FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:07 PM Page 54
Lev Nelik, Ph.D., P.E., Apics, Pumping Machinery, LLC
What Happens When A Pump
No Longer Operates
At Optimum Conditions?
Part 2: (Quantifiable) reliability aspects.
In Part 1 of this article (pgs.
48-52, Pumps & Systems, Sept-
ember 2004), we focused on
hydraulic implications of pumps
operating to the left of the best
efficiency point (BEP). But, low
efficiency is not the only prob-
lem there. High radial loads,
noise and vibration can be even
greater problems. Damaged seals,
broken shafts and couplings and
poor reliability are real and direct
results of such operation.
Is it possible to actually
quantify reliability. . . to come up
with some type of “Pump
Reliability Factor” (PRF)? What
is the impact on equipment Life
Cycle Cost, when a pump oper-
ates at 40% off-peak, versus, say,
30% off-peak? How much does
this cost the plant—not just in
energy alone (that aspect we cov-
ered last time)—but in terms of
seal replacement, bearing life,
coupling repairs, cavitation,
damage caused by recirculation,
etc.? Is it possible to arrive at
some factors that would relate
the maintenance dollars that are
54 FEBRUARY 2005
spent to the inefficiency of the
pump operation?
Ground for a Theory
This is, no doubt, a tall order
and not an easy task, due to the
somewhat subjective aspects of
what we are dealing with. Let us
try, however, to lay the initial
ground for the theory, which
may, in turn, generate discussion,
debate and new ideas.
Is it possible to
actually quantify
reliability, to
come up with
some type of
Pump Reliability
Factor?
To start, some assumptions
need to be made. As time goes
www.pump-zone.com
on, this fledgling theory of a reli-
ability costing method may
develop into a more comprehen-
sive method; assumptions will be
refined, tested and improved;
and input from users will help
take it to the next step.
Let’s begin by listing some of
the factors that may affect pump
reliability—impeller type; range
of operation; efficiency and
NPSHA/R—in an attempt to
establish a quantifiable relation-
ship between them and Mean
Time Between Failure (MTBF).
1. Impeller type (open vs.
closed) — “averaged” effect on
bearings life
Open impellers have been tradi-
tionally accepted as a standard
design configuration of ANSI
pumps for chemicals. Initiated as
far back as 1961 (originally
called an AVS Standard), ANSI
pumps have been installed in
numerous plants, and established
a de facto standard to which
manufacturers and end users can
readily comply.
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:07 PM
Figure 1. Effect of pump-out vane clearance on pressure distribution and axial
thrust
The main advantage of the
open-impeller design is cost.
Open impellers are easier to cast
and clean up at the foundry,
especially in the case of a sand-
casting process that is often
applied to iron construction.
Stainless steel designs are typi-
cally made using precision pat-
terns, and clean-up of passages
from the mold residue is less of
an issue—but still a less expen-
sive operation. These designs are
also reputed to have better
“junk-handling” capability, and
a sharp-edged open impeller will
probably cut up “entangled
rope” better than a closed
impeller. (This may be more of
an issue for waste treatment,
paper mills and similar applica-
tions, as clean chemicals, where
ANSI pumps are mainly used,
typically don’t often have rope
pumped along with the 98%
sulfuric acid.)
With the advent of magnetic
drive designs, closed impellers
became a necessity, primarily due
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Page 55
to a need to reduce axial thrust.
Carbon or silicon carbide thrust
washers, lubricated by the
pumped product, do not have the
same load capability as antifric-
tion ball bearings. Thus, a need to
reduce the loads necessitated the
change toward the closed (better
balanced) impeller designs.
Certain reliability benefits can be
achieved by replacing open
impellers with closed impellers.
As a typical example, con-
sider a typical MTX frame
ANSI end suction, overhung,
open impeller pump. Typical
radial load is FR = 400 lbs and
axial load is FA = 900 lbs and the
equivalent dynamic load is 1368
lbs (ref. [1]). This load is carried
by the 5306A double-row ball
bearing, which has a dynamic
Circle 144 on Reader Service Card
load coefficient C = 16,400 lbs,
resulting in L10 life of 20,052
hrs, i.e. 2.3 years. The ANSI
spec requires 17,500 hrs bear-
ings life, which is in approxi-
mate compliance with these cal-
culations.
www.pump-zone.com FEBRUARY 2005 55
FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:38 PM Page 56

