Pump Notes
1) What is the function of pump?
A wide variety of pumps are used in the petroleum industry. A pump is used to
increase the total energy content of a liquid in the form of pressure increase.
Pumps transfer liquids, for example, between vessels. They are the liquid movers.
It's a popular misconception that the hydraulic pump creates pressure in a
hydraulic system. The fact is that pumps create flow, not pressure. Pressure is
the resistance to flow.
2) Three main purpose where pumps can used are as follows
a. To increase the flow rate of a liquid
b. Move liquids from low level to high level.
c. Move liquids from low pressure location to high pressure location
3) Types of Pumps Or pump classification
See below figure for types of pumps
4) Pump type can be decide based on the following curve
Positive displacement pump – it is used for high pressure and low flow rate
Centrifugal pump – It is used for the low pressure and high flow rate (exact
opposite to the positive or reciprocating type of pump)
5) How centrifugal pump works?
Liquid flows through the pump inlet and into the eye of the impeller. The
impeller whirls the liquid around in a circle. The liquid is forced from the
center to the outside of the impeller. Centrifugal force pushes the liquid
outward from the eye. Liquid enters the pump casing when it leaves the
outer edge of the impeller. When the liquid enters the casing, speed
decreases, as the speed of the liquid decreases, its pressure increases. As
centrifugal force moves the liquid away from the impeller eye, a low-
pressure area is formed in the suction eye. This low pressure area in the
suction eye causes liquid to flow into the suction eye. Please see the below
figure 2.
6) Centrifugal Pump Components-
In drawing and in plant, can see below figure for better understanding. Try
to remember the parts of the pump so that in interview it is easy to tell.
7) What is cavitation?
In pump if liquid at pump suction operating pressure goes below liquid
vapor pressure at given system temperature then cavitation forms.
To avoid cavitation pump suction line should have enough NPSHA or larger
than the NPSHR.
NPSHA > NPSHR
NPSHA calculate by process engineer.
NPSHR calculate by vendor or manufacturer.
If cavitation happens in pump following things will be happening
a. Vibration
b. Impeller damage due to erosion
c. Shaft may break when excessive vibration
8) Avoid cavitation?
a. use long radius bends
b. do not allow air into the suction line
c. minimize the number of valves and bends in the suction line
d. use eccentric reducers, not concentric
e. Suction length should be as short as possible
f. Suction pipe should be at least the same diameter as the pump
inlet connection
9) What is the NPSH?
It is the net positive suction head at the pump suction inlet nozzle of the
pump and to calculate it require four attributes which are as follows
a. Pressure in the vessel
b. Suction head (Vessel Tangential line to Center line of pump
impeller)
c. Vapor pressure of liquid at its operating temperature
d. Friction loss (for suction line)
10) Pump Installation (Different scheme) – Pumps are installed to in
different location in order to transfer liquid from one elevation to another
elevation. The same can be seen here in below figure.
a. Closed suction vessel
a.1) One is below the pump suction eye pump – it is called suction
lift (this will be question for interview)
NPSHA = Closed Suction Tank Pressure(p) – Suction lift length(Ls)
(from liquid level in tank to Center line of pump suction eye) – Vapor
pressure(Vp) – friction loss head (Fl)
a.2) another is above the pump suction eye of the pump – it is called
suction head
NPSHA = Closed Suction Tank Pressure (p) + Suction lift length(Ls)
(from liquid level in tank to Center line of pump suction eye) – Vapor
pressure(Vp) – friction loss head (Fl)
See below figure for suction head.
Note – Above figures are calculating the NPSH with closed vessel
pressure. Similarly can calculate the NPSH for Tank Open To Atmosphere.
Rest all scheme will be remain same.
And formula for NPSH will be same.
11) Centrifugal Pump Performance – Try to practice below curves are a
common question in interview. Here BHP is break horse power.
12) Pressure and Head concept –
Pressure unit – Bar
Head – m
P = 0.0981 * h * SG
p = pressure (bar)
h = head (m)
SG = specific gravity
13) Pump calculation formula
a. Differential pressure
Differential pressure - Discharge Pressure (barg) - Suction Pressure
(barg)
See below formulas for suction pressure and discharge pressure
b. Suction pressure
Suction pressure (barg) = Suction Vessel Pressure(barg) + Suction
Elevation Head (bar) - Total Suction side Pressure Losses(15)(bar)
c. Discharge Pressure
Discharge Pressure (barg) = (Destination Pressure (barg) + Discharge
Elevation Head (bar) + Total Discharge side Pressure Losses (bar) (25))
d. Hydraulic power
Hydraulic power Ph = Q (m3 /s) x Total head (m) x ρ (kg/m3 ) x g (m/s2 )
/ 1000
Total head = , hd - hs (m)
Where
hd – discharge head,
hs – suction head,
ρ – density of the fluid,
g – acceleration due to gravity
e. Pump shaft Power (kW)
Pump shaft power Ps = Hydraulic power, Ph / pump efficiency, ηPump
f. Electric power require for pump
Electrical input power = Pump shaft power Ps/ ηMotor
14) Pump operating point
The pump operating point where two curve one is system curve and
another is pump curve interest that point is called pump operating point.
