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Contents
Section 1 - Centrifugal Pumps : Terms and Concepts..................................3
Liquids, Gases and Fluids........................................................................................... 3
Mass, Force and Weight............................................................................................. 3
Density and Specific Gravity.......................................................................................3
Centrifugal Force........................................................................................................ 5
Kinetic Energy and Pressure Energy..........................................................................7
Head Pressure............................................................................................................ 8
Pressure.................................................................................................................... 10
Net Positive Suction Head (NPH)..............................................................................11
Cavitation.................................................................................................................. 12
Flow v Differential Pressure......................................................................................13
Sampling Systems.........................................................................................41
Section 4 Pig Launching Facilities............................................................42
Pig Launchers........................................................................................................... 44
Page 1 of 78
Training Targets
When you have completed this unit on Oil Pumping and Metering, you will be able to
Explain some of lie technical terms and concepts which lie behind the operation of a centrifugal pump
Describe the construction and operation of turbine and differential pressure Meters
Detail the main features of a pig launching oysters, and its method of operation
Describe a typical layout for the ail handling (or oil pumping and metering) section of a production facility
Page 2 of 78
Both liquids and gases are called fluids because each has the
ability to flow.
In this unit we will use the term fluid when describing something
which can happen to a gas or a liquid. When we need to make a
distinction, I will use the specific term liquid or gas.
The two terms "mass" and "weight" cause a lot of confusion. Very
often they are used as if they mean the same thing. In many
cases, however, this is not all that important and I think that the
brief explanation given above should be sufficient to guide you
through the remainder of this unit without any undue problems.
For solids and liquids, the reference material used is usually water.
For gases, the reference is often to air.
Test Yourself 1
Page 3 of 78
Page 4 of 78
Page 5 of 78
Centrifugal Force
Have a look at Figure 2.
It shows a spinning disk. If we let a drop of water fall onto the face of
the disk, near to the centre spot, it will follow the type of path shown.
This is because the drop is affected by two forces during its travel:
centrifugal force, which tends to throw the droplet outwards, causing
it to speed up as it approaches the edge of the disk
friction, which will cause the disk to attempt to drag the droplet round
with it as it rotates.
The relative size of these two forces will determine the angle at which
the droplet leaves the disk edge.
This angle is important, as you will see when we come to the section
on Construction and Operation of Centrifugal Pumps (Section 2). The
design features of the pump encourage a flow path for the liquid being
pumped, which is very similar to the droplet trajectory in Figure 2.
This ensures that the pump imparts the maximum amount of energy to
the liquid. In this case, energy of motion, or kinetic energy is
transferred.
Page 6 of 78
Kinetic Energy
We have seen that kinetic energy is energy of motion, or movement.
The amount of kinetic energy possessed by any moving object
depends upon .
?
Test Yourself 2
A small car has a mass of 1 000 kilograms and is
travelling at 180 kilometres per hour,
A large truck has a mass of 20 000 kilograms, and is
travelling at 90 kilometres per hour,
Which one has the greater kinetic energy ?
You will find the answer to Test Yourself 2 on Page 65.
Let us go into a little more detail on these pressure and velocity changes by considering six
separate paints in the process:
Head Pressure
The term head pressure or head is often used
in the oil and gas industry, especially when
referring to pumps. It is the pressure
developed by a head, or column height, of
liquid.
In the paragraph entitled "Pressure", we saw
that the head pressure applied by one foot
depth of water will be 0.433 psi. For 10 feet of
water the head pressure would be 4.33 psi; for
100 feet, 43.3 psi, and so on.
Now let us combine what we know about
specific gravity and head pressure. Try the
following Test Yourself to combine these two
factors together
Test Yourself 3
The specific gravity of gasoline is 0.85,
and that for a particular salt water is 1.1.
What will be the head pressure
developed by 10 feet of the gasoline,
and 16 feet of this brine ?
Pressure
Pressure expresses the relationship
between force (or weight) and area, as
follows :
pressure =
Lbs/sq.in =
? Test Yourself 4
As a check on whether you have
understood what I have been saying
about pressures at the suction end of the
pump, list these three pressure values:
a)
b)
c)
Cavitation
We have discussed at some length the
importance of NPSH and other factors in
preventing the release of gas or vapour
bubbles in the suction of the pump. We will
now look at why it is so important to prevent
this.
If gas is released at this point in the system,
it will give rise to an effect known as
cavitation.
