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Pump baseplate design
and installation
Consider these baseplate design and
installation options to solve
alignment and piping stress problems
in centrifugal pumps
J. H. Doolin, Dresser Industries, Inc., Liberty Corner, N.].
BASEPLATES for most centrifugal pumps are somewhat
taken for granted, and have evolved into the familiar steel or
cast iron structure which supports a pump and driver. In
addition, precast concrete and molded epoxy are sometimes
used. However, it is useful to look at the functions of the
baseplate so that alternatives to the more conventional ap-
proach might be considered.
The primary functions of a pump baseplate include:
1. Support the weight of the pump and driver
2. Maintain shaft alignment between the pump and driver
to allow for successful performance of the flexible shaft
coupling
3. Resist the forces of gravity and from piping connected
to the pump which might cause unacceptable shaft misalign-
ment
4. Resist the movement due to thermal expansion of the
pump or driver which might also cause unacceptable shaft
misalignment
5. Collect leakage or spillage from the pump which may
occur during operation or maintenance so that it can be piped
to a suitable disposal system
6. Partially protect the pump and driver from damage
caused by fork lift trucks and other such vehicles
7. Absorb noise and vibration originating in the pump and
driver.
Let's look at these functions in more detail and explore
possible alternatives for doing the same thing.
Support weight of pump and driver. For most pumps up
to about 250 horsepower, weight support is not a serious
concern and there are alternatives:
Close coupled pumps (Fig. 1) require minimal structural
support. The pump end is supported by its mounting on the
motor, and the combined pump-motor weight can be sup-
ported by practically any structure including the floor, con-
crete pad, steel ''I" beam or the like. No mechanical
attachment such as foundation bolts are necessary for most
typical piping systems.
Fig. 1-Close coupled pump.
Vertical in-line pumps, either close coupled or separately
coupled (Fig. 2) present the opportunity to support the weight
of the pump-motor by the piping. The vertical orientation
keeps the center of gravity of the assembly over the center of
the piping thereby eliminating any torsion loads on the pipe.
If the pipe supports are not adequate to also carry the
pump-motor weight, the pump casing can rest on the floor,
a concrete pad or other structural device.
Maintain shaft coupling alignment. Without the disrup-
tive forces from connected piping, maintaining shaft coupling
alignment is relatively easy. The mechanical connection
between the pump and driver need only support them and
resist any torsion forces resulting from the power transmitted
from the driver to the pump. The most common solutions
include:
Simple structural baseplate. An inverted channel steel
beam is the most common (Fig. 3)
Continued
Hydrocarbon Processing, July 1990 59
1:
II
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Fig. 2-Vertical in-line pump.
Fig. 3-Channel steel baseplate.
60 Hydrocarbon Processing, July 1990
.....---- --
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'15
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0
z
1 ,000 L_ _
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 15 20
Pipe size, inches
30
Fig. 4--, Hydraulic forces on pump nozzles.
Face mounted motors which are common on vertical
in-line designs (Fig. 2)
Close coupled pumps (Fig. 1 ).
Withstand forces and moments from system piping.
The most serious problem associated with the maintenance of
shaft coupling alignment is the disruptive effect of forces from
the connecting piping. ?\ot only can these forces be substan
tial, but they may also vary with time so that they cannot be
compensated for by realigning the pump and drive after the
piping forces have been applied. To put this problem in
perspective, the American Petroleum Institute in their stan-
dard API-610 for centrifugal pumps includes the following
values for forces and moments on the pump nozzles:
Nozzle size Force Moment
(ln.) (lb) (ft-lb)
2 290 460
3 430 950
4 570 1,330
6 1,010 2,310
8 1,560 3,500
10 2,200 5,000
12 2,600 6,100
14 2,900 6,300
16 3,300 7,200
Note that these are the forces and moments on each nozzle
so that the total forces and moments will be approximately
double, or more precisely the sum of the forces and moments
on both the suction and discharge nozzles.
Resisting these forces is difficult and requires reasonable
rigidity built into both the pump and its supporting baseplate.
