Centrifugal Pump Hand Book

Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types

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gear-train of gear pump. These pumps
1. Commonplace Examples Of Pumps
are hence classified as displacement
And Their Types
pumps or positive displacement pumps.
Agriculture being the most common
In centrifugal pumps there is distinct
activity in India, the pump on the
running clearance between the rotating
farmers well is a commonly known
impeller and the casing. Part of the
pump. It is often a motor-driven
liquid impelled by the impeller would
centrifugal pump. But before electric
slip back to pumps suction. So
power could reach the nook and corner
displacement in centrifugal pumps is not
of the country, farmers were using an
positive. Pumps having impellers to
engine-driven centrifugal pump.
impel the liquid are called as impeller
pumps.
Even today there are many droughtprone areas and in severe summer,
(ii) The piston of the hand pump has a
village folk have to trek miles everyday
reciprocating motion, whereas the gears
to get a pale of water. To alleviate the
of the gear pump have a rotary motion.
hardships of people in places, where
Pumps are hence either rotodynamic or
electricity has still not reached and
reciprocating.
supply of diesel also cannot be managed,
hand pumps are installed on tube wells.
(iii) Hand pumps are installed in tube
Pumping water from inaccessible depths
wells are installed to work vertically.
was in fact the major motivation, which
Engine-driven centrifugal pumps run
prompted the invention of pumps.
with axis of the shaft horizontal. Pumps
are hence vertical or horizontal.
Cities have piped water supply. But the
municipal corporations would supply
(iv) Coolant pumps in automobiles or
water only to underground storage tanks
pumps on ocean-going ships are on
of housing societies.
Supply to
unsteady or moving foundation. Most
individual households is then managed
other installations of pumps have rigid
by the housing societies by pumping
foundation.
water from the underground storage
tanks to overhead tank. Thus everybody
There would thus be many ways of
whether living in a village or in a city is
classifying pumps.
familiar with pumps.
Petrol or diesel is filled in cars, trucks,
etc. again by pumps. These pumps are
often gear pumps.
By a broad classification, pumps are of

two types- impeller pumps and
displacement pumps.
2. Classification of Pumps
Impeller
pumps
are
primarily
centrifugal. They are further of two
broad types as mentioned in Ans.7, the
commonplace centrifugal pumps and the
regenerative type centrifugal pumps.
Based
on
specific
speed,
the
commonplace centrifugal pumps are
(i) In hand pumps and gear pumps there

is very little running clearance. So, there
is nil or negligible slippage of the liquid
displaced by the pumping element; by
the piston of the hand pump or by the
Page 1 of 9
Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types
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further classified as radial flow, mixed
speeds and yet they will have less wear
flow and axial flow centrifugal pumps.
and tear. Because of high running
speeds, they also become compact in
In terms of number of stages (impellers)
design. They can handle very high flows.
in a pump assembly, pumps are single
Better running clearances also make
stage or multi-stage. There are also
machining, assembly and manufacturing
axially split casing pumps, which most
readily amenable to cost-effective
commonly are double suction, i.e. the
economics of scales of production.
impeller has two suction passages
bifurcated within the casing.
5. Limitations Of Use Of Centrifugal
Pumps
In terms of inclination of the axis, the
pumps would be classified also as
Centrifugal pumps do have limitations
horizontal, vertical or inclined pumps.
i) Highly viscous and shear-sensitive
liquids
The displacement pumps are of two
ii) Liquids with delicate solids
broad types; rotary and reciprocating.
iii) Liquids with very high percentage
Rotary pumps are of various types, the
concentration of solids
gear pumps external gear and internal
iv) Multi-phase flows, especially with
gear pumps, screw pumps, single screw
entrainment of air or gas
pumps, twin screw pumps multiple
v) Metering and dosing duties, where
screw (or rotor) pumps, sliding vane
precise, yet wide-range regulation of
pumps, flexible vane pumps, peristaltic
flow-rate is required
pumps lobe pumps, shuttle block pumps,
vi) When very high pressures are
etc.
required to be developed with small
flow-rates
The single screw pumps are either
vii) Flow-rates required are miniscule
Archimaedian screw pumps or helical
viii) Fail-safe self-priming capability is
rotor, progressive cavity pumps, with the
required
stator of elastomeric material.
ix) Certain times, even if a given
application is within the capability of
The reciprocating positive displacement
either a centrifugal pump or a
pumps are of two types, the piston (or
positive displacement pump, a
plunger) pumps and diaphragm pumps.
positive displacement pump may
The piston or plunger pumps would have
prove more energy-efficient than a
one piston (simplex), two pistons
centrifugal pump. A detailed Life
(duplex), multiple number of pistons
Cycle Cost Analysis would be
(triplex, quadruplex, etc.)
warranted in such cases.
4. Reasons For Popularity Of

Centrifugal Pumps
Because of better running clearances
than in positive displacement pumps,
centrifugal pumps can run at high
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Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types
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approximately at 1m less for every
Installation Options and
1000m increase in altitude. So, at a place
Constructional Variants of Pumps
at 500m MSL, atmospheric pressure will
make 9.836m of water column (mWC =
1) Installation with Suction Lift
metres of water column; mLC = metres
of liquid column) stand. mLC is
A commonplace installation of a pump is
inversely proportional to the specific
to draw water from a well or a suction
gravity of the liquid.
sump and lift it to a higher level, say into
an overhead reservoir. When the pump is
For maximum suction lift one ought to
mounted above the level in the suction
leave margins for losses in hydraulic
sump, it works against a suction lift.
friction at the strainer, the foot valve,
Static Suction Lift is the difference in
suction piping, bend(s), eccentric taper,
elevations between the two levels the
if any, etc. What a gauge or manometer
level of liquid in suction sump and level
at the pump suction will show is called
of eye of impeller.
as the manometric suction lift.
1.1) Maximum Static Suction Lift
Maximum suction lift thus depends upon
A relevant question is What maximum
the specific gravity of liquid to be
static suction lift can pumps handle?
handled,
the altitude at mean sea level and
When pump starts pumping after
the losses due to hydraulic
priming it throws away all liquid at the
friction in the elements of suction
eye of impeller. Thus vacuum is
piping.
developed at the eye of the impeller.
Since the liquid in the suction sump,
2) Methods for Priming Pumps
when open to atmosphere, as is the most
common case, is at atmospheric
Centrifugal Pumps with suction lift need
pressure, the atmospheric pressure forces
to be primed. So they also need a foot
the liquid to the low-pressure vacuum at
valve and inherent losses through foot
the impeller eye. The maximum static
valve and strainer. For large pumps,
suction lift then is equal to the column of
priming the pump becomes quite some
liquid, which atmospheric pressure can
exercise. This can be made easier by use
make stand. At mean sea level,
of vacuum pump for priming.
atmospheric pressure can make a column
of mercury stand to 760mm. Since
Construction contractors face water
specific gravity of mercury is 13.6, the
percolating into the pit excavated at the
column of water, which atmospheric
site. To dewater the pit, they need to
pressure can make stand would be
pump out the water. And the pump will
13.6*0,76 = 10.336m (33.91 ft).
have to be primed. To facilitate this need
for priming at every shifting to a new
At altitudes above mean sea level
pit, contractors pumps are made self(MSL), the atmospheric pressure itself
priming by designing a chamber integral
reduces. In turn the liquid column, which
with the pump casing. The chamber gets
the less atmospheric pressure can make
filled during pumping and the filled
stand,
will
be
less,
reducing
chamber serves the purpose of relieving
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Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types
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the need for priming at every shifting.
One prominent version of submerged
So, such types of centrifugal pumps (see
pumps is with volute casing and a
IS-8412) with an integral priming
separate delivery pipe. In chemical
chamber are called self-priming pumps
industries such pumps are often
or contractor pumps.
installed, suspended into process tanks.
The concept of priming chamber can as

well be implemented by providing the
chamber as an accessory to the pump.
Priming chambers are useful, where
liquids are hazardous for manual
handling to do priming.
Small domestic pumps are often
regenerative turbine type centrifugal
pumps (IS-8472). These pumps have
some self-priming capability inherent by
design. They are made mostly in small
sizes and can hence handle only small
flows. Also these pumps have poor
efficiency and hence do not make
energy-efficient pumping.
3) Vertical Submerged Pumps
There are these two difficulties with
pumps installed with a suction lift - the
limitation of maximum suction lift and
the need for priming. One logical
approach is to submerge the pump. To
keep the bearings and driver safely away
from the liquid, the pump has to be
connected to the bearing housing and
driver with a long pump shaft and
maybe, some intermediate shafts and
intermediate support bushes.
Another
prominent
version
of
submerged pumps is Vertical Turbine
Pumps (IS-1710). In these pumps, the
pumps have diffuser casing(s) or bowl(s)
instead of volute casing. So, the delivery
flow rises along the pump shaft and is
taken out from the discharge bend,
which also is a part of the pump. If
liquid to be handled is not a clear liquid
and is likely to be offensive to the
intermediate bush supports and for
lubrication to the bushes, the shaft and
the intermediate bushes are provided
with a protection tube. Vertical turbine
pumps are made in fairly large sizes,
handling flows of the order of 20,000
m3/h, with delivery nozzle size of the
order of 2200mm and with drive ratings
of the order of 3 MW.
4) Pumps with submersible motors
Dismantling the vertical turbine pumps
or vertically submerged volute casing
pumps for maintenance and/or overhaul
becomes
quite
some
exercise.
Development of submersible motors
eliminated the need for long shafting,
facilitating also exploring deep ground
water and facilitating also drilling only
tube wells instead of bore wells.
Submersible motors also made drainage
and dewatering duties free of worries of
failure of motors due to ingress of water
into the motor. Pumps with submersible
motors are also used in sewage handling.
Monoset pumps with horizontal
submersible motors present good option
to the conventional surface monosets.
Page 4 of 9
Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types
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Bore well submersible pumps are
detailed in IS-8034 and those for open
wells in IS-14220.
Submersible motors (IS-9283) have been
developed in different versions waterfilled, field- rewindable motors, oil-filled
motors, encapsulated motors, dry motors
etc.
5) Pumps with Maintainability
Features
5.1) Back Pull Out Pumps
In a pump the rotating unit is the subassembly, which has the most wearprone components and hence needs
periodic attention. In back pull out
pumps, a spacer coupling between the
motor and the pump helps to take out the
rotating unit of the pump without
disturbing either the motor or the suction
and delivery piping. This demands the
casing to be independently supported.
Horizontal, end suction, single-stage
centrifugal pumps (IS-13518 / ISO2858) specifies dimensions and ratings
for such back pull out pumps.
5.2) Axially Split Casing Pumps
In these pumps removing away the top
half of the casing facilitates complete
inspection of the rotating unit. Because
these pumps are most commonly
installed with shaft axis horizontal, they
are also called as Horizontal Split Casing
(HSC) pumps. The shaft runs through
from one end to another and has bearing
supports at both ends and also two shaft
sealing units.
One common version of these pumps is

double suction pumps. The impeller is
virtually two impellers made integral
back to back. Axial thrust is inherently
balanced by this type of impeller design.
These are also made in multi-stage
version, incorporating crossovers leading
outlet of one casing to inlet of another
impeller.
5.3) In-Line Pumps
These are most commonly made for
vertical mounting and are popularly used
as in-line boosters. Vertical mounting
lends a space-saving advantage. Small
units are also used, horizontally mounted
on vertical pipelines, typically as heat
pumps in cold climate areas. They are
made both in single stage, volute casing
pattern and in multistage construction. In
vertical single stage pumps, they are
made as moonsets, so that the rotating
unit can be taken out along with the
motor. This makes for ease of
maintenance.
Page 5 of 9
Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types
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Pump Types
Impeller Pumps
Centrifugal
Positive Displacement Pumps
Regenerative
Reciprocating
Horizontal
Piston
Vertical
Diaphragm
Rotary
Reciprocating Positive Displacement Pumps
Piston or Plunger
Pumps
Manually Operated
Power-driven
Page 6 of 9
Diaphragm
Pumps
Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types
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Horizontal Centrifugal
Pumps
End Suction, Single Stage
Axially Split Casing
Multi-stage
Vertical Centrifugal Pumps (1)
Vertical
Turbine
Encastre
Vertical
Sump
Pump
Page 7 of 9
Jet Pump
Bore-hole
Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types
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Verttical Centrifugal Pumps

(2)
Wet well with
submersible motor
Dry Pit
Vertical Inline
Rotary Positive Displacement Pumps (1)
Lobe Pumps
External
Internal
Gear Pumps
External
Page 8 of 9
Internal
Vane Pumps
Sliding Vane
Flexible Vane
Workshop on Pumps
(1) Pump Types
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Rotary Positive Displacement Pumps (2)
Peristaltic
Pumps
Screw
Pumps
Helical Rotor
Twin Screw
Triple Screw
Page 9 of 9
Radial
Piston
Workshop On Pumps
(2) AFFINITY LAWS
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Similar relations are applicable if
Affinity Laws are corollaries of the basic
diameter of the impeller is changed to
theory of centrifugal force.
D from D
Commonplace example of centrifugal
Again if D/D = k, then
force is the Gophan used by farmers to
drive birds away when the crop is ready
Q = k*Q; H = k2*H and P = k3*P
for harvesting.
Use of Affinity Laws
= RPM/60
Mass m
Affinity Laws are useful to pump-users

in setting the pump-performance, at the
time of commissioning a new
installation, especially if the motor is
seen to be getting overloaded. This often
happens if the pumping duty is estimated
with unwarranted margins.
Centrifugal Force = m* r * 2
All the elements i.e. m, r and are as
much present in the way the impeller of
a centrifugal pump performs and the way
Gophan helps the framer to hurl a stone.
Hest
H and Q on
installation
Distance to which a stone can be hurled

is proportional to both r and . This is
akin to head developed by a pump.
Likewise mass of the stone is
comparable to flow-rate Q of the pump.
Also power required by a pump running
at higher speed or with larger diameter
of impeller will be larger.
The relations which help one to estimate
Q, H and P at speed n when Q, H
and P at speed n are known are called
as Affinity Laws.
Pcommissionning
Pest
Ptrimmed
Q est
If n/n = k, then
Q = k*Q; H = k2*H and P = k3*P
When the system curve results to be

flatter on actual installation, than what
was estimated, the operating point of the
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Page 1 of 5
Workshop On Pumps
(2) AFFINITY LAWS
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4-pole motor. At double the speed the
pump shifts to one of more discharge, in
pump would demand eight times the
turn drawing more power, which would
power (k3 = 23 = 8). Even if a 10 hp
overload the motor. To set the system to
the originally estimated discharge, one
motor was put in place of original 5 hp,
can trim the impeller, which can
at double the speed, the 10 hp motor
eliminate the overloading of the motor.
would burn within no time for sure!!
That is what the Affinity Laws tell us.
Affinity Laws are also useful, when the
duty of the pump needs to be varied.
Most commonplace example if of
sewage handling pumps. Inflow to a
sewage pumping station varies over
different times of the day. One cannot
run the pump waiting long enough for
enough sewage to accumulate.
Accumulation of sewage over long
period can cause the sewage to turn
septic. Nor can one start and stop the
pump too often. Most logical option then
is to run the pump with variation of its
pumping duty. This is accomplished by
resorting to variable speed pumping.
Development of Variable Frequency
Drives (VFDs) has brought in
wholesome thinking in energy
conservation by using VFDs. This merits
a devoted discussion. Basically however,
the theory and application are based only
on Affinity Laws.
Important Caution For Maintenance
Engineers
Maintenance engineers are always
tensed up. If the motor of a 5 hp pump
needs replacement, they will find one,
maybe one of 7.5 hp or 10 hp. To them it
is important to get the pump running,
than to worry of the size of the motor.
It can very well happen that if the
original motor was a 4-pole motor and
the replacement motor would be a 2-pole
motor. That would be hazardous!! A 2pole motor has double the speed of the
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Page 2 of 5
Workshop On Pumps
(2) AFFINITY LAWS
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2.1 Working Principle Of Centrifugal Pumps And Significance Of The Affinity
Laws
In centrifugal pumps the impeller receives energy from an engine or a motor, which
imparts mechanical energy to rotate the impeller. The rotation of the impeller causes the
liquid entering at the eye of the impeller to get impelled towards the outside diameter of
the impeller i.e. away from the centre of rotation, which is centrifugally away. Those
pumps, working of which is based on such centrifugal action are called centrifugal
pumps.
The commonplace example of centrifugal action is the catapult, which farmers use for
hurling stones to drive birds away. It is easy to understand that farther the farmer wants to
hurl a stone, more vigorously he has to swing the catapult. This is akin to the speed of
rotation of the impeller. The distance to which the stone will get hurled is then akin to the
head of the pump. We measure distances in meters. Head of the pump also has meter as
the unit of measurement. So, higher the speed of rotation (n), [usually mentioned in
revolutions per minute (RPM)], higher will be the head (H) of a centrifugal pump. In fact
it varies by the square of RPM.
A stone can also be hurled to a farther distance by having longer string of the catapult.
This is akin to the radius or diameter of the impeller. Again, hence, larger the radius or
diameter (D) of the impeller, higher will be the head of the pump. In fact the head of the
pump again varies by the square of the diameter of the impeller.
Now, if one wants to hurl a bigger stone with the catapult, one would need a broader
holding pad and one would have to also whirl the catapult more vigorously. Larger stone
is akin to more discharge (Q) of the pump. Pumps of larger discharge will hence have
broader flow cross-sections, i.e. larger inlet diameter, broader width at the outlet of the
impeller, larger outside diameter of the impeller, etc. Higher speed also will give more
discharge.
2.2 The Affinity Laws
The proportionality relationships of H and Q of a pump with n and D are called as
Affinity Laws. Mathematically,
i)
H n2
ii)
H D2
iii)
Qn
iv)
QD
This means that if a pump gives head H at speed n, then at speed n the pump can give
head H = H* (n/n)2.
Likewise, from relationship (ii) H = H* (D/D)2.
And Q = Q*(n/n). Also Q=Q*(D/D).
Since power (P) required to be input to the pump will be more, both for higher head and
more discharge, if n is higher than n, power (P) required to be input at speed n will be
larger by the cube of the ratio of speeds! P = P*(n/n)3. Also, P = P*(D/D)3.
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Page 3 of 5
Workshop On Pumps
(2) AFFINITY LAWS
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2.3 How This is important!
If you have a 5 hp centrifugal pump requiring 5 hp at 1450 rpm, and if you inadvertently
couple the pump with a 5 hp motor, but of 2900 rpm, the motor will burn off! At 2900
rpm the pump will need 5*(2900/1450)3 = 40 hp! One ought to be always mindful to
speak of the hp rating together with the corresponding speed of rotation.
Illustrative Example
A pump when running at 1450 rpm has following characteristics.
Q in m3/h
H in m
P in kW
0
15
0.65
5
13.6
1
10
11.7
1.2
15
9.5
1.3
20
7.2
1.4
A) Find its characteristics when run at 2900 rpm.

B) Assuming that the characteristics given above are with impeller of diameter 200mm,
find the characteristics of the pump after the diameter of the impeller is trimmed to
185mm both at 1450 rpm and at 2900 rpm.
Characteristics of centrifugal pump are plotted with Q on X axis and suitable zones on Y
axis for Head H and input power required, P. Solution of above Exercises becomes easy
by using Excel Spreadsheet. The spreadsheet also gives the facility of getting a plot,
saving the rigor of manual plotting.
Q, m3/h 2001450 1851450 2002900 1852900
0
15
5
13.6
10
11.7
15
9.5
20
7.2
0
12.83
4.63
11.64
9.25
10.01
13.88
8.13
18.5
6.16
0
60
10
54.4
20
46.8
30
38
40
28.8
0
51.34
9.25
46.55
18.5
40.04
27.75
32.51
37
24.64
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Workshop On Pumps
(2) AFFINITY LAWS
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2.4 Centrifugal Pumps And Their Need For Priming
When a pump is not primed, there is air in the suction system. Since displacement in
centrifugal pumps is not positive, they are not capable of removing air. Priming is
precisely for removing the air and substituting it with liquid.
Centrifugal pumps may lose the prime, if air gets entrained into the pump suction. All
joints on suction piping have to be hence air-tight.
Positive displacement pumps are self-priming. Displacement being positive, the pumps
will displace gas or liquid. In oil wells, pumps have to pump out natural gas or oil or a
mixture of these. Oil-exploration pumps are hence positive displacement pumps.
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Page 5 of 5
Workshop On Pumps
PUMP CURVES
Faculty Mr. S. L. Abhyankar
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Reading Pump Curves
Recommended Operating Range
a. Single line curves
b. Multiple trim curves
c. Multiple speed curves
d. Affinity laws
Tyical characteristics for a pump are
single line curves with discharge or
capacity on the X axis and scales for
head, power, efficiency and NPSHr on
the Y axis.
Typical Characteristics of
Centrifugal Pumps
Since trimming of impeller or changing

the speed of the impeller would give a
different performance of the pump,
manufacturers usually append with their
quotations curves with different
diameters of the impeller.
The topmost curve is for H v/s Q with

maximum diameter of impeller and
bottom most is for minimum diameter of
impeller.
Such multiple trim curves are submitted
with the quotation, primarily to
corroborate their quotation that the
model selected is satisfactory for the
tendered duty. The duty point of the
tender will also be marked on the curves.
It may lie on the maximum or minimum
diameter curves or inbetween them, but
definitely not outside.
Though the curve for head starts right
from Y axis, i.e. at Head when Q=0,
called as shut-off head (Hso) and can
extend right down to X axis, i.e. H = 0,
manufacturers mark the recommended
operating range in bold.
Usual operating range will be from 50%
to 120% of the discharge at Best
Efficiency Point (BEP). There are many
considerations in recommending such
range of operation. One major
consideration is efficiency of the pump,
which will be poorer outside the
recommended range. Another
consideration shown in the diagram is of
radial thrust, which increases on both
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Page 1 of 2
Workshop On Pumps
PUMP CURVES
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sides of BEP. This has an effect on life
of bearing. Related considerations also
are of NPSHr and Safe Minimum Flow.
A more detailed example of the type of
performance curve, which manufacturers
submit with their quotation is shown
below.
Specific Speed & Nature of Pump
Curves
Among pumps curves, the nature of
curve for Input Power required by the
pump v/s capacity has significant
variation, depending upon the specific
speed and in turn depending upon
whether the impeller is radial flow,
mixed flow or axial flow.
Guidelines For Valve Operation When

Starting And Stopping A Pump
Since motor of the pump should have
minimum load when starting and
stopping, it can be seen that Radial flow
and mixed flow pumps should be started
with delivery valve closed. Likewise
when stopping the pump, the delivery
valve should be closed, before switching
off the motor.
But in the case of axial flow pumps, the
load on the motor is the least with
maximum capacity.
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Page 2 of 2
Workshop On Pumps
SAFE MINIMUM FLOW
===============================================================
fast, resulting prematuer failure of
Pump-users need to be conscious of not
bearings
operating a pump at flow less than the
safe minimum flow.
Manufacturers indicate the safe
minimum flow by a line on the H-Q
Safe Min Flow
curves. The curve for NPSHr also starts
at safe minimum flow.
There are many situations, when flow
required by the process is very small and
a pump to deliver only as much flow at
the required head is not available.
Knowledge of specific speed is again
relevant here. If the specific speed works
out to a value less than 10, pump design
for such duties often does not become
feasible.
Curve for NPSHr
The reasons for not operating a pump at

flows less than safe minimum flow are
to save the pump from suffering from
problems. The problems that would
happen are
1. Temperature rise
a. This can cause flashing of the
liquid, especially if the liquid is
volatile and this can be very
hazardous.
b. causes vapour pressure also to
rise, in turn causing depletion of
NPSHa and finally cavitation
c. Temperature rise also travels to
the seals and packings, resulting
in premature failure lubricant and
the bearings, which can result in
seizure of shaft
d. Temperature rise also travels to
lubricant and the bearings, which
can result in seizure of shaft
How to ensure safe operation?

When required flow is less than safe
minimum flow, the simple way to ensure
safe operation is to operate the flow at
higher flow and bypass the excess flow
back to suction.
Actually in plants flow-rate of the pump
is most commonly adjusted by looking at
the pressure-gauge. This cannot be an
accurate setting really. Such setting can
often lead to unsafe operation.
One option of automating this is to use
an Automatic Recirculation Control
(ARC) valve.
2. Steep rise in radial thrust

accompanied with rise in axial thrust
would consume the bearing life very
Page 1 of 1
Workshop On Pumps
(5) SPECIFIC SPEED AND EFFICIENCY
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Or overall efficiency
How is Knowledge of Pump Efficiency
overall = pump * motor
useful to Pump-users
overall = * (Q in l/s) * (H in m) / 102
Knowledge of pump efficiency is useful
/ (kW input to motor)
to pump-users at many stages.
Relationship between Specific Speed
1. At the stage of formation of a tenderand Pump Efficiency
specification, the knowledge comes
handy to estimate the rating of the
For estimation of what should be the
driver.
efficiency of a pump for a particular
duty, charts such as Wislecenus are
2. When making comparative
available in Handbooks.
evaluation of offers, the knowledge
comes handy to assess whether the
Most commonly used chart has specific
speed on X axis. So one must know the
efficiency offered by the vendor(s) is
appropriate and becomes a point for
significance of this term Specific speed.
selecting the best among the offers.
Often times an offer with higher
The formula for Specific Speed Ns is
efficiency, though at higher cost will
Ns = n * sqrt (Q in m3/s) / H0.75
prove as being of low Life Cycle
Cost.
Specific speed also dictates the design
3. Knowledge of pump-efficiency also
type of the pump, whether a radia-flow
comes handy in keeping a track of
pump or mixed flow pump or an axialenergy-consumption and depletion in
flow or propeller pump.
efficiency over time.
Specific speed as being related to the
design type of pump, in case of
Basics of Pump Efficiency and Overall
horizontally split casing pumps with
Efficiency
double suction impellers Q in the
Efficiency = Output / Input
formula has to be Q to each suction side
Pump Output in kW =
of the impeller. So, the formula becomes
* (Q in l/s) * (H in m) / 102
Input to pump often$ is the output of
Ns = n * sqrt (Q per side) / H0.75
motor.
$ In case of gear drive or pulley drive, efficiency
Likewise, in case of multistage pumps,
of these drives will also have to be taken into
where each stage develops same head,
account
the formula becomes
Output of motor =
(kW input to motor) * motor
Ns = n * sqrt (Q in m3/s) / (H per
stage)0.75
Input to motor is measured directly in
kW.
Influence of Specific speed on design
Then
type of pump is shown below.
pump = * (Q in l/s) * (H in m) / 102 /
[(kW input to motor) * motor]
Page 1 of 5
Workshop On Pumps
===============================================================
Relationship between specific speed and

efficiency is shown in the chart below.
Attainable efficiencies of pumps can be
assessed from a regression equation.
pump = 0.94 1/(13.2*Q)0.32
0.29*[0.32 log(0.047*Ns)]2
Q should be in l/s.
This equation suggests that
i) maximum attainable efficiency will
be 94%.
ii) For any Q, efficiency will be
maximum, if Ns = 44.45.
Wislecenus'Chart of Efficiency of Centrifugal Pumps

100
90
1.6 m3/h
3.2 m3/h
80
6.3 m3/h
E
fficiency%
12.5 m3/h
25 m3/h
70
50 m3/h
100 m3/h
60
200 m3/h
400 m3/h
50
800 m3/h
1600 m3/h
3200 m3/h
40
6400 m3/h
12800 m3/h
30
20
0
20
40
60
80
Ns
Page 2 of 5
100
120
Workshop On Pumps
===============================================================
Efficiency of any equipment is the ratio of output to input. The output of a pump has two
parameters. A pump gives discharge Q at head H. The discharge of a pump, Q with units
such as m3/h actually tells the volume rate of flow of the pump. As we know, density =
mass / volume, i.e. mass = volume * density. A given pump design gives the same
volume rate of flow irrespective of the density (usual symbol, rho, ) of the fluid. But
implicit in its volume rate of flow Q is the mass rate of flow, *Q. If is known in units
as tons per m3, and if Q is in m3/h, the mass rate of flow *Q will be tons/h. If Q is in
litres per second and is known in kg per litre, the mass rate of flow *Q will be kg/s.
If the pump is raising this much mass rate of flow (kg/s), through a head H (in meters), its
output is *Q*H (kg*m/s). Since 75 kg*m/s is one metric horsepower, *Q*H/75 would
give us the value of output of pump in metric hp. Since one metric hp is 0.736 kW,
output of the pump in kW = *Q*H/75*0.736
= *Q*H/102
In the illustrative example in Chapter 2 we have values of power required to be input to
the pump at different values of Q and H. If Q is m3/h, its equivalent value in litres per
second is (1000*Q litres in 3600 seconds, i.e.) Q/3.6 litres per second. is usually known
in kg per litre. So, when Q is in m3/h then
output of the pump in kW = ( in kg/litre)*Q (in m3/h)*H (in m) / 367.2.
Then Efficiency of the pump = (*Q*H/367.2) / P
P = Power required to be input to the pump in kW
Find the values of efficiency of the pump for all the characteristics, i.e. for 200mm and
185 mm diameters of the impeller and both at 1450 and 2900 rpm. Assume that the pump
is pumping water with its usual density = 1 kg/litre.
Do plot all the four curves for efficiency also. You will notice some interesting
observations.
Again, it is so easy to do the calculations for finding efficiency by using an Excel
Spreadsheet. The results are tabulated below.
Performance with 200mm Impeller at 1450 rpm
Q, m3/h
H, m
kW
Efficiency
0
15
0.65
0
5
13.6
1
18.52%
10
11.7
1.2
26.55%
15
9.5
1.3
29.85%
20
7.2
1.4
28.01%
Page 3 of 5

