Operating Failure Contributors 51

H H

δHpu
δHsy
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∆Hsy 3 S
1 2
∆Hpu
∆Q
∆Q

S = system
characteristic
Qop Qop
Q Q
(a) (b)

FIGURE 3.3
Pump H-Q intersection with system H-Q: (a) stable and (b) unstable.

the flow point back to the intersection of the two curves, and likewise for a
negative flow perturbation.
In contrast, Figure 3.3b shows three intersection points of the pump and
system H-Q curves, where the intersection point 2 indicates an unsteady
flow condition since any flow perturbation ΔH at 2 will cause the flow at that
point to shift to one of the two stable flow points, 1 or 3, where the system
curve has a higher slope than the pump curve. Figure 1.14 (see Chapter 1)
shows a graph from experimental research results of impeller dynamic
unsteady hydraulic forces upon an impeller as a function of percent of best
efficiency flow and as a function of the ratio of frequency to rotational-speed
frequency (Adams 2010). As Figure 1.14 shows, the unsteady fluid dynamic
impeller forces get stronger the lower the flow from the best efficiency point
(BEP), with the dominating dynamic forces at frequencies predominantly
below the rotational frequency. This is consistent with many pump vibration
measurements taken on vibration-troubled power plant pumps.

3.1.2 Pressure Pulsation Origins

Flow recirculation occurs both at the impeller inlet and discharge. Centrifugal
pump technologists are aware that even at the best efficiency flow, a modest
amount of flow recirculation is a good thing because it is the flow’s way of
adjusting to inherent imperfections in the pump geometry’s difficult job of
efficiently adding mechanical energy to the liquid. But when a pump is oper-
ated at flows considerably away from its BEP, the strong unsteady recircula-
Copyright @ 2016. CRC Press.

tion that naturally ensues brings with it considerable flow unsteadiness with
large pressure pulsations, noise, and excitation forces (see Chapter 1, Figures 1.1
and 1.14). Large-scale flow vortices and fluctuating lift are responsible for
this.
Wake flow at the impeller discharge is a significant contributor to pres-
sure pulsations. Specifically, (a) finite vane thickness at the trailing edge,
(b) boundary layers on both sides of the vane, and (c) velocity distribution

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