In an effort to relieve these loads, expansion joints are
sometimes used. However, this is a case where the cure is
worse than the disease. \Vhen unrestrained expansion joints
are used, a hydraulic force equal to the dischar:ge pressure
times the pipe area must be resisted by the pump. Fig. 4 shows
the magnitude of these hydraulic forces compared to those
specified by API-610. As shown, even pressures as low as 100
........ -.,.-,. ... ---
f
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psi can cause forces many times higher than those from pipe
strains. These forces on the pump can be eliminated by
restraining tie rods on the expansion joint (Fig. 5). However,
even with tie rods, expansion of connecting pipe will tend to
relieve the stress in the tie rods resulting in hydraulic thrust
on the pump nozzle. One may ask, "If tie rods are required
what good is the expansion joint?" One answer is that they
may still minimize bending moments.
Assuming that pipe forces will be present, several alterna-
tives can be considered:
Typical structural baseplate with sufficient structural
rigidity, bolted to a foundation and filled with grout material.
This is the most common solution)
One alternative is a structural baseplate of sufficient
rigidity to maintain alignment without the additional support
from a foundation or grout. Sometimes such baseplates are
supported on stilts or springs. This approach also has the
;cclvantage of minimizing pipe loads. If the pump and base-
plate are free to move horizomalh. then horizontal expansion
in pipes will simply mme the baseplate instead of applying a
force. Vertical expansion forces can be eliminated by the
spring supports. \\'ith this approach, however, care must be
taken to ensure that the baseplate is rigid enough to withstand
reasonable forces and still maintain coupling alignment.
Venical in-line pumps also a\oid the problem of coupling
misalignment. If separately coupled (Fig. 2) any pipe forces
or movement of the pump casing \\ill not affect the coupling
alignment. The face mounted motor and relatively rigid motor
support will maintain good alignment. Furthermore, no forces
or moments are transmitted through the motor support to
cause misalignment.
Another approach is to pro\ide greater flexibility be-
tween the pump and driver with universal joint couplings.
This is most common in vertical water and sewage pumps
where the driver is mounted on the floor above the pump to
minimize the danger from flooding. The connecting drive
shaft is usually arranged with universal joints (Fig. 6).
Thermal expansion of When operating tempera-
tures exceed 800F, as in the petroleum processing industry,
thermal expansion of the pump casing is substantial and could
easily result in movement of the pump shaft and coupling
misalignment. The proven solution to this problem is to
support the pump at the shaft centerline of the casing (Fig.7).
This allows the casing to expand and contract vertically
without having an effect on the shaft position. However,
horizontal expansion of the casing must be allowed for by
some flexibility in the pedestal supports under the casing. For
example, a typical end suction pump may be 17.25 in.
between pedestal supports. TP.e thermal expansion of this
casing can be calculated as follO\\S:
expansiOn thermal coefficient (length) (b. temp.)
= 6. 33 x 106 ( 17 . .:25 in.) (870- 70)F
expansion = 0.087 in.
Deflection of one pedestal will be half of this, or 0.0435 in.
If we assume the pump is mounted to each pedestal with
two
3
/4-in. bolts, a stress in these bolts of 20,000 psi would
allow a force of:
force
force
stress (area)
20,000 psi (2) (0.551 in.
2
)
22,000 pounds
A plot of this force versus deflection (Fig. 8) gives some
measure of the relative stiffness of a properly designed
pedestal. Even when designed with this degree of stiffness,
such pedestals will probably allow slippage between the
!':V-
.,
Fig. 5- Restrained expansion joint.
Fig. 6- Universal joint couplings.
Fig. 7-Centerline support pump.
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2.5
10 20 30
Oeflect1on, 0.001 inches
Fig. 8- Baseplate pedestal deflection.
Fig. 9-lnertia block baseplate support.
40 50
support flange and the pedestal. If do\1el pins are used for
location of the casing, they will probably be distorted due to
the high expansion force.