However, the axial load (FA) used in these cal- is at the assumed value of a 0.060” gap between the
culations can change dramatically, depending on the POV and the wall. The main reason to use pump-
position of the impeller within the volute, the out vanes (POVs) is to change the pump axial
height of the pump-out vanes (POV), and the gap hydraulic thrust (ref. [2]), as shown in Figure 1.
between the pump-out vanes and the casing wall. Curve (1), in Figure 1, shows the static pressure
The design value, used at the foregoing calculations, distribution behind the impeller hub without the
pump-out-vanes. But, if we add
the POVs, the fluid becomes
“trapped” within the POV space,
and thus rotates with the same
Kingsbury speed as the impeller—i.e. double
n., -Syn.: reliability, performance, what the fluid does in the absence
of the POV. This, of course,
pump experience assumes the gap between the POV
and the casing wall is (theoretical-
ly) zero (x=0).
Obviously, the gap “x” cannot
be zero, so the actual reduction of
the pressure profile (curve marked
as “2”), is less, depending on the
gap “x”. And, if this gap becomes
too large, the effect of the POV
diminishes and eventually disap-
pears. According to Zanker (ref.
[2]), the POVs become complete-
ly ineffective when x=t, i.e. when
the liquid gap (x) becomes equal to
the height of the pump-out vanes (t).
Regarding performance, there
Your source for reliable fluid film thrust and journ a l is price to pay for the thrust bal-
bearing technologies for large pump applications. ance, as the additional power
Kingsbury offers a wide selection of high quality bearing products and can required to spin the liquid faster
p rovide complete thru s t / j o u rnal packages to improve throughput and reduce takes away the efficiency. This is
operating costs for high perf o rmance pumps in critical environments. Our broad
why higher energy pumps, such as
range of engineering expertise even includes process-lubricated applications.
Over the course of 93 years, we’ve built an impressive base of pump installations API or boiler feed, rarely have
worldwide. You can trust Kingsbury to provide the best products and services pump-out vanes, while ANSI
available for your specific application.
pumps, which are relatively lower
To learn more about our complete line of fluid film bearings, visit our web site
for an online Product Overview bro c h u re or contact a Kingsbury Sales Engineer horsepower units, do have them.
at 215-824-4000. The f ront gap b e t ween the
impeller and the casing must be
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tight (typically 0.005” – 0.015”,
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56 FEBRUARY 2005 www.pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMS

FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:09 PM Page 57

Otherwise, leakage is increased

and efficiency drops. The chal-
lenge is to keep both front and
back gaps small, from the effi-
ciency and thrust standpoint.
Closed impellers solve this prob-
lem, but at the expense of
reduced ability to handle materi-
al such as stringy, fibrous solids.
Also, the ability to adjust the
impeller front clearance to com-
pensate for wear (a perceived
advantage widely publicized in
the past by the manufacturers)
can do more harm than good. As
the impeller is adjusted forward Figure 2. Seal faces do not stay parallel if radial load is significant; deflection
over 0.002” is prohibitive.
to close the worn-out gap, the
back clearance will increase by distribution significantly. The substantially—to L10 = 979 hrs =
the same amount. The increased resultant axial thrust can actually 1.3 months (0.1 year)! If we
gap between the POVs and the triple—i.e. FA = 3 x 900 = 2700 assume that a pump operates not
casing wall can affect pressure lbs—and bearings life is reduced at a single operating point, but

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FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:09 PM Page 58
Is it possible to arrive at factors
that would relate maintenance
dollars spent to inefficiency
of pump operation?
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58 FEBRUARY 2005 www.pump-zone.com
within the range of flows, the
average bearing life, over a ran-
dom range of regimes, during the
datum base of five years, is,
accordingly, not 2.3 years, but
approximately (1.3 + 0.1) = 0.7
years.
2. Flow range—effect on seals
The impeller wear, and the asso-
ciated unbalance, result in
increased radial load and shaft
deflection, as shown in Figure 2.
Seal manufacturers have
conducted research (ref. [3]) that
shows exponential deterioration
of seal life, including leakage and
failures, when the angular mis-
alignment exceeds 0.002”. At
50% increased radial load, a nor-
mal projected seal life of two
years can be reduced to less than
six months. Field studies have
demonstrated similar trends (ref.
[4]). The average, due to wide
flow range, thus becomes (2+0.6)
/ 2 = 1.3.
3. Efficiency
Theoretically, an open
impeller, with negligible front
clearance, is somewhat more effi-
cient then a closed impeller.
Efficiency, though, drops very
quickly, as actual front clearance
is increased due to wear. When
an initial 0.005” front clearance
is opened up to 0.010”, a pump
can loose 10% efficiency because
of increased leakage, and, at
0.015”, there would be approxi-
mately another 10% efficiency
reduction. (Of course, none of
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:10 PM Page 59
this is an issue for closed
impellers.) Using five years as a
target optimum, 10% reduction
leaves 4.5 years.
4. NPSH
The impact of NPSHR is similar
to the impact of efficiency. The
increased front leakage affects the
NPSHR and could add another
2-4 feet when clearance doubles.
The so-called “R-ratio”
(NPSHA/NPSHR) (ref. [5])
varies from one installation to
another, but a typical rule is to
have at least five feet NPSHA
above the NPSHA required (ref.
[6]). When almost half of this
margin is taken away due to front
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
The ultimate leakage, the R-ratio can become
too close to the NPSHR, and the
goal would be to cavitation bubbles that begin to
form, even before the NPSHA
generate a rea- reaches the value of performance
sonable com- loss, become active enough to
cause cavitation damage.
parative (and If we assume that a non-cav-
itation impeller could last 10
practical) years until replacement, the
method of eval- reduction of the NPSHA margin
from five feet to 2.5 feet would
uation of pump affect the life in direct propor-
design, methods tion, i.e. reducing it to five years.
of operation, The Life Cycle
Approach
materials and In order to compare differ-
other factors. ent designs using reliability
Circle 120 on Reader Service Card
www.pump-zone.com FEBRUARY 2005 59
FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:18 PM Page 60