Q, m3/h
H, m
kW
Efficiency
0
12.83
0.514
0%
4.625
11.64
0.791
18.52%
9.25
10.01
0.950
26.55%
13.875
8.13
1.029
29.85%
18.5
6.16
1.108
28.01%
Workshop On Pumps
===============================================================
Plots For 2900 rpm

Q, m3/h
H, m
kW
Efficiency
0
60
5.2
0%
10
54.4
8
18.52%
20
46.8
9.6
26.55%
30
38
10.4
29.85%
40
28.8
11.2
28.01%
Page 4 of 5

Q, m3/h
H, m
kW
Efficiency
0
51.34
4.116
0.00%
9.25
46.55
6.332
18.52%
18.5
40.04
7.598
26.55%
27.75
32.51
8.231
29.85%
37
24.64
8.864
28.01%
Workshop On Pumps
===============================================================
Important point to be noticed is that values of efficiency have remained same, whether
the rpm is changed or the impeller diameter is changed.
8. Effect Of Trimming The Impeller On The Efficiency Of The Pump
In actual practice however, a trimmed impeller will have a larger clearance between the
impeller OD and the volute. The liquid will have less guidance because of the increased
clearance. It will also have more re-circulation and turbulence within the space, resulting
in less efficiency.
Similarly at higher speed the flow will be more turbulent. Conversely at lower speed the
flow may suffer more boundary layer friction. Also at lower speed the clearances may
allow more slippages.
No standard norms are as yet established for estimating effect on the efficiency of pump
due to change of speed or due to trimming of impeller. The affinity laws are handy for
making only an estimate primarily of the Head v/s Discharge characteristics. They will
give only a rough estimate of the characteristics for power required to be input. But
margins will have to be added towards depletion in efficiency. Data from manufacturers
will be a better guide on this score.
9. To How Much Minimum Diameter An Impeller Can Be Trimmed
Impellers of centrifugal pumps are of three broad types, radial flow, mixed flow and axial
flow. Scope of trimming is more in radial flow impellers than in mixed flow or axial flow
impellers.
Another guideline can be deduced from the nominal impeller diameters specified in IS13518 (dual-numbered from ISO-2858) The recommendations of nominal diameters in
IS-13518 suggest that instead of looking for a pump with impeller to be trimmed to less
than 80 % of nominal diameter one can have a pump model of lower nominal diameter,
which will be more efficient.
To explain by example, for a nominal discharge rating of 12.5 m3/h at 1450 rpm, IS13518 recommends that there be different models of pumps with nominal diameters of
125, 160, 200, 250 and 315mm. So, instead of trimming the impeller of a 250mm
nominal diameter impeller to a diameter like 190mm, it would be better to look for the
model with 200mm nominal diameter, which also may have to be trimmed to 190mm.
But in the smaller model, the clearance between the trimmed impeller and the volute
casing will be less adverse than by trimming 250mm diameter to 190mm.
Page 5 of 5
Workshop On Pumps
CAVITATION
===============================================================
One important thing to be ensured in any
Important terms
installation of a pump should be that the
a. NPSHR vs. NPSHA
liquid will remain liquid, so that the
pump can pump it. If the liquid will
b. NPSH margin
c. Specific speed/Suction specific speed
vapourise or will tend to vapourise, the
d. Cavitation.
pump has problems in doing the
pumping properly.
Cavitation
Terms a, b, c, d are all related to the
Now, any will liquid will vapourise or
broad topic of Cavitation. Why it is
will tend to vapourise, if the pressureimportant to understand and discuss the
energy component will be equal to less
term can be readily appreciated by
than the vapour pressure of the liquid at
seeing the photographs, showing the
the pumping temperature. So, it has to be
damage caused by cavitation.
ensured that at no point in the
installation, there will be any chance for
the pressure-energy component to be
equal to less than the vapour pressure of
the liquid.
Understanding cavitation logically starts

with understanding the Cavitation
equation. This is best explained by
considering a pump installed with a
suction lift, i.e. an installation, where the
level in the sump is below the centreline
of the pump.
P
s
at
m
s
tati
or
z
When we speak of the pressure-energy

component, we recognise that a liquid
flow has hydraulic energy at every crosssection of flow and the total hydraulic
energy has three components
1. Pressure-energy component
2. Kinetic energy component
3. Potential energy component
In Bernoullis equation we have learnt
that in a friction-less liquid flow the total
hydraulic energy remains constant. Or, if
we take loss of energy in friction into
account, for the hydraulic energy at a
section say #2, dowstream of section #1,
we can write an equation ->
pg/ + z + V2/2g = p'g/ + z +
V2/2g Hf
where the terms on the LH side denote
components of hydraulic energy at
section #2, every component obtainable
as meters of liquid column (mLC)
Page 1 of 4
Workshop On Pumps
CAVITATION
===============================================================
In an installation with a suction lift, open
Making The Equation More General
to atmosphere, p'g/ = 10.336 m of
The equation can be made more general
water column (mWC) at mean sea level,
by substituting Ps, i.e. absolute pressure
p being equal to one bar or one
2
in the suction sump or vessel in place of
atmosphere, i.e. 1.0336 kgf/cm . An easy
Patm and by substituting z in place of
way to cross-scheck this value is by
z.
applying the knowledge that p'g/ = 0.76
The generalised equation then becomes
m when liquid is mercury, which has a
NPSHa = P1 Vp
specific gravity of 13.6.
= (Ps z V1 2/ 2g Hf) Vp
Since p'g/ = 0.76 mLC
By this general equation, one can
p' = 0.76* /g = 0.76*13.6 / 9.81 =
2
calculate NPSHa whether
1.05362 kgf/cm
a. There is a suction lift, with sump
open to atmosphere Ps = Patm and z
So, when liquid is water of unit specific
is negative or
gravity,
b.
Level of liquid in suction tank or
mWC for one atmosphere = p'g
sump is above pump centreline or z
= 1.05362*9.81 = 10.336 m
is positive
c. Pump is submerged, again z is
The focus has to be for ensuring that the
positive. Submerged pumps are
pressure-energy component at any point
mostly vertcal pumps. The reference
is greater than Vp, the vapour pressure.
line for the pump is then the
The point of investigation in a suction
backshroud of the impeller. or
lift installation will be the point P1 the
d. Liquid in suction tank is under
point near to suction nozzle of the pump.
pressure, as is the case with LPG or
The pressure at P1 can be derived as
e. Liquid in suction sump is under
follows vacuum
2
1. P1 = Patm z V1 / 2g Hf
NPSHr
2. P1 > Vp
3. P1 - Vp > 0
It is important to note that for an
4. NPSHa = P1 Vp
2
installation to be free from cavitation, it
= (Patm z V1 / 2g Hf) Vp
does not become adequate to just ensure
NPSHa to be positive.
5. NPSHr = Twists + Shocks +
Obstructions
There are losses happening in the portion
6. (P1 NPSHr) > Vp
between P1 and the point in the impeller,
7. (P1 Vp ) >NPSHr
whre the impeller transfers energy to the
8. NPSHa >NPSHr
liquid. The losses are due to pre-rotation,
shocks and overcoming obtructions at
Equation at step 4 is the equation for
the inlet edges of the blades of the
NPSHa, which stands for Net Positive
impeller. All these losses together are
Suction Head, available, i.e. available at
called as Net Positive Suction Head,
an installation.
required (NPSHr) of the pump. NPSHr
Page 2 of 4
Workshop On Pumps
CAVITATION
===============================================================
a. Least hydraulic friction in
is dictated by design philosophy adopted
suction piping
by the designer.
b. Liquid temperature as low as
possible
But the golden rule for pump-users is at
c. Keep Suction Lift as less
step 8, i.e. NPSHa >NPSHr
possible
d. Increase submergence
(NPSHa NPSHr) then denotes the
Margin to be provided between
NPSHr of the pump and NPSHa at the
Data
installation. Pump-users will be prompt
1. Q = 250 m3 /h
to ask, How much should the margin
2. H = 15 m
be? Some guideline has been evolved in
the standard ANSI-9.6.1 developed by
3. = 1.1
Hydraulic Institute. My personal
4. Liquid = PA
observation is that it is NOT a practical
5. Temp. = 2500 C
guidline. It seems one should go by a
6. Vp = 0.5 kg/cm2 absolute
industrial norm of 0.5 m to 1m margin.
7. NPSHr = 1.3 m
Obviously higher the margin, one is
8. Vacuum in suction vessel = 70 Torr absolute
more sure of the installation being free
9. Suction Pipe 200 NB
from cavitation.
10. Pump speed 960 rpm
11. Pump Efficiency 85%
Factors Influencing NPSH
Calculate Power required, specific speed, NPSHa
Since, NPSHa = Ps z Vs2/ 2g

Hf Vp
Altitude from Mean Sea Level (MSL)

Atmospheric pressure reduces
approximately at the rate of 1m
for every 1000m of altitude
Vapor Pressure of Liquid at
PumpingTemperature
Condensate extraction pumps
and pumps for LPG are put in a
can. The depth of the can is kept
=/> NPSHr
NPSHr can be reduced by a
SUCTION INDUCER
1. Ps = 70 Torr
= 70 mm of Hg
= 0.07*13.6 mWC
= 0.07*13.6/1.1 mLC
= 0.8654 mLC
2. Vp = 0.5*10.336/1.1 = 4.7 mLC
3. Velocity Head =
(250/3600/(/4*0.22))2/2g = 0.25
There is no data for z and Hf.
Remedies for Cavitation
Harder materials to withstand

cavitation erosion
Enhance NPSHa
Since NPSHa = P1 Vp
= Ps z Vs2/ 2g Hf Vp
NPSHa can be enhanced by
Since NPSHa > NPSHr, say with margin

NPSHa NPSHr = 1
NPSHa = 1.3 +1 = 2.3 mLC
If one would assume Hf as 0.5m one can
calculate z by deriving the formula for z
as follows.
Page 3 of 4
Workshop On Pumps
CAVITATION
===============================================================
NPSHa = Ps z Vs2/ 2g Hf Vp
Hence,
z = NPSHa (Ps Vs2/ 2g Hf Vp)
= 2.3 (0.8654 0.25 0.5 4.7)
= 2.3 + 4.5864
= 6.8864 m
The pump centreline will have to be
6.8864 m below the level of liquid in
suction vessel.
Input Power = 1.1*250/3.6*15/102/0.85
= 13.2 kW = 18 HP
Ns = 960*(250)/60/150.75 = 33.19
Suction specific speed Nss
Since NPSHr = 1.3 m
Nss required works out as
(Nss required)
= 960*(250)/60/1.30.75
= 208
Page 4 of 4
Workshop On Pumps
SYSTEM CURVE
===============================================================
5. Hf in 40 NB pipe will be higher than
Calculating system head
in 50 NB pipe in the ratio (5/4)5 =
System head comprises of two
3125 / 1032, more than 3 times
components Static Head and Frictional
excessive!!!
Head. Third component is Velocity
6. Also L is actually L considering
head, which is often neglible. It is
equivalent lengths of pipe fittings
considered when the sizes of suction and
Equivalent length of elbow is
delivery pipes are different.
more than that of a long radius
bend
Velocity head is V2/2g. It becomes equal
to 1 m, when V = (2g) = 4.43 m/s. One
Estimation and Actual
would not usually select pipe-sizes to
have such high velocities. Furthermore,
Frition head is estimated, using graphs,
what is to be considered for the system
charts and engineering data. It is natural
head, is (Vd2 Vs2) / 2g. This value
for one to be self-doubting and
would often be negligible.
compensate that by adding margin.
Problem comes fort, when the margins
Static head is very forthright, just the
added prove excessive, yielding higher
difference in the two RLs that at level
discharge when commissioning.
of liquid in suction vessel and that at
Considerations of trimming the impeller
highest point on discharge pipe.
to eliminate overloading of the motor
due to high disharge is discussed under
In case of vacuum in sution vessel or
Affinity Laws.
pressure in suction vessel and pressure in
discharge vessel, e.g. a boiler feed pump
Opposite situation can also happen. For
to feed against the boiler pressure, the
example, a structure not envisaged in
differential between the two values of
original layout may get added. This may
absolute pressures (Pd Ps) converted
warrant turning around the piping,
increasing the length of the pipeline and
into mLC i.e. (Pd Ps) / g should also
some more fittings and bends, etc. This
be added to the static head.
may result in increase in system head. If
the original specified duty was offered
Calculating Friction Head
by the vendor with maximum diameter
of the impeller, there would be no scope
The basic formula for friction head is
to replace the impeller with one of
higher diameter. And the pump bought
Hf = 4 f L V2 / (2gd)
out as per original specifications would
become redundant, a wasteful capital
Some derivation of the formula lends
cost.
some thought-provoking revelations.
1. Hf = 4 * f * L * V2 / (2g) / d
2.
= 4 * f * L * (Q/A)2 / (2g) / d
3.
= 4 * f * L * Q2 / (2g) / d /
(pi/4*d2)2
4.
= 32 /g/pi2*f * L * Q2 / d5
Clause in API-610
Clause 2.1.4 in API-610 (Eighth Edition)
specifically provides for such possibility
of system head to result more than
Page 1 of 3
Workshop On Pumps
SYSTEM CURVE
===============================================================
originally estimated value. It says,
Pumps shall be capable of at least 5
a) Variation in nature of equation of
percent head increase at rated conditions
Hf
by replacement of impeller(s) with
A throttled valve has higher f than a
one(s) of larger diameter or different
fully open valve. This causes the curve
hydraulic design. There is also a note,
of Hf to be different and in turn causes
saying, The purchaser may consider the
the curve for Hsys to be different and
use of variable speed drive and/or use of
cuases point of intersection of Hsys
blank stages (to add impellers) in future
curve with pumps H-Q curve to be
for multistage pumps to meet this
different.
requitrement.
Operating Point
It will always be the fact that a operating
point of a pump in a system will be
where the system curve intersects the
pump curve.
Pumps H-Q curve is a quadratic of the
type
Shifting of Operating Point by Throttling Valve
H = a*Q2 + b*Q + c
b) Variation of Hsys by variation of
Hstat
When Q = 0, H = c, whereby c = Hso

(Head at shut-off)
The system head curve is also parabolic
Pump on a farmers well can be sighted

as a commonplace example of Variation
of Hsys by variation of Hstat.
Hsys = Hstatic + Hf
Hf is a parabolic function of Q
Hf = 32 /g/pi2*f * L * Q2 / d5 as derived
earlier. Once L and d are decided the
equation becomes of the type
Hf = k * Q2
where
k = 32 /g/pi2*f * L / d5
Once Hsys is decided for one value of Q,
complete system head curve can be
generated by finding k and adding Hf =
k*Q2 to Hstatic for different values of Q.
The farmer would shut the pump off at

the end of days work. Seepage of
ground water into the well would
continue all the time. So, when the
farmer would start the pump the next
day, the well is more full. Hstatic for the
pump would be less.
Over the days pumping, assuming that
the discharge of the pump is more than
the rate of inflow of ground water into
the well, called as the yield of the well,
the level of water in the well would keep
going down all the time. This means that
How Hsys shifts
Page 2 of 3
Workshop On Pumps
SYSTEM CURVE
===============================================================
Hstatic for the pump would be
by throttling
by varying the
continuously increasing.
speed
Friction head is
System
more; system
characteristics does
characteristics
not change; friction
becomes steeper
head will be less at
less flow.
Total head at
Total head at
reduced flow is
reduced flow is
unnecessarily
less, as per the
higher.
basic system
characteristics.
Operating point shifts by Increase in Hstatic
Input power
Input power
required at
required is even
reduced flow may less than with
If suction vessel is under pressure or
be less than at
throttling.
vacuum and that setting is changed, it
higher flow; but
will cause similar effect.
reduced power is
not optimal.
Flow Regulation By Varying The
Speed
Pump Characteristics at Full Speed

Pump Characteristics at Reduced Speed
System Characteristics
on throttling
System Characteristics
with valve fully open
Input Power at Full Speed, full open

Input Power on Throttling
Input Power at Reduced Speed
QTHROTTLE
QFULL OPEN
Flow regulation by reducing the speed

becomes a more energy-efficient
operation than by throttling.
Flow Regulation
Flow Regulation
Page 3 of 3
Workshop on Pumps
Pumps in Parallel
===============================================================
60
35.4
1. Parallel Operation of Pumps
80
100
120
1.1 Uses of Parallel Operation

1.1.1
For Regulation
People have been devising pumping

systems with more than one pumps
running in parallel, for having some
simple way to regulate the running of
pumps for less or more discharge. The
commonplace example is of pumping
sewage. The rate of inflow of sewage
would vary at different times of the day.
So, the flow-rate of pumps needs to be
regulated. The traditional method has
been to cut in or cut out number of
pumps running in parallel.
1.1.2
34
32
29.8
For Augmentation
Parallel running is also employed when

devising a project to augment the flowrate at different stages of a project. For
example, an urban water supply system
would need augmenting the flow,
according as the population increases.
One plans a pumping system for the
demographic estimates over a long
period, say 15 years. But the flow-rate
required initially would be less. So at the
project stage the plan would be to
augment the flow-rate by adding more
pumps at the stage-wise upgradations.
1.2 Combined Pump Characteristics
The by varying number of pumps
running in parallel can be understood by
an example. The H-Q characteristics of
one pump is taken as follows.
Q, m3/h
0
20
40
H one pump
37.5
37
36.3
The combined characteristics with two

and three pumps running in parallel
become as follows.
Q, m3/h
0
40
80
120
160
200
240
H for 2 in //
37.5
37
36.3
35.4
34
32
29.8
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
H for 3 in //
37.5
37
36.3
35.4
34
32
29.8
1.3 Influence of System

Characteristics
Let us consider the system has a static
head of 31m and has a friction head
trend as Hf = Q^2/25000. The system
head characteristics then becomes as
follows, by the equation,
Hsys = 31 + Q^2/25000
Q, m3/h
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
H of system
31
31.016
31.064
31.144
31.256
31.4
31.576
31.784
32.024
32.296
===============================================================
Page 1 of 6
Workshop on Pumps
Pumps in Parallel
===============================================================
200
32.6
2
96
32.5m
220
32.936
3
83.33
33.5m
240
260
280
33.304
33.704
34.136
All these characteristics when plotted

together appear as follows.
Flow of each pump becoming less, as

number of pumps running in parallel is
more, is understandable, since head of
each pump is increasing.
Q, m3/h
Parallel Operation
40
30
H, m
H one pump
2 in //
20
3 in //
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
H one
pump
37.5
37
36.3
35.4
34
32
29.8
Efficiency,
%
0
30
50
64
70
70
66
Power,
kW
6.72
7.91
9.04
10.58
12.45
14.75
System
10
1.4 Selecting Rating of Driver
0
0
100
200
300
400
Q, m3/h
It can be noticed that curve of single

pump intersects the system curve at
about (105 m3/h, 31.5m). Combined
curve of two pumps running in parallel
intersects the system curve at about (192
m3/h, 32.5m). Combined curve of three
pumps running in parallel intersects the
system curve at about (250 m3/h,
33.5m).
Even if a system as noted is designed to

have all the three pumps running in
parallel most of the time, that is to say,
each pump to deliver 83.33 m3/h at
33.5m head, the power required is about
11 kW. With only one pump running,
the power required for 105 m3/h, 31.5m
head is about 13 kW, nearly 20% more.
When selecting the drive rating for the
motor for pumps to run in parallel, the
rating should be selected for any such
eventuality of only one pump running.
80
It is important to hence note that two

pumps running in parallel do not give
the flow-rate double of single pump.
More the number of pumps running in
parallel, flow-rate is less than the
corresponding multiple of the flow-rate
of single pump.
70
60
50
H one pump
Efficiency
40
Power
NPSHr
30
20
No. of
pumps
running
1
Flow of
each pump
105
Head of
each
pump
31.5m
10
0
0
50
100
150
===============================================================
Page 2 of 6
Workshop on Pumps
Pumps in Parallel
===============================================================
advisability will depend upon the nature
1.5 Caution about NPSHa
of system characteristics.
Even the curve for NPSHr is a rising
For an example, let us consider Pump P1
curve. So, at the larger flow-rate of 105
same as in the previous example.
m3/h with one pump running, the NPSHr
However pump P2 is assumed to have
will be higher, nearly 4.6m instead of
higher shut-off head. The H-Q
3m at 83 m3/h. The system should have
characteristics of the two pumps are
NPSHa to be satisfactory for the higher
noted below.
NPSHr at higher flow-rate of single
pump running.
3
Q, m /h
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
NPSHr
2
2.2
2.5
2.9
4.5
6.5
Q, m3/h
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
H for P1
37.5
37
36.3
35.4
34
32
29.8
H for P2
40
39
37.5
36
34
30.5
26.5
1.6 Axially Split Casing Double

Suction Pumps
In the combined characteristics from

40m to 37.5m the charactristics will be
same as that of P2, because P1 has no
curve at these heads.
The impeller in axially split casing

double suction pumps is actually two
impellers made integral back to back.
So, the pump has parallel operation of
two identical pumps inbuilt.
Q for any head less than 37.5, is (Q1 +

Q2). The combined characteristics works
out as below.
Q, m3/h
0
20
40
66
110
130
160
192
220
1.7 Parallel Operation of Pumps with

dissimilar H-Q Characteristics
One can also run dissimilar pumps in
parallel. But the feasibility and
H for Combined
40
39
37.5
37
36
35
34
32
30
We can consider three different types of

systems.
System
1
2
Hstat
Nom.
Nom.
Hstat Hf
=
31m Low
31m High
Hf =
Q2/10000
Q2/800
===============================================================
Page 3 of 6
Workshop on Pumps
Pumps in Parallel
===============================================================
P1 only 70
35.5
70
Nil
3
High 34m Nom. Q2/1500
P2 only 71
35.8
Nil
71
Interaction of the three systems with
P1 + P2 77
36.9
22
55
combined characteristics can be studied
from the following plot.
System head on combined characteristics
is 36.9m, which is too close to the shutoff head of P1. Contribution of P1 is
Dissimilar Pumps in parallel
only 22 m3/h. This seems to be too close
50
to the minimum safe flow of P1. Pump is
likely to face problems.
45
40
H for P1
H, m
H for P2
Combined
35
System 1
System 2
System 3
30
3. With system as per system 3 also, the

point of intersection of system curve on
the combined characteristics is almost
same as the point of System 2. Again,
pump P1 is likely to face problems.
25
2. Series Operation
20
0
50
100
150
200
250
Q, m3/h
2.1 Uses
Observations
1. Curves for both P1 and P2 pass
through (80 m3/h, 34m). So, at system
head of 34m, the two pumps together
will give combined discharge of 160
m3/h.
2. System with characteristics as per
system 1 will see following pattern of
discharges.
Running
Pumps
P1 only
P2 only
P1 + P2
Q,
m3/h
102
92
174
H, m
31.9
30.8
33.6
Q of
P1
102
Nil
88
Q of
P2
Nil
92
86
3. System with characteristics as per

system 2 will see following pattern of
discharges.
Running Q,
Pumps
m3/h
H, m
Q of
P1
Q of
P2
The most common aplication of series

operation is for boosting the pressure. In
long transmission pipelines, it becomes
more practical to set up booster stations
along the length. Supposing that flow is
to be transmitted across 2000 km, for
example carrying water to drought-prone
areas from a perennial source like a
river, it becomes logical to boost the
pressure from one stage to another,
instead of the base pump itself to
develop all the pressure needed to
overcome the total frictional head.
In a process plant different equipment
needing cooling would be at different
levels. Booster pumps would raise
cooling water to different levels
according to the need and placement of
the equipment.
2.2 Example of Identical Pumps in
Series
===============================================================
Page 4 of 6
Workshop on Pumps
Pumps in Parallel
===============================================================
180
40.96
Combined characteristics of two
200
44
identical pumps in series can be
developed as follows.
Identical Pumps in Series
Single
pump
37.5
37
36.3
35.4
34
32
29.8
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2 in
Series
75
74
72.6
70.8
68
64
59.6
H = -0.001Q2 - 0.0121Q + 74.824

80
70
60
Single pump
50
H, m
Q, m3/h
2 in Series
40
System 1
System 2
30
Poly. (2 in Series)
20
10
Identical Pumps in Series
0
0
80
50
100
150
200
250
Q, m3/h
70
60
H, m
50
Single pump
40
2 in Series
Note The combined curve is extended

to 200 m3/h by fitting a quadratic
trendline.
30
Observations
20
1. The two system curves have

equations as
10
0
0
50
100
150
Q, m3/h
The output available from pumps in

series is always to be assessed from the
interaction of the system curve with the
combined curve. Considered here below
are two system curves, both with static
head as
Q,
m3/h
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Single
pump
37.5
37
36.3
35.4
34
32
29.8
2 in
Series
75
74
72.6
70.8
68
64
59.6
System
1
28
28.16
28.64
29.44
30.56
32
33.76
35.84
38.24
System
2
28
29.11
32.44
38
45.77
55.77
68
For System 1, H = 28 + Q2/2500

(flat curve)
For System 2, H = 28 + Q2/360
(steep curve)
2. Points of operation would be as
under.
System
1
2
Q
H
Q
H
single single series series
100
32
182
41
54
36
110
62
3. Two pumps in series would not give

double the head. In fact with a flat
system curve as of system 1, head
increase is from 32 to just 41.
===============================================================
Page 5 of 6
Workshop on Pumps
Pumps in Parallel
===============================================================
Discharge is nearly double, from 100
to 182! Series pumping can give
increased discharge. For increasing
discharge, even series pumping can
be an option, apart from parallel
operation!
4. With a steep system curve, head is
again not double, but 1.72 times,
which is fairly good. Discharge is
again increased, to more than
double!
5. In booster pumping time to start the
second pump becomes an important
consideration. The second pump will
often be at quite some distance from
the first pump.
If the second pump is started earlier
than the discharge of the first pump
reaching it, it will run dry.
If it si started too late, the pressure
from the first pump would cause an
unwarranted thrust on the second
pump. Also starting the second pump
too late would make the starting it on
load, which is not good for the
motor.
6. A multi-stage pump is akin to series
pumping inbuilt.
7.
===============================================================
Page 6 of 6
POMC WORKSHOP ON PUMPS

SESSION 5 Effect of Viscosity
===============================================================
Effect of Viscosity on Pump
2. Then one moves up to the line of
Performance
value of head.
With high viscosity performance of
3. Then one moves horizontally to the
centrifugal pumps depletes on all countsline of appropriate viscosity
1. Pump will give less discharge with
4. Moving up to the curves for
viscous liquid than what it gives with
correction factors one reads on the Y
a non-viscous liquid
axis there the related correction
2. Pump will give less head with
factors.
viscous liquid than what it gives with
a non-viscous liquid
5. One finds the corrected value of
3. Pump will have less efficiency with
discharge, head and efficiency by
viscous liquid than what it has with a
applying the correction factors to the
non-viscous liquid
original values of discharge and
head.
Conversion to Equivalent Water
Duties and Vice Versa
Sample calculations to find the viscous
Application of viscosity correction
discharge, head and efficiency are
factors proceeds thru following steps.
detailed in the following table.
1. Pump user or buyer would know the
The data available is manufacturers
duty ratings required with viscous
curves for water for a pump to give 750
liquids.
gpm at 100 feet head. To be able to
2. Data available with pumpconvert the curves for liquid with
manufacturer for selection of pump
viscosity of 1000 SSU, head and
is for pumping water. Pumpdischarge readings for 60% (450 gpm),
manufacturer will convert viscous
80% (600 gpm) and 120% (900 gpm)
duty to equivament water duty by
discharge are noted. Correction factors
using correction factors.
are found for all these discharge and
3. Pump-manufacturer will test the
head ratings. The viscous values are
pump with water.
shown plotted alongside of values for
4. Pump-manufacturer would translate
water in the graph below.
the test results to equivament
performance with viscous liquid
5. Pump-user will use the pump on
viscous duty based on curves
supplied by pump-manufacturer duly
translated for viscous duty.
The proceduire for using the chart is
shown on the chart itself.
1. One enters the chart at the value of
discharge on the X axis.
Page 1 of 3
Workshop On Pumps
VISCOSITY CORRECTION
===============================================================
Page 2 of 3
Workshop On Pumps
VISCOSITY CORRECTION
===============================================================
Page 3 of 3
Workshop On Pumps
WATER HAMMER
===============================================================
One logic is to reduce the magnitude of
Water hammer is a phenomenon
the impact by slowing down the
concerned with pipes and valves on the
velocities and acelerations by reducing
delivery side of the pump.
the speeds of valve-closing.
When the pump is shut down, the colum
The other logic in providing surge tanks
of liquid in the delivery pipe changes its
is to provide an optional path for the
direction and will rush towards the
surging flow.
pump. This creates a back pressure.
Anti-slam devices are like the spikebusters in electrical circuits. Voltage
spikes are absolutely similar to pressuresurges.
When the pump is shut down, the nonreturn valve also closes. Whereas the
non-return valve saves the pump from
the back-pressure, it causes the backflow to suffer oscillations.
The magnitude of the back pressure has
been assessed to be as high as 1.5 to 1.6
times the pressure or head developed by
the pump. This assessment has provided
the logic for hydrostatic test pressures
for pressure-containing equipment to be
1.5 to 1.6 times the normal working
pressure.
The selection of the surge-suppression

options and corresponding devices
merits hydrodynamic analysis of the
flow-patterns combined with spaceconstraints at site to provide surge tanks,
etc.
Apart from the impact that is caused by

the back pressure, implicit in the
oscillation of a column of liquid is the
force and the stresses imposed by the
phenomenon.
The term water hammer also connotes
the hammering which the equipment
suffer. But the term water should not be
construed as the phenomenon happening
only in water-carrying pipelines. The
other technical terminology for the
phenomenon is Pressure Surge.
Various methods have been employed to
tackle the problem. The options
employed are primarily anti-slam valves,
pressure-relief valves and vents, surge
tanks, etc.
Page 1 of 1
Sealing in Pumps Static and Dynamic

