PUMPING PRESCRIPTIONS

14 July 2014 www.pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMS

O
ne of the supposed advantages of centrifugal pumps
when compared to positive displacement pumps is
their ability to operate across a wide fow range. Because
a centrifugal pump operates at the intersection of a pump
curve and a system curve, varying the system curve allows
the operating point of the pump to change easily using the
discharge valve.
Te convenience and simplicity of fow control by throt-
tling the discharge valve comes at a price because a pump is
forced to run either to the lef or right of its best ef ciency
point (BEP). However, the real danger of operating the
pump too far of the BEP is suction side issues. If it operates
too far to the right, the pump may exhaust its net positive
suction head available (NPSHA), which may result in cavi-
tation. If it operates too far to the lef, fow recirculation at
the impeller eye will occur and cause noise, vibration and
damage. Terefore, the fow must be limited on both sides
of the BEP (see Figure 1).
CAVITATION FORMATION
To avoid cavitation, suction pressure alone is not what is
most important. How much higher the suction pressure is
than the vapor pressure of the liquid being pumped is what
must be considered. Net positive suction head (NPSH)
is used. Te NPSHA, therefore, is the diference between
NPSH and vapor pressure, expressed as head in feet.
Pump manufacturers conduct tests by gradually lowering
the suction pressure. As pressure decreases (the NPSHA
lowers), nothing obvious happens. A pump, operating at a
set fow, continues to pump and develops constant head.
When the value of the suction pressure and corresponding
NPSHA reaches a certain value, the pump head begins to
drop, which typically happens suddenly (see Figure 2).
Te formation of cavitation begins inside the pump well
before the sudden drop of head, but it is not initially obvi-
ous. First, at substantial suction pressure, small bubbles
form. Tis is called incipient cavitationsimilar to the
tiny bubbles in the water in a kettle that begins to perco-
late before the water is fully boiling. Tese small bubbles
form and collapse at very high frequency and can only be
detected with special instrumentation.
As pressure decreases further, more bubbles form.
Eventually, so many bubbles have formed that the pump
inlet becomes vapor locked. No fuid can enter the pump,
and the pump stops pumping. Te head drops and quickly
disappears. Ideally, enough pressure would always be avail-
able at the suction so that no bubbles ever form. However,
this is not practical, and some compromise must be reached.
NPSHR
Te Hydraulic Institute (HI) has established a special sig-
nifcance to a particular value of NPSHA at which the total
developed pump head drops by 3 percent. Te value of this
NPSHA, at which a pump loses 3 percent total dynamic
head (TDH), in excess of its vapor pressure, is the net posi-
tive suction head required (NPSHR) to maintain a 3 per-
cent TDH loss.
NPSHR = (H
suction
H
vapor
), required to maintain 3
percent TDH loss
Figure 1. Pump operating range limits Figure 2. The development of cavitation
By Lev Nelik, Ph.D., P.E.
Pumping Machinery, LLC
P&S Editorial Advisory Board
What Is the True Operating Flow
Range for Centrifugal Pumps?
PUMPING PRESCRIPTIONS
16 July 2014 www.pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMS
NPSHR is, therefore, established by a test and may vary
from one pump design to another. In contrast, the NPSHA
is not related to a pump type but is strictly a calculated
value of total suction head over vapor pressure. Clearly, the
NPSHA must be greater than the NPSHR for a pump to
deliver a TDH at a given fow.
NPSHA MARGIN
Detecting NPSH problems is easya pump stops pump-
ing. However, the vapor bubbles do not need to be dramati-
cally developed to cause TDH dropeven smaller bubbles
can cause pumping issues. If the pressure shock from the
bubbles collapse occurs near the metal impeller blade, it
causes a microscopic impact, eroding a small particle of
metal. With enough bubbles and enough time, the impel-
ler vanes can be eroded quickly, a phenomenon known as
cavitation damage.
Tis damage potential is why an NPSHA margin (M =
NPSHA NPSHR) is important. Tis margin is typically
at least 3 to 5 feet, and if possible, it should be higher (see
Figure 3).
Te NPSHR was limited to a particular fow on a pump
performance curve. At higher fow, the internal fuid veloci-
ties are higher, and according to Bernoulli, the static pres-
sure (or static head) decreases closer to vapor pressure. Te
static pressure, therefore, must be increased externallya
higher NPSHR value is needed for higher fows. Figure 4
shows an example of the NPSHR curve shape.
EXAMPLE
A pump was procured and designed to deliver between
350 to 500 gallons per minute (gpm), and the manu-
facturer quotation indicated 16 feet of NPSHR at 500
gpm. Because the process later changed, more fow was
required, and the discharge valve was opened to allow
this pump to deliver more fow (750 gpm). However, as
can be seen in Figure 4, at about 700 gpm, the NPSHR
exceeded the NPSHA. Te pump began to experience
typical NPSH problemsnoise, loss of performance and
impeller cavitation damage.
Instinctively, a solution for the cavitation was to replace
the original pump with a larger one so that the fow would
remain to the lef of the BEP. Tis larger pump provided the
same 16 feet of NPSHR. However, at a fow rate of 750 to
800 gpm, the larger pump would never run out of NPSHA.
When a centrifugal pump operates below a certain fow
point, fow recirculation in the impeller eye begins. Tis
depends on several design factors, such as suction specifc
speed, but generally recirculation begins at less than 80 to
60 percent fow. It becomes quite severe at less than 40 to
20 percent. At even lower fows, recirculation may become
especially severe and is known as surge-violent, low-fre-
quency sound, accompanied by strong low-frequency vibra-
tion of the pump and piping (see Figure 4).
In addition to obvious mechanical problems with recircu-
lation, the fow experiences a complex vortexing motion at
the impeller eye with localized high velocities of the vortex
causing horseshoe-looking cavitation damage, usually on the
blind side of the blade, as compared to high-fow cavitation.
IDENTIFYING CAVITATION
Troubleshooting methods and failure analysis techniques
can help pinpoint a cavitation problem with a particular
pump. Te indications of high-fow cavitation are diferent
from low-fow recirculation damage. Te side of the blades
and the extent and shape of the cavitation trough can be
helpful in determining the causes of each problem.
At the next Pump School, I will cover specific exam-
ples that compare static-head-dominated, friction and
combined systems. To register, visit www.pumpingma-
chinery.com. P&S
Dr. Nelik (aka Dr. Pump) is president of Pumping Machinery, LLC, an Atlanta-
based frm specializing in pump consulting, training, equipment troubleshoot-
ing and pump repairs. Dr. Nelik has 30 years of experience in pumps and pump-
ing equipment. He can be contacted at www.pump-magazine.com.
Figure 4. Problems arise when a pump operates at ows that are too low.
Figure 3. Ample NPSHA margin is important.