218 PUMPS TURBINE PUMPS Turbine pumps are a type of centrifugal pumps designed to recover power in systems of high flow and high differential pressure. These pumps transmit some of the Kinetic energy in the fluid into brake horsepower. The:actual energy recovery is about 30% of the hydraulic horsepower available. ‘This type of pump is expensive and is therefore not as widely used as the centrifugal pump. ROTARY PUMPS. Rotary pumps are positive displacement pumps. Unlike the centrifugal type ‘pump, these types do not throw the pumping fluid against the casing but push the fluid forward in a positive manner similar to the action of a.piston. These pumps, however, do produce a fairly smooth discharge, flow unlike that associated with a reciprocating pump. The types of rotary pumps commonly used in a process plant are: © The gear pump This pump consists of two or more gears enclosed in a closely fitted casing, The arrangement is such that when the gear teeth are rotated they ate enmeshed on one side of the casing. This allows the fluid to enter the void between gear and casing. The fluid is then carried, around to the discharge side by the gear teeth, which then push the fluid into the discharge outlet as the teeth mesh again. cea © Screw pumps ‘These have from one to three suitably threaded serewed rotors of various designs in a fixed casing, As the rotors turn, liquid fills the space between the.setew threads and is displaced axially as the threads mesh. - ...« © Lobular pumps...The lobular. pump, consists of, Wo. or more rotors eut with two, three, or more lobes on each rotor. The rotors are synchronized’ for ' positive rotation by external gears. The action of these pumps is similar to gear pumps but the flow is usually more pulsating than that from the-gear pump. © Vane pumps ‘Theté arc tivo types of vane pumps: those that have swinging ‘vanes and those that have éliding vahes. ‘The swinging vane type consists ofa “pumped fluid and force’ it into the'pump discharge. The sliding vane pump émploys vanes that are held against the casing’by the’ centrifugal force of the ‘puinped fluid as the Fotor'turns, Liquid trapped betweert two varies is carried around the casing from the itlel and forced out of the discharge." “ «1 RECIPROCATING PUMPS (0 “ ” ‘These are positive displacement pumps and use.a piston within fixed cylinder to, pump a constant volume of fluid for each stroke of the piston: The discharge from reciprocating pumps is ‘pulsating, Reciprocating ‘pumps ‘fall into. two general categories: the simplex type and the duplex type. In the case, of the simplex pump there is only one cylinder which draws in the fluid to be pumped on the. back stroke and discharges it on the forward stroke. External valves open and close to series Of hinged varles which swing’oat &s the rotor turns. ‘This'action traps the:‘TYPES OF PUMPS 219 enable the pumping action to proceed in the manner described. The duplex pump has a similar pumping action to the simplex pump. In this ease, however, there are two parallel cylinders which operate on alternate stroke to one another. That is, when the first cylinder is on the suction stroke the second is on the discharge stroke. Reciprocating ‘pumps may have direct-acting drives or may be driven through a crankcase and gear box. In the case of the direct-acting drive the pump piston is connected to a steam drive piston by a conimon piston rod. ‘The pump piston therefore is actuated by the steam piston directly. Reciprocating pumps driven by electric motor, turbines, etc. are connected to the prime mover through a geatbox and crankcase. OTHER POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS ‘There are other positive displacement pumps commonly used in the process industry for special services. Some of these are: © Metering or proportioning pumps ‘These are small reciprocating plunger type pumps with an adjustable stroke, They sre used to inject fixed amount of fluids into a larger stream or vessel. © Diaphragm pumps These pumps are used for handling thick pulps, sludge, acid or alkaline solution, and fluids containing gritty solid suspensions. They are particularly suited to these kinds of service because the working parts are associated with moving the diaphragm back and forth to cause the pumping action. ‘The working parts therefore do.not come into contact with this type of fluid, which would be harmful to them,” CHARACTERISTIC CURVES Pump action and the performance .of a’ pump are defined in terms of their characteristic curves. These outves corrélate the capacity of the pump. in unit volume per unit time versus discharge or differential pressures. Typical curves are shown in Figures 4.1-4.3. Figure 4.1 is a characteristic curve for a reciprocating simplex pump which is direct driven. Inchided also is this reciprocating pump on a power drive. Figure 4.2 gives a typical curve for a rotary pump. Here the ‘capacity, of the pump is plotted against discharge pressure for two levels of pump speed. The curves also show the plot of brake hiotsepower Versus discharge pressure for the ttvo pump speed levels, Figure 4.3 is a typical characteristic curve for a centrifugal pump. This curve uswally shows four pump relationships in four plots. These are: ©: A plot of capacity. versus differential head, ‘The. differential, head is the «differénce‘in pressure between the suction and discharge. © The pump efficiency as a percentage versus capacity.220 PUMPS: Simplex pump Discharge pressure (psig) —> | asta —}— rate —| 685 ‘Capac (gal ly —> Figure 4.1, Characteristic eurves for a reciprocating pump <= Horwepower =e Capasty Gall min) —— The brake horsepower of the pump versus capacity. ¢ ‘The net’ positive head (NPSH)'required by the: pump versus capacity. The required NPSH for the putip is @ characteristic determined by the manu- facturer. . .PUMP SELECTION 221 4 | ei B old log i me i io Capacity a in) —> Figure 4.3. A typical characteristic curve for a ceittrifugal type pump 4.2" Pump Selection Most industrial pumping applications favour the use of centrifugal purips.. The prominenée of this type of pump stems from its ‘ability to handle a very wide spectrum of fluids over a latge range of pumping conditions. It is fitting that in, considering pump selection the first choice has to be the centrifugal pump, and all others become a selection by exception. Centrifugal pumps are generally the simplest in construction, lowest first cost and easiest to operate and to maintain. ‘This section therefore begins with the selection characteristics of the centrifugal Pump. ' ‘THE CENTRIFUGAL-PUMP * . “ Before looking at the selection of the. centrifugal puinp itis necessary to define te following ternology astcited with pumps in general. Thee are Capacity a Be : colt Differential head ; 7 Available NPSH . a Required NPSHL Capacity ‘This can be defined as the amount of fluid the pump. can handle per unit time and at « differential pressure or head. This is usually expressed "a gallons pet minute ata diferential head of so many pounds per square’inch of so many feet: ©: Differential head This is‘the difference in pressure between the suction of oe eowe.222 PUMPS the pump and the discharge. It is usually expressed as psi and feet in specifying a purnp. The following formula is the conversion from psi to feet: AH = 23x AP SG where AM = the differential head in feet of fluid being pumped 3 differential pressure of the fluid across the pump measured in pounds per square inch SG = the specific gravity of the fluid at the pumping temperature © Available NPSH ‘The available net positive suction head, (NPSH) is the static head available (in feet or metres) above the vapour pressure of the fluid at the pumping temperature. This is a feature of the design of the system which includes the pump. © Required NPSH This is the static head aboye the vapour pressure of the uid required by the pump design to function properly. ‘The required NPSH must always be less than the available NPSHI., : SELECTION CHARACTERISTICS Selection of any pump must depend on its ability to handle“a particular fluid effectively and efficiency of the pump under normal operating conditions. The second “Of these primary requirements can be “determined by the pumip's chlatactéristic curves, These have already ‘been’ described in Section 4.1 and’a’ further discussion on these'now follows, Capacity range... we Normal Figures 4.4 and 4.5 show the normal capacity range for various types of centrifugal pumps in two different speed ranges, 3350 rpm 2950 rpm. These values correspond to motor full load-speeds available with. current at 60 and 50 cycles, respectively. Most process applications call for these speed ranges. Lower speeds are for low of miediumi head arid high’ capacity réquirements, ‘atid for special abrasive slurries of dorrosive liquids:-Low-capacity centrifugal pump applidations may requite special recirculation provisions in the process design to maintain a minimum flow through the pump. Because of practical consideration in impeller construction, the smallest available process type centrifugal pumps ‘are ‘rated at about 50 gpm (maximum efficiency point). High and low capacity ranges Pumps above the limits shown in Figures 4.4 and.4.5, will normally require large horsepower drivers. Special investigation of efficiency, speed, NPSH require- ments, ete. will normally be justified. As an example, heads at or above the limitsPUMP SELECTION 223 shown for multi-stage pumps at standard motor speed may be obtained by specd-increasing gears (motor drive) or turbines to give pump operating speeds above maximum motor speeds (NPSH requirements increase with speed). In general, centrifugal pumps should not be operated continuously at flows less than approximately 20% of the normal rating of the pump. ‘The normal rating for the pump is the capacity corresponding to the maximum efficiency point. The following table lists minimum desirable flow rates which should be maintained by continuous recirculation if the required process flow conditions are of lower mageitude: 60 eyele speed (3550.rpm)- ‘Minimum : contifiuous . Head range capacity rating Normal rating (oO) Pump type of pump (gpm) (gpm) To 100 i stage 10 60 100-350 ; ‘1 stage 15, 75-100 350-650 ' 2 stage 30 150 650-1100 2 stage. oy 40: 160 400-1200. Multistage * 18 50 1200-5500 Multistage 40° 300-120 “50 cycle speed (2950 rpin) . . Tos I stage 10. 50 75-250 1 stage 15 60-80 250-450 2istage 4 120 450-775... . 2stage 30 130 250-850." Multi-stage 10 40 850-3800... Multi-stage 30 80-100 Care must be exercised in the design of any recirculation system to ensure that the fecirculated flow does not increase the temperature. of pump suction and ‘cause increased vapour pressure and reduction of available NPSH. ' For low head pumps that can operate at 1750 or 1450rpm, the above normal and minimum continuous capacities are reduced by 50%. Effect of liquid viscosity . ‘When: suitably designed, centrifuga] pumps, ean satisfactorily handle Ii containing: solids, dirt, grit. and corrosive compounds. “Though fluids with viscosities up ‘to. 20000 $SU, (440, cSt) can, be handled, 3000§SU (650 cSt) “is usually the practical limitation from an economical operating standpoint. Affect of suction head An important requirement is that there be sufficient net positive suction head at the eye, of the first-stage impeller., This. is, static pressure above the vapour