(Source - http://www.gouldspumps.com/pag_0010.html)
===============================================================
Sealing
The proper selection of a seal is critical to the success of every pump application. For
maximum pump reliability, choices must be made between the type of seal and the seal
environment. In addition, a sealless pump is an alternative, which would eliminate the need for
a dynamic type seal entirely.
Sealing Basics
There are two basic kinds of seals: static and dynamic. Static seals are employed where no
movement occurs at the Juncture to be sealed. Gaskets and O-rings are typical static seals.
Dynamic seals are used where surfaces move relative to one another. Dynamic seals are
used, for example, where a rotating shaft transmits power through the wall of a tank (Fig. 1),
through the casing of a pump (Fig. 2), or through the housing of other rotating equipment such
as a filter or screen.
Fig. 1 Cross Section of Tank and Mixer
Fig. 2 Typical Centrifugal Pump

A common application of sealing devices is to seal the rotating shaft of a centrifugal pump. To
best understand how such a seal functions a quick review of pump fundamentals is in order.
In a centrifugal pump, the liquid enters the suction of the pump at the center (eye) of the
rotating impeller (Figures 3 and 4).
===============================================================
Page 1 of 2
Sealing in Pumps Static and Dynamic

===============================================================
Fig. 3 Centrifugal Pump, Liguid End
Fig. 4 Fluid Flow in Centrifugal Pump

As the impeller vanes rotate, they transmit motion to the incoming product, which then leaves
the impeller, collects in the pump casing, and leaves the pump under pressure through the
pump discharge.
Discharge pressure will force some product down behind the impeller to the drive shaft, where
it attempts to escape along the rotating drive shaft. Pump manufacturers use various design
techniques to reduce the pressure of the product trying to escape. Such techniques include: 1)
the addition of balance holes through the impeller to permit most of the pressure to escape
into the suction side of the impeller, or 2) the addition of back pump-out vanes on the back
side of the impeller.
However, as there is no way to eliminate this pressure completely, sealing devices are
necessary to limit the escape of the product to the atmosphere. Such sealing devices are
typically either compression packing or end-face mechanical seals.
===============================================================
Page 2 of 2
Shaft Sealing with Stuffing Box Packing

===============================================================
Stuffing
Box
Packing
A typical packed stuffing box arrangement is shown in Fig. 5. It consists of: A) Five rings of
packing, B) A lantern ring used for the injection of a lubricating and/or flushing liquid, and C) A
gland to hold the packing and maintain the desired compression for a proper seal.
Fig. 5 Typical Stuffing Arrangement (description of parts)

The function of packing is to control leakage and not to eliminate it completely. The packing
must be lubricated, and a flow from 40 to 60 drops per minute out of the stuffing box must be
maintained for proper lubrication.
The method of lubricating the packing depends on the nature of the liquid being pumped as
well as on the pressure in the stuffing box. When the pump stuffing box pressure is above
atmospheric pressure and the liquid is clean and nonabrasive, the pumped liquid itself will
lubricate the packing (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6 Typical Stuffing Arrangement when Stuffing Box Pressure is Above Atmospheric Pressure
When the stuffing box pressure is below atmospheric pressure, a lantern ring is employed and
lubrication is injected into the stuffing box (Fig. 7). A bypass line from the pump discharge to
the lantern ring connection is normally used providing the pumped liquid is dean.
===============================================================
Page 1 of 4

===============================================================
Fig. 7 Typical Stuffing Box Arrangement when Stuffing Box Pressure is Below Atmospheric
Pressure
When pumping slurries or abrasive liquids, it is necessary to inject a dean lubricating liquid
from an external source into the lantern ring (Fig. 8). A flow of from .2 to .5 gpm is desirable
and a valve and flowmeter should be used for accurate control. The seal water pressure
should be from 10 to 15 psi above the stuffing box pressure, and anything above this will only
add to packing wear. The lantern ring Is normally located In the center of the stuffing box.
However, for extremely thick slurries like paper stock, it is recommended that the lantern ring
be located at the stuffing box throat to prevent stock from contaminating the packing.
Fig. 8 Typical Stuffing Box Arrangement when Pumping Slurries

The gland shown in Figures 5 through 8 is a quench type gland. Water, oil, or other fluids can
be injected into the gland to remove heat from the shaft, thus limiting heat transfer to the
bearing frame. This permits the operating temperature of the pump to be higher than the limits
of the bearing and lubricant design. The same quench gland can be used to prevent the
escape of a toxic or volatile liquid into the air around the pump. This is called a smothering
gland, with an external liquid simply flushing away the undesirable leakage to a sewer or
waste receiver.
Today, however, stringent emission standards limit use of packing to non-hazardous water
based liquids. This, plus a desire to reduce maintenance costs, has increased preference for
mechanical
seals.
===============================================================
Page 2 of 4

(Source - http://www.iglou.com/pitt/volume3.htm)
===============================================================
1. Stuffing Box Components:
In appreciation of the variables involved in modern

process pumping most manufacturers offer stuffing boxes
with ample room to incorporate packing or mechanical
seals with the ports required for internal or external flush
injection, to utilize auxiliary devices, and jacketing to
accommodate temperature requirements. Knowing how to
properly apply packing, flush arrangements and auxiliary
devices will prolong both pump and packing life.
a. Compression Packing: An understanding of
compression packing & the pump stuffing box will lessen downtime while improving
process performance.
b. Throttle & Throat Bushings: The use of throat and throttle bushings will result in a
controlled stuffing box pressure environment which is essential to packing life.
c. Lantern Rings & Seal Cages: Arranged properly lantern rings and seal cages will
contribute to decreasing stuffing box pressure, removal of solids, and sealing between the
packing and pump sleeve on static lift or suction under vacuum conditions.
d. Packing Glands: Glands come in a variety of designs each with a specific purpose to
complement a given pumping application
2. Controlling Box Pressure:
To obtain maximum packing or seal service life it would be
desirable to seal the fluid wishing to escape through the pump
stuffing box at a minimal pressure. To control and reduce the
pressure in the stuffing box centrifugal pump manufacturers will
incorporate balancing holes or pump out vanes in impeller
design...
a. Impeller Pump-Out Vanes: To reduce the volume of pumpage
attempting to exit a stuffing box, pump out vanes are use at the rear of an impeller to
reduce the pressure at flow seen at the stuffing box bore.
b. Impeller Balancing Holes: Realizing the pumpage leaves the impeller vane tips and a
portion seeks a path behind an impeller, balancing holes permit a percentage of this fluid
to return to the impeller eye (suction pressure), both reducing bearing loads and reducing
stuffing box pressure.
c. Positive Displacement Pumps: Internal and external porting from discharge to suction
to reduce suction pressure. In many pump designs this recirculation is required to cool
and lubricate tight tolerance sleeve bearings and bushings.
3. Packed Stuffing Box Configurations
===============================================================
Page 3 of 4

===============================================================
Successful packing application depends largely in part to the proper application of the
lantern ring, throttle bushing and the incorporation of internal and external flush
arrangements. Positioning and control of these components and auxiliary systems will
ensure maximum pump and packing performance.
a. Abrasive Duty: Suitable packing material combined

with proper positioning of the throttle bushing(s), and
lantern ring(s), with flushing where applicable will result
in extended packing and pump life.
b. High Temperature Applications: When faced with high
pumpage temperatures stuffing box and gland cooling is
essential. Many fluids will vaporize when seeing the
reduction of pressure within the stuffing box and when
exiting to atmosphere. External box cooling and jacket
offer alternatives to control flashing and vaporization.
c. High Pressure Sealing: The use of throttle bushings and
lantern rings appropriately positioned will decrease the
volume of fluid wishing to enter the stuffing box resulting
in a reduction of stuffing box pressure. A bleed from a lantern ring to pump suction,
when appropriate, can also reduce and help control stuffing box pressure.
4. Packing Installation & Troubleshooting
Packing installation and troubleshooting is an art form, rather
engineered science. Only those who thoroughly understand the
application and purpose of the components and auxiliary devices
incorporated into a packed stuffing box arrangement will be able
to effectively apply compression packing.
a. Cut Packing & Installation: While a "no brainer" task to most
individuals, cutting packing is an important contribution to
packing life. Remember; a good butt cut is superior to a poor
miter cut, even though miter cut packing is a preferred method.
b. Running-In & Packing Adjustments: With the evolution of
mechanical seals and sealless magnetic drive pumps most individuals capable of
performing these tasks correctly have retired taking their expertise. Most damage to
pump sleeves initiates at conception during start-up after a new or replacement packing
task has been completed.
===============================================================
Page 4 of 4
Mechanical Shaft Seals

===============================================================
Rotary mechanical seals for centrifugal pumps and positive displacement pumps.
Originally mechanical seals were developed to overcome the negative issues affiliated
with packed stuffing boxes. Simple mechanical seals offered an alternative to fluid
leakage; none, least not detectable with the naked eye. They eliminated the need for a
routine maintenance schedule as once properly selected and installed they would function
without attention until the seal faces themselves wore out which could be years later,
versus packing months. While initial cost to purchase a pump with a simple seal may
have been higher their were no post installation costs and the return for this investment
could be realized immediately with virtually zero product loss over the life of the seal.
As the acceptance of the mechanical seal has grown so has the complexity of the device
itself. Mechanical seals have evolved into a highly engineered science permitting use
within virtually any application requiring a centrifugal or positive displacement pump.
Mechanical seals can handle much higher temperatures and pressures than ever before
and can meet zero tolerance fugitive emission standards.
The same care and consideration applied to pump selection is required to ensure optimum
mechanical seal life and the seal manufacturer requires the same consideration when
providing information regarding an application to ensure proper seal application and
selection. As with centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, the vast majority of
premature mechanical seal failures are destined from conception.
To promote maximum seal life, and to meet the most stringent environmental and safety
issues, mechanical seals can be fitted with numerous combinations of accessories,
auxiliary systems, and safety devices to compliment most applications dramatically
reducing the potential for catastrophic venting of the pumpage to atmosphere.
Innovative mechanical seal technology provides the pump user a viable alternative to
extremely expensive sealless magnetic drive and canned motor pumps that can be
application sensitive and user un-friendly.
Basic Mechanical Seals
Operating principles & fundamentals behind rotary mechanical seals for positive
displacement and centrifugal pumps
Rotary positive displacement pumps and centrifugal pumps
require controlling of the pumped fluids desire to exit through
the stuffing box, the area where the pump shaft enters the
pump fluid end. When operating the pumped fluid within the
stuffing box sees a pressure higher than the surrounding
atmospheric pressure, and on static lift applications; during the
priming cycle, the stuffing box will see a pressure below
atmospheric pressure i.e., a vacuum. In either operating
condition a mechanical seal will virtually eliminate the release
of the pumpage to atmosphere and the entrance of air into a stuffing box when under
vacuum.
A basic mechanical seal is not a complex device. It consists primarily of a rotary seal face
with a driving mechanism which rotates at the same speed as the pump shaft, a stationary
Page 1 of 21

===============================================================
seal face which mates with the rotary and is retained using a gland or in some pump
models an integral stuffing box cover, a tension assembly which keeps the rotary face
firmly positioned against the stationary face to avoid leakage when the pump is not in
operation, and static sealing gasket(s) and elastomers strategically located to complete the
seal assembly.
The rotating and stationary sealing faces commonly referred to as primary seal members,
are materials selected for their low coefficient of heat and are compatible with the fluid
being pumped. Their extremely flat; lapped mating surfaces, make it extremely difficult
for the fluid to escape between them. The fluid does however, form a thin layer or film
between the faces and migrates toward the low pressure side of
the faces. It is this boundary layer of fluid which is used and
required to cool and lubricate the seal faces.
To prohibit leakage along the pump shaft through the inside
diameter of the rotary and stationary seal faces the mechanical
seal assembly uses o-rings, v-rings, wedges and packing.
Commonly referred to as secondary sealing members these
components of the seal are selected based on fluid
compatibility, temperature, elastomeric qualities, and depending on the type and design
of the seal they may perform in either a dynamic or static state.
Mechanical seal hardware represents the components required to apply mechanical
tension to the rotating and stationary seal faces. This hardware; depending on seal design,
can include springs, bellows, retaining rings, and pins. Not to be overlooked, hardware
materials must be constructed of suitable metallurgy compatible with the fluid. An
appreciation of seal driving hardware is also extremely important when sealing viscous
products as ample torque to rotate the seal must be made available when the fluid is at its
standing viscosity when starting a pump, and effective viscosity at operating conditions.
Mechanical seal selection should never be addressed as simple, easy or standard, as it is
this approach which results in inadequate performance. A mechanical seal will only
perform as well as all the sealing components combined and any options and auxiliary
systems which may be required. Failure to properly address any portion of the
mechanical seal chain could result in catastrophic failure, down time, considerable
damage and expense, and most importantly personal injury and possible damage to the
environment.
Specific pumping application requirements will determine the complexity of the seal
design to achieve optimum performance. Mechanical seal configurations and options are
as vast as pump models and designs. Addressing all the application parameters and fluid
behavior characteristics will result in long trouble free mechanical seal service and
enhanced pump and process performance.
Pusher & Non-Pusher Mechanical Seals
Mechanical Seals: An appreciation of the difference between pusher and non-pusher
mechanical seals...

===============================================================
The majority of mechanical seals available today can be classified as either pusher or
non-pusher seals. The advantages of one design versus the other will be dictated by the
application. Understanding of these differences will result in the better selection of
mechanical seals from conception while assisting in trouble shooting of mechanical seals
which seem to fail prior to reaching their maximum intended service life.
A pusher mechanical seal incorporates a secondary o-ring; for example, that is
responsible for sealing the fluid path between the
pump shaft and the inside diameter of the rotating
seal face. As the seal face wears and is
hydraulically; by stuffing box pressure, and
mechanically; by means of spring tension,
compressed against the stationary face the o-ring
moves along the pump shaft to accommodate this
wear and assist in the absorption of shaft
misalignment.Realizing the secondary sealing o-ring is in a dynamic state during pump
operation its ability to be somewhat resilient is critical. Being in this dynamic state the
secondary seal material must be nearly 100 percent compatible with the fluid in the
stuffing box, any swelling or hardening due to incompatibility or temperature can result
in pump shaft or sleeve wear and a leak path between the secondary sealing member to
atmosphere will develop.
In a non-pusher seal the secondary seal; o-ring for
example, is in a static state at all times, even when
the pump is in operation. The secondary sealing
member is not required to make up the travel as the
rotary and stationary seal faces wear. Primary seal
face wear is typically accommodated by welded or
elastomeric bellows which move; expand, to assist
in the compression of the rotary to stationary seal
face members. A non-pusher seal has no dynamic secondary sealing members in contact
with the pump shaft virtually eliminating fretting and wear concerns.
In a non-pusher seal
design the secondary
Depending on the fluid characteristics
seal member prevents
of the fluid as the undetectable leakage
fluid leakage between
passes between the rotating and
the rotating seal face
stationary seal faces solids formations
and the pump shaft
ahead of the dynamic secondary
while being in the static
sealing member will prohibit its ability
state at all times. As the
to accommodate face wear and
seal faces wear the
eventually hang-up allowing the faces welded metal bellows accommodate this wear
to open resulting in excessive leakage. while maintaining face compression. Solids
which precipitate do not: within reason, interfere
with the performance of the seal.
When scrutinizing the performance differences between pusher and non-pusher seals for
a given application one of the many factors to be considered would be the potential for
shaft hang-up. Depending on the characteristics of the fluid in the stuffing box as it exits

===============================================================
the rotary and stationary seal face inside diameters small deposits of solids form ahead of
the secondary sealing member. These deposits can interfere with the travel of the
dynamic sealing member as the seal faces wear and eventually pressure at the faces is
reduced and excessive leakage; seal failure, occurs. On non-pusher seals with static
secondary seals, should deposits form on the pump shaft or sleeve they will not affect the
spring tension or hydraulic closing pressures as these debris cannot; within reason,
interfere with the seal face travel.
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS Configurations, Selection, Auxiliary Systems

=============================================================
1. Operating Principles & Fundamentals
Since the development of the basic mechanical seal introduction of
new and innovative seal technologies has enabled mechanical seal
installation on virtually any fluid handling application. To sort
through which seal design will provide optimum performance a
thorough understanding of mechanical seal principles and
fundamentals is mandatory.
a. Pusher & Non-Pusher Seal Designs: Pusher seals, while
generally less expensive than non-pusher seal designs, will have a
tendency to "hang-up" on the pump shaft when handling fluids
which coke or crystallize as the secondary sealing member which must accommodate for
travel as the seal faces wear is unable.
b. Seal Driving & Spring Compression: The rotary portion of a mechanical seal is either
positive or friction drive. Incorporating an improper driving arrangement on a given
application will result in premature and catastrophic failure.
c. Balanced & Unbalanced Seals: This difference in seal design will make the difference
in seal performance. An unbalanced mechanical seal seeing high pressures has the fluid
film between the seal faces reduced due to high hydraulic face loading resulting in
overheating, rapid face wear, and premature seal failure.
d. Inside & Outside Seal Mounting: While inside mechanical seals are a preferred method
outside seals can be used when fitting a pump with a shallow stuffing box which cannot
dimensionally accommodate an inside seal.
2. Mechanical Seal Configurations
a. Double Mechanical Seals: When the use of a an appropriate single mechanical seal
becomes to expensive and when the pumpage dictates the use of an artificial sealing
environment double seals are used as an economical and performance alternative.
b. Seals In Tandem: Carcinogens and other hazardous materials require "zero leakage".
Tandem seals will permit a fail safe seal operating configuration enabling the
implementation of alarms, shut-downs and other warning and safety components.
c. Cartridge Seal Designs: The critical nature of many pump installations prohibits and
limits downtime for seal replacement. Many seals require complex settings during
installation and the time required for proper installation is simply not available. Cartridge
seals accommodate these scenarios by providing the complete seal pre-assembled and
readied for installation offering repair of failed seals at convenience.
3. Fluid Characteristics & Seal Application
a. Process Fluid Behavior: Prior to selecting a mechanical seal it is imperative process
fluid characteristics be identified. In most cases it is the fluid which will determine
materials of construction, seal design, auxiliary components require, etc., to ensure
expected seal performance.
b. Seal Pressure - Velocity Limitations: Mechanical seal designs and seal faces require
cooling and lubrication to function properly. The hydraulic pressure acting on the seal
faces and the rotating speed of the rotary seal will generate heat. It is this seal generated
heat that limits various seal designs and materials.
Page 5 of 21
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS Configurations, Selection, Auxiliary Systems

===============================================================
III. Auxiliary Mechanical Seal Systems
1. Flush Fluid Temperature Control & Cleaning Devices
Most mechanical seals require the fluid to cool and lubricate
between he sealing faces to remove seal generated heat.
Many auxiliary devices and flush arrangements, applied
properly can accomplish this task to ensure adequate seal
performance.
a. Controlling Flush Fluid Temperature: Flush fluid
temperature is critical to the life of a mechanical seal. There
are many methods for seal flush cooling; internal & external,
using water or air cooled heat exchangers
b. Cyclone Separators: Abrasives will have a dramatic
effect on seal face materials selection and the price of a given seal. Cyclone separators
installed in a discharge to seal flush by-pass line can remove most abrasives directing
them back to suction or to waste, while providing the seal faces with clean pumpage.
c. Filtration Systems: An alternative to removing abrasives from a seal flush system
would be to filter the debris. Most filtration methods are used on dead-ended sealing
systems where the sealing fluid is once through. On continuous flush systems
arrangements are made to clean the filter which generally incorporates a dual on/off line
filtration system.
2. Barrier Fluid Systems
a. Thermal Convection Pressure Pots: When using double mechanical seals the
introduction of a clean, cool barrier fluid at a pressure above the stuffing box pressure is
critical to seal life. A closed loop system is an economical maintenance free method for
creating this trifocal sealing environment depending on the application.
b. Closed Loop Circulators & Systems: When applications dictate, the use of a closed
loop pressure pot may not be acceptable. Closed loop circulators provide an artificial
sealing environment which provides clean, cool barrier fluid at all times. Closed loop
circulators can also be sized to handle several sealing requirements.
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS Troubleshooting & Failure Analysis

===============================================================
IV. Mechanical Seal Troubleshooting & Failure Analysis
1. Start-Up & Stand-By Considerations
Unfortunately during a process start-up most pump manufacturers do not provide
adequate instruction as to proper seal starting procedures and rarely is the seal supplier
invited to the party. Overlooking the mechanical seal during start-up can result in failure
rendering the pump useless.
a. Start-Up Procedures: Operating dry is the most common culprit when a pump with a
mechanical seal is first started. While many pumps are self-venting, this does not include
the stuffing box area. To avoid failure from running dry the stuffing box must be relieved
of air as well.
b. Stand-By Pumps: Many critical pump applications incorporate stand-by pumps. Many
mechanical seals incorporate elastomeric secondary sealing members which, when idle
for an extended period will have a tendency to take form, harden, or friction weld to the
shaft. When started these seals fail and excessive seal leakage will result.
2. Identifying Premature Failure & Corrective Actions
As with any piece of process equipment to avoid recurring failure and down time it is
imperative the cause of the failure be addressed not merely the symptoms. Scrutinizing
the physical characteristics of failed seal faces and components will uncover the culprit
and assist in determining the corrective actions to be taken.
a. Chemical Attack: Leaves the parts appearing dull, honey combed, flaky, or starting to
crumble or break up. Weight and material hardness readings taken on the damaged parts
will be substantially lower than readings on the original parts.
b. Fretting Corrosion: One of the most common types of corrosion encountered in
mechanical seals. It only causes leakage at the secondary seals but damages the sleeve
directly beneath the secondary seal area. This area will appear pitted and shiny bright.
c. Leaching: Normally causes a minor increase in seal leakage and a large increase in the
wear of carbon faces. Ceramic and tungsten carbide faces that have been leached will
appear dull and matted, even though no coating is present on them
d. Erosion: Seal face may be eaten away or washed-out in one localized area. Erosion
will commonly occur on a stationary seal face until seal face distortion or break down
occurs.
e. Heat Checking: Is indicated by the presence of fine to large cracks that seem to radiate
from the center of the seal face. These cracks act as a series of cutting and scraping edges
against carbon graphite and other seal face materials.
f. Vaporization: Any popping, puffing, or blowing of vapors at the seal faces is evidence
of vaporization. Vaporization does not frequently cause catastrophic failure, but it usually
shortens seal life. Inspection of the seal faces reveals signs of chipping at the inside and
outside diameters and pitting over the entire area.
g. Oxidation & Coking: Leaves a varnish, a lacquer, or an abrasive sludge on the
atmospheric side of the seal. This can cause rapid wear of the seal faces or hang-up in
both
pusher
and
non-pusher
types
of
mechanical
seals.
Page 7 of 21
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS

===============================================================
Mechanical Seals
A mechanical seal is a sealing device which forms a running seal between rotating and
stationary parts. They were developed to overcome the disadvantages of compression
packing. Leakage can be reduced to a level meeting environmental standards of government
regulating agencies and maintenance costs can be lower. Advantages of mechanical seals
over conventional packing are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Zero or limited leakage of product (meet emission regulations.)

Reduced friction and power loss.
Elimination of shaft or sleeve wear.
Reduced maintenance costs.
Ability to seal higher pressures and more corrosive environments.
The wide variety of designs allows use of mechanical seals in almost all pump
applications.
The Basic Mechanical Seal

All mechanical seals are constructed of three basic sets of parts as shown in Fig. 9:
1. A set of primary seal faces: one rotary and one stationary?shown in Fig. 9 as seal ring
and insert.
2. A set of secondary seals known as shaft packings and insert mountings such as 0-rings,
wedges and V-rings.
3. Mechanical seal hardware including gland rings, collars, compression rings, pins, springs
and bellows.
Fig. 9 A Simple Mechcanical Seal

How A Mechanical Seal Works
The primary seal is achieved by two very flat, lapped faces which create a difficult leakage
path perpendicular to the shaft. Rubbing contact between these two flat mating surfaces
minimizes leakage. As in all seals, one face is held stationary in a housing and the other face
is fixed to, and rotates with, the shaft. One of the faces is usually a non-galling material such
as carbon-graphite. The other is usually a relatively hard material like silicon-carbide.
Dissimilar materials are usually used for the stationary insert and the rotating seal ring face in
order to prevent adhesion of the two faces. The softer face usually has the smaller mating
surface and is commonly called the wear nose.
Page 8 of 21
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS

===============================================================
There are four main sealing points within an end face mechanical seal (Fig. 10). The primary
seal is at the seal face, Point A. The leakage path at Point B is blocked by either an 0-ring, a
V-ring or a wedge. Leakage paths at Points C and D are blocked by gaskets or 0-rings.
Fig. 10 Sealing Points for Mechanical Seal

The faces in a typical mechanical seal are lubricated with a boundary layer of gas or liquid
between the faces. In designing seals for the desired leakage, seal life, and energy
consumption, the designer must consider how the faces are to be lubricated and select from a
number of modes of seal face lubrication.
To select the best seal design, it's necessary to know as much as possible about the
operating conditions and the product to be sealed. Complete information about the product
and environment will allow selection of the best seal for the application.
Page 9 of 21
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS - Types

===============================================================
Mechanical
Seal
Mechanical seals can be classified into several tvpes and arrangements:
Types
PUSHER:
Incorporate secondary seals that move axially along a shaft or sleeve to maintain contact at the
seal faces. This feature compensates for seal face wear and wobble due to misalignment. The
pusher seals' advantage is that it's inexpensive and commercially available in a wide range of
sizes and configurations. Its disadvantage is that ft's prone to secondary seal hang-up and
fretting of the shaft or sleeve. Examples are Dura RO and Crane Type 9T.
UNBALANCED:
They are inexpensive, leak less, and are more stable when subjected to vibration, misalignment,
and cavitation. The disadvantage is their relative low pressure limit. If the closing force exerted on
the seal faces exceeds the pressure limit, the lubricating film between the faces is squeezed out
and the highly loaded dry running seal fails. Examples are the Dura RO and Crane 9T.
CONVENTIONAL:
Examples are the Dura RO and Crane Type 1 which require setting and alignment of the seal
(single, double, tandem) on the shaft or sleeve of the pump. Although setting a mechanical seal is
relatively simple, today's emphasis on reducing maintenance costs has increased preference for
cartridge seals.
Page 10 of 21

===============================================================
NON-PUSHER:
The non-pusher or bellows seal does not have to move along the shaft or sleeve to maintain seal
face contact, The main advantages are its ability to handle high and low temperature applications,
and does not require a secondary seal (not prone to secondary seal hang-up). A disadvantage of
this style seal is that its thin bellows cross sections must be upgraded for use in corrosive
environments Examples are Dura CBR and Crane 215, and Sealol 680.
BALANCED:
Balancing a mechanical seal involves a simple design change, which reduces the hydraulic
forces acting to close the seal faces. Balanced seals have higher-pressure limits, lower seal face
loading, and generate less heat. This makes them well suited to handle liquids with poor lubricity
and high vapor pressures such as light hydrocarbons. Examples are Dura CBR and PBR and
Crane 98T and 215.
CARTRIDGE:
Examples are Dura P-SO and Crane 1100 which have the mechanical seal premounted on a
sleeve including the gland and fit directly over the Model 3196 shaft or shaft sleeve (available
single, double, tandem). The major benefit, of course is no requirement for the usual seal setting
Page 11 of 21

===============================================================
measurements for their installation. Cartridge seals lower maintenance costs and reduce seal
setting errors.
Mechanical Seal Arrangements
SINGLE INSIDE:
This is the most common type of mechanical seal. These seals are easily modified to
accommodate seal flush plans and can be balanced to withstand high seal environment
pressures. Recommended for relatively clear non-corrosive and corrosive liquids with
satisfactory' lubricating properties where cost of operation does not exceed that of a double
seal. Examples are Dura RO and CBR and Crane 9T and 215. Reference Conventional Seal.
SINGLE OUTSIDE:
If an extremely corrosive liquid has good lubricating properties, an outside seal offers an
economical alternative to the expensive metal required for an inside seal to resist corrosion.
The disadvantage is that it is exposed outside of the pump which makes it vulnerable to
damage from impact and hydraulic pressure works to open the seal faces so they have low
pressure limits (balanced or unbalanced).
DOUBLE (DUAL PRESSURIZED):

