressure indicated

that the model closely resembled

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24/100

the physical system. With an accurate system model,

proposed system changes could be evaluated.Each of the four pumps were supplying 1,043 gpm,

which is within the manufacturer’s allowable operating

range. But with the pump’s best effi ciency point (BEP)

flow of 2,600 gpm, this represents only 40 percent

of the pump’s BEP flow—well outside the preferred

operating range recommended in the American

National Standards Institute/Hydraulic Institute

(ANSI/HI) 9.6.3-2012 Rotodynamic (Centrifugal and

Vertical) Pumps – Guideline for Allowable Operating Region

standard. Running a pump this far from its BEP can

cause premature bearing and seal failure.

Next, I looked at the flow rate through the supply

header. With 4,200 gpm through the 12-inch diameter

pipeline corresponding to a fluid velocity of 12 feet per

second, the result was a dynamic head loss of 660 feet

in the pipeline. is head loss added to the 335 feet of

system static head results in a required pump head of

1,000 feet.

Considering the Options

e flow rate in the river water system needed to be

increased to 4,500 gpm. As previously stated, a fluid

piping system is made of the pump, process and control

elements. Increasing the flow rate to 4,500 gpm in the

existing system resulted in a head loss in the supply

header of 767 feet, or a total pump head of 1,102 feet.

Each element affects the total system operation, and

when users need to increase the system flow, their first

thought is to call the pump manufacturer.

Pump Option

When the pump manufacturer was called, he stated that

the existing pumps could not meet the head required for

the new flow rate because the installed vertical turbine

pumps were not designed for more than 10 stages.

Additional pumps were not an option because there

was no space in the pump house for the added pumps. As a result, the pump sales representative suggested

replacing the existing pumps with higher-capacity

pumps. e plant’s utility manager was concerned the

larger pumps would increase the site’s electrical utility

demand charges.

Process Option

In this system, the process elements consist of the river,

mine reservoir and the interconnecting piping complete

with valves and fittings. Because the fluid velocity in

the 12-inch supply header was so great, installing a new

C i

r c l e 1 3 7 o n c a r d o r v i s i t p s f r e e i n f o . c o m .

22 PUMP SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT



25/100

pipeline parallel to the existing pipe was considered.

is would allow for a greater flow rate and minimizethe head loss in the supply header.

System Evaluation

e cost to operate the existing system with four pumps

running 8,000 hours per year with a power cost of $0.03

a kilowatt/hour was approximately $358,000 per year.

Installing a 20-inch pipeline in parallel to the existing

supply header resulted in a head loss in the supply

header of only 51 feet. As a result, the new pump head

requirement was only 406 feet.

Discussions with the pump supplier determined that

two of the existing pumps with only five stages per

pump could deliver 2,350 gpm with 390 feet of head,

resulting in a total system flow rate of 4,700 gpm. e

existing pumps have an effi ciency of 83 percent at

this flow rate, resulting in an annual operating cost

of $106,000. is created an annual energy savings of

more than $250,000 across the existing system.

e cost to replace the five existing pumps with new,

larger pumps to meet the increased system flow rate

and head was in the same price range as adding the

20-inch pipeline. Because the addition of the pumps

would do nothing to reduce the energy consumption

of the existing system, the client decided to install the

pipeline instead of considering pump replacements.

After the client had instal led the pipeline in parallel,

I called to see how the system changes had turned

out. He sent me an as-built model of the system, and

I noticed that the last 3,000 feet of the new pipeline

was 24 inches in diameter. I asked if there was a reason

for the larger pipe diameter in the new pipeline. He

responded that they had purchased all the 20-inch pipe

in Western Canada and wanted to get the improvement

made as quickly as possible, so they purchased 24-inch

diameter pipe for the remainder. In addition, the utility

documented the $250,000 savings in energy cost.

As you can see, there are three elements in a fluidpiping system. As they all work together, they have an

effect on how the system operates. It is best to consider

all options when looking at any piping system.

