Pumps operating

For a long time the official specifications for diesel fuel set only a mciximum viscosity of 9.5 mm /s at 20°C. Henceforth, a range of 2.5 mm /s minimum to 4.5 mm /s maximum has been set no longer for 20°C but at 40°C which seems to be more representative of injection pump operation. Except for special cases such as very low temperature very fluid diesel fuel and very heavy products, meeting the viscosity standards is not a major problem in refining. 

Positive Pumps. Positive pumps employed by the food industry have a rotating cavity between two lobes, two gears that rotate in opposite directions, or a crescent or stationary cavity and a rotor. Rotary positive pumps operate at relatively low speed. Fluid enters the cavity by gravity flow or from a centrifugal pump. The positive pump also may use a reciprocating cavity, and may be a plunger or piston pump. These pumps are not truly positive with respect to displacement, but are used for metering product flow. 

When petroleum occurs in a reservoir that allows the cmde material to be recovered by pumping operations as a free-flowing dark-to-light colored hquid, it is often referred to as conventional petroleum. In some oil fields, the downhole pressure is sufficient for recovery without the need for pumping. Heavy oil differs from conventional petroleum in that its flow properties are reduced and it is much more difficult to recover from the subsurface reservoir. These materials have a much higher viscosity and lower API (American Petroleum Institute) gravity than conventional petroleum, and primary recovery of these petroleum types usually requires thermal stimulation of the reservoir. 

From the definition of specific speed (eqs. 9 and 10), it follows that reciprocating pumps operate at high pressures and low flow rates. Conversely, centrifugal pumps are appHed at lower pressures and higher flow rates. Many rotary pumps are selected for viscous Hquids having pressures equal to or less than, and capacities lower than, centrifugal pumps. However, these limits are relative and a gray area exists as some pump types cross boundaries into the domain of other types. 

There are two main reasons why a pump should not operate below its MCSF (/) the radial force (radial thmst) is increased as a pump operates at reduced flow (44,45). Depending on the specific speed of a pump, this radial force can be as much as 10 times greater near the shut off, as compared to that near the BEP and (2) the low flow operation results in increased turbulence and internal flow separation from impeller blades. As a result, highly unstable axial and radical fluctuating forces take place. 

For insulators, Z is very small because p is very high, ie, there is Htde electrical conduction for metals, Z is very small because S is very low. Z peaks for semiconductors at - 10 cm charge carrier concentration, which is about three orders of magnitude less than for free electrons in metals. Thus for electrical power production or heat pump operation the optimum materials are heavily doped semiconductors. 

A vacuum system can be constmcted that includes a solar panel, ie, a leak-tight, instmmented vessel having a hole through which a gas vacuum pump operates. An approximate steady-state base pressure is estabUshed without test parts. It is assumed that the vessel with the test parts can be pumped down to the base pressure. The chamber is said to have an altitude potential corresponding to the height from the surface of the earth where the gas concentration is estimated to have the same approximate value as the base pressure of the clean, dry, and empty vacuum vessel. 

Fig. 5. Plots of pump-down performance for pumps operating on 0.1-m-dia x 0.43-m-long stainless-steel tubing. Curves 1—4 are sputter-ion pumps of different makes curve 5 is Orbitron type and curve 6, LN-trapped oil DP. Pressure is measured using Bayard-Alpert gauge (BAG) (26). To convert Pa to...

Reciprocating pumps are those most commonly used in high performance Ic. The single-piston type usually has inlet and outlet check valves with some mechanism such as variable stroke frequency to minimize the effect of pump pulsations. Dual-piston pumps operate with the pistons 180° out of phase to minimize pulsations. For this system to work optimally, the piston units must be identical. 

FIG. 10-28 Characteristic curve of a centrifugal pump operating at a constant speed of. 3450 r/min. To convert gallons per minute to cubic meters per hour, multiply hy 0.2271 to convert feet to meters, multiply hy 0..3048 to convert horsepower to kilowatts, multiply hy 0.746 and to convert inches to centimeters, multiply hy 2.54. 