The formation of bubbles is, in itself, quite
harmless. However, as the liquid containing
these gas bubbles, or cavities, passes
through the pump, the pressure will rise. Now
we already know that, if gas is released from
a liquid for the reasons I have described, an
increase in pressure will drive this gas back
into the liquid again.
As these tiny cavities created in the liquid
collapse, the liquid tends to rush in from all
at low flow rates the turbulence caused by these restrictions may well
be small, therefore minimising the pressure loss
at high flow rates the turbulence could be very high, as will be the
pressure loss
We will now take a look at the relationship between flow and differential
pressure between two points in, say, a pipeline.
P x 10
where
F
= flow rate as a % of maximum
DP
= differential pressure as a % of
maximum
? Test Yourself 5
In the example we have just used, if th6
differential pressure fell from 70}4 to
40%. of maximum, what would be the
change in flow rate, expressed in gallons
per minute ?
The answers can be found in Check
yourself 5 on page 66.
Yon: are now ready to take a look at the construction and operation of
a centrifugal pump, and see how the terms and concepts covered in
Section 1 can b e applied to the design and performance of this type of
pump.
a suction flange, which directs the liquid entering the pump casing into
the impeller
an impeller, which imparts kinetic energy to the liquid
a pump shaft, connected through a coupling to a motor which drives
the shaft and the attached impeller(s)
a bearing housing, which supports the shaft
a shaft seal, which prevents liquid escaping from the casing along the
shaft
a discharge flange, which directs the liquid away from the pump
Page 18 of 78
The wear rings, which act as seals between the high pressure
discharge side and the low pressure suction side of the impeller
The wear rings are so called because they wear in preference to the
impeller. They are `sleeved' on to the impeller, and may be replaced
when worn
Impellers
We have already seen that a spinning disk can
impart kinetic energy to a drop of water on its
surface. A centrifugal pump, which is a dynamic
pump, does a similar job on the liquid it is
pumping. The pump then converts this kinetic
energy into pressure energy before the liquid
leaves the outlet.
Impeller Speed
The type of impeller selected will depend on the planned speed of
rotation, and the type and size of pump.
Pump discharge flange
As a general rule
low pressure, high capacity pumps will have large diameter impellers
with a low rotating speed
Pump Casings
We already know that the velocity of the liquid increases as it passes
across the impeller. We also know that, as the velocity decreases, the
pressure will increase. Figure 10 shows the two main types of casing
which allow this to happen within the pump.
The upper diagram shows a volute casing. In this type of pump, the
liquid leaves the tip of the impeller, and is thrown into a channel with an
increasing area of cross-section. Here the liquid slows down and kinetic
energy . is converted into pressure energy.
The volute design ensures that it is aligned with the trajectory of the liquid
leaving the impeller. This ensures efficient energy transfer and
conversion.
The liquid is then guided towards the pump discharge flange.
The volute type of pump is the most common type in use.
The lower diagram shows a diffuser casing. In this type of pump, as the
liquid leaves the tip of the impeller it moves through a set of angled vanes
known as diffusers. Again, these are lined up with the direction of the
pumped liquid as it leaves the impeller. The diffusers then guide the liquid
into the outer section of casing where its velocity decreases and pressure
increases before flowing to the discharge flange.
discharge flange
Bearings
Figure 11 is an illustration of a simple bearing
arrangement. The shaft is supported by two
radial ball bearing races, which allow it to
rotate with minimum friction.
Thrust force is a force which is directed along
the axis of the pump shaft. It arises because of
the difference in pressure between the
discharge and suction sides of the pump
acting on the impeller. In Figure 11, the thrust
force will be from right to left, (from high
pressure to low pressure).
Motor
oil sump
Seals
Figure 12 is an illustration of a typical packed
seal. In this type of seal the packing consists
of rings of asbestos rope which are
impregnated with graphite. The rings are
placed around the shaft and compressed into
a packing gland by means of a gland
follower, the pressure on which can be
adjusted by four bolts.
drive end
Stationary seal
Pump Configurations
Figure 14 shows examples of how centrifugal pumps may be configured to increase flow, or to
increase pressure.
b)
Figure 14 a, b and c:
Centrifugal Pump Configurations
n Figure 14a, a single pump is delivering 100
gallons per minute with a total head of 50 psi
discharge head - suction head = total head.
c)
run either pump on its own to produce a flow rate of 100 gallons per minute and a total head of 50
psi, or,
run both pumps together to produce a flow rate of 200 gallons per minute and a total head of 50
psi.
In Figure 14c, we can increase the pressure by running two pumps in series. This means that the first
pump discharges into the suction of the second pump.