On the other hand, pedestals designed for much less rigidit\
will not withstand the piping forces and maintain good
coupling alignment. If we assume an 8 in. discharge pump
with 12 in. suction is used, the sum of the side to side forces
on the pump, Fz = 850 + 1,500 = 2,350 pounds. Assuming
one half of the force is resisted by each pedestal, this will result
in a deflection of 0.0025 in. This is acceptable to API, but
demonstrates that a delicate balance in pedestal stiffness is
required. If the pedestal is too stiff, the casing is not free to
expand. If the pedestal is too flexible it will not withstand the
pipe forces.
Several alternatives to the conventional baseplate design
exist and they are the same as in the previous section on piping
forces: Rigid baseplates without foundation bolting or grout,
vertical in-line designs and universal joint couplings.
Seal and casing leakage. Leakage from most pumps
comes primarily from the stuffing box packing or mechanical
seal. In addition, oil leakage from bearings is common, and
pump repair also contributes occasionally when pumps are
dismantled or removed from the piping system. When pump-
ing liquids other than water, such leakage will usually not
evaporate readily and must be collected and possibly piped
away to a disposal system. Drain collectors are common, and
following are some of the that are used.
Stuffing box drip collectors are designed to collect
62 Hydrocarbon Processing, July 1990
corn)-;iq: chemicals from thr. stuffing box or seal and pipe
them w dispt,sal system before t'-ley can reach the pump
frame or baseplate and cause c:;rrosion.
If leakage is not corrosive, a larger pan extending under
the entire pump, including the suction and discharge flanges
will sene the purpose take care of bearing and repair
leakage as well (Fig. 7).
Vertical in-line pumps rend to have a natural collector
formed by the casing cmer (fig. 2). HoweYer. it is necessary
to prmide a tapped opening to allow for piping leakage away.
This anangement, howe\er, does not contain leakage from
most pump repair actinty.
Sealless ciii:::nate the problem of stuffing box or
seal leakage. Hc1\\enT. pump repair will still contribute to
occasional problems.
Mechanical protection. \\here horizontal pumps-drivers
are supported on a common structural basepbte. it should be
designed to extend beyond all extremities of the pump and
driver. On the pump end it should extend beyond the pump
flanges as \vell as the end of the outboard bearing housing
(Fig. 7). Similarly, the baseplate should extend beyond the
back end of the motor, and if practical C\en the electrical
conduit box. Turbine dri\es and gears also should be similarly
protected.
Vertical in-line pumps also should have protecti\"C
tures surrounding them. or pos,iblv a concrete pad under the
pump which extends bC\ond the pump flanges.
Noise and vibration. A properk designed centrifugal pump
\\ill naturally emit a reasonable amount of noise and ,-ibra-
tion. The role of the baseplate is to pt-e\-cnt transmission of
such noise and Yibration to the surrounding air and structure.
Airborne noise is sometimes emitted from resonam 1ibration
of drain pans that are built into baseplates to collect leakage.
Grout beneath such pans will help eliminate noi,;c, and for
pans not supported by grout, stiffeners will raise natural
frequencies to aYoid resonance.
Structure-borne noise and \ibration can be minimized by
a\oiding direct structural support of pumps b1 steel melllbers
in the building structure. If a pump baseplate is bolted to a
floor steel beam, the chance of noise transmission is incnasccl.
To minimize this ellect, inenia blocks and isolation pach (Fig.
9) are very effective.
Conclusion. The variety of pump designs and applications
prohibits general conclusions about baseplate designs. Ho1,-
e1er, the following comments may be helpful:
\\'hen practical, a rigid baseplate without foundation
bolting or grout should seriously be considered
Consider close coupled or vertical in-line designs
Avoid the use of unrestrained expansion joints.
LITERATCRE CITED
1
:...leyermn, L.. and Grouting for Pumps ... Thr P!p:r;g,Phanbmg Engintt'T
The author
John H. Doolin, director of technology for Dresser
Pump Division, Dresser Industries Inc., Liberty Cor-
ner, Ne-w Jersey, has 40 years of pump design
experience. He holds several patents for pump
design and has written 16 technical papers or
articles. He has been active in pump standards
activity including ANSI-B-73, API-610 and the Hy-
draulic Institute. Mr. Doolin received BS and MS
degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Newark
College of Engineering, now NJIT.