This arrangement is recommended for liquids that are not compatible with a single mechanical
seal (i.e. liquids that are toxic, hazardous [regulated by the EPA], have suspended abrasives, or
corrosives which require costly materials). The advantages of the double seal are that it can have
five times the life of a single seal in severe environments. Also, the metal inner seal parts are
never exposed to the liquid product being pumped, so viscous, abrasive, or thermosetting liquids
are easily sealed without a need for expensive metallurgy. In addition, recent testing has shown
that double seal life is virtually unaffected by process upset conditions during pump operation. A
significant advantage of using a double seal over a single seal.
The final decision between choosing a double or single seal comes down to the initial cost to
purchase the seal, cost of operation of the seal, and environmental and user plant emission
standards for leakage from seals. Examples are Dura double RO and X-200 and Crane
double 811T.
Page 12 of 21

===============================================================
DOUBLE GAS BARRIER (PRESSURIZED DUAL GAS):

Very similar to cartridge double seals ... sealing involves an inert gas, like nitrogen, to act as a
surface lubricant and coolant in place of a liquid barrier system or external flush required with
conventional or cartridge double seals. This concept was developed because many barrier fluids
commonly used with double seals can no longer be used due to new emission regulations. The
gas barrier seal uses nitrogen or air as a harmless and inexpensive barrier fluid that helps
prevent product emissions to the atmosphere and fully complies with emission regulations. The
double gas barrier seal should be considered for use on toxic or hazardous liquids that are
regulated or in situations where increased reliability is the required on an application. Examples
are Dura GB2OO, GF2OO, and Crane 2800.
TANDEM (DUAL UNPRESSURIZED): Due to health, safety, and environmental considerations,

tandem seals have been used for products such as vinyl chloride, carbon monoxide, light
hydrocarbons, and a wide range of other volatile, toxic, carcinogenic, or hazardous liquids.
Tandem seals eliminate icing and freezing of light hydrocarbons and other liquids which could fall
below the atmospheric freezing point of water in air (32? F or 0? C). {Typical buffer liquids in
these applications are ethylene glycol, methanol, and propanol.) A tandem also increases online
reliability. If the primary seal fails, the outboard seal can take over and function until maintenance
of the equipment can be scheduled. Examples are Dura TMB-73 and tandem PTO.
Page 13 of 21
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS - Selection

===============================================================
Mechanical Seal Selection
The proper selection of a mechanical seal can be made only if the full operating conditions
are known:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Liquid
Pressure
Temperature
Characteristics of Liquid
Reliability and Emission Concerns
1. Liquid: Identification of the exact liquid to be handled is the first step in seal selection.
The metal parts must be corrosion resistant, usually steel, bronze, stainless steel, or
Hastelloy. The mating faces must also resist corrosion and wear. Carbon, ceramic,
silicon carbide or tungsten carbide may be considered. Stationary sealing members of
Buna, EPR, Viton and Teflon are common.
2. Pressure: The proper type of seal, balanced or unbalanced, is based on the pressure on
the seal and on the seal size.
3. Temperature: In part, determines the use of the sealing members. Materials must be
selected to handle liquid temperature.
4. Characteristics of Liquid: Abrasive liquids create excessive wear and short seal life.
Double seals or clear liquid flushing from an external source allow the use of mechanical
seals on these difficult liquids. On light hydrocarbons balanced seals are often used for
longer seal life even though pressures are low.
5. Reliability and Emission Concerns: The seal type and arrangement selected must meet
the desired reliability and emission standards for the pump application. Double seals and
double gas barrier seals are becoming the seals of choice.
Seal Environment
The number one cause of pump downtime is failure of the shaft seal. These failures are normally
the result of an unfavorable seal environment such as improper heat dissipation (cooling), poor
lubrication of seal faces, or seals operating in liquids containing solids, air or vapors. To achieve
maximum reliability of a seal application, proper choices of seal housings (standard bore stuffing
box, large bore, or large tapered bore seal chamber) and seal environmental controls (CPI and
API seal flush plans) must be made.
Page 14 of 21
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS Seal Chamber

===============================================================
STANDARD
BORE
STUFFING
BOX
COVER
Designed thirty years ago specifically for packing. Also accommodates mechanical seals
(clamped seat outside seals and conventional double seals.)
CONVENTIONAL
LARGE
BORE
SEAL
CHAMBER
Designed specifically for mechanical seals. Large bore provides Increased life of seals
through improved lubrication and cooling of faces. Seal environment should be controlled
through use of CPI or API flush plans. Often available with internal bypass to provide
circulation of liquid to faces without using external flush. Ideal for conventional or cartridge
single mechanical seals in conjunction with a flush and throat bushing in bottom of chamber.
Also excellent for conventional or cartridge double or tandem seals.
LARGE
BORE
SEAL
CHAMBERS
Introduced in the mid-8o's, enlarged bore seal chambers with increased radial clearance
between the mechanical seal and seal chamber wall, provide better circulation of liquid to and
from seal faces. Improved lubrication and heat removal (cooling) of seal faces extend seal life
and lower maintenance costs.
BigBoreTM Seal Chamber
Page 15 of 21

===============================================================
TaperBoreTM Seal Chamber
Large
Tapered
Bore
Seal
Chambers
Provide increased circulation of liquid at seal faces without use of external flush. Offers
advantages of lower maintenance costs, elimination of tubing/piping, lower utility costs
(associated with seal flushing) and extended seal reliability. The tapered bore seal chamber is
commonly available with ANSI chemical pumps. API process pumps use conventional large
bore seal chambers. Paper stock pumps use both conventional large bore and large tapered
bore seal chambers. Only tapered bore seal chambers with flow modifiers provide expected
reliability on services with or without solids, air or vapors.
Conventional
Tapered
Bore
Seal
Chamber:
Mechanical Seals Fall When Solids or Vapors Am Present in Liquid
Many users have applied the conventional tapered bore seal chamber to improve seal life on
services containing solids or vapors. Seals in this environment failed prematurely due to
entrapped solids and vapors. Severe erosion of seal and pump parts, damaged seal faces
and dry running were the result.
Modified
Tapered
Bore
Seal
Chamber
with
Axial
Ribs:
Good
for
Services
Containing
Air,
Minimum
Solids
This type of seal chamber will provide better seal life when air or vapors are present in the
liquid. The axial ribs prevent entrapment of vapors through.improved flow in the chamber. Dry
running failures are eliminated. In addition, solids less than 1% are not a problem.
The new flow pattern, however, still places the seal in the path of solids/liquid flow. The
consequence on services with significant solids (greater than 1%) is solids packing the seal
spring or bellows, solids impingement on seal faces and ultimate seal failure.
Page 16 of 21

===============================================================
Goulds Standard TaperBoreTM PLUS Seal Chamber: The Best Solution for Services
Containing
Solids
and
Air
or
Vapors
To eliminate seal failures on services containing vapors as well as solids, the flow pattern
must direct solids away from the mechanical seal, and purge air and vapors. Goulds Standard
TaperBoreTM PLUS completely reconfigures the flow in the seal chamber with the result that
seal failures due to solids are eliminated. Air and vapors are efficiently removed eliminating
dry run failures. Extended seal and pump life with lower maintenance costs are the results.
Goulds
TaperBoreTM
Plus:
How
It
Works
The unique flow path created by the Vane Particle Elector directs solids away from the
mechanical seal, not at the seal as with other tapered bore designs. And the amount of solids
entering the bore is minimized. Air and vapors are also efficiently removed. On services with or
without solids, air or vapors, Goulds TaperBoreTM PLUS is the effective solution for extended seal
and pump life and lower maintenance costs.
1. Solids/liquid mixture flows toward mechanical seal/seal chamber.
2. Turbulent zone. Some solids continue to flow toward shaft. Other solids are forced back
out by centrifugal force (generated by back pump-out vanes).
3. Clean liquid continues to move toward mechanical seal faces. Solids, air, vapors flow
away from seal.
4. Low pressure zone create by Vane Particle Ejector. Solids, air, vapor liquid mixture exit
seal chamber bore.
5. Flow in TaperBoreTMPLUS seal chamber assures efficient heat removal (cooling) and
lubrication. Seal face heat is dissipated. Seal faces are continuously flushed with clean
liquid.
Page 17 of 21

===============================================================
Stuffing Box Cover and Seal Chamber Guide

The selection guide on this page and the Seal Chamber Guide are designed to assist selection of
the proper seal housing for a pump application.
JACKETED
STUFFING
BOX
COVER
Designed to maintain proper temperature control (heating or cooling) of seal environment.
(Jacketed covers do not help lower seal face temperatures to any significant degree). Good for
high temperature services that require use of a conventional double seal or single seal with a
flush and API or CPI plan 21.
Page 18 of 21

===============================================================
JACKETED
LARGE
BORE
SEAL
CHAMBER
Maintains proper temperature control (heating or cooling) of sea environment with improved
lubrication of seal faces. Ideal for controlling temperature for services such as molten sulfur and
polymerizing liquids. Excellent for high temperature services that require use of conventional or
cartridge single mechanical seals with flush and throat bushing in bottom of seal chamber. Also,
great for conventional or cartridge double or tandem seals.
Stuffing Box and Seal Chamber Application Guide
Stuffing
Box
Application
Cover/Seal Chamber
Use for soft packing. Outside mechanical
Standard
Bore
seals. Double seals. Also, accommodates
Stuffing Box Cover
other mechanical seals.
Jacketed Stuffing Box Same as above but also need to control
Cover
temperatures of liquid in seal area.
Conventional
Bore
Use for all mechanical seal applications

Large where the seal environment requires use of
CPI or API seal flush pans. Cannot be used
with outside type mechanical seals.
Jacketed Large Bore
Same as Large Bore but also need to

control temperature of liquid in seal area.
Clean services that require use of single

mechanical seals. Can also be used with
Tapered Large Bore
cartridge double seals. Also, effective on
with Axial Ribs
services with light solids up to 1% by weight.
Paper stock to 1% by weight.
Services with light to moderate solids up to
Tapered Large Bore 10% by weight. Paper stock to 5% by
with Patented Vane weight. Ideal for single mechanical seals. No
Particle Ejector (Alloy flush required. Also, accommodates double
seals. Cannot be used with outside
Construction)
mechanical seals.
Page 19 of 21
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS Environmental Control

===============================================================
Environmental
Controls
Environmental controls are necessary for reliable performance of a mechanical seal on many
applications. Goulds Pumps and the seal vendors offer a variety of arrangements to combat
these problems.
1.
Corrosion
2.
Temperature
Control
3. Dirty or incompatible environments
CORROSION
Corrosion can be controlled by selecting seal materials that are not attacked by the pumpage.
When this is difficult, external fluid injection of a non-corrosive chemical to lubricate the seal is
possible. Single or double seals could be used, depending on if the customer can stand delusion
of his product.
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL
As the seal rotates, the faces are in contact. This generates heat and if this heat is not
removed, the temperature in the stuffing box or seal chamber can increase and cause sealing
problems. A simple by-pass of product over the seal faces will remove the heat generated by
the seal (Fig. 25). For higher temperature services, by-pass of product through a cooler may
be required to cool the seal sufficiently (Fig. 26). External cooling fluid injection can also be
used.
DIRTY
or
INCOMPATIBLE
ENVIRONMENTS
Mechanical seals do not normally function well on liquids which contain solids or can solidify
on contact with the atmosphere. Here, by-pass flush through a filter, a cyclone separator or a
strainer are methods of providing a clean fluid to lubricate seal faces. Strainers are effective
for particles larger than the openings on a 40 mesh screen. Cyclone separators are effective
on solids 10 micron or more in diameter, if they have a specific gravity of 2.7 and the pump
develops a differential pressure of 30-40 psi. Filters are available to remove solids 2 microns
and larger.
Page 20 of 21
MECHANICAL SHAFT SEALS Environmental Control

===============================================================
If external flush with clean liquid is available, this is the most fail proof system. Lip seal or
restricting bushings are available to control flow of injected fluid to flows as low as 1/8 GPM.
Quench type glands are used on fluids which tend to crystallize on exposure to air. Water or
steam is put through this gland to wash away any build up. Other systems are available as
required by the service.
API and CPI Plans
API and CPI mechanical seal flush plans are commonly used with API and CPI process
pumps. The general arrangement of the plans are similar regardless of the designation
whether API or CPI. The difference between the flush plans is the construction which provides
applicable pressure-temperature capability for each type of pump. API plans have higher
pressure and temperature capability than CPI plans. Each plan helps provide critical
lubrication and cooling of seal faces to maximize seal reliability.
API and CPI Plans
Page 21 of 21
Hydrodynamic or Expeller Seal

===============================================================
Dynamic Seal
(Source - http://www.gouldspumps.com/pag_0017d.html)
On some tough pumping services like paper stock and slurries, mechanical seals require
outside flush and constant, costly attention. Even then, seal failures are common, resulting in
downtime. Goulds offers a Dynamic Seal which, simply by fitting a repeller between the
stuffing box and impeller, eliminates the need for a mechanical seal.
BENEFITS OF GOULDS DYNAMIC SEAL:
External seal water not required.

Elimination of pumpage contamination and product dilution
Reduces utility cost
No need to treat seal water
Eliminates problems associated with piping from a remote source
HOW IT WORKS
At start-up, the repeller functions like an impeller, and pumps liquid and solids from the
stuffing box. When pump is shut down, packing (illustrated) or other type of secondary seal
prevents pumpage from leaking.
===============================================================
Page 1 of 1
Magnetic Drive Pumps

===============================================================
INTRODUCTION
Environmental concerns and recurring mechanical seal problems have created a need for
sealless pumps in the chemical and petrochemical industries. In some cases, more stringent
regulations by the EPA, OSHA and local agencies are mandating the use of sealless pumps.
One type of sealless pump is the magnetic drive pump which uses a permanent magnetic
coupling to transmit torque to the impeller without the need for a mechanical seal for packing.
PRINCIPLES
OF
OPERATION
Magnetic drive pumps use a standard electric motor to drive a set of permanent magnets that
are mounted on a carrier or drive assembly located outside of the containment shell. The drive
magnet assembly is mounted on a second shaft which is driven by a standard motor. The
external rotating magnetic field drives the inner rotor.
The coaxial synchronous torque coupling consists of two rings of permanent magnets as
shown in Fig. 1. A magnetic force field is established between the north and south pole
magnets in the drive and driven assemblies. This provides the no slip or synchronous
capability of the torque coupling. The magnetic field is shown as dashed lines and shaded
areas in Fig. 3.
===============================================================
Page 1 of 4

===============================================================
Two Types of Magnetic Drive Pump

Rotating Driven Shaft
This type of design typically uses metal components and is best suited for heavy duty
applications. The metallic construction offers the best strength, temperature and pressure
capability required for heavy duty applications. Corrosion resistant high alloy materials such
as 316SS, Hastelloy, and Alloy 20 are offered. The rotating shaft does, however, increase the
number of parts required and thus increases the complexity and cost of the pump. This type of
design typically uses a pressurized recirculation circuit, which helps prevent vaporization of
liquid required for process lubricated bearings. (Refer to Model 3296, Section CHEM-3A).
Stationary Shaft
This type of design typically uses non-metallic components such as ceramics and plastics. It is
best suited for light to medium duty applications. The stationary shaft design significantly
reduces the number of parts required, simplifying maintenance and reducing cost. Corrosion
resistant materials such as silicon carbide ceramics and fluoropolymer plastics (Teflon, Tefzel,
etc.) provide excellent range of application. The use of plastics materials does, however, limit
the temperature range of these designs to 200oF to 250o F. (Refer to Model 3298, Section
CHEM-3C).
Containment Shell Designs
The containment shell is the pressure containing barrier which is fitted between the drive and
the driven magnet assembly. It must contain full working pressure of the pump, since it
isolates the pumped liquid from the atmosphere. One-piece formed shells offer the best
reliability, eliminating welds used for two-piece shells. Since the torque coupling magnetic
force field must pass through the shell, it must be made of a non-magnetic material. Nonmagnetic metals such as Hastelloy and 316SS are typical choices for the containment shell.
The motion of the magnets past an electrically conductive containment shell produces eddy
currents, which generate heat and must be removed by a process fluid recirculation circuit.
The eddy currents also create a horsepower loss, which reduces the efficiency of the pump.
Metals with low electrical conductivity have lower eddy current losses, providing superior
pump efficiency. Hastelloy has a relatively low electrical conductivity and good corrosion
resistance, thus is an excellent choice for metal containment shells. Electrically nonconductive materials such as plastic and ceramics are also good choices for containment
shells, since the eddy current losses are totally eliminated. This results in pump efficiencies
equal to conventionally sealed pumps. Plastic containment shells are generally limited to
lower pressures and temperatures due to the limited strength of plastics.
===============================================================
Page 2 of 4

===============================================================
Sleeve and Thrust Bearings
Magnetic drive pumps utilize process lubricated bearings to support the inner drive rotor.
These bearings are subject to the corrosive nature of the liquids being pumped, thus need to
be made from corrosion resistant materials. Two commonly used materials are hard carbon
and silicon carbide (SIC). Pure sintered SIC is superior to reaction bonded SIC, since reaction
bonded SIC has free silicon left in the matrix, resulting in lower chemical resistance and lower
strength.
Hard carbon against silicon carbide offers excellent service life for many chemical applications
and also offers the advantage of short term operation in marginal lubrication conditions.
Silicon carbide against silicon carbide offers excellent service life for nearly all chemical
applications. Its hardness, high thermal conductivity, and strength make it an excellent bearing
material. Silicon carbide must be handled carefully to prevent chipping. Silicon carbide against
silicon carbide has very limited capability in marginal lubrication conditions.
Recirculation Circuit
All magnetic drive pumps circulate some of the process fluid to lubricate and cool the bearings
supporting the inner rotor.
Magnetic drive pumps with metal containment shells, also require a circulation of some
process fluid through the containment shell to remove heat generated by eddy currents. For
pumps with metal containment shells, the fluid recirculation path must be carefully engineered
to prevent vaporization of the process liquid necessary to lubricate the bearings. A
pressurized circuit as shown in Fig. 4 offers excellent reliability for pumps with metal
containment shells.
Magnetic drive pumps with electrically non-conductive containment shells, such as plastic or
ceramic have no heat generated by eddy currents. Since no heat is required to be removed
from the containment shell, a much simpler recirculation circuit can be used.
For liquids near vaporization, a calculation must be made to ensure the process fluid does not
vaporize at the bearings. This calculation includes the effects of process fluid specific heat,
vapor pressure, drive losses, recirculation flow, etc. This calculation procedure can be found
in the GOULDS PUMPS HANDBOOK FOR MAGNETIC DRIVE PUMPS. An external cooling
system can be added to the recirculation circuit to prevent vaporization.
Fail Safe Devices
===============================================================
Page 3 of 4

===============================================================
DESCRIPTION
Condition monitoring of the pump is a "key objective" and provides the user with an assurance
of safety and reliability.
System and pump malfunctions can result from the following:
No-flow condition through the pump

Dry running as a result of plugged liquid circulation paths in the pump bearing and
magnets assembly section
Cavitation due to insufficient NPSHA
Uncoupling of the magnetic drive due to overload
Temperature and pressure transients in the system
"Flashing" in the pump liquid circulation paths due to pressure and temperature
transients.
These malfunctions can contribute to:
Overheating of the drive and driven magnet assemblies

Overload of drive motor and drive magnetic assembly
Extreme pump bearing load conditions
Damage to pump due to extremes in temperatures and pressures due to transients that
exceed normal design.
Various fail safe devices are available with the pump to control malfunctions and provide
safety and reliability including:
thermocouple / controller
low amp relay
liquid leak detector
power monitor
===============================================================
Page 4 of 4
ALGORITHM FOR PUMP SELECTION

S. L. Abhyankar, August 21, 2003
===============================================================
A) Should Centrifugal Pumps Be Default Selection?
One would often select a centrifugal pump by default, because most thinking of pumps
focuses on centrifugal pumps. This is so, because centrifugal pumps are made in such
majority over other types of pump. However an algorithm should rather ensure that there
is no default selection. This algorithm hence provides for checking whether the
application would warrant a pump other than a centrifugal pump. In short, it takes into
account the limitations of centrifugal pumps. From the algorithm, one would realise that
centrifugal pumps do have many limitations.
An algorithm is better readable as a flowchart. An algorithm has been attempted and is at
Annex 1. Notes below explain the logic of the algorithm.
B) Most Common Parameters of Pumping Duty
Pump selection should start with data on hand about some most common parameters of
pumping duty, viz. Head and/or pressure, flow-rate required, preferred speed, number of
pumps.
C) Factors Governing Flow-rate Per Pump
There are statutory codes to be followed, especially when selecting pumps for firefighting. Fire fighting pumps (IS-12469) have nominal discharge ratings specified in the
code itself. Depending upon the degree of hazard, one has to select a discharge rating
from the nominal ratings given in the code.
For pumping water to the overhead reservoir in a multi-storey residential building,
number of hours of inflow of municipal supply, capacity of Ground Level Reservoir
(GLR) and total daily requirement of the residents will together decide the flow-rate. For
example, if there are 50 families in a building, i.e. a population of 250 people at an
average of 5 persons per family, then at 200 litres per capita per day, daily requirement
becomes 50 m3. If number of hours of inflow of municipal supply is 3 hours and the
capacity of GLR is only 20 m3, balance of the total requirement i.e. 30 m3 will have to be
pumped to OHR in the 3 hours of inflow. So required flow rate of pumping becomes 10
m3/h.
In a sewage pumping station, flow rate for pumps has to vary at different times of the
day, depending upon the rate of inflow of sewage, size of sump, and time within which
sewage should be pumped so that it does not become septic, also taking care that the
pump should not suffer too many starts and stops at too short intervals. Traditionally this
is managed by running different number of pumps in parallel. One may as well have
pumps of different flow rates to run in parallel. Variable Speed Drives (VSD) make a
good, energy-saving alternative for such regulation of flow-rate.
===============================================================
Page 1 of 13

D) Factors Influencing The Total Head
Total head primarily comprises the level difference and/or pressure difference and the
hydraulic friction. Hydraulic friction depends upon the selection of types and sizes of
pipes and fittings.
All this data on the most common parameters of pumping duty may often prompt the
default selection of a centrifugal pump. However there are many other parameters to be
considered to decide the type of pump.
E) Factors Influencing Operating Speed
Wear life, bearing life, preference for a compact design and variety reduction influence
selection of operating speed of the pump. Abrasive and corrosive wear will be more
pronounced at high operating speed. Bearing life will also be less at high operating speed.
But pumps designed to run at high operating speed are compact and space-saving and are
better portable. If pumps have to operate even optional drive from internal combustion
engines, or if stand-bye pumps for emergency operation have to be with internal
combustion engines, variety of pumps and carrying of inventory of spares can be less if
both electrically driven and I. C. engine-driven pumps are of common design.
F) Initial Procedure of the Algorithm
1. Is viscosity > 350 cSt?
1.1 If yes, select a positive displacement pump
Check if viscosity is shear sensitive?
1.1.1 If yes, select positive displacement pump, where liquid will not suffer
shear at the pumping element. A helical rotor, progressive cavity pump
or a diaphragm pump may be considered.
1.2 If not, i.e. if viscosity < 350 cSt, proceed to 2
2. Is distortion or damage to entrained solids acceptable?
2.1 If not, select a helical rotor, progressive cavity pump
2.2 If yes, i.e. if distortion or damage to entrained solids is acceptable, proceed to
3
3. Does duty need metering or dosing?
3.1 If yes, select a positive displacement pump
3.2 If not, proceed to 4
4. Is multi-phase medium to be handled, e.g. oil, gas and mud in oil exploration? If
yes, consider piston rod or plunger pumps. Pumps called as sucker rod pumps in
the oil industry are basically plunger pumps.
5. Are solid-contents > 10%?
5.1 If yes, select a positive displacement pump, but get back to Step 2.
5.1.1 Is distortion or damage to entrained solids acceptable?
5.1.2 If yes, consider a positive displacement pump.
5.1.3 Is flow-rate of micro scale? if yes, consider a peristaltic pump.
5.2 If solid-contents < 10%, consider a non-clog centrifugal pump.
6. Is specific speed <6?
Page 2 of 13

Calculate the specific speed from the pumping duty, viz. Q, H and rpm. If
pressure is dominant factor of the duty, convert pressure to equivalent head to find
the specific speed.
6.1 Check if running at higher speed acceptable, so that higher speed will make
higher specific speed and will make a centrifugal pump feasible. Then go to
5.6.
6.2 Check if liquid is clear, i.e. if turbidity is <500 ppm, If yes, check whether
multi-stage construction is acceptable, so that specific speed per stage will
again be higher
6.3 If checks (5.1) and (5.2) are negative, and liquid is clear, check if pulsating
flow is acceptable.
6.3.1 If pulsating flow is acceptable, a positive displacement pump can be
more energy-efficient than any impeller pump. But with thin liquids,
there will be slip flow, which will cause the efficiency of pumps to be
less than normal.
6.3.2 If pulsating flow is not acceptable, one may consider a regenerative
turbine type pump. But these pumps are not energy-efficient. But the
advantage is that they can run at high running speed and are in turn
compact, have non-pulsating flow, and also have a fair degree of selfpriming capability. Check whether this capability has cost-benefit
advantage in the application.
6.4 Further option for selecting centrifugal pumps is to select the pump for higher
discharge and bye-pass the excess flow back to suction. This again will not be
energy-efficient.
6.5 Selecting from feasible options should be by Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis.
G) Selecting Among Positive Displacement Pumps
6.6 Specific applications where helical rotor, progressive cavity pumps, metering
or dosing pumps, peristaltic pumps, diaphragm pumps would become
selection options have been mentioned above. Where the algorithm lends
selecting positive displacement pump as a general option, various types of
positive displacement pumps can be considered, viz. piston or plunger pumps,
internal gear pumps, external gear pumps, lobe pumps, vane pumps, flexible
vane pumps, multiple screw pumps, etc. Again, selecting from feasible
options should be by Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis.
H) Selecting the type of mounting
Most common arrangement of a pump is with its working axis horizontal. Centrifugal
pumps with horizontal working axis often operate with a suction lift, unless the pump is
to draw the liquid from a suction vessel above the pump.
Vertical mounting becomes an option for following reasons.
a) NPSH available may not be adequate. If so, mounting the pump to be submerged
in the liquid will improve NPSH available. Vertical turbine pumps become an
Page 3 of 13

b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
option to large mixed flow or axial flow end suction pumps or axially split casing
horizontal pumps. But dismantling vertical turbine pumps for overhauling
becomes quite an exercise. Also it becomes important to ensure structural
stability, non-resonant frequency and limited and controlled vibration in case of
vertical turbine pumps.
Mounting more than one pumps in a pit would warrant proper design of sump.
Volatile or high temperature liquids with high vapour pressure would warrant
pump to be mounted in a vertical can with enough depth, to take care of NPSH
required by the pump in the depth of the can itself.
Vertical mounting often makes a compact, space saving installation. Vertical inline pumps are an eminent example.
Submersible pumps in tube wells are vertical pumps. Most pumps for drainage
and dewatering are also vertical, since they then are compact and hence portable.
Submerging pumps in the liquid, often called as wet pit mounting has become
feasible with the development of submersible motors. Various types of
submersible motors are in vogue, mechanically sealed dry motors, water-filled
motors, oil-filled motors and encapsulated motors.
I) Selecting Other Features

7. Shaft-sealing
See Table 1.
Table 1
Various options in shaft-sealing with degree of sealing
Type of Sealing
Gland with soft packing and lantern
ring
Labyrinth sealing
Oil Seals or U buckets
Mechanical Seal
Injectable Sealant
Hydrodynamic seal
Degree of Sealing
Zero leak sealing not desirable, since
leakage would flush the wear-out away
and also cool and lubricate the packing,
carrying the heat away
If over-designed, may draw in air into
the pump
Susceptible to work hardening and
wear of sleeve. Common in
reciprocating pumps for degree of
sealing better than rope packing
Commonplace seal is seemingly zero
leak, though there are invisible fugitive
emissions.
Various designs and Plans are
available. See 6.1
Competes with mechanical seals,
substantially reducing the cost of
repairs and replacements as compared
with mechanical seals
Designed integrally with each pump.
Page 4 of 13

Cannot be interchanged across pumps,
unless pumping duty, viz. head
discharge, speed are all identical.
Are truly zero leak. Detailed
consideration needed, if liquid does not
have lubricity or pumping temperature
is high. Part of discharge is circulated
through the motor. This reduces
efficiency.
Are truly zero leak. Detailed
consideration needed, if liquid does not
have lubricity or pumping temperature
is high. Magnetic induction itself
generates heat, causing transmission
losses and reducing overall efficiency.
Canned Motor Pumps
Magnetically coupled pumps
6.1 Traditionally seal-manufacturers supply seals to be assembled by the user.

