12/24/2016 WhatYouNeedtoKnowaboutNPSH&Cavitation

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WhatYouNeedtoKnowaboutNPSH&Cavitation
PumpingPrescriptions
byLevNelik,Ph.D.,P.E.

Oneoftheclaimedadvantagesofcentrifugalpumpsoverpositivedisplacementpumpsistheir
abilitytooperateoverawiderangeofflowrates.Becauseacentrifugalpumpoperatesatthe
intersectionofthepumpcurveandthesystemcurve,varyingthesystemcurvecaneasily
changetheoperatingpointofthepump.

Theconvenienceandsimplicityofflowcontrolbydischargevalvethrottlingcomesataprice
becausethepumpisforcedtoruneithertotheleftortotherightofitsbestefficiencypoint
(BEP).

However,therealdangerofoperatingthepumptoofaroffpeakcomesfromsuctionside
considerations:toofartotheright,andyouriskrunningoutofnetpositivesuctionheadavailable
(NPSHA),causingcavitationproblemstoofartotheleft,andflowrecirculationattheimpeller
eyewillbecomeevidentthroughnoise,vibrationanddamage.Asaresult,theflowmustbe
limitedonbothsidesoftheBEP.

Figure1.Flowcontrolofthecentrifugalpump
bythedischargevalve(Graphicscourtesyoftheauthor)

Figure2.Apumpoperatingrangehaslimits.

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Figure3a.OpentankFigure3b.Pressurized
tankFigure3c.Tankundervacuum

VaporPressure
Considerthefirstlimitation:highflow.Acentrifugalpumpstopspumpingwhenliquidturnsto
vapor.Thishappenswhenthepressuresomewhereinsidethepumpdropsbelowtheliquids
vaporpressure.

Vaporpressuredependsontemperatureandafewotherfactors.Waterturnstovaporat212F
atatmosphericpressurewhenboilinginanopenpot.Inaclosedpot,thewaterwouldreach
higherpressurebeforeitboils.Conversely,ifthepressurewerereduced(vacuum),waterwould
boilatalowertemperature.Waterwillboilatroomtemperatureiftheabsolutepressureisless
thanabout0.4poundspersquareinchabsolute(psia).
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Waterhaslowvaporpressure,butothersubstancesexhibitaveryhighvalue.Freon,for
example,hasavaporpressureofabout90psia,andethanesvaporpressureisabout700psiat
80F.

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Figure4.Developmentofcavitation

Knowingvaporpressurewithoutrelatingittoacorrespondingtemperatureismeaningless.
Sometimesitisgoodtohaveatabulation,oragraph,showingtherelationshipbetweenthe
vaporpressureandtemperaturethehigherthetemperature,thehigherthevaporpressure.

Acentrifugalpumpisapressuregenerator,producedbythecentrifugalforceofitsrotating
impeller.Thepressuregetshigherasflowprogressesfromthesuctiontodischarge.Thisiswhy
vaporizationofliquidismostlikelytohappenintheinlet(suction)region,wherethepressureis
lowest.

Inpractice,itisdifficulttoknowexactlywhenvaporization(cavitation)happens,soitiswiseto
keepsomemarginofavailablesuctionpressureovervaporpressure.Thepressure(expressed
infeetofwater)iscalleddischargeheadatthepumpexitside,orsuctionheadontheinletside.
Thedifferenceisapumpdevelopedhead,alsocalledtotaldynamichead(TDH).Theseheads
mustincludebothstaticanddynamiccomponents.

Forwaterandotherlowviscosityliquids,suctionlossesareusuallylowandoftendisregarded.
Formoreviscoussubstancessuchasoils,theselossescanbesubstantialandcausethe
pressureinfrontofthepumptodropbelowthevaporpressure,leadingtocavitation.Theinlet
velocitymustbeminimizedbecausethelossesdependonvelocitysquared,whichisessentially
suctionheaddynamicenergy.