In this case
both pumps must be run together
The answers to these can be found in Check Yourself 6 and 7 on Pages 66 and 67
Item
shaft sleeve 'O' Ping
Shroud
lantern ting
wear rings
Flush inlet
Vane
Slinger ring
Glance holes
Gland follower
Volute
bell bearing race
Diffuser
Casing
Impeller
Bearing
Seal
Summary of Section 2
Shaft seals
We exarnined Finally we looked at wly cenlrHugal pumps are fitted with a mintmum Ilew 5qstern, oriSuring that
flow difterent types of pump casing played a they do not become damaged due to overheating part in converting kirxatic energy into pressure and cavilMion.
energy
how e can change flow and!ar prassura
characteris,tfcs by changirG pump In the next s9olian.
We Will ta'r.C_ ;1 I:i-k at a typicj~O
ceniigu:alions (parallel v. series)
aid metering land sampling systern
In particular, we looked at
the construction and :inierp-re;etion of a set of pump performance curves for a typical centrifugal pump and how they incorporate the concepts and ideas which
we had previously enc,ountered
a typicat centriluga' pump arrangement with its inlet and outtlet lines and associated equipment
or
type of fluid
pipe diameter
orifice diameter
flow rate
inlet pressure
or
a flow straightening vane to be fitted
upstream of the plate
Turbine Meters
Turbine meters are the most popular method of
measuring produced oil. They are accurate,
reliable and are easily proved and adjusted.
Turbine meters consist of a straight flow tube
within which a turbine or fan is free to rotate.
You can see this in Figure 20. The flowing
stream causes the turbine to rotate at a speed
proportional to the flowrate. If the flow
increases, the turbine will spin faster. If the flow
decreases the turbine will rotate more slowly.
Metering Systems
The component parts of a typical turbine
metering run are shown in Figure 21. These
consist of
a pressure transmitter
an on-line densitometer
Meter Proving
You saw, from Test-Yourself 9, that small
inaccuracies in measurement of oil can result
in considerable revenue losses. In order to
minimise any errors the meters are proved at
regular intervals. The term proving is used in
the oil industry to refer to the calibration of oil
meters.
The procedure involves comparing the
indicated (recorded) volume of oil passing
through the meter with the actual (true) volume
as measured by a very accurate device known
as a prover. From this comparison a correction
factor can be obtained which is then used to
convert the observed flow readings to true
values.
This correction factor is known as the meter
factor.
There are various types of meter prover, but
the most common one is the pipe prover.
Brushes
sphere
Brush pig
Page 40 of 80
Sampling Systems
Page 41 of 80
Types of Pig
the brush pig is used for cleaning and dewaxing pipelines. (Scrapers may also be
included in the design). Brush pigs in liquid
service often incorporate a series of pipes
which provide liquid channels through the pig
centre. Some of the liquid behind the-pig will
pass through the pipes and, because of the
angle at which these pipes are set, the pig
rotates, thus improving the brushing effect. In
addition, the jetting action this causes ahead to
the pig stops a build up of debris at that point.
Page 42 of 80
Page 43 of 80
Page 44 of 80
Safety Systems
You will note from Figure 25 that a number of
interlocks have been labelled. I do not intend
to go into any detail on these -this topic will be
covered extensively by other Units in the
Petroleum Processing Technology Series.
As a simple illustration, however:
interlock A on the pig launcher door
Interlock B on valve B (inlet to the pig
launcher)
interlock C on valve C (outlet from the pig
launcher)
interlock D on the pig launcher low pressure
switch
work together to ensure that the pig launcher
door cannot be opened unless
valve B is closed
Summary of Section 4
In this section we have looked at:
?
Test Yourself 11
1. Why do pig launchers systems present an explosion hazard?
2. What steps should always be taken before a pig launcher door is
opened?
The answers are given in Check Yourself 11, which you will find on
Page --.
Booster Pumps
If we look at Figure 26, on the next page, we
can see how the booster pump system
works.
Sampling System
Figure 27 shows the layout of a typical sampling system.
Page 51 of 78
Page 52 of 78
Metering System
In the metering system shown in Figure 28,
I have included just one meter run and a
prover loop. The meter run, which we could
designate run 'A', is from upstream of the
inlet block valve (HV 1) to downstream of
the outlet block valve (MOV 1). In a
complete system there would be three or
more parallel runs. I have indicated this in
the drawing as additional runs'B' and'C'.
