Conquering the Cavitation Conundrum

By William J. Bohr, PE

ATK2102-025 April 2010

Cavitation-Causing vapor BuBBles Will Form in any liqueFied gas pumping appliCation; the Key to limiting their harmFul eFFeCts is Controlling their size & numBer

Cavitation can have dire consequences for a pumps performance in numerous pumping applications that involve the transfer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or other liquids such as anhydrous ammonia, refrigerants, etc.

Introduction
Cavitation is defined as the formation of vapor bubbles in a fluid liquid when the pressure of the liquid falls below its vapor pressure. In pumping applications, the type of cavitation that can occur is called hydrodynamic. Hydrodynamic cavitation is an action where the vapor bubbles that are formed rapidly collapse, producing a shock wave that vibrates through the fluid. These shock waves can be strong enough to significantly damage pump parts and components, resulting in a corresponding loss of pumping efficiency and, eventually, pump failure. Because of this, cavitation in pumping applications is an undesirable occurrence. When the cavitation bubbles collapse, they focus the energy of the liquid to very small volumes. This results in spots of high temperature within the liquid, while the shock waves that are emitted as a result of the collapsing bubbles produce noise and vibration. Since the cavitation caused by the vapor bubbles collapse is a highly localized event, it can erode metals such as steel. This cavitation-related metal pitting can
Conquering the Cavitation Conundrum

dramatically shorten a pumps lifetime and decrease its pumping efficiency and capabilities. Cavitation can occur in the pumping process when the pump inlet is under a relatively low-pressure/high-vacuum state as compared to the vapor pressure of the liquid being pumped. Under these conditions, cavitation forms in the high-velocity/low-pressure areas of the fluid stream. As the fluid is moved to the discharge segment of the pump, pressures are increased and the cavitation bubbles collapse in the form of violent vapor-bubble implosions that attack pump surfaces. While everyone agrees that cavitation is a phenomenon that can have dire consequences for a pumps performance, the reality is that cavitation at some level especially in pumping applications that involve the transfer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or other liquids such as anhydrous ammonia, refrigerants, etc., that can vaporize is present every time the pump is turned on and operating. Page 1

essentially the root cause of pump-damaging cavitation. The more vapor bubbles present, or the larger in size that they are, the more violent the reaction. The first parts of a pump that are affected by cavitation are the dynamic components. Seals, for example, react to the implosions by briefly separating, which causes chattering within the system and leads to premature wear. Gears, rotors and other rotating components will see erosion from both the formation and subsequent collapse of the cavitation bubbles. Again, this is something that leads to wear and affects the pumps performance. So, while all can agree that cavitation is something that will harm a pump, equally agreeable is that the elimination or minimization of vapor formation within the pump will lead LGL Series pumps feature noise suppression liners. The focus, then, of this white paper is to highlight the advances in the technologies that have been designed to minimize the deleterious effects of cavitation on pump components and their overall performance. The majority of this white paper will focus on LPG, but please note that caviation occurs with other liquids such as NH3 and refrigerants, to name a few. to better performance and longer pump life.

The Solution
So whats the solution to this quandary? Not surprisingly, the answer comes from Grand Rapids, MI-based Blackmer . Blackmer which is part of the Dover Corporations Pump Solutions Group (PSG), Redlands, CA is the global leader in transfer solutions for LPG applications. Blackmer pumps deliver proven reliability, durability, high efficiency and performance under the most demanding conditions, including those that can lead to performancesapping cavitation. Blackmers major breakthrough in this area has come in the refinement of its patented cavitation suppression liner, which is now available on most of its sliding vane pump lines most notably the LGL Series pumps for use in LPG

The Challenge
An LPG system is a closed system, meaning that the LPG (most commonly in the form of propane) is basically always at its equilibrium i.e., vapor pressure is equal to liquid pressure when it is not being pumped. However, when the pumping system is turned on the liquid pressure in the inlet piping system is lowered as the propane starts flowing from the storage tank to the pump. This loss of equilibrium causes the liquid to begin to boil as it attempts to regain its equilibrium. As long as the pumping system is running, though, equilibrium cannot be regained. And since youre pumping a boiling liquid, vapor bubbles are formed and drawn into the pump. Many pumps will be able to pump a liquid that is in its boiling state satisfactorily. As long as the ratio of fluid in the pump to vapor bubbles present isnt too great, the pump will work fine. The challenges occur when the vapor bubbles become a larger percentage of the fluid stream, or the bubbles increase in size when they hit the high-pressure side of the pump. It is under these conditions that the vapor bubbles have a predisposition to implode. As mentioned earlier, these implosions are very violent reactions within the liquid Page 2