Ray Hardee is a principal founder of Engineered

Software, creators of PIPE-FLO and PUMP-FLO software.

At Engineered Software, he helped develop two training

courses and teaches these courses internationally. He may

be reached at [email protected].


23



26/100


Submergence is a

commonly overlooked

pump suction side issue

that can create mechanical and

hydraulic performance problems.

Insuffi cient submergence can leadto increased vibration, a broken

shaft, shortened mechanical seal

life, premature bearing failure,

lower flow rates and diminished

discharge heads (pressure) for the

pump. In the worst cases, these

issues will cause surging and will

actually stall (air block) the pump.

Submergence (simple

submergence) is defined as the

distance (D) measured vertically

from the surface of the liquid to thecenterline of the inlet suction pipe.

A more important term is required

submergence, also known as

minimum or critical submergence

(SC). Required submergence is

the vertical distance—from the

fluid surface to the pump inlet—

required to prevent fluid vortexing

and fluid rotation (swirling and

or pre-swirl). Vortexing will

introduce unwanted air and non-

condensable gases, which can causepump damage and reduce pump

performance. A centrifugal pump is

not a compressor, and performance

is greatly affected when pumping

dual and/or multi-phase fluids (gas

and air entrainment in the fluid).

A common misconception is that

inadequate submergence issues are

found only on vertical and/or very

large pumps. is issue, however,

can and will occur on small and/or

horizontal pumps.

When a centrifugal pump

operates at a given flow rate (Q),

there is a corresponding fluid

velocity in the suction line (V). You

can calculate this velocity easily

by using Equation 1 or by simply

looking it up in references such as

Cameron Hydraulic Data (Chapter 3)

or Crane Technical Paper No. 410,

Flow of Fluids.

e velocity of the fluid is an

important value to know because

it will determine the correct

submergence required to prevent

the formation of vortices.

Figure 1 shows two separate

cases; both are for a flow rate of

300 gallons per minute (gpm),

but the suction pipe diameter is

4 inches in one case and 6 inches

in the other.

Using Equation 1 and Figure 1,

we can see that the 4-inch pipe

yields a velocity of 7.7 ft/s, and

By Jim Elsey

Summit Pump Inc.

Guidelines for Submergence & Air Entrainment

Figure 1. General guide for minimum submergence based on fluid velocity(Courtesy of the author using data from Hydraulic Institute)

V =

Equation 1

Where:

V = velocity in feet per second (ft/s)

D = suction pipe diameter in inches

(GPM) X (0.4085) ÷ (D) 2


24

Simple solutions for end users

D = (0.0744 Q) 0.5

Equation 2

Where:

D = recommended suction inlet pipe size in

inches

Q = the flowrate in gpm


27/100

the 6-inch pipe yields a velocity of 3.4 ft/s. Note the

difference in velocity between 4- and 6-inch piping

for a flow rate of 300 gpm. Figure 1 indicates thatthe required minimum submergence for the 4-inch

pipe at a velocity of 7.7 ft/sec will be about 4.5 feet.

e minimum submergence for the 6-inch pipe at a

velocity of 3.4 ft/sec will be less than 2 feet. In other

words, for a given flow rate of 300 gpm and a suction

pipe diameter of 4 inches, a minimum of 4.5 feet of

liquid above the inlet pipe will be required at all times

to prevent the risk of air entrainment due to vortex

formation. But if the suction line diameter is 6 inches,

2 feet of submergence will be required to preclude

vortex formation. at is a difference of more than

2.5 feet.If you have the 4-inch diameter suction pipe at 300

gpm but cannot raise the suction side fluid level to

mitigate air entrainment, you can add a 6-inch suction

bell to the 4-inch pipe inlet to reduce the velocity

at the entrance and, in essence, fool the system to

prevent vortexing. Addition of the 6-inch suction bell

will reduce inlet velocity to 3.4 ft/sec and reduce the

minimum required submergence to less than 2 feet. If

a suction bell cannot be added, then a barrier (anti-

vortex device such as floating or submerged rafts or

fixed baffl e plates) that presents a torturous path may

also be installed.