Now seals are also available as ready, assembled seals, assembled in a cartridge.
Seals are also available as split seals for in situ installation or replacement without
the need to dismantle the pump. API-682 details various plans for using seals.
When to use which plan, is detailed in Table 2.
Table 2
Which Sealing Plan to use when
.
Plan No
11
Features
Internal
circulation
from pump
discharge to
seal
Dead end seal
chamber with
no circulation.
Stuffing box
cooling and
neck bush are
necessary.
Circulation
from pump case
through an
Solids in liquid
Temperature
Absent
Present
No Hi Cr
(clear) Not Offen rm gh yo
al
ge
offe sive
nic
nsiv
e
Page 5 of 13
Pressure
No Hi
rm gh
al

12
13
21
22
23
31
32
41
orifice
Circulation
from pump case
through a
strainer and an
orifice
Circulation
from seal
chamber
through an
orifice and back
to suction
Circulation
from pump case
to seal through
an orifice and a
cooler
Circulation
from pump case
through a
strainer, an
orifice and a
cooler
Circulation
from the seal
by means of a
pumping ring,
through a
cooler and back
to seal
Circulation
from pump case
through a
cyclone
separator
Injection of a
clean fluid from
an external
source
Circulation
from pump case
through a
cyclone
separator and
through a
cooler
Page 6 of 13

51
52
53
54
61
62
Dead end
quench,
(usually
methanol)
External fluid
reservoir,
pressure-less,
thermo siphon
or forced
circulation or as
required
External fluid
reservoir
pressurized,
thermo siphon
or forced
circulation as
required
Circulation of
clean fluid from
an external
system
Tapped
connection for
use of customer
External fluid
quench (steam,
gas, water, etc.)
8. Heating Jacket
If the liquid has high melting point and in turn, a tendency to solidify at ambient,
the pump will not restart after shut down. A heating jacket will help to liquefy the
solidified mass blocking the suction.
9. Cooling Jacket
9.1 When pumping temperatures are high, to prevent the shaft seal from
malfunctioning and bearings having short life, cooling will be needed around
stuffing box and bearing housing.
9.2 If pumping duty is less than safe minimum flow, pump will experience rise in
temperature, vapour pressure will be higher and pump may suffer cavitation.
To control the rise in temperature, cooling jacket will be necessary for the
pump casing also.
J) Selecting Materials Of Construction (MOC)
The main considerations behind selecting material of construction for different
components are to have
Page 7 of 13

Wear-life, especially against wear due to corrosion and/or abrasion

Creep-strength to withstand the temperature of liquid to be pumped.
Wear-life against cavitation erosion
Corrosion, abrasion, cavitation-erosion and liquid temperature will primarily affect the
wetted components of the pump. In case of centrifugal pumps wetted components
include the casing impeller, impeller nut, casing cover and seal housing, shaft sleeve,
gaskets, shaft seal materials for whichever shaft sealing arrangement is selected.
Corrosive effect of a liquid is mainly due to alkalinity or acidity. Liquids with pH value
between 6.5 to 7 are neutral and hence are most comfortable to handle with commonplace
material like Cast Iron. Until the development of stainless steels, for alkaline corrosion,
especially for alkalinity as of sea water copper-based alloys like Naval Bronze were
much in vogue. Many stainless steel materials however have good corrosion resistance
both against alkaline and acidic corrosion.
Many commonly used materials are better known by acronyms or codes. For the sake of
accuracy, one should be conscious of finer distinctions in the codes. For example, 18-8
Cr-Ni stainless steel is commonly known as SS-304. However since components like
casing and impeller are made by casting process, the code name is CF8, derived from
grade CF8 in specification A-351 of American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM).
American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) designated same material in wrought form as
Grade 304.
Corrosion-resistance and abrasion-resistance do not go together. Abrasion-resistance
would require high degree of hardness. Alternatively if the abrasive particles would
impinge on the boundary surfaces at some angle of impedance, resilient materials would
sort of cause the abrasive particles to bounce off and not cause wear. Abrasion with low
or zero angle of impedance becomes erosion. So, for abrasion-resistance one should
choose hard materials for erosive wear and resilient materials for bouncing particles, e.g.
particles of sand. For components like pump casing resilient materials like rubber are
better provided as linings in a cast casing.
Often components running close to each other, even when made of appropriate corrosionresistant materials will suffer galling and electrolytic corrosion because of their chemistry
being identical. A differential hardness or difference in chemistry of the close running
surfaces can reduce or eliminate this galling and corrosion. Simple example to note this is
by realising that a piece of glass moves harder over another surface of glass, than how
hard a piece of steel would move on a glass surface.
K) Selecting Pumps for Parallel Operation
When flow to be pumped needs regulation, one can get increased flow by running more
pumps to run together in parallel. Switching off some of the pumps can reduce the flow.
The flow is however not directly proportional to the number of pumps running. Study of
system characteristics along with pumps characteristics is necessary to devise a trouble-
Page 8 of 13

free system for pumps running in parallel. It is also necessary that H-Q characteristics of
individual pumps to run in parallel should be continuously rising towards shut-off. Also
shut-off head of pumps should be identical as far as possible.
L) Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Most situations of pump selection can provide opportunity to explore options. Most
economic selection would emerge by Life Cycle Cost analysis.
LCC = PSC + ICC + OC + MIDC
Where
PSC = Pumping System Cost as the sum total of costs of Pump, Driver, Controller,
Coupling, Piping, Valves, etc. Options in sizes of pipes and fittings should be considered
as independent options of the Pumping System.
ICC = Installation and Commissioning Cost inclusive of costs of excavations and
building of sump and pump room and material handling tackle, on-site assembly and
testing
OC = Operating Cost over the life. Period for all options should be life of that option,
which has longest life.
MIDC = Maintenance, Inventory and Downtime Cost over the same period as for
Operating Cost.
M) Conclusion
This article has attempted an algorithmic approach to pump selection, so that any exercise
in pump selection would result in selection of not only the most appropriate pump, but of
the most appropriate pumping system.
Annex 1 outlining the algorithm on next four pages
Page 9 of 13


START
Q. 1 Are you selecting pump for an

application like fire fighting, for
which a statutory code applies?
If no,
Q. 2 Select flow-rate, head and
speed for pump
Q. 3 Select number of pumps

and/or series or parallel
operation or variable speed
drive,
a) to explore options in
handling total flow-rate
most efficiently and
economically
b) if regulation of flow-rate
is required to meet
variations in system
Q. 4 Select number of standby

pumps
a) with IC engine drive for
exigency like failure of
power supply
b) for facility of conducting
maintenance work on
pumps
Q. 5 Select flow-rate, head

and speed for standby pumps
keeping in mind keeping
minimum variety of
inventory of spares between
running pumps and standby
pumps
Q. 6 Does duty need metering or

dosing?
If no,
If yes
If yes
Page 10 of 13
Annex 1
Select flow-rate and head as per

degree of fire hazard. See IS12469
Select positive displacement pump

Q. 7 Is multi-phase medium to
If yes
Consider piston rod or plunger pumps.
be handled, e.g. oil, gas and mud
Pumps called as sucker rod pumps in the
in oil exploration?
oil industry are basically plunger pumps.
If no,
Q. 8 Is viscosity of liquid > 350
If yes
Select positive displacement pump
cSt?
If no,
Q. 9 Is liquid viscous,
If yes
Apply correction factors for required head and
though viscosity < 350
discharge to find equivalent duty with water.
cSt?
See Clause 14 and Fig. 25 in IS-5120
If no,
Q. 10 Has liquid consistency due to If yes
Apply correction factors for
nature of entrained solids, like paper
required head and discharge to find
stock?
equivalent duty with water. See IS6596 Specification for Pumps for
handling paper stock.
If no,
Q. 11 Is liquid in the form of
If yes
Apply correction factors for required
slurry?
head and discharge to find equivalent
duty with water. See IS-9201

Specification for Pumps for handling
slurry.
If no,
Q. 12 Is deformation or
If no
Consider progressive cavity helical rotor
damage to entrained solids
pumps.
acceptable?
If yes,
Q. 13 Are entrained solids
If yes
Consider macerator attached to impeller.
heterogeneous, containing long
fibres, which are likely to get

entangled?
If no,
Q. 14 Is liquid to serve as
If yes
Consider sewage pumps a per IS-5600
carrier of solids, e.g. sewage,
or non-clog pumps See IS-9201
sand-dredging, fluidised
Specification for Pumps for handling
transfer of ores from mines?
slurry.
If no,
Q. 15 Have the solids a
If yes
Consider heating jacket to facilitate easy
tendency to crystallize or
starting.
solidify at ambient?
If no,
Q. 16 Is liquid volatile?
If yes
Consider Vapour pressure of the liquid
at maximum temperature likely to be
encountered during pumping. Provide

adequate NPSH available.
Page 11 of 13

If no,
Q. 17 Do even fugitive
emissions of leakage of liquid
to atmosphere make safety
and/or environmental hazard?
If no,
Q. 18 Is temperature at which
liquid is to be pumped high?
If no,
Q. 19 Is it necessary to flush
the pump clean at the end of
every batch e.g. dairy duty or
hygienic duty?
If no,
Q. 20 Is available NPSH
marginal? Or is level in sump
too deep and/or suction lift
excessive? Or is liquid not
congenial for priming the
pump? Or will the pump be too
large to make priming
exertive?
If no,
Q. 21 Is there a constraint on
space available?
If yes
Consider zero leak pumps, peristaltic or

diaphragm pumps among types of
positive displacement pumps and
magnetically coupled or canned motor
pumps.
If yes
Provide cooling for bearings and also to

seal chamber. If pumping temperature is
above 200o C, consider centreline
supports as per API-610 for casing of
horizontal end-suction pumps.
If yes
Consider pump fabricated in sheet metal

and with quick and easy clamping.
If yes
Consider positive displacement pumps

or self-priming pumps or pumps with
priming by vacuum pumps or pumps with
priming chamber or pumps to be
vertically suspended for submergence
into liquid (commonly known as sump
pumps) or a submersible wet well (or wet
pit) pump or a pump with motor also
submersible (IS-8034 or IS-14220). Or
make a dry pit or a pump house below
ground level.
If yes
Consider vertical pump, a vertical

turbine pump (IS-1710) or a vertical
sump pump or a vertical inline pump.
Page 12 of 13

Q. 22 Conduct Life Cycle Cost (LCC) Analysis for all feasible options.
LCC = PSC + ICC + OC + MIDC
Where
PSC = Pumping System Cost as the sum total of costs of Pump, Driver, Controller,
Coupling, Piping, Valves, etc. Options in sizes of pipes and fittings should be considered
as independent options of the Pumping System.
ICC = Installation and Commissioning Cost inclusive of costs of excavations and building
of sump and pump room and material handling tackle, on-site assembly and testing
OC = Operating Cost over the life. Period for all options should be life of that option,
which has longest life.
MIDC = Maintenance, Inventory and Downtime Cost over the same period as for
Operating Cost.
Twenty-two questions as above help analyse a pumping application to identify options in
types of pumps and also important constructional features.
Questions 9, 10, 11 also suggest that for ease of selection the liquid duty should be
translated into equivalent water duty.
Questions 3, 4, 5, 17, 20 and 21 suggest that there would be multiple options. If answer to
Q. 6 is yes, then the suggestion to select a positive displacement pump is also a generic
answer and would need analysing multiple options of types of positive displacement
pumps.
In fact, most situations of pump selection can provide opportunity to explore options.
Most economic selection would emerge by Life Cycle Cost analysis.
Page 13 of 13
Paper for NCFMFP

Conference at
Mumbai
Dec. 7-9, 2006
PUMP STANDARDS
By
S. L. Abhyankar
Hon. Technical Adviser,
Indian Pump Manufacturers Association
Page 1 of 16
Abstract
Standards on pumps have their own importance, especially with the globalisation of
Indian economy.
Pump standards developed by different bodies have been popular in different sectors.
Indian standards on pumps have also addressed issues of national concern such as energy
conservation in agricultural pumping. They have in turn motivated technological
upgradation across the Indian pump industry.
Since pumps always operate in a system, in standards on pumps, there have been also
standards laying out recommendations and guidelines on proper configuration of
pumping systems.
In this paper the author presents an overview of the role played by pump standards
globally in general and nationally in particular.
1. STANDARDS ARE LIKE MONEY
Standards seem to serve the same purposes, as money does in an economic society. In
economics they say
Money is a matter
Of functions four
A Medium, a Measure,
A Standard and a Store.
To serve as a standard is one of the functions of money. Does a standard also serve other
functions of serving as a medium, a measure and a store?
1.1 Function as a Medium
When a buyer wants to buy a pump for a service in petroleum refinery, just mentioning
that the pump should conform to API-610 communicates a lot of attributes of the pump.
Thus a standard serves the function of medium of communication.
1.2 Function as a Measure
When a pump is specified for a flow-rate of, say, 25 m3/h and head of 25m, one gets a
clear idea of what duties are expected of the pump. Or when a pump is said to conform to
IS-13518, the user has the confidence that in the event of replacement any make pump of
equivalent duty conforming to ISO-2858 can fit in its place, without any modification to
the baseplate or the installation. The mounting dimensions will be all identical.
Page 1 of 16
Paper for NCFMFP

Conference at
Mumbai
Dec. 7-9, 2006
PUMP STANDARDS
By
S. L. Abhyankar
Page 2 of 16
1.3 Function as a Standard

When a pump has an ISI mark, say, under IS-9079, the ISI mark connotes that the pump
will deliver the specified duty with an efficiency equal to or better than the norm for
minimum efficiency applicable to it as per IS-9079. Standard thus provides a datum or
reference for the performance. In Bhagavadgeeta, an apt word used for the datum
reference of performance or conduct is PramaaNam. In third chapter it is said,
Yat Yadaacharati Shresthah Tat-tadevetaro Janah
Sa Yat PramaaNam Kurutey Lokas-tad-anuvartatey
People follow the exemplary conducts, based on the conducts of the venerables.
It is good to be conscious of the Supremacy of His will, which is implicit in Inshaa
Allah, as the Muslims say. It is good to retire to the bed only after thanking Him for
having carried us through the day, as the Christians do. And it is good to start the day by
saying Karaagrey Vasatey Lakshmeehi and Paada-sparsham Kshamasva mey as the
Hindus do.
This is how standards as PramaaNam promote upliftment of human consciousness and
of society at large.
1.4 Function as a Store
Standard such as IS-10596 Code of Practice for Selection, Installation, Operation and
Maintenance of Pumps for Industrial Applications is a great store of knowledge,
immensely useful to everybody concerned with industrial pumps.
2. FOR WHOSE
FUNCTIONS?
BENEFIT
DO
THE
STANDARDS
DELIVER
THE
In ultimate analysis, it would be realised that the standards deliver the functions for the
benefit of the consumer or customer. Actually these words identifying the beneficiaries
do not have identical meaning.
In certain instances, the consumer or customer of a function is just a beneficiary. For
example, the resident of a city is the beneficiary of the sewage-handling and sanitation
function executed by the sewage-handling pumps in different sewage pumping stations of
the city. The ultimate beneficiary is neither the customer nor the consumer of those
pumps.
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A farmer is the customer or the consumer of agricultural pumps. But considering that
power to agricultural pumping is almost free, almost all over the country, the farmer does
not see the benefit of the norms of minimum efficiency specified in standards on
agricultural pumps. But the entire nation is the beneficiary of the norms. If the entire
nation is the beneficiary, that includes also the farmer.
So, standards deliver the functions to benefit the society at large. The society can be the
universal society, that too across generations. That is what the sages envisaged, when
they said, Krunvanto Vishwam Aryam.
The corollary question would be, What benefits does the standard deliver?
2.1 What benefits does the standard deliver?
2.1.1 Quality
A product conforming to a standard connotes quality implicit in the specifications in the
standard. Quality of a product means different things for different consumers of the same
product. In respect of agricultural pumps or pumps in general, one needs to take into
account widest distribution of the benefit, widest coverage of beneficiaries of the implied
quality.
2.1.2 Safety
BIS operates the certification marks scheme in two modes voluntary and compulsory.
Products, for which safety is an important benefit to be spread widest, are brought under
compulsory certification marking. This means that such products are supposed to be
available in the market all across the country only with ISI mark. It also means that
products without ISI mark are illegal proliferations.
Two such products can be sighted as examples - (1) Cylinders of cooking gas, LPG (2)
Domestic electrical switches. We are all a gathering of well-educated intelligensia here,
of qualified engineering professionals. It would be interesting for all of us to check, back
home, how good is the implementation of the compulsory certification marking for these
products.
2.1.3 Guarantee/ Warranty
What is implicit in these is sustainable performance over a period of time. In case of
pumps it is important that the pump-user gets sustainable efficiency over a period of time.
This of course involves parameters not only of the pump having having appropriate
features to give sustainable performance, but parameters which ought to be ensured by
the pump-user that the system is so installed, operated and maintained, as can let the
pump to perform satisfactorily.
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2.1.4 Environment and Safety

Similar to ISO-9000 series of standards on Quality Systems, ISO also evolved standards
of ISO-14000 series for Environmental Systems.
Implementation of these concepts of Environment and Safety in pump-designs and pump
standards can be seen by noticing how API-610 the specification for centrifugal pumps
for General Refinery Services has evolved through its different editions.
3. TYPES OR CATEGORIES OF STANDARDS
Standards themselves are of different categories, such as
product standards,
codes of testing,
codes of practice and
glossaries, definitions and terminologies.
One can find all such categories of standards, also among standards on a subject like
pumps.
4. IMPORTANT ORGANISATIONS WHICH HAVE DEVELOPED STANDARDS
ON PUMPS
4.1 Indian Standards
Every country has a nodal standards organization. In India we have Bureau of Indian
standards (BIS), formerly known as Indian Standards Institution (ISI). As of 2005, BIS
has developed some 45 standards on various types of pumps covering various aspects of
pumps.
4.2 ISO Standards
BIS also represents countrys interests at various committees of International Standards
Organization (ISO), especially on committee TC-115 in respect of pumps. By virtue of
membership of ISO, BIS has the facility to dual-number ISO-standards and print and
publish them as IS/ISO standards. Many ISO-standards on pumps have been dualnumbered.
By such facility of dual-numbering International approach to standardization is easily
available for adaptation in the country.
4.3 API Standards
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In specific sectors, especially in the petroleum sector, standards of American Petroleum

Institute (API) are popular worldwide. In the petroleum sector in India also API-610 has
been in vogue since long.
Recently, the tenth edition of API-610 is itself dual-numbered by an agreement between
ISO and API. So, tenth edition of API-610 is now also ISO-13907. As an ISO-standard, it
can be dual-numbered as an IS-standard and this is under process.
4.5 HI Standards
Hydraulic Institute (HI) is another organization very popularly recognized for its
standards on pumps. Actually by the constitution of its memberships, HI is similar to
IPMA, as association of manufacturers of pumps. But HI adopted a focus to develop
standards on pumps. Even at their website www.pumps.org their avowed motto is
declared as Creating standards since 1917.
HI standards are primarily guidelines, than standards for mandatory compliance.
Guidelines which are unique in HI standards are in respect of viscosity correction
factors, design of sumps, especially for mounting multiple pumps in a sump, margins
over NPSHr, etc. There is also a monogram on Estimating Efficiency of Centrifugal
Pumps.
5. STANDARDS ON PUMPS FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS

5.1 Standards For End-Suction Pumps For Non-Critical Services
API-610 is usually referred for pumps for critical services. For non-critical services, there
again for end-suction pumps in particular, ISO-2858 was developed from DIN-24256.
ISO-2858 has been dual-numbered vide IS-13518. In America, the standard in vogue,
similar to ISO-2858 has been ANSI-B-73.1. A comparative study of these two standards
became a topic by itself for an article.
It can be mentioned for a passing observation that while both these standards describe
horizontal, end-suction, single-stage, centrifugal pumps with back-pull-out feature, on
taking out the rotating unit, in case of ANSI-B-73.1 the pump casing gets left in its place,
with connected piping et al, on two bolts. Comparatively, in case of ISO-2858, the pump
casing gets left in its place, with connected piping et al, on four bolts.
5.2 Fire-Safety Standards
Subject of fire-safety has been accorded the status of statutory compliance in every
country, from times even prior to WW2. Until the development of IS-12469, IS-standard
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on firefighting pumps, manufacture, testing and certification was regulated by norms of

Tariff Advisory Committee (TAC).
With globalization, for exporting fire-fighting pumps to most countries around the world,
it is becoming mandatory for Indian manufacturers to get listing by Underwriters
Laboratory (UL) vide their standards UL-448. This standard is derived from NFPA 20,
the standard by National Fire Protection Agency (of USA). NFPA itself does not have
such operation of surveillance and certification. This activity is handled by UL.
6. CERTIFICATION MARKING
Manufacturers of pumps for their ranges of pumps conforming to different IS standards
can avail from Bureau of Indian standards a license to use ISI mark on their pumps. BIS
would extend such certification marking even to manufactures abroad.
In a way, this is necessary to ensure that imported pumps do not offend some issues of
national concern, especially that of Energy Conservation. Indian Standards, especially for
agricultural pumps are unique on this aspect of Energy Conservation. In IS-standards for
agricultural pumps, especially,
IS-6595 Part 1 for Horizontal Centrifugal Pumps for agricultural purposes

IS-8034 for Submersible Pump sets (for bore wells)
IS-9079 for Electric Monoset pumps for agricultural purposes
IS-14220 for Openwell Submersible Pumpsets
norms for minimum efficiency are specified. To verify compliance, pumps are to be
tested as per IS-11346 Code of tests for agricultural pumps.
In many countries agricultural pumps would be under the category of Mass-produced
pumps for which the annexure in ISO-9906 the code of acceptance testing would permit
wide tolerance on efficiency. This is offensive to Indias concern for Energy
Conservation. So, it is important that imported pumps do not offend this concern and
hence all imported pumps should comply with IS-standards.
Similar to ISI mark from BIS British Standards Institute offers a mark, which is popularly
known as Kite mark, so called in view of the look of that mark. American Petroleum
Institute also offers certification to use API monogram.
7. STANDARDS FOR CUSTOM-BUILT PUMPS
Unlike agricultural pumps, which are mass-produced, Vertical Turbine Pumps and
Axially Split casing pumps are often custom-built. Prima facie one would agree that it
would not be logical to have a standard on custom-built pumps. Yet we have been having
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IS-1710 on Vertical Turbine Pumps since 1950s! It seems IS-1710 was evolved using a
corresponding standard of American Water Works Association.
8. STANDARDS FOR PUMPING SYSTEMS
Importance of pumping system to be proper, so that the consumption of power will be
optimal, was realized long time back. It was in 1979 that IS-10804 standard for
Recommended Agricultural Pumping System was developed. Although the title of the
standard read as Recommended, NABARD made it mandatory for its refinance of
loans afforded to farmers for their pumps.
It is interesting to note that HI also now emphasizes the importance of pumping systems
to be optimal for good performance of pumps. At their website www.pumps.org they now
provide for free download Pumping System Improvement Tool (PSIT)
Realizing that a system component such as a foot-valve can cause unwarranted frictional
loss and in turn offend optimal performance of the pump, IS-10805, the standard on footvalves was developed. BIS also operates ISI-mark licensing scheme for foot-valves as per
IS-10805.
9. QUALITY SYSTEM STANDARDS
Unlike product standards, Quality System Standards of series ISO-9000 ensure
consistency of quality. This has become a mandatory requirement for all global trade. It is
good to note that most pump-manufacturers in India regardless of the scale of the unit
have ISO-9000 certification.
10. STANDARDS ON RELATED ASPECTS
Apart from pump standards, design and manufacture of pumps entails compliance with
standards on related aspects such as
Standards on Drilling of flanges
Standards on Materials of Construction
Standard for mechanical sealing system
Standard for balancing of rotating unit
Standards on drilling of flanges are either metric standards or American standards.
Standards for drilling of flanges are associated with pressure-rating and material of the
pump casing. For example, in American standard ANSI-B:16.5 details of drilling of
flanges in steel for pressure ratings of classes 150, 300, 600, 900, etc. are detailed. And in
American standard ANSI-B:16.1 details of drilling of flanges in Cast Iron for pressure
ratings of classes 125 and 250 are detailed. These classes seem to correspond to metric
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pressure-ratings PN 1.6, 2.5, 4.0, 6.4 etc. But they would not be exact equivalents and in
details of drilling, viz. pcd, size and no. of bolt-holes, there is rarely any matching.
For standards on Materials of construction, standards of American Society of Testing
and Materials (ASTM) are globally popular. Yet, for specific materials like wrought
stainless steels, AISI designations such as AISI-410, AISI-304, AISI-316, etc. are
globally popular, so much so that these designations are also used even for cast or forged
materials, though cast materials should be called by their ASTM-designations such as
CA-15, CF-8, CF-8M, etc.
The subject of mechanical sealing system used to be covered in API-610 until its sixth
edition. But API developed API-682 to cover the subject in good detail.
Balancing of rotating unit of the pump is an important step in the manufacturing sequence
of a pump. Grade 6.3 as detailed in IS-11723 Part 1 is considered appropriate for pumps.
The serial number of the standard will be different in different countries. But definition of
Grade 6.3 is universally uniform.
11. HOW MUCH SHOULD A STANDARD SPECIFY?
There is a standard IS-9301 on Deep Well Hand Pumps. Any peson wanting to venture
into manufacturing pumps as per this standard would not need any drawing and design
activity. Well-dimensioned drawings for almost all components are available in the
standard itself!
Indian pumps made as per IS-9301, designated as India Mark 2, India Mark 3 have
become a globally respected brand and have rendered yoemans service in many waterthirsty countries, and technically illiterate populations in countries like Algeria.
How much a standard should specify depends mostly on what gamut of specifications
would keep the user satisfied. The common man would not need a chronometer with the
accuracy of an atomic clock.
But a standard on International System of Units would define a second as period elapsing
when a Caesium 133 atom would emit 9 billion, 192 million, 631 thousand, 770 number
of radiations when tansitting between two hyperfine levels of the ground state.
For the common man a second is 60th part of a minute, which is 60th part of an hour,
which is 24th part of a day, which is 365th part of a non-leap year or 366th part of a leap
year. For the common man, day is the time period from one midnight to another. But this
definition would not work in countries like Norway and Sweden, where sun may not set
at all for as long as six months!
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12. STANDARDS KEEP EVOLVING

When norms for minimum efficiency for agricultural pumps were first specified in
standards like IS-9079 and IS-6595 in the editions of these standards in 1979, lot of datacollection had been done about efficiencies of agricultural pumps, manufactured by
different manufacturers. The norms were set so as not to permit restrictive trade practice
for a few good manufacturers, yet to provide a motivation for inferior quality
manufacturers to upgrade.
When revising the standard in 1989, the norms were derived from chart efficiencies in
Handbooks, as Best attainable efficiencies. So for norms in IS standards to serve as
norms for minimum efficiency, the norms were derived by applying some discounting
factors to the chart efficiencies.
In the latest revision in 2002, the norms of 1989 were upgraded by a multiplication factor
of 1.05. By this upgradation, the norms even as norms for minimum efficiency are close
to 90 or 95 percent of chart efficiencies.
Even International practices are somewhat misleading on this aspect. ISO-9906 Code of
Acceptance Tests for rotodynamic pumps has an appendix for mass-produced pumps
which permits deviation of +/- 7% from the efficiency implicit in the declarations in the
manufacturers catalog. This means that if the value of efficiency implicit is 60% the
actual efficiency can be only 93% of 60%, i.e. only 55.8%.
The approach in IS-specifications for agricultural pumps is worthy as a commendable,
trail-blazing approach, because no International Standard has ever specified norms for
minimum efficiency, there again never with the color of mandatory compliance.
13. STANDARDISATION THRIVES AND EVOLVES BY PARTICIPATION
13.1 Example of IS-10804
All the trail-blazing approach on evolving and specifying norms for minimum
efficiencies for agricultural pumps happened because of the National concern for Energy
Conservation in agricultural pumping. The standard IS-10804 on Recommended
Agricultural Pumping System was, as a standard only recommendatory. But NABARD
gave it a mandatory aspect, by regulating its refinance of loans for agriculral pumps to be
dispersible only if the pumping system conforms to IS-10804. Technical officers of
NABARD were on the Technical Committee of Bureau of Indian Standards even in the
stages of formulation of the standard.
Out of total power generation in the country, pumping seems to account for nearly 60%
or more of the connected load. Every pumping load can be relooked into, towards
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scope there for energy conservation. This will motivate standards to be evolved to
bench-mark the consumption of power by pumping loads.
13.2 Governmental Concerns and Initiatives
Ministry of Power (MOP) is well aware of the scope for improving efficiencies of pumps
and motors. Through its Bureau of Energy Efficiency, MOP is working on a Standards
and Labelling (S&L) programme to help orient the market trends towards energyefficient products.
13.3 Norms and Markets
We have known how Euro norms for fuel-efficiency of engines have influenced the
automotive markets.
14 STANDARDS, INNOVATIONS AND RESEARCH
There is a general impression that there is not much relationship between standards and
innovation or research. It would need only a little deliberation to realise that there is a
good, rather intimate relationship between the two.
There is almost a standard methodology when proceeding with a research project. The
first step often is Literature Survey or a survey of the State of the Art. Standards can
be seen to be giving a summary view of the State of the Art.
As an example from the field of pumping, it can be appreciated that a research project to
improve the efficiency of Indian agricultural pumps will have to start with a study of the
norms for minimum efficiency specified in Indian Standards on agricultural pumps.
14.1 Revolutionary Impulse Pump
Recently, towards end-August 2006, I came across a very thrilling news item about this
revolutionary impulse pump. Sine an avowed purpose of a conference such as this is to
share and disseminate knowledge, I consider it a good idea to present the news item, as it
appeared in an eNewsletter, impeller.net. The item is detailed in the annexure of this
paper.
Of course it would be long time ahead when a standard would evolve on these pumps!
15. GLOBALISATION OF INDIAN ECONOMY
Globalisation of Indian economy also serves as a good challenge for Indian pump
manufacturers to be globally competent and competitive. This does demand compliance
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to International standards on pumps. Looking at the increasing presence of Indian pumps

in the global market, it can be said that Indian Pump Industry is well-poised.
16. WHAT WE CAN DO
One must actively participate in the activity of standardisation by
proposing subjects on which standards should be evolved,
proposing amendments or revisions to existing standards to help them be updated,
seeking implementation of the standards in selection, installation, operation and
maintenance of pumps,
seeking pumps to have certification marking, where BIS is operating the scheme.
Since standards are like money, study and use of standards can enrich our knowledge, can
enrich our lives, can enrich the nation, can enrich the world by making it a better place to
live in, not only for ourselves, but also for future generations.
-o-O-o-
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Annexure 1
Item of News (source impeller.net Newsletter)
21.08.2006
Record-Breaking Pump Technology

