192 Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants
Note that the equivalent suction lift must be added
to the total discharge head for the pump system to
obtain the total system head. Keep in mind that the
work the pump must accomplish is overcoming the suc-
tion losses ( + or - ) plus the discharge losses, that is, +
discharge loss (all) - (+ if head, or - if lift on suction
losses, all). Thus, the suction lift becomes a ( - ) (-) or
a (+) to obtain the total system head. Keep in mind
that a vacuum condition on the suction of a pump
never helps the pump, but in effect is a condition that
the pump must work to overcome.
Example 3-9: Process Vacuum System, Use Figure 3-45
For this process example, again using water for conve-
nience, a low pressure, low temperature water is emptied
into a vented vessel, and then pumped to the process at a
location at about 3000 feet altitude (see Appendix A-6)
where atmospheric pressure is approximately 13.2 psia.
Water SpGr is at 200F = 0.963.
Determine the NPSH, for pump:
NPSHA = t S + (pa - Pv) (2.31/SpGr) - hSl
= +10 + (13.2 - 11.5)(2.3)/.963 - 1.0
+
NPSHA = 13.07 ft available
For hydrocarbons and water significantly above room
temperatures, the Hydraulic Institute [171 recommends
the use of a correction deduction as given in Figure 3-46.
This indicates that the required NPSH as given on the
pump curves can be reduced for conditions within the
range of the curve based on test data.
If the pump given in the curve of Figure 3-36A were
being used to pump butane at 90F and 0.58 gravity,
the correction multiplier from the NPSH curve is
about 0.99 by interpolation. This means that the values
of Figure 3-36A should be multiplied by 0.99 to obtain
the actual NPSH the pump would require when han-
dling a hydrocarbon of these conditions. The correction
does not apply to other fluids.
If the system pressure were 46 psia, then NPSHA
available = -8 + (46 - 44)(2.31/0.58) - 1 2 = -12
feet, and this is an impossible and unacceptable condi-
tion. This means liquid will flash in the line and in the
impeller, and cannot be pumped. NPSH must always be
positive in sign.
High altitude venting
P = 13.2 PSlA
P = 11.5 PSlA
- 200F Water
Figure 3-45. High altitude process vacuum system, NPSH require-
ments.
Reductions in NPSHR
Limitations for use of the Hydraulic Institute NPSH
reduction chart (Figure 3-46) are [17]:
1. NPSH reductions should be limited to 50% of the
NPSHR required by the pump for cold water, which
is the fluid basis of the manufacturers NPSHR
curves.
2. Based on handling pure liquids, without entrained
air or other non-condensable gases, which adversely
affect the pump performance.
3. Absolute pressure at the pump inlet must not be low
enough to release non-condensables of (2). If such
release can occur, then the NPSHR would need to be
increased above that of the cold water requirements
to avoid cavitation and poor pump performance.
4. For fluids, the worst actual pumping temperature
should be used.
5. A factor of safety should be applied to ensure that
NPSH does not become a problem.
6. Do not extrapolate the chart beyond NPSH reduc-
tions of 10 feet.
Example 3-10: Corrections to NPSHR for Hot Liquid
Hydrocarbons and Water
In Figure 3-46, use the dashed example lines at a tem-
perature of 55F for propane [17},and follow the vertical
line to the propane vapor pressure dashed line, which
 Pumping of Liquids 193

00 150
TEMPERATURE F
Figure 3-46. NPSH reductions for pumps handling hydrocarbon liquids and high temperature water. (Note: do not use for other fluids.) (By
permission, ~ y d r[nsfitute
~ ~ ~ Standards
i ~ for Centrifugal, Rotary, and Reciprocating Pumps, Hydraulic Institute, 13th ed., 1975.)
194 Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants
reads 100 psia vapor pressure. Then follow the slant lines
(parallel) to read the scale for NPSH reductions, that is,
feet at 9.5 ft.
Now the pump selected reads NPSHR on its pump per-
formance curve of 12 feet for cold water service.
Now, % of 12 ft = 6 ft
Figure 3-46 reads = 9.5 ft reduction
Corrected value of NPSHR to use = 6 ft, since 9.5 ft is
> % the cold water value
Example 3-11: Alternate to Example 3-10
Assume that a boiler feed water is being pumped at 180
OF. Read the chart in Figure 3-46 and the water vapor pres-
sure curve, and follow over to read NPSH reduction =
0.45 feet. A pump selected for the service requires 6 feet
cold water service NPSHR:
% o f 6= 3 f t
Value from chart for 180F = 0.45 ft reduction
Then correct NPSH, to use = 6 ft - 0.45 ft = 5.55 ft
required by the pump
for this service
Specific Speed
The specific speed of a centrifugal pump correlates the
basic impeller types as shown in Figure 3-47.
The formula for specific speed index number is:
N, = nfi/H3/4 (3-11)
where: (2is the GPM capacity at speed n in rpm and head H.
H is the total head per stage, in feet.
The principle of dynamical similarity expresses the fact
that two pumps geometrically similar to each other will
I I I I I I I I I I
I cu
Impeller Values of Specific Speed
Impeller Shrouds
Radial -Vane Field Francis-Screw Field
Figure 3-47. Impeller designs and corresponding specific speed range. (By permission, Standards of the Hydraulic Institute, 10th ed.) Also
see [17], Hydraulic Institute, 13th ed., 1975.
have similar (not necessarily identical) performance char-
acteristics. The three main characteristics of capacity,
head, and rotative speed are related into a single term
designated specific speed [ 251. The expression for spe-
cific speed is the same whether the pump has a single or
double suction impeller.
The principle significance of specific speed for the
process engineer is to evaluate the expected performance
of a second pump in a particular manufacturers series
while basing it on the known performance (or curve) at
the point of optimum efficiency of a first and different
size pump. In effect the performance of any impeller of a
manufacturers homologous series can be estimated from
the known performance of any other impeller in the
series, at the point of optimum efficiency. Figures 3-48
and 3-49 represent the standardized conditions of essen-
tially all pump manufacturers.
A typical operating specific speed curve is shown
in Figure 3-50 and represents a technique for plotting
the specific speed on the operating performance
curve. Figure 3-50 represents a 6-inch pump operating
at 1760 rpm, with maximum efficiency at 1480 GPM
and 132 feet head [25]. The operating specific speed is
zero at no flow and increases to infinity at the maxi-
mum flow of 2270 gpm and zero head. Stable opera-
tions beyond about 1600-1700 gpm cannot be planned
from such a curve with a sharp cutoff drop for head
capacity.
Type specific speed is defined as that operating spe-
cific speed that gives the maximum efficiency for a specif-
ic pump and is the number that identifies the pump type
[25]. This index number is independent of the rotative
speed at which the pump is operating, because any change
in speed creates a change in capacity in direct proportion
and a change in head that varies as the square of the speed
[25]. Practice is to true type the specific speed of the
pump reasonably close to the conditions of maximum effi-
I I I I I I I I I1
* m- a- F a(- m-g- ..
Mixed-Flow Field Axial-Flow Field