Note that, while the barrier may preclude vortices,

swirl and turbulence in the fluid stream can still

present unbalance issues with the impeller. e size

of the barrier can be calculated by knowing the added

submergence required and then sizing the barrier to

make the fluid take that same length of travel. Proper

placement and location of the barrier is important;

if you are not comfortable or experienced with this

subject, please consult someone who is. I am reminded

of an incident at a nuclear power plant 36 years ago

when I, as the factory field engineer for the pump

manufacturer, advised the user not to place a 12-foot

A common misconception is that

inadequate submergence issues

are found only on vertical and/

or very large pumps. This issue,

however, can and will occur on

small and/or horizontal pumps.


25



28/100


I-beam near the suction of the vertical pump.

e user determined that I was wrong andsought to block any vortices while measuring

flow. He securely attached the flow meter to the

large beam and placed it near the pump suction.

Less than 3 seconds after the pump was started,

the beam became an integral part of the suction

bell and the impeller.

Besides inadequate submergence issues,

air and non-condensable gases can enter the

fluid in other ways. Liquid can fall from above

the suction tank/sump (e.g. cooling tower), or

agitation can occur in the upstream process.

Sometimes air or gases are introduced on

purpose as part of a process requirement (e.g.

pulp slurry recycling). An additional issue is

having a suction tank/sump that is not sized

properly. A properly sized tank/sump will, by

design and with respect to volume and geometry,

allow for suffi cient transient time (hold time) for

the fluid to facilitate the escape of entrained air

prior to entering the pump suction.

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12 TIPS TO REMEMBER

1 Critical submergence (SC) must be greater than simplesubmergence to prevent vortex formation, but it is still not aguarantee of vortex preclusion.

2 Pumps that are larger, vertical and/or with impellers of higherspecific speeds are generally more sensitive to submergenceissues, but all centrifugal pumps are susceptible.

3 Opening impeller clearances by a factor of three to four timesthe normal measurement can allow air and gas to pass throughthe pump with fewer negative effects, but the efficiency, relatedbrake horsepower and cost of operation will be greatly affected.Do not open clearances without consulting the OEM first.

4 There are various stages, strengths and states of vortex

generation including incipient, invisible, surface and subsurface.Just because the vortex is not visible to the naked eye does notmean it is not present. The vortex size is a function of the residualangular momentum of the fluid at that point.

5 In respect to suction tank or sump design, if the intake pipe ishorizontal, a vertical wall (90 degrees) is better than one with aslope (less than 90 degrees).

26



29/100

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6 When referencing charts for calculating minimumsubmergence, keep in mind that the assumption is thatno obstructions or asymmetrical geometries are in thetank/sump.

7 Do not confuse submergence with net positive suctionhead available (NPSHA). I always recommend that bothvalues be calculated for the worse expected condition.You can have adequate NPSHA and still not have propersubmergence and vice versa.

8 Critical submergence is a function of factors besides thevertical distance and the acceleration of gravity. Otherfactors are surface tension, viscosity, density and thediameter of the suction pipe opening, especially if there

is a transition to a smaller-diameter pipe shortly afterthe initial opening. Pay specific attention to the ratio ofthe diameter changes. With surface tension, it is a verysmall factor. In the case of viscosity, it will depend onthe Reynolds number, which is defined as the ratio ofmomentum forces to viscous forces and quantifies therelative importance of these two types of forces for givenflow conditions. Think of it as the amount of turbulence.

9 In some cases, you can have too much submergencefor a given system design, from the aspect of siphoneffects. This is rare.

