CLASSIFICATION OF PUMPS

Pumps are in general classified as Centrifugal Pumps (or Roto-dynamic pumps) and Positive Displacement
Pumps.

Centrifugal Pumps (Roto-dynamic pumps)

The centrifugal or roto-dynamic pump produce a head and a flow by increasing the velocity of the liquid
through the machine with the help of the rotating vane impeller. Centrifugal pumps include radial, axial and
mixed flow units.

Centrifugal pumps can be classified further as

 end suction pumps

 in-line pumps
  double suction pumps
 vertical multistage pumps
 horizontal multistage pumps
 submersible pumps
 self-priming pumps
 axial-flow pumps
 regenerative pumps
Positive Displacement Pumps
A positive displacement pump operates by alternating filling a cavity and then displacing a given volume of
liquid. A positive displacement pump delivers a constant volume of liquid for each cycle independent of
discharge pressure or head.

The positive displacement pump can be classified as:

 Reciprocating pumps - piston, plunger and diaphragm

 Power pumps
 Steam pumps
 Rotary pumps - gear, lobe, screw, vane, regenerative (peripheral) and progressive cavity
Selecting between Centrifugal or Positive Displacement Pumps
Selecting between a Centrifugal Pump or a Positive Displacement Pump is not always straight forward.

Flow Rate and Pressure Head

The two types of pumps behave very differently regarding pressure head and flow rate:

 The Centrifugal Pump has varying flow depending on the system pressure or head
 The Positive Displacement Pump has more or less a constant flow regardless of the system pressure
or head. Positive Displacement pumps generally makes more pressure than Centrifugal Pump's.
Capacity and Viscosity
Another major difference between the pump types is the effect of viscosity on capacity:

 In a Centrifugal Pump the flow is reduced when the viscosity is increased

 In a Positive Displacement Pump the flow is increased when viscosity is increased
Liquids with high viscosity fills the clearances of Positive Displacement Pumps causing higher volumetric
efficiencies and Positive Displacement Pumps are better suited for higher viscosity applications. A
Centrifugal Pump becomes very inefficient at even modest viscosity.

Mechanical Efficiency
The pumps behaves different considering mechanical efficiency as well.

 Changing the system pressure or head has little or no effect on the flow rate in a Positive
Displacement Pump
 Changing the system pressure or head may have a dramatic effect on the flow rate in a Centrifugal
Pump
Net Positive Suction Head - NPSH
Another consideration is the Net Positive Suction Head - NPSH.

 In a Centrifugal Pump, NPSH varies as a function of flow determined by pressure

 In a Positive Displacement Pump, NPSH varies as a function of flow determined by speed. Reducing
the speed of the Positive Displacement Pump pump, reduces the NPSH

SPECIFICATION OF PUMPS

Pumps are commonly rated by horsepower, volumetric flow rate, outlet pressure in metres (or feet) of head,
inlet suction in suction feet (or metres) of head. The head can be simplified as the number of feet or metres
the pump can raise or lower a column of water at atmospheric pressure.

From an initial design point of view, engineers often use a quantity termed the specific speed to identify the
most suitable pump type for a particular combination of flow rate and head.

SECTION 3.10 – STANDARD SPECIFICATION FOR PUMPS AND

MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FOR SUBMERSIBLE SEWERAGE PUMP STATIONS

3.10.1 PUMP

3.10.1.1 The pump housing and Impellor shall be Grade 250 close grained grey cast iron in accordance with
AS 1830. The casing shall be tested to 1.75MPa of water pressure. All casing joints shall have machined
metal to metal faces and be seated with a Nitrile Rubber Oring. The bolts and nuts joining the various
sections of the pump housing shall be Grade 316 stainless steel or better.

3.10.1.2 The pump shaft shall be Grade 431 stainless steel in accordance with AS 1444 with a ground finish
over its entire length and shall have sufficient dimensions to transmit the maximum power of the motor.

3.10.1.3 Between the pump and motor an oil chamber shall be provided to lubricate and cool mechanical
seal units on each side of the chamber. The lower seal shall prevent sewage, grit and other abrasives from
entering the oil chamber. The seal faces shall be of tungsten carbide or silicon carbide material. The seal
must also be effective for both directions of shaft rotation. The seal units shall be designed to provide reliable
and durable sealing performance.

3.10.1.4 The pump shall be provided with a water in oil sensor.

3.10.1.5 The pump shall be capable of passing solids of sphere size as nominated on the drawings. The
design shall be such that a minimum space is occupied by the impeller blades. The impeller shall be
shrouded and shall be designed so as to prevent clogging and chokage. The impeller shall be attached to the
shaft by a single nut.

3.10.1.6 Wear rings shall be fitted to all pumps and shall be easily accessible for replacement. Casing wear
rings shall be Grade H3A chrome steel in accordance with AS 2074 and impeller wear rings shall be steel. All
wear rings shall be machined to interference fits and be pressed in. Running clearances shall be in a vertical
plane. A macerator type impeller will be considered as complying with the requirements of this clause.
 5.1 Sizing a Pump - The Specs

An irrigation pump does two things; it provides the water flow rate and the pressure head to make the
irrigation system function properly. The "flow rate" and "pressure head" are the two factors used to size the
pumping plant.

Flow rate is the total discharge of all sprinklers or emitters operating together.

Add the total water needed by all the sprinklers in the system. The total discharge cannot exceed the supply
available. The irrigation system can be divided into several zones, if necessary, to avoid exceeding the
supply. The power requirement will be proportional to flow.

Head or Pressure Head of an operating pumping system is dynamic. The dynamic head is made up
of several heads that are illustrated in the Total Pressure Head diagram, and are defined as follows:

1. Static suction head. The vertical distance from the

water surface to the pump center-line to which the
pump must lift the water. For wells, estimate to the
draw down point at which the water level will be when
the pump is operating. If the pump intake pipe is lower
than the water surface, subtract the submerged depth.