Longerpiperuns,bends,turnsandotherrestrictionsaddtoinletlosses,leadingtofurther
pressurereductioninfrontofapump.Toavoidcavitation,whatmattersisnotthesuction
pressurebuthowmuchhigherthesuctionpressureisthanthevaporpressureoftheliquidbeing
pumped.ThisiswheretheconceptofNPSHcomesinhandy.NPSHAissimplythedifference
betweenthistotalsuctionheadandvaporpressure,expressedashead,infeet.

Pumpmanufacturersconducttestsbygraduallyloweringsuctionpressureandobservingwhen
thingsgetoutofhandthepumpheadwouldeventuallybegintodrop.Forawhile,aspressure
decreases(i.e.NPSHAgetssmaller),nothingobvioushappens.Apump,operatingatasetflow,
keepspumpinganddevelopsconstanthead.Atsomepoint,whenthesuctionpressure(and
correspondingNPSHA)reachesacertainvalue,pumpheadbeginstodrop.Thistypically
happensrathersuddenly.

Figure5.AmplemarginofNPSHAisimportant.

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Cavitation
Thingsareactuallyhappeninginsidethepumpwellbeforethesuddendropofhead,though
theseeffectsarenotobvious.First,atstillsubstantialsuctionpressure,smallbubblesbeginto
form.Thisiscalledincipientcavitation,whichcanbecomparedtothetinybubblesthatbeginto
percolateinakettlebeforethewaterisfullyboiling.Thesesmallbubblesareformedand
collapseatveryhighfrequencyandcanonlybedetectedbyspecialinstrumentation.As
pressurecontinuestodecrease,morebubblesform.

Eventually,therearesomanyofthemthatthepumpinletbecomesvaporlocked.Thismeans
thatnofluidpassesthrough,andthepumpstopspumpingtheheaddropsanddisappears
quickly.

NPSH
Whileitwouldbeidealtoalwayshaveenoughpressureavailableatthesuctiontopreventthe
formationofbubbles,thisisnotpractical.TheHydraulicInstitute(HI)hasestablishedaspecial
valueofNPSHAatwhichthepumpsTDHdropsby3percent.Thisvalueatwhichapumploses
3percentTDHovervaporpressureiscallednetpositivesuctionheadrequired(NPSHR),the
valuerequiredtomaintain3percentTDHloss.

NPSHRisestablishedbyanactualtestandmayvaryfromonepumpdesigntoanother.

Incontrast,NPSHAisstrictlyacalculatedvalueoftotalsuctionheadovervaporpressure.
NPSHAmustbegreaterthanNPSHRforapumptoreachoptimalperformance,ortodelivera
TDHatagivenflowwithoutcavitationordropinhead.

WhenapumphasanobviousNPSHproblem,itwillstoppumping.However,evensmallbubbles
cancauseissues.Theevolvedbubblesgetcarriedthroughtheimpellerpassage,atwhich
pressureisrisingfrominlettoexitofthebladecascade.Thisincreasedpressurecausesthe
reverseofwhathappenedtothebubblesearlierwhentheyfirstformedfromliquidparticles
duringphasetransformation(boiling).

Now,thebubblesareathigherpressure,whichsqueezesthemagainstthevaporsurface
tensionthatmaintainsthem.Thebubblescollapsewithasuddeninrushofsurroundingliquid
intoavacuumspacepreviouslyoccupiedbythebubbles.Theinrushisaccompaniedbya
tremendous,butverylocalized,pressureshock.

Ifimplodedinthevicinityoftheimpellerblade,thispressureshockwouldcauseamicroscopic
hammerlikeimpact,erodingthemetal.Withenoughbubblesandenoughtime,theimpeller
vanescouldbeerodedaway,aphenomenonknownascavitationdamage.

ThisiswhyanNPSHAmargin(M=NPSHANPSHR)isimportant.Themarginistypically3to5
feet,andshouldbeevenmore,ifpossible.