10 Suction (pipe) velocities to the pump should be keptbetween 5 and 8 feet per second. I recommendnot more than 6 feet per second unless there is arequirement for suspended solids (critical carryvelocity) and other slurry rheology concerns.

11 The suction tank/sump should be sized and designedso that the volume has five to eight minutes of holdtime. For example, if the pump is designed for 200gpm then the tank should be 1,000 to 1,600 gpm in

effective volume. Proper addition of barriers, bafflesand weirs can reduce the required size.

12 As a general guideline only, the recommended suctioninlet pipe size (D) can be calculated using Equation 2(see page 24). I always recommend rounding D up tothe next pipe size, not down.

27



30/100


Dissolved air and gases will come

out of solution at the eye of the

impeller because that is typically the

lowest pressure area. e amount of

dissolved air and gases coming out of

solution will be a function of suction

pressure. e higher the pressure, the

less likely the gases will be released.

Note that many manufacturers have

successfully injected 1 percent air

into the pump suction to address

chronic cavitation problems. At air or

gas amounts higher than 1 percent,

performance issues will occur. As a

general guideline, 2 percent free air

will reduce pump flow by 10 percent,

and 4 percent air will reduce the

flow by more than 40 percent. e

degradation in pump performance

is dependent on the fluid properties,

pump design, impeller geometry and

clearances. Pump performance will

not get better with more entrained air

and gas. As a guide, most centrifugal

pumps will lose the majority of their

performance between 6 and 12

percent air entrainment. e average

pump will likely fail to operate at 14

percent air entrainment. Some pump

designs that use vortex impellers,

recessed impellers, separation

chambers or air escapes can handle air

entrainment up to 24 percent.

References

Hydraulic Institute and ANSI Specification 9.8

Hydraulic Intake Design

Ingersoll-Rand Cameron Pump Division white

paper: Pump Intake Design

e Pump Handbook, 4th ed ition, Paul Cooper

& Charles Heald et al.

Jim Elsey is a mechanical engineer

who has focused on rotating

equipment design and applications

for the military and several large

original equipment manufacturers

for 43 years in most industrial

markets around the world. Elsey

is an active member of the

American Society of Mechanical

Engineers, the National Association

of Corrosion Engineers and the

American Society for Metals. He isthe general manager for Summit

Pump Inc. and the principal of

MaDDog Pump Consultants LLC.

Elsey may be reached at

[email protected].


28



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Process equipment represents

an enormous investment

for manufacturers, with

medium to large plants having

thousands of assets that support

the supply chain, production and

distribution. All equipment must

be managed effi ciently to ensure

reliability and productivity. is

is a priority for industrial plants

as they seek to move from reactive

and preventive maintenance

approaches to predictive.

According to ARC Advisory

Group, the growing number of

plant assets coupled with the

reduction in skilled labor means

there are 500 to 2,000 process

control loops per technical staff

member. Maintenance personnelare responsible for the associated

equipment for an individual loop,

including instruments, valves and

pumps, making it increasingly

diffi cult to manage plant assets

using in-house staff alone.

With baby boomers retiring

at the rate of 10,000 per day,

industrial plants are relying on

automation solutions to manage

assets. is dependence is also

driven by aging infrastructure,competitive market pressures,

environmental regulations and

shrinking profit margins.

Predictive Maintenance

e growing use of predictive

analytic software, wireless sensors

and cloud computing, as well as

other information technology

advances, is a key enabler.

ese technologies broaden the

scope of real-time performance

monitoring and machine-

to-machine communication,

which, in turn, supports

the evolution of predictive

maintenance approaches. In some

cases, equipment can also be

self-repairing.

Accurately predicting remaining

useful life helps streamline

the supply chain with the right

parts arriving for scheduled

replacement. Unscheduled

downtime and inventory costs

are minimized. Suppliers can

better support equipment using

remote diagnostics.