Pig Launching
The pig launching facility is illustrated in
Figure 32. It is similar to the-one I have
described previously,
through ESDV 2
through MOV 1
to the pipeline
Summary of Section 5
In this section we have:
Now, finally, try this Test yourself, which covers some of the topics we have
discussed in Section 5.
?
Test Yourself 2
1. What do you understand by a time-pressure race?
2. In pig launching operations, what does the flag do?
3. What do we mean by the meter factor?
4. In the case of the booster pumps, why does the minimum flow
system re-cycle oil back to the second stage separator, and not
directly to the booster pump inlet?
5. The minimum flow system for the main pipeline pumps re-cycles
oil directly to the pump suction. Why does this arrangement differ
from that for the booster pumps?
6. What types of analysis does out sampling system perform
continuously on the oil flow?
You will find the answers to Test Yourself 12 on Page 65.
Unit Summary
In the course of this Unit on Oil Pumping and Metering, we have:
looked at some of the t h e o r i e s behind the operation of centrifugal pumps, including the behaviour of fluids, centrifugal
force and energy.
Detailed the component parts of a centrifugal pump, and the role each, plays in its operation
Examined the main design features of a metering and sampling system, and how it is controlled and operated
Familiarised ourselves with the layout and operations of a pig launching facility
Discussed the main design and operational aspects of a typical oil pumping and metering system
Now go back to the Training Targets on Page 4 of this unit and satisfy yourself that you are able to meet those targets.
Check Yourself 1
Check Yourself 2
=
=
0.85
11 lbs
10 lbs
1.1
Check Yourself 3
Check Yourself 4
b. the static suction line pressure
c. the NPSH
a. the pressure at which gas or vapour is
released
The NP H represents the minimum design
pressure to prevent gas or vapour release and
should therefore be above this gas / vapour
release pressure by a safe margin
The static suction head pressure would normally
be maintained at about 10% above the NPSH.
Check Yourself 5
70 % differential
pressure
Check
Yourself
= 83.7% flow = 41.9 gals/ min
Check Yourself 6
8
When
pumpingYourself
20 cubic metres
Check
7 per hour
this pump will:
require
minimum40
of cubic
3.4 metres
head
Your answer should look like the following:
When apumping
metres
perofflour this
40% differential pressure
liquid
pumaNPSH
will ;
= 63.2% flow = 31.6 gals/ min
Casing
Impeller
Bearing
Seal
Item
develop
57 metres
total head
of liquid
require
a minimum
of 3.9
metres head of
Therefore the flow rate
Shaft
would
sleeve
fall O
by ring
liquid NPSH
41.9. 31.6 = 10.3 gals/ min
consume
8
kilowatts
of
power
Shroud
Wear rings
consume11.7 kilowatts of power
Flush inlet
approximately
operate at 85% efficiency
Vane
Slinger ring
approximately
Balance holes
Gland follower
Volute
Check Yourself 9
1.0% of 60,000 bbl/ day = 600 bbl/ day = 600 x 365 bbl/ year = 219,000 bbl/ year
(assuming, of course, that the installation produces at that rate without interruption).
At $25 per barrel, this error is valued at about $5.5 million per year.
This example emphasises very effectively the importance of accuracy in the metering process. You should note that the error is equally
undesirable, whether it involves an over-measurement or under-measurement of crude oil volume.
Check Yourself 10
1. densitometer
7. Booster pumps
2. Flow straightening
vanes
8. Pick-up coil
9. Orifice plate
4. vena contracta
5. Prover loop
6. BS&W analyser
Check Yourself 11
Check Yourself 12
1) When restarting the booster pumps after a shutdown due to low pressure, it will
be necessary to by-pass the pressure switch low-low (PSLL - see Figure 26) for
a short while. This gives the pump sufficient time to build up enough pressure to
re-set PSLL.
2) The flag is part of the pig launch indicator mechanism, and signals that the pig
has passed that particular point in the system.
3) The meter factor is a correction factor which allows us to convert observed flow
readings to true values.
It is calculated during the meter proving procedure, by comparing the true value of
liquid passing through the meter in a given time, with the volume registered by the
meter in the same time:
meter factor
4) Re-cycling directly back to the pump suction would cause the oil to become
progressively hotter. Re-cycling to the separator will give the oil an opportunity
to cool down.
5) The separators are upstream of the flow meters. If we re-cycled oil to the
separators, it would pass through the meters twice and give us a false flow
reading.
6) (i) density or specific gravity
(ii) basic sediment and water (BS&W)
samples are also taken for more detailed laboratory analysis.