2. Static elevation head. The vertical distance

(elevation) from the pump to the highest discharge pipe
or sprinkler. Consider this as a column of water the
pump lifts when the pipes are full of water.

3. Pressure head. Operating pressure, in psi, of the sprinkler or emitter. Convert psi to "feet of head"
before adding to the other pressures to get total dynamic head. Remember 2.31 feet equals 1 psi.

4. Friction head. Includes all pressure losses in the system due to friction. Since the pump must
overcome all the friction losses and still deliver water at the desired pressure at the end of the pipe,
add the friction head into the estimate of the total dynamic head. Convert psi to feet of head.

The total pressure head of an operating system can be summarized as follows:

 Total static head = static suction lift + static elevation head. This is the total pressure head to fill the
pipes to the highest point.

 Total dynamic head = total static head + pressure head + friction head. This is the total head to
make the system operate properly.
INSTALLATION

Every pump original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has its own requirements for its specific pump models
and applications. The requirements to install a 60,000-horsepower (HP) boiler feed pump are different than
those of a 300-HP American Petroleum Institute (API) pump or a 100-HP American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) pump. Regardless of a pump's horsepower, fluid properties, speed, physical geometry or
energy level, all pump installations require some basic action steps from a well-thought-out checklist to yield
a successful startup.

Foundation
Foundations have become a frequent omission on new installations. Unfortunately, ignoring this step can
lead to chronic misalignment issues from the driver to the pump and other potential problems. If you want to
have a best-in-class operation that increases mean time between failures and repairs (MTBF/R) to more than
five years, I highly recommend that you provide a proper foundation.

Industry rules of thumb for centrifugal pumps suggest that the foundation size should be three to five times
the mass of the pump and driver combined.
Base Installation
Install the base on the foundation, and take steps to ensure that the base is flat and level. "Flat" is a condition
(state) accomplished by the manufacturer and is difficult to properly measure in the field; however, you can
ensure the foundation is flat by using a precision ground flat bar and feeler gauges. Using a level to check
flatness is actually an incorrect method. The flatness specification will vary by manufacturer, application and
base types.

Pump & Driver Installation

Install the pump and the driver (turbine/engine/motor) on the baseplate. Best practice usually calls for the
pump to be placed directly on the base. Unless specified by the OEM design, it should not be shimmed.

Lubrication
Add the proper oil to the correct level in the pump bearing housing(s). (See my two-part article on this subject
in the April and June 2015 issues of Pumps & Systems.

Initial Alignment Check

This step is often overlooked and can have negative consequences later if not conducted at this point. Once
the base is grouted and/or the piping is installed, it may be too late to accomplish some simple machinery
placement moves to achieve precision alignment.
Grouting the Base
Grouting is another step frequently omitted or performed incorrectly. If the grout is not added or if it does not
make full contact with the base and foundation, the forces from pipe strain and machine vibrations cannot be
successfully transmitted to the foundation. The top surface of the foundation and the underside of the
baseplate must be properly prepared for the required grout/epoxy adhesion and bonding. Recheck the unit
alignment after the grout process.

Piping Installation
Up to this point in the process, the piping installation should not be completed within 10 feet of the pump. The
universal best practice and accepted method is to pipe away from the pump and not to the pump. This
strategy will prevent any pipe strain on the pump. Someone once said, "A pump is the most expensive pipe
support you can buy."

Second Alignment Check

Now that the base is grouted and the piping is completed, the alignment is likely moved off the specification.
Recheck the alignment and correct as necessary. This is also a good time to conduct a quick and easy check
for the presence of excessive pipe strain. Place your dial indicators or laser units on the pump drive hub in
two planes (vertical and horizontal). Then completely loosen the discharge flange bolts. If the pump
hub/coupling moves more than 0.002 inches in any direction, the strain is too high. Repeat the process for
the suction pipe. Correct the excessive strain before proceeding to the next step.

Rotation Direction
Conduct a rotational check of the driver and, if applicable, determine the rotor electrical center (running
center). Failure to check the direction of rotation can have serious and expensive consequences. I see this
mistake frequently despite instructions to the contrary. Rotors on larger motors with sleeve-type bearings will
have both an electrical center and a mechanical center. You will need to determine both and record the
results. If your unit has bearings of this type, then this step may be better conducted prior to the second
alignment adjustment. Your supplier can provide more details. Set the alignment for the electrical run center
distance not the mechanical one.

Caution: Don't be surprised when a cloud of jobsite dust emits from the motor on startup.

Settings
Check the pump settings, including impeller axial adjustments, clearances, mechanical seal settings, rotor
centralization, balance drum settings and bearing lift. Verify the unit rotates freely.
Ancillary Equipment
Install ancillary equipment, including seal flush systems, cooling/heating equipment and monitoring devices.

Coupling Installation
Follow the manufacturer's guidelines, and pay special attention to the key-to-keyway fits. Note that the pump
and driver hubs should be installed sooner than this step.

Pre-Startup Check & Startup Procedure

Fill and vent the pump and system. Check the system valve "lineup." Review and verify the preceding steps
were accomplished. Remember, you cannot vent a running pump; the fluid will come out, but the air trapped
in the center of the machine will remain. The fluid has more mass and will be flung to the outside.

Start the unit. Be prepared to stop the unit immediately if anything does not seem right. Check for proper
pressures, flows, temperature of oil and bearings, vibrations, and noise. It is good practice to recheck the
alignment after the pump has been operating for a short time. If the pumped fluid is very hot (above 200 F), it
is also good practice to perform a "hot alignment check."