In the future, predictive

maintenance systems will collect

real-time and historical data, apply

analytics, and assess the healthof the equipment and the entire

production process. e systems

will prioritize maintenance

and operator actions based

on criticality and recommend

corrective actions. ese expanded

capabilities will enhance

maintenance and operating

decisions while providing

critical equipment information

to process control and business

systems. Plant managementand engineering can make more

informed decisions related to

capital budgets and long-term

modernization plans.

Intelligent Pump Control

A common application of

intelligent pump control is a

parallel pumping system such as a

cooling tower. Parallel systems are

designed to provide incremental

flow by turning multiple pumps

on or off to meet changing system

demand. Cooling tower systems

are common across manufacturing

facilities that use heat exchangers.

ese applications offer an

opportunity for industrial plants

to reduce energy consumption and

improve reliability.

For example, multi-pump

application of intelligent

variable frequency drives (VFDs)

represents the convergence of

pump and automation technologies

for predictive maintenance. e

pump intelligence embedded in the

drive’s microprocessor allows the

pump to identify conditions such

as dry running, dead-heading and

cavitation in real time. Conditions

can be communicated via a digitalbus back to the distributed control

system (DCS) for display and

alarming. e operator can quickly

take corrective action either

by making adjustments to the

system at the DCS console or by

automatically generating a high-

priority work order requesting

system maintenance.

e individual drives are

interlinked and can be configured

to automatically change thelead and lag pump(s) at regular

intervals to even mechanical

wear over time. If one pump fails,

the system can automatically

synchronize and adjust individual

pump speeds to ensure that flow

demand is maintained.

Multi-pump control maintains

stable process conditions, which

optimizes the number and speed

of pumps needed and offers

smooth startup and shutdowns

The Future of Predictive Maintenance

30 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS


By Mike Pemberton

Pumps & Systems Senior Technical Editor

Trends & analysis for pumping professionals


33/100

because there is no need for aseparate control logic in the

DCS. e drive’s intelligence

also operates the pumps in the

most energy-effi cient manner,

allows redundancy and provides

the capability to mix pumps

of different sizes and powers

(although the ideal system

configuration has identical

pumps). While the multi-pump

intelligence is embedded in

the VFD microprocessor, theintelligence could also be in

the DCS microprocessor or on a

server in the cloud. While this is

a special case of using embedded

intelligence to control a multi-

pump system, the future will see

broader use of data to empower

predictive analytic software forplant-wide asset management.

Facilities will be able

to implement mechanical

systems that self-diagnose

and automatically adapt to

equipment failure and process

upsets. Compared with fixed-

speed systems, the broader use

of variable speed pump systems

requires smaller motors, allows

removal of the control valves

at the pump discharge andprevents the need for supporting

infrastructure such as pneumatic

lines and control wires. Wide

application of variable speed

technology will dematerialize the

process and reduce maintenance

and operating costs.

In these scenarios, facilitiescan continuously monitor assets

and make system adjustments

over a wireless or wired network.

Service technicians, whether

on or off site, will eventually

be able to use 3-D printing to

produce standard or custom

parts and ship them in a timely

manner. ese advancements and

others will al low plants to work

within budgetary constraints

and overcome barriers caused bylimited resources.

Mike Pemberton is the senior

technical editor for Pumps &

Systems. He may be reached at

[email protected].

ShinMaywa (America), Ltd. offer the CNWX series

of heavy-duty, non-clog submersible pumps for the

industrial and municipal wastewater markets.

These pumps feature the revolutionary new single

vane non-c log sc ro l l impe l le r des ign f rom

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd.(Japan) The scroll

impel ler design incorporates a hel ix formed

passage at the inlet which is smoothly connec ted to

the single vane non-clog passage. And its design

vi r tual ly e l iminates c logging, p lugging, and

entangling of fibrous materials resulting in reduced

m a i n t e n a n c e c o s t s a n d e l e c t r i c a l p o w e r

consumption. CNWX already

solved long lasting clogging

problem in some area ofresidential and municipal

application. Explosion Proof

Model(FM Approved) are

also avaialbe.