System curve – it is pressure drop in your discharge side of the pump that
pressure drop will get from hydraulic calculation as flow increase your
pressure drop (in curve in head) increase.
Please see above system curve. (in another way system curve is loss in your
system at the discharge side. To overcome on this loss pump curve to be
generate and this pump curves are provided by Manufacture Company.
Pump curve - The performance of a pump can be expressed graphically as
head against flow rate. The centrifugal pump has a curve where the head
falls gradually with increasing flow. This is called the pump characteristic
curve. Please see above pump curve.
15) Pump datasheet– Kindly remember what are the parameter is
require to fill the pump.
16) Affinity Law
As stated above, a centrifugal pump is a dynamic device with the head
generated from a rotating impeller. There is therefore a relationship
between impeller peripheral velocity and generated head. Peripheral
velocity is directly related to shaft rotational speed, for a fixed impeller
diameter and so varying the rotational speed has a direct effect on the
performance of the pump. All the parameters shown in fig 6.2 will change if
the speed is varied and it is important to have an appreciation of how these
parameters vary in order to safely control a pump at different speeds. The
equations relating rotodynamic pump performance parameters of flow,
head and power absorbed, to speed are known as the Affinity Laws
Where:
Q = Flow rate
H = Head P = Power absorbed
N = Rotating speed
17) Minimum Continuous Flow and BEP
a. Minimum continuous stable flow – This is set by the manufacturer
as the “lowest flow at which the pump can operate without
exceeding the vibration limits imposed by API 610”.
b. Minimum thermal flow. This is used for higher volatility or hot
liquids where cavitation can occur earlier in these liquids. It’s
defined as the “lowest flow at which the pump can operate
without its operation being impaired by the temperature rise of
the pumped liquid”
c. A Best Efficiency Point (BEP) which is the flow at which it is
operating at its highest efficiency, and so to achieve the lowest
running costs a pump should be selected for a Customer Duty (the
rated head and flow) where the duty point is as close as possible
to the BEP.
18) Operating and rated point
a. Operating point – this is where the pump is expected to operate
under normal conditions. There will often be a min and max
operating point defined by the customer, but API 610 is most
interested in the “normal operating” point.
b. Rated point – This is a point the customer chooses to rate the
pump at (to allow for other losses such as system losses or
adjustments that may occur as the pump begins to wear over
time). The pump generally will not operate permanently at its
rated point, but it is designed and tested by the manufacturer
there.
19) A typical API 610 pump performance curve looks like this
a. Rated region (see above figure) : API 610 recommends that the rated
flow is located between 80% - 110% of BEP.
b. Preferred operating region ((see above figure)): API 610 states that the
preferred operating region should be between 70% - 120% of the BEP.
• What is NPSH?
• Difference between NPSHr and NPSHa?
• NPSH available - Suction pressure(operating pressure of
vessel) + Static head at pump suction side - vapor pressure
- Friction loss
Ps + Hs - Vap pr.- frc loss
NPSH Required –
This is calculated by pump vendor between suction flange and impeller eye.
NPSHa > NPSHr (Always)
Minimum margin between NPSHa and NPSHr is 1m.
• What are the ways to an increase the NPSH?
Diameter
Line Length
Fittings (Full Bore)
Pump Center Line Elevation from grade
Could Change Source Vessel Elevation From Grade (In case of tank need to
increase the Liquid level)
Could Change Level
Could have Cooler In suction line
Could increase suction pressure of vessel
Minimum Flow – There are two types of flow one is minimum continuous
stable flow and other is minimum continuous thermal flow.
MCSF - Minimum continuous stable flow (MCSF or Qmin) is the
minimum allowable flow for which vibration will not exceed specified
limitation. This flow is specified by manufacturer and it is around 30% of
rated flow.
MCTF- Minimum continuous thermal flow (MCTF) is the minimum
flow for which a maximum permissible pump temperature is anticipated.
MCTF prevents pump failure due to flashing of the liquid. This flow is
usually equal or less than MCSF.
Kindly note that process engineer is responsible for the checking of
recirculation line of pump once data or flow rate is available from the pump
vendor.
Pump Circuit – Below diagram is a perfect example of how to draw the
pump hydraulic circuit.
Pumps Suction and discharge line criteria –
There are two ways to calculate or get the shutoff head as follows
1) Differential pressure of pump * 1.25 or 1.35 times =
shutoff head
2) Get it from pump curve provided by the pump vendor