TheNPSHRdiscussedabovewaslimitedtoaparticularflowonapumpperformancecurve.At
higherflow,theinternalfluidvelocitiesarehigher.AccordingtoBernoulli,thestaticpressure(or
statichead)becomeslower,orclosertovaporpressure.
Asaresult,thestaticpressuremustbeincreasedexternally.Inotherwords,ahighervalueof
NPSHRisneededforhigherflows(seeFigure5,page18).

CaseStudy
ItisimportanttospecifyanampleNPSHmarginforacompleterangeofoperation,notjustata
singleratedflowpoint.ThefollowingexampleillustratesacommonmistakeleadingtoNPSH
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problems.

Apumpwasprocuredtodeliverbetween350and500gallonsperminute(gpm),andthe
manufacturerindicatedanNPSHRof16feetat500gpm.Theprocesslaterchanged,however,
somoreflowwasrequired750gpm.Todeliverthisincreasedflow,thedischargevalvewas
opened.Atabout700gpm,however,theNPSHRexceededtheNPSHAattheinstallation,and
thepumpbegantoexperiencetypicalNPSHproblemsnoise,lossofperformanceandimpeller
cavitationdamage(seeFigure5,page18).

Acommonmethodofaddressingcavitationresultingfromflowrunoutoperationistooversize
thepump,whichcausesittooperatetotheleftoftheBEP.Intheexampleabove,alargerpump,
havingthesame16feetNPSHRbutoperatingat750to800gpm,wouldneverrunoutofthe
NPSHA.Ithasbeencommonpracticetooversizethepumptomakesurethepumpdoesnt
experiencecavitation.Thisaction,however,oftenresultsinothersevereproblems.

Whenacentrifugalpumpoperatesbelowacertainflowpoint,aphenomenonknownasflow
recirculationoccursintheimpellereye.Whileitdependsondesignfactorssuchassuction
specificspeed,recirculationgenerallybeginsbetween60to80percentflowandbecomesquite
severebelow20to40percent.Atevenlowerflows,recirculationmaybecomeespeciallysevere,
aphenomenonknownassurgeaviolent,lowfrequencysoundaccompaniedbystronglow
frequencyvibrationofthepumpandpiping(seeFigure6).

Figure6.Problemscomeupwhenapump
operatesattoolowflow.

Inadditiontoobviousmechanicalproblemswithrecirculation,theflowundergoesacomplex
vortexingmotionattheimpellerinlet,withlocalizedhighvelocitiesofthevortexcausing
horseshoeshapedcavitationdamage.Thisdamageusuallyoccursontheblindsideofthe
blade,ascomparedwithdamagecausedbyhighflowcavitation.Anotherpotentialproblemis
radialthrust,whichskyrocketsatlowflowandcausesshaftdeflections,whichcanleadtoseal
leaks,bearinglifereductionandevenshaftbreakage.

Troubleshootingmethodsandfailureanalysistechniqueshelptopinpointcavitationproblems
withaparticularpump.Theindicationsofhighflowcavitationaredifferentfromthoseoflowflow
recirculationdamage.

Theextentandshapeofthecavitationtroughcanbehelpfulindeterminingthecausesofeach
individualproblem.

Visithttp://pumpingmachinery.com/pump_school/pump_school.htmforinformationregarding
cavitationandairentrainmentdemonstrations.

SeeotherPumpingPrescriptionsarticleshere.
AbouttheAuthor
Dr.Nelik(akaDr.Pump)ispresidentofPumpingMachineryLLC,anAtlantabasedfirm
specializinginpumpconsulting,training,equipmenttroubleshootingandpumprepairs.Dr.Nelik
has30yearsofexperienceinpumpsandpumpingequipment.Hemaybereachedatpump
magazine.com.Formoreinformation,visit
pumpingmachinery.com/pump_school/pump_school.htm.

Topics
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