Highly Effective Passing

ShinMaywa(America), Ltd.6135 Park South Drive Charlotte, NC 28210 Phone: 704-945-7112 Fax: 704-945-7101

www.shinmaywa.co.jp/america/ E-mail:[email protected]

Non-Clog Scroll Submersible Pump

For more details, please contact the address of the right note.

Circle 135 card or visit psfreeinfo.com.

31



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32

ouston, Texas, gets hot during the summer,

with temperatures exceeding 95 F (36 C) in

August and 90 F (33 C) for an average of 102

days a year. While air conditioning helps to

make life tolerable during Houston’s hot, humid days,

there is no such relief for pipelines that are pumping oil

and gas products.Keeping pipeline components in optimal condition is

a constant challenge for oil and gas companies that must

contend with the effects of rising temperatures on liquid

pump seals.

Recently, one company solved a similar problem with

the seals on its ethane pumping system by incorporating

a dry gas seal in a liquid-pump application.

e end user, located in Houston, operates natural gas

liquid (NGL) fractionation facilities, where it processes

mixed NGL streams into purity NGL products including

ethane, propane, normal butane, isobutene and natural

gasoline. A crucial part of its operation is the ethane

injection pumps that pump ethane from 410 pounds per

square inch (psi), or 28 bar, to about 1,100 psi (76 bar).

While the ethane temperature at suction should be

approximately 60 F (16 C) on a typical warm, Houston

summer day, this temperature can increase dramatically.

e increased temperatures result in seal failure, which

can cause ethane to vaporize—resulting in product loss.

Why Liquid Pump Seals Fail

When operating rotating equipment, some end users

do not pay enough attention to transient conditions.

Startup, slow-roll and standby pump conditions must be

evaluated to ensure proper sealing fluid is being supplied

to the seals at all times.

Here is what to look for when evaluating proper liquid

seal function, highlighting some problems that can occur:

• Startup: e pump is charged, but at or near suction

pressure. Liquid ethane at the seal faces is slowlyleaking and vaporizing. When the pump starts,

how long does it take to build the right pressure in

the stuffi ng box and get the pressure above vapor

pressure? Additionally, the heat generation between

the faces, although not significant, could be enough to

increase vapor pressure and vaporize the fluid across

the faces. Damage to sealing faces could be a telling

sign that this is occurring.

SPECIAL SECTION

SEALING CHALLENGES

Image 1. Typical design of a dry gas seal (Image and graphiccourtesy of EagleBurgmann)


35/100


33

• Slow-roll: e same situation as startup but

compounded. Without the right speed, the discharge

pressure is not generated. e pressure in the stuffi ng

box is not rising quickly enough to ensure the ethanewill reach a high enough pressure to overcome the

vapor pressure. Also, the heat generation between the

contacting faces is increasing, and damage is probably

taking place.

• Standby: All conditions mentioned above are the

same, but the seals are sitting idle for many months

without a flush to the seals. During the standby

time, evidence has shown that debris has collected

at or around the seal faces, which, in turn, adds more

complication to the sealing environment.

• Ineffi cient operation: Operating the pump too far

outside of the best effi ciency range and with the wrongoperating parameters results in increased demand for

drive power and reduced discharge pressure. Both of

these negatively impact the vapor margin in the seal

area, which can result in dry running.

Other transients that play a role in evaluating sealing

fluid are temperature changes in the product, frequent

starts and stops, and operator error. ese situations

can lead to seal failure. At the Houston facility’s ethane

pumping operations, mean time between failure (MTBF)

was averaging a little more than three weeks. Something

needed to be done to prevent seal failure and product loss.

Meeting the Challenge

Low vapor margin applications, such as ethane, have

one thing in common: e liquid would rather be a gas.