The pumping of liquids like oil and fresh water is probably the most critical process
underlying the prosperity of our civilisation. According to the Hydraulic Institute, pumps
consume nearly 20% of the worlds electrical energy supply.
Modern pumps are based on ancient concepts. The first to PUSH liquids was the screw pump of
Archimedes, more than 2,000 years ago. In 1594 came Galileos piston pump, which worked on
the PULL concept. Crucial as pumps are to our way of life, they consume a lot of electric power
and have many limitations.
Pumping technology is about to undergo revolutionary change

Russian researcher Magomet Sagov and his team at Clavis Impulse Technology in Hokksund,
Norway, have produced a radically new type of pump that uses 80% less power than
conventional pumps and can pump liquids in conditions where conventional pumps fail.
The model for this new method of pumping is the human heart itself natures finest mechanism.
Working in step with the laws of nature, the new Clavis Impulse Generator simplifies primary
exploitation of oil and fresh water while reducing the cost of other industrial applications where
pumps are involved. The benefit for many industries will be enormous.
Description of the problem:
Since Galileos day, it has been known that a surface pump is incapable of lifting or pulling
water from a reservoir more than 10 metres down. In practice, the limitation is more like 6-7
metres. If a reservoir of water or oil is more than 7 metres deep the pump must be installed at the
bottom of the well, a requirement that entails technological challenges as well as much higher
costs and energy consumption
Alternative solution:
During a recent demonstration, the Clavis Impulse Generator was installed 45 metres above a
water reservoir and yet it successfully pumped water upwards. A pump of this kind has no
suction lift limit and can be installed on the surface in all cases, no matter how deep the well.
With the Clavis Impulse Generator, gravitation is no longer the limiting force, as it was for
Galileos pump and still is for conventional modern pumps that sit at the bottom of wells and
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PULL liquid upwards. This new technology will be presented at the Offshore Northern Seas
(ONS) exhibition in Stavanger, Norway, which will take place from 22 to 25 August.
Visitors are welcome to Clavis Impulse Technology stand at ONS (F 680 at Innovation Park) or
attend the companys press conference, which will take place on 23 August at 15:00-15:30 in the
press conference room
Clavis is engaged in research and development of the bio-mechanical, high-efficiency,
environment friendly new generation of pumps for a broad range of applications.
Recent articles from the Norwegian press about this dramatic advance in pump technology can
be read in Norwegian on our website at www.clavis.no
Technology
Review
Weekly:
Russian
Revolution
in
Hokksund
(www.tu.no)
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK): World Record in Water Pumping (www.nrk.no)
Development programme is financed by Petromaks programme of the Norwegian Research
Council.
Contact information: Peter Grubyi, Managing Director
Telephone: +47 32 70 00 87, Fax: +47 32 70 00 89
E-mail: peter@clavis.no
Website: www.clavis.no
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Annexure 2
Indian Standards on Pumps
(Source www.bis.org.in)
S. No. IS No.
1
942
2
943
944
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1710
2161
2298
3033
5120
5600
5639
5659
6070
13
14
6536
6595
Part 1
6595
Part 2
6596
6849
Part 1
15
16
17
18
19
6849
Part 2
6849
Part 3
20
21
22
23
8034
8418
8472
9079
24
9137
Subject / Title
Functional requirements for 275 l/min portable pumpset for firefighting
Vertical Turbine Pumps
Coolant pumps for general purpose machine tools - specification
Specification for single-barrel stirrup pump for fire fighting purposes
Accuracy requirements for dispensing pump used in petroleum trade
Technical requirements for rotodynamic special purpose pumps
Pumps - Sewage and Drainage - Specification
Specification for Pumps Handling Chemicals and Corrosive Liquids
Specification for Pumps for Process Water
Code of practice for selection, operation and maintenance of trailer fire
pumps, portable pumps, water tenders and motor fire engines
Pumps for handling volatile liquids
Horizontal Centrifugal Pumps for Clear, Cold Water - Specification Part 1 : Agricultural and Rural Water Supply Purposes
Horizontal centrifugal pumps for clear, cold water: Part 2 General
purposes other than agricultural and rural water supply - Specification
Specification for Pumps for Handling Paper Stock
Positive Displacement Vacuum Pumps - Measurement of Performance
Characteristics - Part 1 : Measurement of Volume Rate of Flow
(Pumping Speed)
Positive displacement vacuum pumps - Measurement of performance
characterstics Part 2 Measurement of ultimate pressure
Methods of measurement of the performance characteristics of
positive-displacement vacuum pumps Part 3 Water vapour pumping
capacity
Submersible Pumpsets - Specification
Specification for Horizontal Centrifugal Self-Priming Pumps
Pumps - Regenerative or clear, cold water - Specification
Electric Monoset Pumps for Clear, Cold Water for Agricultural and
Water Supply Purposes - Specification
Code for acceptance test for centrifugal, mixed flow and axial pumps Class C
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25
26
27
28
9201
9464
9542
9694
Part 1
29
9694
Part 2
30
9694
Part 3
31
9694
Part 4
32
36
37
10596
Part 1
10596
Part 2
10596
Part 3
10596
Part 4
10804
10805
38
10981
39
40
41
11346
11382
11501
42
11745
43
44
45
46
11951
12225
12469
12699
47
12717
48
13139
33
34
35
PUMP STANDARDS
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Pumps for handling slurry

Specification for Horizontal Centrifugal Pumps for Marine Use
Horizontal centrifugal monoset pumps for clear, cold, fresh water
Code of Practice for the Selection, Installation, Operation and
Maintenance of Horizontal Centrifugal Pumps for Agricultural
Applications - Part 1 : Selection
Code of practice for the selection, installation, operation and
maintenance of horizontal centrifugal pumps for agricultural
application Part 2 Installation
Code of practice for the selection, installation, operation and
maintenance of horizontal centrifugal pumps for agricultural
applications Part 3 Operation
Code of Practice for the Selection, Installation, Operation and
Maintenance of Horizontal Centrifugal Pumps for Agricultural
Applications - Part IV : Maintenance
Code of practice for selection, installation, operation and maintenance
of pumps for industrial applications: Part 1 Selection
of pumps for industrial applications: Part 2 Installation
of pumps for industrial applications: Part 3 Operation
of pumps for industrial applications: Part 4 Maintenance
Recommended pumping system for agricultural purposes
Foot valves, reflux valves or non-return valves and bore valves to be
used in suction lines of agricultural pumping systems
Class of acceptance test for centrifugal mixed flow and axial pumps Class B
Tests for Agricultural and Water Supply Pumps - Code of Acceptance
Dimensions for stuffing box cavities of end-suction process pumps
Specification for Engine Monoset Pumps for Clear, Cold, Fresh Water
for Agricultural Purposes
Technical supply conditions for positive displacement pumps reciprocating
Specification for Pumpset for Desert Coolers
Centrifugal jet pump - Specification
Specification for Pumps for Fire Fighting System
of jet centrifugal pump combination
Functional requirements of fire fighting equipment - High capacity
portable pumpset (1100-1600 1/min)
End suction centrifugal pumps - Base plate and installation
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13518
50
51
13537
13538
52
53
54
14220
14263
14536
55
56
57
15301
15310
SP 58
PUMP STANDARDS
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Dimensions
End suction centrifugal pumps (rating 16 bar) - Designation, nominal
duty point and dimensions
Technical specification for centrifugal pumps class 2
Centrifugal mixed flow and axial pumps - Code for hydraulic
performance tests - Precision class
Openwell Submersible Pumpsets Specification
Tapers for Agricultural Pumping Systems Specification
Selection, installation, operation and maintenance of submersible pump
set - Code of practice
Installation and Maintenance of Fire Fighting Pumps - Code of Practice
Hydraulic Design of Pump Sumps and Intakes Guidelines
Handbook on Pumps for Drinking Water Supply
Page 16 of 16
Workshop on Pumps
(18) Resolving Pump Troubles
===============================================================
Usually pump-troubles are noticed and
No Cause No
reported by operators. They report the
1
2
Priming inadequate or
troubles in simple phrases, such as
improper
2
3
Suction lift too high
1. No flow
3
4
Margin on NPSHr
2. Less flow
inadequate
3. Less pressure
4
5
Excess air or gas in
4. Pump loses prime
liquid
5. Pump draws high power
5
6
Air-pocket in suction
6. packing
6
7
Air leaks into suction
7. Heavy vibration or undue noise
7
8
Air leaks through
8. Packing life less
stuffing box
9. Bearings wear fast
8
9
Foot valve too small
10. Bearings overheat or Pump is
9
10
Foot valve clogged
jammed
10 11
Suction-inlet open
11 14
Speed too low
What are reported are really symptoms,
12 17
System head high
which have to be diagnosed to find the
13 22
Unsuitable parallel
cause. Once cause is diagnosed, remedy
operation
for the trouble often lies simply in
14 23
Clogging due to foreign
eliminating the cause.
matter
15 29
Wearing rings worn
Possible causes for different symptoms
16 30
Impeller damaged
are found in check-lists.
17 31
Casing gasket defective
1. Possible causes for No flow
No Cause No
1
1
2
2
3
4
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
6
11
14
16
17
22
11
23
Pump not primed

improper
Margin on NPSHr
inadequate
Suction-inlet open
Speed too low
Reverse rotation
System head high
Unsuitable parallel
operation
Clogging due to
foreign matter
2. Possible causes for Less flow
3. Possible causes for Less Pressure

No
1
2
3
4
5
6
Cause No
5
14
16
17
20
22
7
8
9
29
30
31
Excess air or gas in liquid

Speed too low
Reverse rotation
System head high
Viscosity is different
Unsuitable parallel
operation
Wearing rings worn
Impeller damaged
4. Possible causes for Pump loses

prime
No Cause No
1
2
Priming inadequate
or improper
===============================================================
Page 1 of 4
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
10 39
Packing spills into
2
3
pump
3
5
Excess air or gas in
liquid
11 40
Dirt or grit at lantern
4
6
7. Possible causes for Heavy vibration
5
7
or undue noise
6
8
Air leaks through
stuffing box
No Cause No
7
11
Suction-inlet open
1
2
8
12
Block in lantern
improper
connection
2
3
9
13
Lantern not in
3
4
Margin on NPSHr
position
inadequate
4
9
5. Pump draws high power
5
10
Foot valve clogged
6
11
Suction-inlet open
No Cause No
1
15
Speed too high
7
21
Operation at low flow
2
16
Reverse rotation
8
22
Unsuitable parallel
operation
3
17
System head high
9
24
Misalignment
4
18
System head is low
10 25
Slack foundation
5
19
Denser liquid
11 26
Shaft bent
6
20
12 27
Rubbing in running
7
23
Foreign matter
13 28
Bearings worn
8
24
Misalignment
14 30
Impeller damaged
9
26
Shaft bent
15 35
Shaft runs eccentric
10 27
Rubbing in running
16 36
Rotor out of balance
11 29
Wearing rings worn
17 41
Axial thrust not
12 33
Poor fitting of packing
balanced
13 34
Incorrect packing
18
42
Over-lubrication
14 37
Gland too tight
19 43
Poor lubrication
20 44
Wrong fitting of
6. Possible causes for Profuse leakage
bearing
at packing
21 45
Dirt in bearings
22 46
Rusting or water
No Cause No
ingress into bearings
1
13
Lantern not in position
23 47
Condensation at
2
24
Misalignment
bearings
3
26
Shaft bent
4
32
Scoring on shaft
8. Possible causes for Packing life less
5
33
6
34
Incorrect packing
No Cause No
7
35
1
12
Block in lantern
8
36
connection
9
38
Poor cooling to
2
13
packing
===============================================================
Page 2 of 4
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
4
24
Misalignment
3
24
Misalignment
4
26
Shaft bent
5
27
Rubbing in running
5
28
Bearings worn
6
28
Bearings worn
6
32
Scoring on shaft
7
35
7
33
8
36
8
34
Incorrect packing
9
41
Axial thrust not
balanced
9
35
10 36
11 37
Gland too tight
It can be noticed that a cause can lead to
12 38
Poor cooling to
different trouble-symptoms. Total
packing
number of causes detailed in the above
13 39
Packing spills into
check-lists are 47. They are compiled
pump
below by classification of the causes.
14 40
9. Possible causes for Bearings wear
fast
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Cause No
24
26
27
28
35
36
41
8
9
10
42
43
44
11
12
45
46
13
47
Misalignment
Shaft bent
Rubbing in running
Bearings worn
Axial thrust not
balanced
Over-lubrication
Poor lubrication
Wrong fitting of
bearing
Dirt in bearings
Rusting or water
ingress into bearings
Condensation at
bearings
10. Possible causes for - Bearings

overheat or Pump is jammed
No
1
2
3
Cause No
1
21
22
Pump not primed

Unsuitable parallel
operation
Suction-related
1
Pump not primed
2
improper
3
4
Margin on NPSHr
inadequate
5
Excess air or gas in liquid
6
7
8
Air leaks through stuffing
box
9
10
Foot valve clogged
11
Suction-inlet open
Lantern-related
12
Block in lantern connection
13
Driver-related
15
Speed too high
16
Reverse rotation
System-related
17
System head high
18
System head is low
Liquid-related
19
Denser liquid
===============================================================
Page 3 of 4
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
20
Selection and operation-related
21
22
Unsuitable parallel operation
23
Foreign matter
Mechanical
24
Misalignment
25
Slack foundation
26
Shaft bent
27
Rubbing in running
28
Bearings worn
29
Wearing rings worn
30
Impeller damaged
31
32
Scoring on shaft
33
34
Incorrect packing
35
36
Packing and gland-related
37
Gland too tight
38
Poor cooling to packing
39
Packing spills into pump
40
Design-related
41
Axial thrust not balanced
Operation and maintenance-related
42
Over-lubrication
43
Poor lubrication
44
Wrong fitting of bearing
45
Dirt in bearings
46
Rusting or water ingress into
bearings
47
Condensation at bearings
===============================================================
Page 4 of 4
Workshop on Pumps
(19) Pump Maintenance
===============================================================
Maintenance activity is conducted with
Such bath-tub cycles keep happening
different philosophies such as between failures A, B, C, etc.
MTBF is the mean of the periods
- Breakdown maintenance
between these failures.
- Preventive maintenance
- Scheduled maintenance, such as plant
The time between failures A and B is
shut-down
shown shorter than time 0 to A! This can
Proactive
or
Condition-based
actually so happen, if the maintenance
maintenance
work done at the instance of failure A
was done as a hurried job, without
Objectives of maintenance activity are
devoting mind to Root Cause Failure
two-fold
Analysis (RCFA).
- if any trouble is experienced in the
running of the equipment, Breakdown
Say, for example, failure A was
maintenance activity tries to make the
excessive leakage at gland. If the
equipment available at the soonest.
maintenance job done was just
tightening the gland bolts or adding
- even if there is no trouble, by doing
some more rope or replacing the total
Preventive maintenance, the objective is
packing, failure B would still happen
to keep the equipment availablefor as
soon enough, if there has been scoring
long as possible, i.e. to prolong its Mean
on the shaft sleeve. To check that, the
Time Between Failures (MTBF).
pump will have to be opened up. There
could be various reasons for the scoring
on the sleeve.
- grit or forein particle not flushed out,
either because lantern ring not
positioned
properly
or
flush
connection choked up or cock of flush
01
2 A
B
C
connection left closed inadvertently!
- run-out on the shaft
- misalignment
- vibration having caused the alignment
MTBF is best understood by a plot of
to get disturbed.
bath-tub curves, with time on X axis
and probability of failure on Y axis.
If vibration is the cause, diagnosing that
- At time zero i.e. at the time of
becomes further stream of RCFA!
commissioning of a brand new pump,
the probability of failure is high.
Diagnosing trouble with a pump is akin
- Time 0 to 1 is the running in time,
to a doctor diagnosing malady of a
through which the probability of
patient. Ther are 3 types of Root Causes.
failure reduces
- Time 1 to 2 is the stable operating
- Imbalance, e.g. cavitation
period
- Injury, e.g. water hammer
- Time 2 to A is period of wear and
- Infection, e.g. foreign particle
tear or of some trouble having crept in,
finally resulting in failure A
===============================================================
Page 1 of 10
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
Preventive Maintenance
Proper lubrication, proper cooling and
proper ventilation (WAO = Water, Air,
Oil) are often the prominent essentials of
a Preventive Maintenance schedule.
The schedule is very much influenced, if
there is fatigue in the duty cycling, such
as too frequent on-off or non-uniform
load pattern i.e. too many systemtransients.
People
look
for
manufacturers
recommendation of a Preventive
Maintenance schedule. This is not
logical. Any schedule has to be
appropriate for the application and the
system behaviour.
Proactive
or
Maintenance
Condition-based
Pumps in critical services need close

monitoring of their condition. For this,
dedicated temperature sensors could be
installed on the bearing housing and/or
the pump could be hooked to vibration
analysers. These will give timely
warning of untoward systems, which can
be attended to before they lead to
breakdown. Continuous monitoring
would thus help prolong MTBF.
Another concept of condition-based
maintenance is not to interfere, if the
pump is running good. Preventive
maintenacne may often lead to
unwarranted interventions even with
pumps running okay. Condition-based
maintenance helps to mitigate such
interventions.
===============================================================
Page 2 of 10
Workshop on Pumps
Some Common & Uncommon Tips
===============================================================
abnormal build-up of temperature,
General Considerations
lubrication, ear for any abnormal noise
and/or vibration.
Different philosophies have evolved for
maintenance of equipment like pumps,
If the equipment does not look like new,
starting from Routine Maintenance,
is smudged with blots of dirt or has
Break-down Maintenance, Preventive
scratches or peeling off of its paint, it
Maintenance,
Periodic
Overhaul,
means as much indifference suffered by
Condition-based
or
Predictive
the equipment during its operation and
Maintenance, etc.
maintenance.
Basic purpose of all these philosophies is
The paint of the equipment is not just for
to have the equipment running troubleits aesthetics. It would often be a
free, thereby increase availability of
protective coating, especially in case of
the equipment.
corrosive environments. It may have
been scrupulously selected and would
Even when the equipment is to be shutmerit due care and attention.
down for repairs or overhaul, the anxiety
is to reduce the downtime. Some ease of
disassembly and reassembly can often be
RYBM
in-built in the design! For example, the
Plant engineers are well familiar with
back pull-out type end suction pumps or
RYB, the colours of wires in a threeaxially split casing pumps facilitate ease
phase electric supply. However in the
in disassembly and reassembly without
acronym RYBM there is an additional
disturbing the adjoining pipes or the
M. I was privileged to learn of this
motor.
acronym in a programme on software of
computers. There is always the chance
Inventory of replacement spares is also
that you may have trouble in using
an associated point of concern.
different features of software properly.
So, if you get stuck up, the best first aid
In the event of trouble or operational
should be available by reading the
failure of the equipment, diagnosis of the
manual. So, RYBM Read Your Bloody
cause of trouble, keeping in mind Root
Manuals!
Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) also
becomes an important thought, so that
preventing early or frequent recurrence
Theory & Practical
of the trouble can be assured in the
There is often an impression that things,
process of repair itself.
which sound theoretical, do not appeal to
plant
engineers,
especially
to
Commonplace Items of Maintenance
maintenance engineers. The notion
Attention
seems to be that things sounding
theoretical may be okay in theory, but
For trouble-free running of equipment
may not work in practice. It is illogical
one appealing phrase is Keep it like
to buy this argument. How can the
new. Major items to be attended to keep
working of any engineering equipment
it like new would be cleanliness,
be different from its theory? The only
ventilation and cooling to avoid any
===============================================================
Page 3 of 10
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
be the full diameter. Manufacturers of
reason for such an argument would be,
process pumps do keep a record of the
that maintenance engineers become so
diameter of every pump. So, mentioning
much given to the habit of putting their
nameplate details when ordering spares
hands into the problem, that they tend
would prove a sound practice to be
to become loathe to sit down in the chair
religiously followed.
and read even the manuals, leave alone
the books of theory.
Genesis of Troubles
Pressure of Least Downtime & RCFA
There are some pumps, which get
branded as troublesome right from the
One would tend to sympathise with the
beginning! The reason could often be
maintenance engineers, for the stress
improper selection.
they suffer to put the equipment back
into operation at the quickest. This stress
Another reason can be due to improper
alone would inculcate the habit of
installation. There have been instances
departing from Root Cause Failure
of flange of the casing getting sheared
Analysis. The corollary result would be
off, when unfastening the pipe flange. It
recurrent failures. One common
simply means that during installation the
occurrence in case of pumps is leakage
flanges were matched forcibly with
at shaft seal. The cause of unstoppable
excessively undue nozzle loads and
leakage may be due to scouring on the
moments and stresses. Maybe, it is such
shaft sleeve. This itself may be due to
instances, which prompted American
run-out on the shaft. The run-out may be
Petroleum Institute (API) to specify the
due to misalignment. Misalignment may
nozzle loads and moments criteria in the
be due to undue vibrations. And undue
standard API-610.
vibrations may be due to some
foundation bolt not tightened properly.
Third reason is improper operation. Just
for example, for a pump handling liquids
Documentation,
Log
Books,
which have a tendency to solidify at
Equipment History Sheets
ambient, if effort is made to start the
pump without starting the heating circuit
The diameter of the impeller may have
and without waiting for the matter to
been trimmed during installation and
liquefy, such effort may for sure cause,
commissioning itself, to avoid the
if not shearing, bending or run-out on the
overloading of the motor. If the
shaft. For another example, if the safe
appropriate diameter of the impeller is
flow bypass valve does not operate
not documented, in the event of a
properly, the pump may work with less
replacement, what will be available as a
than safe minimum flow and the pump
spare would often be an impeller of full
would suffer.
diameter.
Obviously,
with
such
inadvertent replacement, the motor
Change-overs in parallel operation
would again suffer overload.
systems and any other system transients
have to be operated with due care and
Even if the diameter was not trimmed
caution.
during installation, diameter of the
impeller in process pumps may often not
===============================================================
Page 4 of 10
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
the sparking is due to loose connection,
Cavitation
the remedy is to tighten the connection.
In medical practice, with human
Although discussing this phenomenon is
machine it is not as straightforward. You
important, here, it should suffice to say,
gulp a pill into your stomach even for a
that often cavitation gets installed. The
headache in the head. Fortunately, man
simple rule is that cavitation will occur,
has yet not been able to construct a
if NPSHa < NPSHr. Since NPSHa is
human being!
what is needed to be available in the
system, it being less than NPSHr is
But the symptoms have to be diagnosed
eminently a system problem, so a
with RCFA approach. In handbooks and
problem as installed or as operated. If
standards, and also in manuals of
the pump is operated beyond the
manufacturers ready check-lists are
recommended range, then also the pump
provided for trouble-shooting. Some
can suffer cavitation. This again
common symptoms indicating trouble
underscores the importance of RYBM!
with the pump are,
1. Pump does not start pumping
Cavitation damage can become very
2. Pump loses prime
severe to the extent of washing off the
3. Pump discharge is less
vanes of the impeller! Often a simple
4. Pressure or head is less
habit of ear for any abnormal noise can
5. There is profuse leakage at shaft
help detect cavitation in right time.
6. Pump gets heated up
Cavitation damage is cancerous. It does
7. Pump makes too much noise
not cause the pump to stop functioning.
8. Pump vibrates
But the pump performance depletes and
9. Motor gets overloaded
the damage progresses non-stop.
The logical solution to resolving the
problem of cavitation is to ensure that
NPSHa > NPSHr.
Again the equation for NPSHa is
NPSHa = Ps + z V2/2g Hf Vp
The simple fact that there are as many
parameters in the equation means that
there are as many solution options! It
would not help plant engineers to be
averse to sitting at the table and doing
the calculations to apply the equation.
Symptoms, Causes, Remedies
With engineering equipment remedial
measures are quite straightforward. If
there is sparking in electric circuit and if
There are as many as 47 different causes

for the above symptoms listed in check
lists. And against some symptoms there
would be some 15-20 causes to diagnose
a symptom. That itself can be onerous
task and may not always lead to RCFA. I
think, the logical approach should be to
first of all check that everything is as it
should be. For a simple example, the
discharge may be less because the
direction of rotation is not proper! Some
electrician may have an atrocious habit
of taking out all the wires at one go and
not tagging them due to overconfidence
of his own memory! And he may end up
changing the phase sequence when
reconnecting. There is more problem, if
the reconnection has to be done by
another electrician.
===============================================================
Page 5 of 10
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
Between Failures (MTBF). Failure is not
Another common cause is misalignment.
necessarily only breakdown. Depletion
I often feel amused seeing auto garages
in performance is also a failure, because
proclaiming
computerised
wheel
the pump then is not pumping as much
alignment (for Indian road conditions?).
as it should. That is why, less discharge
Well, why not? A vehicle attended with
or less pressure are listed as troublecomputerised wheel alignment should
symptoms. But it could be open to
be able to withstand the inflictions of
argument
whether
depletion
in
Indian road conditions as much better
performance should be taken into
than one without such alignment! Do
account when calculating MTBF.
right the first time! If computerised
wheel alignment is in practice for autos,
For pumps in critical applications, for
how good is the alignment practice for
example, a boiler feed pump at a power
industrial equipment? Thought comes
generating station, it becomes logical to
back to mind about shearing off of
have condition-monitoring systems
casing flange, basically a problem of
installed.
indifference to proper alignment.
Wrenching is another weakness of a
maintenance technician. One would like
to dream that breed of technicians who
can make a good leak-tight high pressure
joint with just adequate wrenching
would grow! It stands to logic to
hypothecate that excessively wrenched
fasteners would suffer more corrosion
due to seizure and galling.
Human Errors and Instrumentation
Pressure-booster type hydro-pneumatic
systems for constant water supply,
especially in multi-storey buildings are a
good example of some small-scale
automation of a pumping system. One
may argue whether such systems are
energy-efficient. But given such a
system, the automation, as is often built
in, merits appreciation. Industrial
systems would be more demanding and
it is more essential that the chance for
human errors is minimal.
MTBF And Fail-Safe Designs
The basic purpose of maintenance
activity is to have long Mean Time
I know of submersible dry motor sewage

pumps provided with resistivity sensor
embedded to stop the pump, if the
inboard seal has failed. The leakage
would make the barrier oil more
conductive.
Equipment Life
Thinking of primary coolant pumps in
nuclear power stations, one can agree
that pumps can be built for really long
MTBF. Conversely, agricultural pump of
a farmer needs to run only for some
1500 hours out of 8760 hours of one
year, that too, very intermittently, maybe
for maximum eight hours each day. So
equipment life is an application-specific
consideration. Primarily coolant pumps
evidence that designers can cater to the
demands of the application.
For rotating equipment the equipment
life is mostly the bearing life. As long as
the bearings are good, the rotation of the
equipment will be good. If the rotation is
good, it will keep operating good.
Equipment life is thus inbuilt n the
design by selection of bearings of
===============================================================
Page 6 of 10
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
appropriate life. Manufacturers of antiSo, whereas preventive and conditionfriction bearings give guidelines for
based maintenance would help long
selection of bearings for desired bearing
MTBF, routine maintenance would
life.
provide reliability.
Popularity of anti-friction bearings has
Equipment needs attention and care even
ingrained the concept of bearing life so
during storage and in idling.
much that one thinks of bearing life for
all types of bearings. However, the
concept is not all that relevant for
Least Downtime
journal bearings. It is more appropriate
Barrel casing type multistage boiler feed
and consonant with the theory of
pumps can be considered as an eminent
tribology, that journal bearings would
example of pumps with Least
have really infinite life! The essence of a
Downtime as an inbuilt feature. All the
journal bearing is the film of lubricant,
hydraulic and mechanical components
which separates the bearing surfaces. It
are made as a capsule. In the event of
is actually the film, which bears the
repair or overhaul, what is needed is to
load. As long as the film is retained, the
take out one capsule and replace with
so-called bearing surfaces dont have to
another. The capsule to be repaired can
suffer any wear. If they wont wear, the
be given all the needed attention
life will be infinite. Substantially the
subsequently. Pump can be put into
rotation itself helps to sustain the film. If
operation readily with the replacement
the rotating axis is horizontal, the dead
capsule.
weight of the rotating unit will settle
down when rotation is stopped.
For axially split casing pumps also, one
Pressurized lubrication can help to
can have in the inventory a ready,
provide that the film does not suffer
assembled rotating unit, instead of
rupture even with the dead weight
having shaft, impeller, etc. as
settling down. Systems with transients
independent items.
are of course more hazardous.
This underscores why lubrication is an
essential item of attention during
maintenance.
Reliability
Reliability is different from equipment
life. Even if the farmer uses his pump
intermittently, he needs reliability that
the pump would do pumping as and
when he wants. It is sound logic that in
systems having standbys no particular
pump is designated as standby pump.
Sequence is set up that all pumps would
get their turn to be the running pump.
Wear, MOC, Energy