The injector is a special type of jet pump, operated by steam and used for boiler feed and similar services, in which the fluid being pumped is discharged into a space under the same pressure as that of the steam being used to operate the injector. 

Diffusion pumps operate at veiy low pressures. The ultimate vacuum attainable depends somewhat upon the vapor pressure of the pump liquid at the temperature of the condensing surfaces. By providing a cold trap between the diffusion pump and the region being evacuated, pressures as low as 10 mmHg absolute are achieved in... 

FIG. 29-52 Generalized curves showing hydraulic behavior of centrifugal pumps operating as power-recovery turbines. 

Measurement versus Equipment Performance Pumps that are in reasonable condition typically operate within 5 percent of their pump curve. Consequently, pressures and flows that are inconsistent with the pump curve imply that the indicated flow and/or pressure are incorrecl . Figure 30-16 shows a single impeller curve plotted as head versus flow. The point shown is inconsistent with the pump operation. Therefore, that pair of flow and pressure measurements is not validated and should not be used in the subsequent steps. 

Turbulence and high fluid velocities resulting from normal pump operation accelerated metal loss by abrading the soft, graphitically corroded surface (erosion-corrosion). The relatively rapid failure of this impeller is due to the erosive effects of the high-velocity, turbulent water coupled with the aggressiveness of the water. Erosion was aided in this case by solids suspended in the water. 

The effects of cavitation are noise and vibration. If the pump operates under cavitating conditions for enough time, the following can occur ... 

Pumps operating to the right of their best efficieney point (BFP). This is explained in Chapters 7 and 8. 

The information on the dash panel is located right in front of the eyes of the operator of the ear. It s a shame that most pump operators don t have their control panel (the curve) before their eyes, or even within reach, as they operate the pumps. This is the source of many problems with pumps. 

It is neeessary to understand the TDH and it s eomponents in order to make eorreet deeisions when parts of the system are changed, replaced, or modified (valves, heat exchangers, elbows, pipe diameter, probes, filters, strainers, ete.) It s neces.sary to know these TDH values at the moment of specifying the new pump, or to analyze a problem with an existing pump. In order to have proper pump operation with low maintenance over the long haul, the BF P of the pump must be approximately equal to the TDH of the system. 

The system s AHp should tall within the pump s primary or. secondary sweet zone. At the beginning of the operation, with the cold reactor vessel, the pump operates to the right of the BEP but within the. sweet zone, and as the reactor ve.s.sel is heated, the pump migrates on its curve toward the left, crossing the BEP, to the other extreme of its sweet zone. When the reaction is completed and the tank cools, the pump... 

Third, you would. suppose that parallel pumps are identical, that they were manufactured and assembled together. But it is possible that one pump of the pair is the dominant pump and the other is the runt pump. If you start the dominant pump first in the parallel system, and then decide to add the runt pump of the pair, the weaker pump may not be able to open the check valve. The pump operator perceives that the flow meter on the second pump is stuck or broken. This is because the second pump might be dead heading against a closed check valve, maintained that w ay by the dominant pump. If this situation exists, it may re.sult in premature failure of bearings and. seals, leading maintenance and operations personnel thinking that parallel pumps are problematic. 

Shaft deflection is the result of an external radial load. The external radial loading originates with the pump operator or proee.ss when the pump runs away from its best effieieney point on the curve. The resistance to deflection is a function of the shaft s overhang length and its diameter. The deflection resi.stanee, also called the flexibility laetor, is known as the L/D laetor. 

Pump operators and pumping systems are plagued by unexpected premature bearing failures. Even if the cost of the bearing is small, the... 

In important process pumps, the grease in a bearing should be changed every 12 to 18 months. This will a,ssure a reliable pump operation and service because time alone causes certain deterioration in the lubricating ability of grea.se. 

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