Blackmer LGL Series Sliding Vane Pump

Conquering the Cavitation Conundrum

Blackmer 1.25-inch through 4-inch LGL pumps feature noise suppression liners. This patented technology reduces noise at its source by reducing the amount of cavitation in the pump. Reducing the cavitation level also reduces vibration and wear. The sudden collapse of vapor bubbles inside the pump is known as cavitation. By allowing a controlled amount of fluid at discharge pressure to bleed back toward the suction of the pump, the vapor bubbles are collapsed over a longer period time. The net result is less noise, less vibration and less wear. As shown in the chart, the reduction in noise level can be quite dramatic. Similar noise reductions have been measured in all the LGL pump sizes.

applications. The cavitation suppression liners control the rate of collapsing vapor bubbles within the pump, sharply reducing the noise, vibration and wear that are caused by entrained vapors. The design of the cavitation suppression liner provides a controlled pressurization of the fluid in the pump extension chamber as it progresses toward the discharge of the pump, allowing the vapor bubbles to collapse over a longer period of time. The net result is less noise, less vibration and less wear. This is combined with the highly efficient operation of Blackmers century-old sliding vane pumping technology. In conjunction with LPG pumps that feature cavitation suppression liners, Blackmer has also developed the BV line of Differential Bypass Valves for use in LPG applications. These valves have been specially designed to protect pumps and systems from excessive pressure damage. They are available in five different models to provide full-flow pressure control up to 250 gpm at 120 psi (8.27 bar). The valves are designed to open precisely at the preset spring pressure and to close smoothly and quietly. In addition to choosing the right equipment, there are other ways to minimize the effects of cavitation. To reduce

the amount of vapor bubbles produced, the length of piping leading from the storage tank to the pump should be of proper size for the rate of flow and be kept to a minimum to reduce friction-caused pressure loss. Fittings, turns and other restrictions should also be avoided. Finally, as with all pumping applications, the pump selected should be of the proper size and should operate at the correct speed for the system.

Blackmer Differential Bypass Valves

(Right) Utilizing sliding vanes, Blackmer pumps draw in liquid through an inlet port and into a pumping chamber. As the rotor turns, the liquid is transferred between the vanes to the outlet where it is discharged as the pumping chamber is squeezed down. Each vane provides a positive mechanical push to the liquid before it.
Conquering the Cavitation Conundrum

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Taxicab Fleet Curbs Cavitation

Nearly 30 years ago, the Yellow Cab Company made the conscious decision to convert its entire fleet of taxicabs so that they would run on environmentally friendly propane. When Yellow Cab acquired fellow cab companies Checker in 1984 and Star in 1986 in the process creating the umbrella company Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation, Nevadas largest taxicab business, with the three companies continuing to operate autonomously all of the 800-plus taxis in their combined fleet were converted to propane. While this use of propane is good for the environment and the companys bottom line, Aaron Cohen Yellow-Checker-Star Transportations Director of Automotive Services, recently noticed that the propane fuel pumps werent delivering the level of efficiency that he was hoping for. On closer inspection, he determined that there was a glitch in their operation that led to increased maintenance concerns, mitigating the positive effects found in the use of propane. We had three double-pump fueling locations a total of six pumps and they were pumping adequately, but there was a reliability issue they kept burning up at an unbelievable rate, at least once every other month, because there was too much cavitation, said Cohen. In the search for a solution, Cohen turned to Meeder-Ransome Equipment Company, Fresno, CA, Yellow-Checker-Star Transportations propane-equipment supplier. The decision was made to upgrade to a Model LGLH2A Sliding Vane Pump from

Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation replaced six competitors pumps with three Blackmer LGLH2A Sliding Vane Pumps to solve its cavitation and reliability problems with the previous pumps. Blackmer. This model was chosen because it features a cavitation suppression liner that reduces the amount of cavitation and noise that had been produced by the previous pumps. We took out the six pumps and replaced them with three Blackmer high-differential pumps and bypass valves. So far its solved our problem. We chose these pumps for their reliability, longevity, and safe and efficient operation, said Cohen. Blackmer pumps can fill six or seven cars at a time at 16 to 17 gallons a minute and it doesnt slow down even when the fuel island is full. Time is money in our business and thats a huge time-savings for our type of operation

Conclusion
Cavitation has the capability to harm pumps in many ways, among them excessive wear, breakdowns, product leakage and inefficient operation. Blackmer has the solution to these negative effects with the creation of its cavitation suppression liner for use on its models of sliding vane pumps that feature in LPG applications. These liners, combined with a pumping-system setup that incorporates the proper piping in both length and size, can reduce the potentially harmful effects of too numerous or large vapor-bubble formation, and the resulting cavitation, when pumping LPG. William J. Bohr, PE, is the Director of Business Development for Grand Rapids, MI-based Blackmer, an operating company within Dover Corporations Pump Solutions Group (PSG). He can be reached at (616) 241-1611or Bohr@blackmer.com. Redlands, CA-based PSG is comprised of six leading pump companies Wilden , Blackmer , Griswold , Neptune , Almatec and Mouvex . You can find more information about Blackmer at www.blackmer.com and PSG at www.pumpsg.com.

www.blackmer.com
1809 Century Avenue SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503-1530 USA T 616.241.1611 F 616.241.3752

World Headquarters

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