Periodicity of Overhaul
Efficiency,
However good one may wish, there is

bound to be wear. In case of pumps, one
significant effect of wear is roughening
of surfaces and increase of running
clearances.
If the pumpage is abrasive and/or
corrosive, the wear can be alarmingly
fast. Selection of materials for
construction (MOC) of pumps is thus a
very important consideration. System
transients would also accelerate the
===============================================================
Page 7 of 10
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
wear. Many coatings are also being
practiced to combat abrasive, corrosive
and frictional wear.
Both roughening of surfaces and
increase of running clearances would
also reduce the energy efficiency of
pumps. Tolerance on depletion of
energy-efficiency
can
be
fairly
subjective or application-specific.
So, periodicity of overhaul ought to be
application-based.
In Conclusion
Trouble-free life of a pump is influenced
through all stages of selection,
installation and operation of pumps.
Whole gamut of technologies of pumpconstruction and design, material
technologies,
protection
devices,
instrumentations,
alignment
tools,
automations can be explored to be able
to get the best of the pumps in process
plants.
If the Maintenance staff at a plant are
more busy doing trouble-shooting and
repairs, it is not very commendable. If
the equipment is maintained like
new, the maintenance staff can be
considered better eligible to be called as
Maintenance Staff and for themselves
also, they can have a far more relaxed
life.
===============================================================
Page 8 of 10
Equipment Overhauling Sheet
===============================================================
EQUIPMENT TAGNO :WORKING CREW
TYPE OF FAILURE
DATE OF FAILURE
:-
:-
:-
SITE OBSERVATIONS
CONDITION
REMARKS
COUPLING
BEARING
LUBE OIL
FOUNDATION
COUPLING GUARD
PIPING STRESS
COOLING WATER SYSTEM
ALIGNMENT READINGS ( IN CASE OF HIGH VIBRATION )
F
R
looking from motor
OBSERVATIONS AFTER DISMANTLING THE PUMP

UNBALANCE OF THE ROTOR ASSEMBLY
SLEEVE CONDITION
SHAFT RUNOUT
IMPELLOR LOCK NUT CONDITION
PUMP ASSEMBLY FLOAT
COUPLING GRAB SCREW CONDITION
1 st STAGE
IMPELLOR DIA. IN MM
2 nd STAGE
Required
WEAR RING CLEARENCES
BACK
THROAT BUSH CLEARENCE
Actual
FRONT
===============================================================
Page 9 of 10
Equipment Overhauling Sheet
===============================================================
INTERSTAGE BUSH CLEARENCE
MECHANICAL SEAL
CONDITION
REMARK
CARBON
HARDFACE
BELLOW
PACKINGS
SPARES REPLACED
REMARK
FINAL READINGS DURING/ AFTER ASSEMBLY
FINAL CLEARENCES MAINTAINED
1 st STAGE
2 nd STAGE
WEAR RING CLEARENCES

THROAT BUSH CLEARENCE
INTERSTAGE BUSH CLEARENCE
RESIDUAL UNBALANCE OF THE ROTOR ASSEMBLY
MECHANICAL SEAL TENSION
COUPLING FLOAT IN CASE OF GEAR COUPLING FINAL ALIGNMENT READING ( COLD / HOT )
HOT
COLD
F
R
F
looking from motor
===============================================================
Page 10 of 10
Selecting MOC of Pumps

S. L. Abhyankar
Hon. Technical Adviser, Indian Pump Manufacturers Association
===============================================================
Selecting MOC for pumps seems to focus very prominently on the MOC for casing and
impeller. Of course this is important. But there is more to selecting MOC than meets the
eye.
There are distinct zones in every pump the hydraulic zone, the sealing zone, the
bearings zone, the transmission zone, the driver and the switch gear. Every zone has
critical components, the MOC of which needs to be selected judiciously.
Table 1
Critical Components in Different Zones in a Pump
Zone
Critical Components
Notable Pump Types
Casing
hydraulic
Liner
Cylinder liner for piston pumps
lining
Lining of lined pumps
Impeller
Impeller Nut
Gasket for Impeller Nut
Wear rings
Casing Cover(s)
Diaphragm
Diaphragm Pumps
Gasket or O Ring
sealing
Gland Packing or
Injectable Sealant
Mechanical Seal
Seal Faces
Spring(s)
Stationary seal ring(s)
Separator shell
Magnetically coupled leakless pumps
Journal Bearings
VT pumps
bearings
Anti-friction bearings
Thrust bearings
Bore well submersible pumps
Lubricants
Oils
Greases
Pumpage
transmission Pump shaft and intermediate VT pumps
shaft, if any
Shaft sleeve
Gasket for shaft sleeve
Bushes or pads in flexible
couplings
Driven magnets
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Page 1 of 8

S. L. Abhyankar
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Enclosure
Depending upon environment
Electric
motor
SPDP
TEFC
Flame-proof
Explosion-proof
Embedded relays
Canned motor pumps
Insulation on Winding wire
Submersible Motors
Cable Joint / terminal box
Submersible Motors
Submersible Motors
cable
Switch gear
Above table brings forth what a detailed selection of MOC has to be done by the
designer, even when MOC for only some prominent components may have been
specified by the buyer.
Some common MOCs are enlisted below.
Table 2
Common MOCs by Category and Type
Material Category Method
of Material Type
formation
Casting
Cast Iron
Ferrous
Alloy CI
Ni CI
Carbon Steel
Alloy steel
Stainless steels
CA 15
CF 8 or CF 3
CF 8 M or CF
3M
High-Cr alloys
Alloy
20
CN7M
Wrought
Carbon Steel
Alloy steel
Stainless steels
Carbon Steel
Fabrication
Alloy steel
No
1
2
2a
3
4
5
5a
5b
5c
6
6a
8
9
10
11
12
Stainless steels
13
13a
410, 416, 421
304, 316, 304 13b
L, 316L
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Page 2 of 8

S. L. Abhyankar
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Machining
from Carbon Steel
14
barstock
Alloy steel
15
Stainless steels
16
16a
400 series
16b
300 series
Casting
Cu-alloys
17
Non-ferrous
17a
Brass
17b
Bronze
Al-alloys
18
Ni-alloys
19
19a
Ni-Hard
Wrought
20
Machining
from
21
barstock
Polypropylene
22
Moulding
Non-metallic
Modified PPO (Noryl) 23
PTFE
24
UHMWPE
25
Rubber lining
26
Critical components in different zones of pumps, listed in Tale 1 and common MOCs
listed in Table 2 are now interlinked in Table 3 as some common MOCs for various
components.
Table 3
MOCs for Critical Components
Zone
Critical Components
Notable Pump Types
Casings
1 to 6, 17, 18, 19,
hydraulic
Bowls
22 to 26
Diffusers
also sheet-metal
fabrication
materials,
especially type
13
Liner
Cylinder liner for piston
pumps
Lining, if any in casing
Stators of Progressive 22, 24, 26
cavity pumps
Lining of lined pumps
Weld-deposition of hard
surfacing like stellite
Impeller
1 to 6, 17, 18, 19,
22 to 26
Impeller Nut
Gasket for Impeller Nut
22 to 26
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S. L. Abhyankar
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Wear rings
1 to 6, 17, 18, 19,
22 to 26
Casing Cover(s)
1 to 6, 17, 18, 19,
22 to 26
Corrosion-resistant
coating on wetted
surfaces
Diaphragm
Diaphragm Pumps
Gasket or O Ring
22 to 26
sealing
Gland Packing or
Asbestos-based
Injectable Sealant
packing not to be
used
Mechanical Seal
Carbon, SC, TC,
ceramic, etc.
Seal Faces
Spring(s)
Bellows
22 to 26
Stationary seal ring(s)
bearings
Separator shell
Magnetically
leakless pumps
Journal Bearings
VT pumps
Magnetically
coupled
leakless pumps
Anti-friction bearings
Thrust bearings
Lubricants
Bore well
pumps
Oils
Greases
Pumpage
coupled
submersible
shaft
and VT pumps
transmission Pump
intermediate shaft, if any
Shaft sleeve
Gasket for shaft sleeve
Bushes or pads in
flexible couplings
Driven magnets
Magnetically
leakless pumps
For
produclubricated
bearings in VT
pumps
coupled
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S. L. Abhyankar
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Enclosure
Depending
upon
Electric
environment
motor
SPDP
TEFC
Flame-proof
Explosion-proof
Embedded relays
Canned motor pumps
Dry motor submersible
pumps for sewage
Insulation on Winding Submersible Motors
wire
Cable Joint / terminal Submersible Motors
box
Submersible Motors
cable
Switch gear
The listings of varieties of materials for different components are not of course complete,
comprehensive or exhaustive. Pumps are also made in a range of uncommon materials
such as cement concrete in case of concrete volute pumps
titanium, tantalum
with glass lining
graphite and other composites
duplex stainless steels for sea water corrosion suffered by pumps on off-shore oil
rigs
Selecting from Available Options
Selection will of course be dictated by the characteristics of the pumpage, especially, to
withstand effects such as
corrosion
erosion
abrasion
temperature of pumping, whether high or cryogenic
Selection will also be dictated by the characteristics of the environment. For example, in
an ammonia-laden environment as in a fertilizer plant, cu-based materials will suffer
corrosion very badly. Due to this, yoke-sleeves in industrial gate valves are recommended
to be of Ni-Resist CI than of bronze.
Selection is also mostly dictated by known performance of a material in a given
application. Information on this is available in references such as Corrosion Handbook.
Understanding the Phenomena Corrosion
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Page 5 of 8

S. L. Abhyankar
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A good understanding of the phenomena and understanding of the behaviour of MOCs is
often essential for proper selection and use of MOC.
Corrosion is primarily an oxidation process. So, a piece of metal left immersed in water,
will suffer corrosion only by the oxygen dissolved in water. But a piece of metal
alternately subjected to immersion and exposure to air will suffer more corrosion. Air has
21% oxygen in it.
Acids in general are corrosive. But concentrated (98%) sulphuric acid is less corrosive
than dilute sulphuric acid.
Stainless steels generally withstand corrosion and 316 and 316L grades are better than
304 and 304L, by virtue of molybdenum content in 316 and 316L. But for nitric acid, 304
and 304L are known to be better than 316 and 316L.
Duplex stainless steels are known to be good against sea water corrosion. But some
people, who dare not change, continue to favour Naval bronze.
Paints and coatings not only improve aesthetics but also provide corrosion-resistance and
surface smoothness. Smoother surfaces suffer less corrosion.
Components of identical composition and in frictional contact with each other would
suffer galling or electrolytic corrosion. A differential hardness helps to abate the galling
tendency. So, a 410-hardened shaft sleeve in a SS-316 throat bush is better than a SS-316
shaft sleeve in a SS-316 throat bush.
Understanding the Phenomena Erosion and Abrasion
Erosive wear is when there is a distinct angle of incidence of the solid-particles with
reference to the surface over which they would be moving. Abrasive wear is when the
angle of incidence is nearly zero. Frictional wear on the shaft sleeve due to the gland
packing is similar to abrasive wear.
Wear due to slurries with high concentration of solids is abrasive, whereas turbulent
flows with suspended solids will cause erosive wear. Pumps for mine-dewatering in coal
mines are often rubber-lined pumps.
Cavitation-damage caused by implosion of vapour-bubbles is also called as cavitationerosion. The logic of distinct angle of incidence is in evidence in the implosion.
Elastomer linings have some resilience in them. They would withstand erosive wear
better than hard surfaces. Hard materials are often brittle, e.g. Ni-Hard or ceramics. Ash
slurries are quite abrasive. Ash-handling pumps are often made in Ni-Hard. As material
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S. L. Abhyankar
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properties, the properties of resilience and hardness are opposites of each other. Both can
combat wear, depending upon whether the wear is due to erosion or abrasion.
Understanding Nuances of Material Properties 410 Stainless Steel
If an application has hazards of both corrosion and wear, it would be logical to look for
hardenable stainless steel. The most common stainless steels, 304 or 316 are good for
corrosion, but being austenitic in micro-structure, they are not hardenable. Stainless steels
of 400 series have less Chromium, very little Nickel and no mandatory molybdenum. So,
they are not as corrosion-resistant. But being martensitic in micro-structure they are
hardenable, can be hardened to hardness to the order of 50 to 60 Rc.
There have been instances of people using 410 stainless steel for making shafts. It is
mainly the shaft-sleeve which will suffer frictional wear due to gland packing. It then
becomes logical to use shaft-sleeve in 410 and duly hardened. Having the complete shaft
in 410 seems to hold not much logic, unless the designer has though it fit to use also the
higher mechanical strength of 410 stainless steel, compared to carbon steel or low alloy
steels, commonly used for shafts.
Also providing shaft-sleeve in 410, not hardened, just because the buyer specified 410 to
be the material for the shaft sleeve, is unintelligent compliance with the purchase
specifications.
Understanding Nuances of Material Properties Engineering Plastics
When engineering plastic was first used to make impellers for bore well submersible
pumps, firstly the impellers were made in Nylon. The impellers were seen to suffer
dimensional variation due to absorption of water. Then Polycarbonate was explored. The
practice has finally settled down to use of modified PPO called by the trade name Noryl,
which is found to be good not only against corrosion from groundwater, abrasion and
erosion from entrained solids, but also has good dimensional stability. Most engineering
plastics get good reinforcement of mechanical strength by glass fibre, often at 20 percent.
Plastics with fibre-glass reinforcement go by the generic name of FRP, Fibre-glass
Reinforced Plastic.
One more option of using engineering plastics is to use them as linings. In this manner
one has the good blend of the structural strength of metals and corrosion resistance of
plastics.
Minimum Wall Thickness And Allowances For Wear, Corrosion
Pumps constructed in stainless steel sheet metal are becoming increasingly popular.
These pumps also exemplify the excessive thickness, which has been practiced in making
pumps with cast components. Construction in stainless steel sheet metal brings forth,
what optimal wall thickness is adequate for withstanding pressure, wear allowance and
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S. L. Abhyankar
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corrosion allowance, all put together. Thickness provided in cast constructions is often
the thickness for mouldability, for getting sound casting and for machining than for
pressure-withstanding, or corrosion- wear-allowance. The considerations of mouldability,
sound casting and machining would often more than provide for the thickness needed for
pressure-withstanding, or corrosion- and/or wear-allowance.
Fasteners
Importance of MOC for fasteners is often not given due attention. Though they are
eminently commonplace hardware, the maintenance personnel experience the annoyance
when equipment cannot be dismantled properly for repair or overhaul. It is not
uncommon that people have to use nut-crackers or studs get sheared in the tapped holes
or nut and bolt together keep turning in the bolt hole, preventing disassembly from
happening. Rounding off of hex heads or of sockets of socket-head screws is also a
common experience. All these relate to inappropriate attention to MOC of fasteners.
In Conclusion
Selecting MOC of pumps merits to be given much keener study than what is usually seen.
It is not for nothing that American Society for has 30+ volumes of ASTM standards on
Testing & Materials, which are continually updated. Much of the progress in improving
reliability and MTBF of pumps is owed to developments in materials technology.
-o-O-o-
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Page 8 of 8
Energy Audit of Pumping Systems

S. L. Abhyankar
===============================================================
1. Audit Generally
People have known of the concept of audit from the practices in accounting. That audit is
a post-event activity or a review activity, investigating the propriety of expenses already
incurred. In this practice, audit becomes mostly an exercise in fault-finding.
Quality Audits as per ISO-9000, have brought in a cultural change to this traditional
outlook of audits being a post-event, fault-finding activity. By the Adequacy Audit
concept in ISO-9000, this stage of audit mainly focuses on investigating whether the
system as proposed to be installed, and described in the Quality Manual is adequate or
proper or not. As against the fault-finding approach, the approach in adequacy audit is to
ensure the system to be proper even before installation.
Then in ISO-9000 there are Compliance Audits and Surveillance Audits. During
these audits Non-conformities are found out. In these audits the approach tends to be
the fault-finding approach, yet with an urge for remedies and improvement.
In the case of Energy Conservation in Pumping, both approaches ensuring the system to
be energy-efficient, both before and after installation are relevant. The approach also
would not be one of fault-finding. The approach would be to improve the system to be
more energy-efficient.
2. How Can One Ensure Pumping System To Be Energy-Efficient Before
Installation?
In Standards of Hydraulic Institute, one finds a good summary of 7 Ways to Ensure
pumping system to be energy-efficient right from the stage of system-design. It would be
good to have them enumerated here.
2-1. Design systems with lower capacity and total head requirements. Do not assume
these requirements are fixed.
Flow capacity, for example, can be reduced through use of lower velocity in heat
exchangers and elimination of open bypass lines. Total head requirements can be
reduced by: lowering process static gage, pressure, minimizing elevation rise from
suction tank to discharge tank, reducing static elevation change by use of siphons,
lowering spray nozzle velocities, lowering friction losses through use of larger pipes and
low-loss fittings, and eliminating throttle valves.
2-2. Avoid allowing for excessive margin of error in capacity and/or total head. It
typically will be less expensive to add pumping capacity later if requirements
increase.
Small differences in efficiency between pumps are not as important as knowing and
adjusting to the service conditions. Energy savings may be as high as 20% if pumps are
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S. L. Abhyankar
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sized based on reasonable system heads and capacity requirements. Savings result from
operating at a more efficient point on the pump curve, and in some cases, this also avoids
the need to throttle pump capacity or operate at a higher capacity than necessary.
2-3. Despite the tendency to emphasize initial cost, you will save in the long run by
selecting the most efficient pump type and size at the onset.
The choice of a pump depends on the service needed from the pump. Considerations are
flow and head requirements, inlet pressure or net positive suction head available, and the
type of liquid to be pumped. Maximum attainable efficiency of a centrifugal pump is
influenced by the designer's selection of pump rotating speed as it relates to "specific
speed." Purchasers need to be aware of this, as well as the decision criteria for
determining the type of pump to use.
2-4. Use variable-speed drives to avoid losses from throttle valves and bypass lines,
except when the system is designed with high static heads.
In such instances, extra concern must be shown when calculating the savings, since the
pump affinity laws cannot be used without regard to the change of pump (and motor)
efficiency along the system curve. Take care to ensure that the operating point of the
pumps remains within the allowable/recommended limits specified by the pump
manufacturer.
2-5. Use two or more smaller pumps instead of one larger pump so that excess pump
capacity can be turned off.
Two pumps can be operated in parallel during peak demand periods, with one pump
operating by itself during lower demand periods. Energy savings result from running
each pump at a more efficient operating point and avoiding the need to throttle a large
pump during low demand. An alternative is to use one variable-speed pump and one
constant-speed pump.
2-6. Use pumps operating as turbines to recover pressure energy that would
otherwise be wasted.
Practically all centrifugal pumps will perform as turbines when operated in reverse. A
hydraulic power recovery turbine can recover pressure energy when used to drive a
generator, or assist the driver of a pump or a compressor.
2-7. Maintain pumps and all system components in virtually new condition to avoid
efficiency loss.
Wear is a significant cause of decreased pump efficiency. Bearings must be properly
lubricated and replaced before they fail. Shaft seals also require consistent maintenance
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S. L. Abhyankar
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to avoid premature mechanical failures. Most important is the renewal of internal
wearing ring clearance and the smoothness of impeller and casing waterways.
3. How Can One Ensure Pumping System To Be Energy-Efficient After
Installation?
3-1 Maintain like new
The last i.e. the seventh way in 2-7 above is actually a guideline to save energy after
installation.
3-2 Commissioning Run
Actually pump is selected, procured and installed against some estimation of the pumping
duty. Changes would have happened in the system parameters in the period between the
time when pump specifications were finalised to the time when the pump is installed and
commissioned. The first run after commissioning the pump, becomes the right time to
review the pump performance, which the pump actually demonstrates vis--vis the duty
defined in the tender specifications.
3-3 Effect of Margins
Pumping duty defined for procurement, i.e. required flow-rate Q, total head, H are
derived by estimation. Actually often one is more sure of Q. For example, if one wants to
neutralise an acid, one is as much sure about Q for alkali to be pumped. It is rather the
total head H, which is worked out by estimation. There is a tendency to add margins to
the value worked out by estimation. But the system as installed may reveal that the
margins which were provided during estimation were not needed. In such instance, which
is quite common, the pump will demonstrate performance much different from the tender
specification. This will also have an adverse effect on energy-consumption by the pump.
The
logic
is
easy
to
understand
as
illustrated
in
Fig.
1.
3-4 Significance of the Margins
Providing margins simply means providing for excess energy consumption. This is so,
because, energy consumption is usage of power over number of hours of pumping.
Energy consumption will be more, because usage of power will be more with margin.
Since Power (in kW) consumed in pumping is equal to (Rho)*(Q in l/s)*(H in m) / 102 /
(Pump efficiency) / (Motor Efficiency), margins will make either Q being considered
more than necessary or H being considered more than necessary. This is precisely the
significance of the first of the 7 ways mentioned in HI.
As mentioned above, margin will be provided mostly in specifying the head H. This itself
comprises of two components, the static head and the frictional head. Obviously, no
margin should be needed for the static head component. Finally it comes to realising that
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S. L. Abhyankar
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margins would add only into the frictional head component. This is eminently against the
spirit of energy conservation. In providing the margins, it is more the psychology or
anxiety that the system should deliver the desired performance.
Tender Duty
Margin
Actual Duty
Htender
Hactual
Correct
Head
Excess
Power
Power v/s Q
Qtender
Fig. 1
Qactual
3-5 Resolving the Anxiety

It would help to resolve the anxiety, if one can assess what will happen if no margins are
provided. It is possible that the system as installed may have higher friction. As shown in
Fig. 2, if the actual friction and in turn the actual total head is higher, the pump will
deliver less discharge. It is possible that the reduced discharge is still acceptable.
If the reduced discharge is not acceptable, there would be different options to get desired
discharge.
1
2
3
System may be modified, say by replacing pipes with pipes of larger diameter.
This will reduce the frictional head and in turn will make the system resistance
curve flatter as originally estimated.
Pump speed may be increased.
Impeller may be replaced with one of larger diameter.
At this point it is interesting to note how this option #3 is provided in API-610. In API610, it is mandatory that pump-supplier should not offer a model, which satisfies the
tender duty only with full diameter impeller. The pump supplier should offer only such
model of pump, which will satisfy the tender duty with an impeller diameter less than the
full diameter. It is specified that at least 5% head increase should be possible after
replacement of impeller.
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S. L. Abhyankar
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4. Margin in Power
As shown in Fig. 2 the power input needed by the pump would be more in case of all the
3 options. Most caution is hence needed to check that motor has the capacity to deliver
additional power needed in every option.
Actual Duty
Hactual
Actual System
Curve
New Duty Point for Pumpcurve at higher speed or
with larger impeller
Htender
Fig. 2
Excess Power
for higher speed
or dia
Qactual
Tender Duty
Excess
Power for
modified
system
Qtender
5. LCC, The Decision-Making Tool

While all the options do imply some additional capital cost, option #3 is one with
possibly least additional cost. However, option #1 has the best potential for reducing
energy consumption.
All such situations of choosing between options should be resolved by Life Cycle
Costing (LCC) approach. An exercise in LCC often reveals that in the total cost of a
pumping system over a life, the major cost is incurred on energy-consumption, almost
80%. Hence the option with least cost of energy-consumption often proves the most
prudent option.
6. Benchmarking
Pump-suppliers often tend to compete by quoting higher efficiency to score selling point.
It becomes important for the buyers or users to know the best attainable efficiency for a
given set of values of Q and H. There have been charts available in handbooks. These
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S. L. Abhyankar
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charts, as shown in Fig. 3 come handy for the users to know the the best attainable
efficiency for the tender duty.
Efficiency v/s Specific Speed
100
Efficiency %
90
80
1 l/s
70
6 l/s
60
10 l/s
50
60 l/s
40
100 l/s
30
600 l/s
20
1000 l/s
10
0
0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170

Nsq
Fig. 3
Instead of reading from the Chart of Fig. 3, one can get the value of efficiency using the
regression equation
Efficiency = 100*(0.94 1/ (13.2* Q)^0.32 0.29*(0.32 log(0.047*Nsq))^2)
In the above equation,
Q shall be in litres per second and
Nsq = n * sqrt ( Q /1000) / H^0.75
Where n is rpm and
H is in m
7. BEP and Duty Point
Value of efficiency obtained from the chart or the equation, is appropriate only if the duty
point would be the point of Best Efficiency (BEP) for the pump. If the duty point is away
from BEP, the efficiency at the duty point will be less.
There is a recommendation vide clause 2.12 in the 8th edition of API-610 , saying,
Pumps shall have preferred operating region of 70-120 percent of Best Efficiency
capacity of the furnished impeller. Rated capacity shall be within the region 80-110
percent of Best Efficiency capacity of the furnished impeller.
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8. Safety, Reliability, Availability, MTBF and Efficiency
For process pumps, the considerations of safety, reliability, MTBF and availability are as
important as efficiency. Designers have to strike the best compromise. This would often
necessitate a compromise on the value of efficiency.
9. Deviations and Tolerances
Another reason for pump efficiency being less than the value from the chart or equation
would be due to deviations in manufacturing. There would be errors of parallax and of
fluctuations in instruments during testing. All standards specify tolerances for permissible
deviations. For example, class C code IS-9137 allows duty-point to be attained within +/7 percent for discharge and within +/- 4 percent for head. Actually IS-9137 specifies a
method of evaluating the deviation rather than these tolerances for Q and H. API-610
specifies permissible deviation in head against the nominal Q.
10. Monogram in HI standards
Hydraulic Institute (HI) standards have a monogram, Estimating efficiency of
centrifugal pumps. It is not a single chart as in Fig. 3 or a single equation. One has to
move across Fig. 1A, 1B and 2. The values of efficiency, especially after applying
bilateral deviation as per Fig. 2 therein, turn out to be not competitive with values as per
chart in Fig. 3. Please see the procedure detailed in the Annexure 1.
11. Norms for Minimum Efficiency in IS-6595, IS-8034, IS-9079 and IS-14220
The norms were derived from the chart of Fig. 3 only. But as norms for minimum
efficiency, they had to be and are somewhat less than the values as per Fig. 3. The types
of pumps covered are
IS-6595 Part 1 end suction centrifugal pumps for agricultural purposes to be coupled to
engines or motors
IS-8034 Borewell submersible pumpsets and
IS-9079 Part 1End suction electric monoset pumps for agricultural purposes
IS-14220 Open well submersible pumpsets
Although the norms in Part 1 of both IS-6595 and IS-9079 are for pumps for agricultural
purposes, they would serve as some benchmark even for end suction process pumps.
13. In Conclusion
Except for IS standards mentioned above, no International standards specify the desired
efficiency values for pumps. If they would be available in International standards, these
can serve as good bench-marks for any exercise in energy audit and energy conservation
in pumping. The chart as in Fig. 3 has been available in text books on pumps and in pump
handbook. However values once specified in standards get an inherent credibility of
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S. L. Abhyankar
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consensus among experts. It will be good if it can so happen. In absence of that people
have to rely on charts as in Fig.3 and apply the values judiciously, taking into
consideration various factors such as duty point being away from BEP, compromises due
to other factors like reliability, MTBF etc. and deviations during manufacturing.
-o-O-o-
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S. L. Abhyankar
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Annexure 1
HI Monograph on
Estimating Efficiency of Centrifugal Pumps
(Curves plotted are by regression analysis done by the author)
Step 1. Knowing Q in USgpm and type of pump, find Base Efficiency from Fig. 1A
HI Fig. 1A - Base Efficiency v/s USgpm
100
90
80
BaseEfficiency
70
VT, DS Pumps
Axial Flow
60
ANSI/API
Boiler Feed
50
End Suction
40
Sewage
slurry
30
20
10
0
1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
USgpm
Step 2. Knowing Q in USgpm, Head in ft and rpm, find Specific Speed in US units. From
this find from Fig. 1B the depletion in Base Efficiency. Note, for values of specific speed
in the vicinity of 2500, the depletion is negligible.
Effy Depletion
HI Fig. 1B
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
100
1000
10000
100000
Sp. Speed US
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Step 3. From HI Fig. 2 find possible deviation in efficiency
HI Fig 2
% Deviation Bilateral (+ or -)
25
20
15
10
5
0
10
100
1000
10000
100000
USgpm
Example Three examples for different types of pumps are illustrated below.
No.
1
2
3
No.
1
2
3
Pump
Type
Q in l/s
Q,
Usgpm
Head in m
Head, ft
rpm
Nsq
NsUS
1
API
Boiler Feed,
10 stages
Sewage
2
3.785
11.355
3
60
180
4
20
200
5
65.6168
656.168
6
2900
1450
7
18.86507
16.33763
8
974.3441
843.8067
56.775
900
40
131.2336
1450
122.1523
6308.927
Chart
Effy, Fig. 3
Base Effy
HI Fig 1A
Depletion
HI Fig 1B
Corrected
Value
Bilateral
Deviation
9
61.37705
68.39376
76.38608
10
52.7
63.53
71.553
11
0.738
1.06
0.5207
12
51.962
62.47
71.0323
13
12.323
8.58
4.856
Maximum
Efficiency
(HI)
14
64.285
71.05
75.8883
Minimum
Efficiency
(HI)
15
39.639
53.89
66.1763
Observations
1. Values of maximum efficiency in Col. 14 are fairly close to values of chart
efficiency in Col. 9
2. There is a presumption for HI procedure that Suction specific speed shall be 8500
US units. Effect of departure from this value of suction specific speed is not
detailed in HI.
===============================================================
Page 10 of 10
Workshop on Pumps
(22) Sump Design
===============================================================
3) Standards of Hydraulic Institute give
Often there are situations where one
needs to provide an approach bay and a
recommendations
on
various
dimensions of sump, viz.
sump, either as wet wells or for drawing
a. Dim. A , total length of sump
suction(s) to pump(s).
from trash rack to back wall, for
A sump, if improperly designed can
a velocity in channel as 0.6 m/s
b. Dim. B, distance between
have dead pockets, or can have vortices.
centreline of pump or of suction
When more than one pumps or suction
pipe to back wall
lines draw suction from a sump, some of
c. Dim. C, bottom clearance
those pumps can suffer starvation.
between floor of sump to bottom
In standards of Hydraulic Institute (HI),
rim of bellmouth or foot valve
d. Dim. S, centreline to centreline
one finds good guidelines for design of
spacing between 2 pumps and
sumps.
width of sump for single pump.
Distance
between
pump
1) Approach channel to the pump(s)
centreline to side wall will be
should be direct.
S/2.
e. Dim. Y, distance from pump
centreline to flow-dividers for
multiple pump pits
f. Dim. H, minimum water level
from bottom of floor of sump
S/2
Recommended
Not Recommended
B
2) Pumps should be located to receive
equal flow
S
Flowdividers
Trash Rack
Recommended
Not Recommended
===============================================================
Page 1 of 2
Workshop on Pumps
(22) Sump Design
===============================================================
A
B
Screen
Trash
Rack
Cone
H
15 Deg Max
6) When the recommendations cannot

be complied with due to limitations
at site, one should get sump design
normalised by sump model studies,
to ensure trouble-free operation of
pumps.
Values of the above dimensions in cm

for different flow-rates can be read from
the graph below.
DIMENSIONS FOR SUMPS
CFD software packages are also now

available to normalise sump designs.
An example is shown below.
10000
1000
A
cm
B
C
100
H
S
Y
10
1
100
1000
10000
100000
m3/h
4) The approach channel should allow

flow into the sump to be smooth,
with maximum gradient of 150.
7) Xxx
5) Splitters and / or cones may be

added to break any vortices.
Splitter
===============================================================
Page 2 of 2
Workshop on Pumps
(23) Friction Head Calculation
===============================================================
Moody Friction Factor Calculator
Calculation uses an equation that simulates the Moody Diagram.

