Axial thrust balance - Technologies and application in canned motor pumps

Axial thrust is a challenge that must be overcome in almost all centrifugal pumps. The impeller is drawn
in the direction of the suction side due to the pressure difference between the pressure and suction side.
The forces produced must be absorbed in bearings, for example. The higher these forces, the lower the
lifetime of the bearings. In hermetically sealed pumps, such as magnet-coupled or canned motor pumps,
sleeve bearings are used. This leads to special demands on the axial thrust balancing:

The development of hermetically sealed pumps was dependent on the solution of a central problem; the
elimination of axial forces at the impeller. The broad range of properties of the fluids to be pumped
excludes the use of mechanical thrust bearings. The only generally valid solution to this problem lay in
hydraulic relief of the rotor.

The axial position of the pump shaft is controlled automatically during operation for canned motor pumps
so that a forceless state of equilibrium is set and no axial forces act on the thrust bearing group of the
sleeve bearings. At the same time, a thin liquid film that is capable of bearing high loads - comparable
with aquaplaning - between the rotating and the static part of the sleeve bearing ensures that the entire
rotor floats. This so-called state of equilibrium is achieved without the rotating and static components
making contact during operation - the so-called HERMETIC ZART® principle. This contact-free run leads
to wear-free normal operation that results in very high lifetimes (MTBF) compared with other designs.

The technical design of the axial thrust balancing generally depends on the size and number of stages of
the respective pump as well as the pumped medium and is described below.

Axial thrust balancing using labyrinth gap

The functional principle of the hydraulic

relief device of the HERMETIC series CN /
CNF / CNK for the chemical industry
fitted with hydraulics according to ISO
2858 consists of two components. The
interaction of a fixed throttling device
(labyrinth gap) at the outer diameter of
the impeller and a variable throttle in
the area of the impeller hub generates
the axial thrust balance (FIGURE 1). If
the rotor is axially shifted from the
equilibrium position, the pressure in the
pressure balancing chamber changes
due to the valve effect of the variable
throttle gap and thus counteracts the
shift of the rotor.

 HERMETIC-Pumpen GmbH · Gewerbestraße 51 · D-79194 Gundelfingen · phone +49 761 5830-0 · fax +49 761 5830-280 · www.hermetic-pumpen.com
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 Axial thrust balancing using balancing disc

The hydraulic relief device

of series CNP / CNPF / CNPK
(according to API 685) and
multi-stage pumps (CAM
series) based on a variable
throttle device at the
balancing disc (FIGURE 2).
Depending on the axial
position of the impeller, the
pressure in the control
chamber changes due to
the valve effect of the
variable throttle gap and
therefore counteracts the
axial thrust of the impeller.
The pressure in the control
chamber thus changes with
the axial position of the
impeller.

Axial thrust balancing using hydraulic installations

Additional elements for axial thrust balancing have been proven in special pump construction. These are
used in addition to the systems for fluids with a particular viscosity or density mentioned above or if there
are unfavourable relationships between the pressure difference and volumetric flow rates. In this way,
there is an opportunity to introduce so-called 'flags' in the housing. These act as flow breakers for the
front cover disc of the impeller and therefore counteract the axial thrust. In addition back panes can be
mounted on the impeller that counteract the axial thrust of the main impeller practically as an impeller in
the 'back to back' arrangement.

Use of magnetic supporting bearings

In addition to the proven axial thrust balancing, magnetic supporting bearings specifically for canned
motor pumps are used with a vertical installation for particularly critical applications. Here the axial
forces are hydraulically compensated during normal operation using a balancing disc.

In the case of instable and changing operating conditions, states can arise that do not ensure complete
axial thrust balancing. Typical examples include operation with frequent starts and stops, low speeds (for
example, for operation with frequency converter) and extremely low viscosity of the conveying fluid
(liquified gases, low boiling point solvents). In these cases, if the hydraulic control is too slow or the self-
aligning torque is not strong enough, additional magnetic supporting bearings are used.