For this reason, many end users incorporate liquid-

lubricated gas seals. e manufacturer that supplied

the seals for the facility in Houston, for example, offers

pump seals that run on a gas film between the faces—either a dual pressurized seal using an inert gas or a dual

unpressurized seal with the outboard seal operating on

a gas. A dual unpressurized seal works great in these

applications, but transients and other unknowns can

cause problems. Incorporating a clean gas at the seal faces

helps prevent failure, but certain problems can persist.

When the manufacturer was evaluating these

challenges, the Houston facility’s initial solution was to

use liquid-lubricated seals and take discharge pressure

directly into the stuffi ng box. But the liquid-lubricated

seals continually failed, especially on warm summer days

as the outside temperature rose. e reason had to dowith the inherent nature of ethane.

For ethane to remain in its liquid state, it must be

kept at a certain temperature and a certain pressure

(approximately 300 to 400 psi [21 to 28 bar]) at 60 F

[16 C]). If the pump is operating properly and the pressure

and temperature are at their ideal points, then the

ethane continues to flow as a liquid. But as the outside

temperature rises on a warm day, the pressure and the

temperature of the pump also increase. is causes the

ethane to vaporize at the seal.

Transient ConditionsLiquid-lubricated seals are designed to handle liquids

only; they will fail if they are suddenly confronted with

handling a gas, such as when ethane vaporizes from a

liquid. In reality, a liquid-lubricated seal can be successful

EXAMPLE OF TANDEM SEAL WITH INTERMEDIATE LABYRINTH

1. Seal face, stationary

2. Seat, rotating

3. Thrust ring

4. Spring

5. Shaft sleeve and seat

retainer

6. Intermediate sleeve

7. Housing (adapted in size to

the installation space)

8. “Adjustable” nut for axial

misalignment

9. Split ring

10. Tension ring

11. Cover

12. Process side labyrinth

GBI is gas buffer inlet, GBO

is gas buffer outlet and D is

drain. The yellow parts are

rotating, blue are stationary,

and gray represents pump shaft

and housing.

The details of this seal include:


36/100


34 SEALING CHALLENGESSPECIAL SECTION

in an ethane application, but only

under conditions that do not change.

Because the seal environment kept

changing in the Houston application,the liquid-lubricated seals could not

work properly.

Liquid-lubricated seals work best in

environments where the temperature

and pressure are at a consistent level.

For this end-user’s operations, it wasthe transient conditions that caused

the problems.

For this application, ethane was

sealed. For ethane to become a gas,

it needs a pressure drop or a vapor

pressure increase above the sealingpressure. Heating the fluid is a quick

way to achieve this, but using an

external heater adds complexity and

maintenance. Using a close-clearance,

multi-tooth labyrinth on the front

end of the seal causes the turbulent

flow during operation to create fluid

friction that will build heat. e

rotation of the seal faces also adds

heat. e closer the gap is between the

faces, the smaller the leakage and the

higher the heat generation. But thetransient conditions caused problems.

Relying on rotation to build heat

ignores the effects of startup, slow-

roll and the standby pump.

Dry Gas Seals

e solution—a dry gas seal—was

simple, though a bit unconventional.

is technology is usually not used

in liquid-pump applications, but it

seemed to be a good solution because

the ethane liquid wants to be a gas.Dry gas seals delivered enhanced

reliability in operating modes

where the seal faces are in constant

contact—turning, ratcheting, coast-

down and other operating modes that

create critical conditions for standard

gas seals. Experience has shown that

unexpected operating situations,

such as the transient conditions

the end user was experiencing, can

compromise a gas seal.

Because seal faces are designedprimarily for non-contact operation,

they are subject to wear when there

is contact for sustained periods. is

can cause seal failure resulting in

downtime and production loss.

ese seals featured bonding that

consisted of a micro-crystalline

layer that has attributes of natural

diamond. For example, it will

not flake or chip off, the coating

is extremely hard and wear-

resistant, and it offers excellent



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35

heat conductivity and high c

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