Turbulent or laminar flow.
Kinematic viscosity (v) depends on the fluid (water, air, etc.). Click for table. See Annex
1
of
this
file,
detailing
related
engineering
data.
Surface roughness depends on the duct material (steel, plastic, iron, etc.). Click for table.
The equations used in this program represent the Moody diagram which is the oldfashioned way of finding f. You may enter numbers in any units, so long as you are
consistent. (L) means that the variable has units of length (e.g. meters). (L3/T) means
that the variable has units of cubic length per time (e.g. m3/s). The Moody friction factor
(f) is used in the Darcy-Weisbach major loss equation. Note that for laminar flow, f is
independent of e. However, you must still enter an e for the program to run even though
e is not used to compute f. Equations can be found in Discussion and References for
Closed Conduit Flow.
A more complicated equation which represents a slightly larger range of Reynolds
numbers and e/D's is used in Design of Circular Liquid or Gas Pipes.
1998-2001 LMNO Engineering, Research, and Software, Ltd. (All Rights
Reserved)
LMNO Engineering, Research, and Software, Ltd.
7860 Angel Ridge Rd. Athens, Ohio USA (740) 592-1890
LMNO@LMNOeng.com http://www.LMNOeng.com
Major Loss Calculation for Fluid Flow using Darcy-Weisbach Friction Loss
Equation
g = acceleration due to gravity = 32.174 ft/s2 = 9.806 m/s2
===============================================================
Page 1 of 7
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
Major loss (hf) is the energy (or head) loss (expressed in length units - think of it as
energy per unit weight of fluid) due to friction between the moving fluid and the duct. It
is also known as friction loss. The Darcy-Weisbach method is generally considered more
accurate than the Hazen-Williams method. Additionally, the Darcy-Weisbach method is
valid for any liquid or gas; Hazen-Williams is only valid for water at ordinary
temperatures (40 to 75 oF). The Hazen-Williams method is very popular, especially
among civil engineers, since its friction coefficient (C) is not a function of velocity or
duct diameter. Hazen-Williams is simpler than Darcy-Weisbach for calculations where
you are solving for flowrate, velocity, or diameter.
Major Loss Calculation for Water in Pipes using Hazen-Williams Friction
Loss Equation
Hazen-Williams friction loss equation is valid for water at temperatures typical of
city water supply systems (40 to 75 oF; 4 to 25 oC).
k is a unit conversion factor:

k=1.318 for English units (feet and seconds). k=0.85 for SI units (meters and seconds)
Rh=hydraulic radius=D/4 for circular pipe
The Hazen-Williams method is only valid for water flowing at ordinary temperatures
(about 40 to 75 oF). For other liquids or gases, the Darcy-Weisbach method should be
used. Major loss (hf) is the energy (or head) loss (expressed in length units - think of it as
energy per unit weight of fluid) due to friction between the moving fluid and the duct. It
is also known as friction loss. The Darcy-Weisbach method is generally considered more
accurate than the Hazen-Williams method. However, the Hazen-Williams method is
very popular, especially among civil engineers, since its friction coefficient (C) is not a
function of velocity or duct diameter. Hazen-Williams is simpler than Darcy-Weisbach
for calculations where you are solving for flowrate, velocity, or diameter.
CALCULATING THE FRICTION LOSS IN METRIC SIZE PIPING

(Source - http://www.mcnallyinstitute.com/Charts/metric_friction_loses.html)
Some notes for the metric pipe friction chart shown below
The chart is calculated for fresh water at 15C.

Use actual bores rather than nominal pipe size.
===============================================================
Page 2 of 7
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
For stainless steel pipe multiply the numbers by 1.1.
For steel pipe multiply the numbers by 1.3
For cast iron pipe multiply the numbers by 1.7
The losses are calculated for a fluid viscosity similar to fresh water
===============================================================
Page 3 of 7
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
THE FOLLOWING CHART WILL LET YOU CALCULATE THE

LOSES THROUGH VARIOUS TYPE VALVES AND FITTINGS.
(Source - http://www.mcnallyinstitute.com/Charts/metric_friction_loses.html)
===============================================================
Page 4 of 7
Workshop on Pumps
===============================================================
The Moody Diagram mentioned earlier is as below.
===============================================================
Page 5 of 7
Workshop on Pumps
(23) Friction Head Calculation Related Engineering Data
===============================================================
Table of Fluid Properties (Liquids and Gases)
T
(F)
Density v
(slug/ft3) (ft2/s)
T
(C)
Density
(kg/m3)
v
(m2/s)
Water
70
1.936
1.05e-5
20
998.2
1.00e-6
Water
40
1.94
1.66e-5
1000
1.52e-6
Seawater
60
1.99
1.26e-5
16
1030
1.17e-6
SAE 30 oil
60
1.77
0.0045
16
912
4.2e-4
Gasoline
60
1.32
4.9e-6
16
680
4.6e-7
Mercury
68
26.3
1.25e-6
20
13600
1.15e-7
Fluid
Liquids:
Gases (at standard atmospheric pressure, i.e. 1 atm):

Air
70
0.00233
1.64e-4
20
1.204
1.51e-5
Carbon Dioxide
68
0.00355
8.65e-5
20
1.83
8.03e-6
Nitrogen
68
0.00226
1.63e-4
20
1.16
1.52e-5
Helium
68
3.23e-4
1.27e-4
20
0.166
1.15e-4
Table of Minor Loss Coefficients (K has no units)

Fitting
Valves:
Fitting
Elbows:
Globe, fully open
10
Regular 90, flanged
0.3
Angle, fully open
Regular 90, threaded
1.5
Gate, fully open
0.15
Long radius 90, flanged
0.2
Gate 1/4 closed
0.26
Long radius 90, threaded
0.7
Gate, 1/2 closed
2.1
Long radius 45, threaded
0.2
Gate, 3/4 closed
17
Regular 45, threaded
0.4
Swing check, forward flow
Swing check, backward flow
infinity Tees:
180 return bends:
Line flow, flanged
0.2
Line flow, threaded
0.9
Flanged
0.2
Branch flow, flanged
1.0
Threaded
1.5
Branch flow, threaded
2.0
===============================================================
Page 6 of 7
Workshop on Pumps
(23) Friction Head Calculation Related Engineering Data
===============================================================
Table of Hazen-Williams Coefficients (C has no units)
To top of page
Material
Material
Asbestos Cement
140
Copper
130-140
Brass
130-140
Galvanized iron
120
Brick sewer
100
Glass
140
Lead
130-140
Plastic
140-150
Cast-Iron:
New, unlined
130
10 yr. old
107-113
20 yr. old
89-100
Coal-tar enamel lined
145-150
30 yr. old
75-90
New unlined
140-150
40 yr. old
64-83
Riveted
110
Steel forms
140
Tin
130
Wooden forms
120
Vitrif.
clay
condition)
(good
Centrifugally spun
135
Wood
stave
condition)
(avg.
Steel:
Concrete/Concretelined:
Table of Surface Roughnesses

Material
110-140
120
To top of page
Surface Roughness, e
feet
meters
PVC, plastic, glass
0.0
0.0
Commercial Steel or Wrought Iron
1.5e-4
4.5e-5
Galvanized Iron
5.0e-4
1.5e-4
Cast Iron
8.5e-4
2.6e-4
Asphalted Cast Iron
4.0e-4
1.2e-4
Riveted Steel
0.003 to 0.03
9.0e-4 to 9.0e-3
Drawn Tubing
5.0e-6
1.5e-6
Wood Stave
6.0e-4 to 3.0e-3 1.8e-4 to 9.0e-4
Concrete
0.001 to 0.01
3.0e-4 to 3.0e-3
===============================================================
Page 7 of 7
Workshop on Pumps
(24) Handling Solids
==============================================================
Query Posted at www.pumpsindia.com
From: Nirav U. Mehta
To: pumpsind@sancharnet.in
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 1:45 AM
Subject: Technical Quest for Centrifugal
Pumps
To,
Pumps India
Indore
Kind Attn. : Mr. S.L.Abhyankar ( Technical
Adviser)
Dear sir,
My question is as follows :
Q : Can we call a semi-open
impeller(Kirloskar's KPD-QF series pump )
as non-clog impeller, if it fulfils the conditions
of solids handling? What is the real definition
of non-clog impeller?
I request you to reply my above question but

return mail for our further discussion to
Vendor. Looking forward to your best cooperation.
Regards,
Vishal
Mechanical
Paramount
Baroda.
Shah
Engineer
Limited
different in different applications. For paper

stock pumps it is specified as percentage
consistency. It is actually same as
percentage concentration of solids.
There is also a third parameter, which is
important, but no singular way to specify it.
That parameter is nature of solids. Paper
stock for example, would have less
thickness and wider area and would have a
tendency for adhesion. Paper stock pumps
are hence often provided with a macerator
or shredder which often runs on the
extension of the impeller. Consistency as
percentage content of solids, in case of
paper stock pumps is about 8 to 10%,
which, in other words, means 90% or 92%
water. Yet every other pump cannot handle
paper stock.
For sewage pumps, it has been a mandatory
parameter that the pumps must have
capacity to handle solids of minimum 80mm.
It is such specification, which really
promoted the concept of non-clog pumps,
typically with two or three blades.
Another parameter of solids also relevant,
important, but difficult to specify is
homogeneity or heterogenity of solids.
Sewage is again an eminent example of
heterogenous mixture. And toothpaste is an
eminent example of fairly homogenous
mixture.
Reply by Mr. S. L. ABHYANKAR
Some solids have also the tendency to

cause the liquids to become viscous. An
eminent example is molasses.
Every centrifugal pump can handle some

degree of solids. Solids handling capability
is specified by two parameters - maximum
size of solids and percentage concentration
of solids. But the method of specifying is
Some liquids
have
tendency
to
crystallization and/or solidifying at ambient.
Pumps do not need solids-handling
capability. But pumps need heating jacket to
be put on, before starting the pump.
==============================================================
Page 1 of 8
Workshop on Pumps
==============================================================
Putzmesiter, where it comes to handling
abrasive slurries with very high
Pumps drawing sea water often suffer from
concentration of solids and also with
abrasion due to entraining silt, apart from
high viscosity. I am in no way connected
corrosion due to sea water. Desilting river
with Putzmeister. But I am impressed on
basins or sea shores is again a solidsthe technical competence of their pumps.
handling application with unique features.
My interest, as of always, is on the
technological aspects of anything. I
Selection of pumps for handling solids need
believe that positive displacement pumps
not, rather should not be by any definition
should be the most competent option for
such as a "non-clog" pump. One should look
such specialized applications, as
at the nuances of the application on hand
handling abrasive slurries with very high
and make a judicious selection.
concentration of solids and also with
high viscosity
INTERACTIONS
AT
FORUM
centrifgual_pumps@yahoogroups.com
Benny Armadi <bharmadi@dnet. net.id>

wrote:
Dear
All,
Friend of mine is maintenance personel
for
a
Tile
factory.
One of the pumping aplication is a hot
clay slurry (50% Cv) pumping (140
centigrade).
He utlized a well-known brand of
centrifugal end suction slurry pump (2
inch discharge). The best life time
achieved was three months (only) before
the casing got shattered due to thermal
expasion. Casing material is 28%
chrome Iron 550 Hardness Brinell.
Now he's looking for better material
to extend the life time, for say double
(
6
months).
Any one could help my friend
finding
better
material
?
Regards,
Benny
Armadi
"S. L. Abhyankar" <sl_abh@yahoo.

com>
wrote:
I have been always wondering whether
there is any good competition to
Only point to check is a further

complication of high temperature. I
guess, they would have a solution for
that. It would be worthwhile to check
with
Putzmeister
themselves.
I would guess, their pumps will have
much longer MTBF than three months.
--- "B.Kiran Prasad" <kiri1971@yahoo.
com>
wrote:
No doubt positive displacement pumps
are good in handling abrasive slurries
(with small particle size). However, if
the head requirement is low, using a
centrifugal pump would be a better
option owing to low initial cost as well
as easy availability of spares.
I am not sure if the pump had a
manufacturing defect (casing gave away
@ 140 Deg C !!!!!!) or if the pump
worked against a clogged / shut delivery
line. I have seen in many alumina
refineries pumps working at 145 Deg C
(for hot digestor feed application) but
have never heard of such a failure
anywhere.
mike maxim <mammike@yahoo.com>
wrote:
==============================================================
Page 2 of 8
Workshop on Pumps
==============================================================
try doing a yahoo search( stainless steel
But most copositions at hardnesses such as
positive displacement pumps) a lot came
550 Brinell would be brittle enough to get
up! but do not know much about what
"shattered". So, "shattering" may be more
you need. I think stainless would be
due to brittleness, than due to thermal
beter
expansion. Similar is the case with Ni-Hard
iron, hard, but brittle, hence very delicate to
for what you are doing. higher temp?
handle even during manufacturing.
longer life?
hope this helps -- mike
Some people speak of phenomenoa of
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2006
From: "S. L. Abhyankar"
<sl_abh@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [centrifugal_pumps] Hot
Clay Slurry Pumping
To:centrifugal_pumps@yahoogroups.co
m, mammike@yahoo.com,
kiri1971@yahoo.com
Stainless steels, especially of austenitic
grades, the 300-series, are not
hardenable. They are good for corrosion
and temperature, but not good for
abrasion.
Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2006
From: "S. L. Abhyankar"
<sl_abh@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [centrifugal_pumps] Hot
Clay Slurry Pumping
To:
centrifugal_pumps@yahoogro
ups.com, mammike@yahoo.com,
kiri1971@yahoo.com,
bharmadi@dnet.net.id
Right in his first message, Mr. Benny
Armady had detailed the material being 28%
Cr with Hardness of 550 Brinell. He also
mentioned "The casing got shattered due to
thermal expansion".
It seems his diagnosis of thermal expansion
being the cause for shattering of the casing
merits some more thinking. A 28% Chrome
composition, whether
chrome-iron
or
chrome-steel would have good enough
creep
properties,
for
temperatures
much higher than 140 Deg C.
erosion and abrasion being different from

each other, primarily by the angle of
incidence of the solid particles, vis-a-vis the
surface across which they move. Sand
particles for example would bounce off the
surface, because they impact at a distinct
angle of incidence. Ash slurry, however will
have no distinct angle of incidence. So ash
slurry would cause abrasion, whereas sand
particles would cause erosion. It stands to
logic that cavitation damage is also spoken
of as cavitation erosion, because it is
implosion of vapour bubbles against the
surface.
Construction of slurry-handling pumps
correspondingly has two different logics constructing them of hard materials for
abrasion and constructing them with
elastomeric lining for erosion. Shattering
would happen more with erosion. Rubberlined pumps could be an option worth
considering, if the life of the pumps with 28%
Chrome is an average of just 3 months.
Actually it needs to be checked whether the
50% Cv Hot clay slurry has loose particles,
which can cause erosion than abrasion.
In positive displacement pumps, the
velocities of particles will be inherently less
and would make the wear-life enhanced.
Further Considerations Correction factors for converting

required performance with Slurry to
performance with water depend upon
whether the slurry is
- settling slurry or
- a non-settling (viscous) slurry. Solids
with particle size <50 microns
(0.05mm) would usually so mix with
==============================================================
Page 3 of 8
Workshop on Pumps
==============================================================
the liquid that they would become nonc) Percentage Concentration (by mass),
settling, hinder smooth flowability, i.e.
c,
impart viscosity.
The Procedure then is
Find x = 21* log(s/0.022758)
Performance correction procedures will
Find slope, m = 0.5785*ln(d)-0.0118
be different for settling and non-settling
Note, ln is natural logarithm to base e
(viscous) slurries.
Then Y = m* x
For viscous slurries, performance
Slope m = 0.000339 * c
correction procedure will be as for
H Ratio or Efficiency Ratio,
viscous liquids.
R = 1 - Y*m
For settling slurries, performance
Work-out by regression
correction procedure will be by applying
(Values
in Red to be Input)
Ratios for head and efficiency. A graph
Particle
size, s in mm
0.2
is available in a guide, Slurry Pump
x=
19.82163
Basic of M/s. Svedala, Sweden. Here, I
Relative Density, d
5
have made that into 2 graphs as follows.
Fig. 1
To find Y from Particle Size & Relative Density
60
Rel. Density =1.25
50
0.91926
18.22123
30
0.010173
0.814633
Rel. Density =1.5
40
Rel. Density =2
Rel. Density =2.65
Y 30
Rel. Density =3
20
Rel. Density =4
Rel. Density =5
10
Rel. Density =6
0
0.01
0.1
10
Particle Size, mm
Fig. 2
To Find Head or Efficiency Ratio, R
with Y from Fig. 1 and % Concentration (by mass)
c=1%
Head ratio or Efficiency

Ratio, R
slope =
Y=
%Con (M) =
slope =
H or Effy Ratio R =
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
c=2%
c=4%
One great facility of using regression

equations is that it eliminates the need to
have the graphs on hand.
Even when graphs are available, one
would have to interpolate, which may
not be accurate. Regression can be made
into simple computer software in an
Excel spreadsheet and can give ready,
accurate results.
c=6%
c=8%
c = 10 %
c = 15 %
c = 20 %
c = 25 %
c = 30 %
c = 40 %
10
20
30
40
Y from Fig. 1
50
60
c = 50 %
c = 60 %
c = 70 %
Regression of these graphs makes the

following mathematical procedure.
Application data needed
a) Particle size in mm, s
b) Relative Density, d
When Head or Effciency Ratio R is

found either from graphs or by
regression, then
Head with water = (Head required with
slurry) / R
- - - (1)
Efficiency of pump when handling
slurry
= (Efficiency with water) *R - - - (2)
==============================================================
Page 4 of 8
Workshop on Pumps
==============================================================
45
2.05
Equation (1) useful to the pump-vendor
50
2.225
to select the slurry pump, when data for
55
2.4
s, d, c are available from the pump-user.
Equation (2) helps to assess the rating
for the motor.
Another workout (2) brings out how
poor the ratios can be.
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
2.575
2.75
2.925
3.1
3.275
3.45
3.625
Work-out (2)
These are graphically seen as below.

10
55.5
5
0.91926
51.01892
50
0.016955
0.134961
Actually, head required with slurry

comprises of static head and friction
head. Friction head will be substantially
affected by the characteristics of the
slurry. It is recommended in the guidebook of M/s. Svedala that the values of
Hf calculated by Hazen-Williams
formula with C = 140 should be
multiplied by a multiplier arrived at by a
formula
Multiplier = 1+ 0.035*(Conc.% -15)
Here Conc.% is percentage of solids by
volume.
Friction Head for slurry

(Multiplier is for values of Hf calculated for water by HazenWilliam's formula with C = 140)
4
3.5
3
Multiplier for Hf
Particle size, mm =
x=
Relative Density =
slope =
y=
%Con (by Mass) =
slope =
H or Effy Ratio, R =
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
% Solids by Volume
The values for the mutiplier work out as

follows.
% solids by volume
0
15
20
25
30
35
40
Multiplier for Hf
1
1
1.175
1.35
1.525
1.7
1.875
==============================================================
Page 5 of 8
Workshop on Pumps
==============================================================
Some illustrations of various types and constructions of pumps in different
applications of handling solids and slurries are tabulated
below.
(1) A Typical Centrifugal Slurry Pump
Ideal for most medium duty abrasive and/or corrosive slurry

services. Plus, it's designed for extreme ease of maintenance and
long hours of reliable operation.
(Source - http://www.gouldspumps.com/pump_JC.html)
(2) Macerator Pump

Unique machine that sizes, reduces, disperses, delumps, separates,
grinds, chops, macerates and even pumps. Inclined impeller plate
with notched teeth meshes with peripheral stator bars in the housing.
High shear action, non-clogging. Will process whatever enters
through inlet. Quick opening split housing, easy to maintain. Packing
or double mechanical seal. Direct or V-belt driven. Two models with
8" or 10" impeller.
(3) Air operated diaphragm pump

for highly concentrated and unusually viscous slurries. For very
abrasive and corrosive applications. For extreme volatile liquids and
slurries with large solids. Models with spring- or air cylinder-assist for
suction lift requirements. Hypalon, Nordel and Viton A diaphragms.
Housings C.I. or S/S, lined or unlined. Ball check and flap check
valves.
(4) Dredge Pump with Casing Dredge Pump with Casing liner - actual assembly view
liner
==============================================================
Page 6 of 8
Workshop on Pumps
==============================================================
(5) Progressing Cavity Pump
The working principle is ideal for
handling liquids that can be
slurries, viscous, shear sensitive,
2 or 3 phase mixtures or when
applications require, significant
suction lift capabilities.
The principle inherent in the
pump design is ideally suited for
both low to high flow
applications.
The heart of the pump is the rotor
and stator. As the single helix
rotor
revolves
eccentrically
within the double helix of the
stator, a continuous cavity is
formed and progresses towards
the discharge end of the pump as
the rotor rotates.
(6) Pumping Cement Grout at a

construction site
(7) Slurry Pumping in a Coal Mine
(8) Dry Submersible Motor Pump for Sewage
==============================================================
Page 7 of 8
Workshop on Pumps
==============================================================
Slurry Pumps are used in various mounting modes and construction styles in different
applications as shown below.
Tank Bottom Slurry Pump
Sump Type Slurry Pump
Froth Duty Slurry Pump
Recessed Impeller Slurry Pumps
Recessed Impeller Sump

Pump
Dredge Pump
Gravel, Sand and soil particles give a good idea of classification of solid-contents of a slurry.
Gravel
Very
Coarse
Medium
Fine
Silt
Pulverised Mud clay
Coarse
sand
sand
sand
sand
Mesh
<6
7 to 12
14 to 28 28 to 48
60
to 170 to 325
to >2500
150
270
2500
Particle
> 2.8
1.17 to 0.7
to 0.3
to 0.1 to 0.05 to 0.001 to < 0.001
Size, mm
2.8
1.17
0.7
0.3
0.1
0.05
==============================================================
Page 8 of 8
Indian Standards on Pumps

Functional requirements for 275-l/min portable pump set for fire
1 IS 942:1982
2
IS 943:1979
IS 944:1979
IS 947:1985
IS 2298:1977
IS 6070:1983
7
8
9
IS 9464:1980
IS 10478:1983
IS 11538:1986
| ISO 41:1980
IS 12231:1987
| ISO 41:1980
IS 12717:1989
| ISO 41:1980
IS 12967(Part
1):1990
| ISO 41:1980
IS 13593:1992
| ISO 41:1980
IS 14582(Part
0/Sec 0):1998
| ISO 41:1980
IS 15265(Part
0/Sec 0):2003
| ISO 41:1980
IS 15301(Part
0/Sec 0):2003
| ISO 41:1980
IS 15310:2003
| ISO 41:1980
IS 60041:2000
/ IEC 60041(1991)
IS 7538(Part 0/Sec
0):1996
/ IEC 60041(1991)
IS 9283(Part 0/Sec
0):1995
/ IEC 60041(1991)
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
fighting (second revision)

Functional requirements for 680-l/min trailer pump for fire brigade use
(second revision)
Functional requirements for 1800-l/min trailer pump for fire brigade
use (second revision)
Functional requirements for towing tender for trailer fire pump for fire
brigade use (first revision)
Specification for single-barrel stirrup pump for fire fighting purposes
(second revision)
Code of practice for selection, operation and maintenance of trailer
fire pumps, portable pumps, water tenders and motor fire engines
(first revision)
Spcification for horizontal centrifugal pumps for marine use
Dimensions for tapers for shaft ends and hubs for fuel injection pumps
Code of practice for design and installation of farm drainage pumping
plant
Specification for UPVC (rigid) pipes for use in suction and delivery
lines of agricultural pumps
Functional requirements of fire fighting equipment - High capacity
portable pumpset (1100-1600 L/min)
Code of practice for analysis of hydraulic transients in hydro-electric
and pumping plants: Part 1 Criteria for analysis
Specification for UPVC pipe fittings to be used with the UPVC pipes in
the suction and delivery lines of agricultural pumps
Single-phase small a.c. electric motors for centrifugal pumps for
agricultural applications
Flexible PVC pipes polymer reinforced thermoplastic hoses for suction
and delivery lines of agricultural pumps - Specification
Code of practice for installation, operation and maintenance of
stationery fire protection pump
Criteria for hydraulic design of pump sumps and intakes
Field acceptance tests to determine the hydraulic performance of
turbines, storage pumps and pump turbines
Three-phase squirrel cage induction motors for centrifugal pumps for
agricultural applications (first revision)
Motors for submersible pump sets (first revision)

Centrifugal Pump Hand Book

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Workshop on Pumps

(1) Pump Types

By a broad classification, pumps are of

(i) In hand pumps and gear pumps there

4. Reasons For Popularity Of

The concept of priming chamber can as

One common version of these pumps is

Positive Displacement Pumps

Reciprocating Positive Displacement Pumps

End Suction, Single Stage

Axially Split Casing

Vertical Centrifugal Pumps (1)

Verttical Centrifugal Pumps

Rotary Positive Displacement Pumps (1)

Rotary Positive Displacement Pumps (2)

Affinity Laws are useful to pump-users

Distance to which a stone can be hurled

When the system curve results to be

A) Find its characteristics when run at 2900 rpm.

Since trimming of impeller or changing

The topmost curve is for H v/s Q with

Guidelines For Valve Operation When

Curve for NPSHr

The reasons for not operating a pump at

How to ensure safe operation?

2. Steep rise in radial thrust

Relationship between specific speed and

Wislecenus'Chart of Efficiency of Centrifugal Pumps

Performance with 185mm Impeller at 1450 rpm

Plots For 2900 rpm

Performance with 185mm Impeller at 2900 rpm

Understanding cavitation logically starts

When we speak of the pressure-energy

Since, NPSHa = Ps z Vs2/ 2g

Altitude from Mean Sea Level (MSL)

Remedies for Cavitation

Harder materials to withstand

NPSHa can be enhanced by

Since NPSHa > NPSHr, say with margin

Shifting of Operating Point by Throttling Valve

When Q = 0, H = c, whereby c = Hso

Pump on a farmers well can be sighted

The farmer would shut the pump off at

How Hsys shifts

Pump Characteristics at Full Speed

Input Power at Full Speed, full open

Flow regulation by reducing the speed

1.1 Uses of Parallel Operation

People have been devising pumping

Parallel running is also employed when

The combined characteristics with two

1.3 Influence of System

All these characteristics when plotted

Flow of each pump becoming less, as

1.4 Selecting Rating of Driver

It can be noticed that curve of single

Even if a system as noted is designed to

It is important to hence note that two

1.6 Axially Split Casing Double

In the combined characteristics from

The impeller in axially split casing

Q for any head less than 37.5, is (Q1 +

1.7 Parallel Operation of Pumps with

We can consider three different types of