The magnetic systems used compensate for the rotor weight, hold the impeller in position and therefore
the axial thrust is balanced by magnetic forces even at standstill and for unstable operating modes. Since
2001 these systems have been used for HERMETIC pumps, for example for the pressure increase

 HERMETIC-Pumpen GmbH · Gewerbestraße 51 · D-79194 Gundelfingen · phone +49 761 5830-0 · fax +49 761 5830-280 · www.hermetic-pumpen.com
Registergericht Freiburg HRB 365 · Geschäftsführer: Nicolaus Krämer (CEO, COO), Christiane Krämer (CFO), Sebastian Dahlke (CCO)
 (conveying) of supercritical CO2 with a frequency-controlled pump. To ensure a low NPSHR, the machines
are installed vertically, frequently with the motor side at the top. In the meantime, more than 400 pumps
have been successfully fitted with magnetic supporting bearings.

Every HERMETIC pump for the

chemical and petrochemical
industry is stringently and
extensively tested. Together with
the characteristic curve, the
power requirement and, for
example, the NPSH3 value,
checking and measuring of the
ZART® principle belong to the
standard routines. Using a
specially developed measuring
device (FIGURE 3), hydrodynamic
restoring forces are recorded and
logged. The pump only leaves the
test facility if a contact-free run
can be ensured. In this way, it is
ensured that the runtime is
extremely high for the customer
on site and the pumps are particularly reliable.

State and axial thrust monitoring

State monitoring, and thus the option to intervene before the pump is damaged, plays an ever important
role for the user. To monitor the axial thrust in the canned motor pump as well as determine the position
of the rotor, special monitoring methods have been developed. Conclusions about undesired operating
modes or irregular process conditions can be drawn from the position of the rotor.

The monitor for the axial position, MAP for short, is used for HERMETIC pumps. The MAP is a measuring
device for contact-free monitoring of the axial shaft of a HERMETIC pump based on the LVDT principle
(Linear Variable Differential Transformer). The MAP consists of a position transducer with a supply line
and an electronic evaluator housed in a fibre-glass-reinforced polyester casing with the protection rating
IP 65. A measuring mandrel with a ferromagnetic core is fitted to the shaft end of the pump to be
monitored. A position transducer records the movement of the impeller with a high level of accuracy. The
sensor signal is evaluated using the using the supplied electronics and can be forwarded to the control
room. Warning and shut-off values can be programmed here. This MAP system offers practical
advantages: the rotor position can be reliably determined when the pump is at standstill and during
operation with frequency converter. In combination with fill-level and temperature monitoring, efficient
early detection of faults is consequently possible when using canned motor pumps.

 HERMETIC-Pumpen GmbH · Gewerbestraße 51 · D-79194 Gundelfingen · phone +49 761 5830-0 · fax +49 761 5830-280 · www.hermetic-pumpen.com
Registergericht Freiburg HRB 365 · Geschäftsführer: Nicolaus Krämer (CEO, COO), Christiane Krämer (CFO), Sebastian Dahlke (CCO)
 Summary

Combining the use of high-quality slide bearings (SiC30 vs. tungesten carbide) and extensive axial thrust
balancing (ZART ®) leads to a contact-free run of the HERMETIC canned motor pump. This is tested in the
factory and thus ensures that the pump offers long lifetimes (MTFB) and the highest operational safety.
The additional option for position monitoring of the rotor using the MAP system enables the analysis of
the axial thrust balance and the detection of undesired operating states. In this way, an intervention is
made possible before damage and related high costs as well as dangerous situations arise.

Authors: Christof Plum and Boris Sander,

Product management HERMETIC-Pumpen GmbH

Contact:

HERMETIC-Pumpen GmbH
Mr. Boris Sander
Head of Product and Application Management
Gewerbestr. 51
79194 Gundelfingen, Germany
Tel.: +49 761 5830-311
sander.boris@hermetic-pumpen.com
www.hermetic-pumpen.com

 HERMETIC-Pumpen GmbH · Gewerbestraße 51 · D-79194 Gundelfingen · phone +49 761 5830-0 · fax +49 761 5830-280 · www.hermetic-pumpen.com
Registergericht Freiburg HRB 365 · Geschäftsführer: Nicolaus Krämer (CEO, COO), Christiane Krämer (CFO), Sebastian Dahlke (CCO)