methods, a Life Cycle Basis that (a) Bearings—life decreasing from Some limited supporting data is
is applied to other types of com- 2.3 years to 1.3) months, using available for this, such as ref. [7],
ponents needs to be established. the assumed equal-time loading as in the case of a double suction
A reasonable basis for comparison regime in these five zones, as a cooling water pump.
is a five-year interval. Another first approximation.
assumption is made, during this
time cycle, that a pump will run
As is Optimized
in several descretized steps of
operation, for example, 20% in (a) Bearings life factor 0.7 yr 2.3 yr
regime 1, another 20% in regime (b) Seals life factor 1.3 yr 2 yr
2, and so on. This allows a more (c) Efficiency factor 4.5 yr 5 yr
uniform distribution of various
(d) NPSH life factor 5 yr 10 yr
regimes of operation throughout
the cycle and a better-averaged
comparison. We would apply this Total (combined Life Cycle Factor):
meth-od to each of the elements 11.5 yrs 19.3 yrs
affected by the forcing function, (68% improvement)
such as:

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60 FEBRUARY 2005 www.pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMS

FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:18 PM Page 61

Combining the estimated hour value of lost production, Summary

(incremental) life, values are now each pump would result in a While the validity and num-
quantified and summarized: 10,000 x 0.48 = $4,800 differ- ber of the assumptions made to
ence. With a population of 1,000 quantify reliability can (and
Mean Time Between pumps at a facility, this amounts should be) questioned, they
Failures (MTBF) to $4.8M—just for that one present an initial ground on
Having established a life fac- plant! which to refine, upgrade and fur-
tor comparison, the next step is ther enhance the theory. Practical
to relate these to the MTBF,
which may be a better known
value for a given plant.
Assume, for example, that a
plant averages three years
MTBF. The 68% improve-
ment calculated in the previ-
ous table would increase the
MTBF to 3 x 1.68 = 5.1
years.
What does an improve-
ment in 2.1 years per pump
in MTBF mean to such a
plant? It’s equivalent to an
improvement of 1/2.1 = 0.48
failures per year. The cost of
equipment failures is a total
of individual components:
parts, labor and lost produc-
tion. Although replacement
of im-pellers, seals, bearings
and other parts is costly, the
cost of lost production can be
even more significant. For a
typical chemical plant, with
thousands of pumps, this
could be a overwhelming
Circle 121 on Reader Service Card

sum. The cost of a lost pro-

duction also varies from one
plant to another— literature
has values anywhere from
$5,000 per hour to $200,000
per hour. At a $10,000 per-

PUMPS & SYSTEMS www.pump-zone.com FEBRUARY 2005 61

FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:18 PM
considerations would necessitate
the acceptance of somewhat less
precise answers, as compared to
the more rigorous practices
applied in general engineering
(which, whether we like it or not,
differ greatly from the rules used in
the field). Additional data, field
studies and reliability costing, as
they become available, could
modify and improve the assump-
tions and the numerics that are
used in this article. The ultimate
goal would be to generate a rea-
sonable comparative (and practi-
cal) method of evaluation of
pump design, methods of opera-
tion, materials and other factors.
P&S
Circle 124 on Reader Service Card
62 FEBRUARY 2005
Page 62
References
[1] Nelik, L., “Bearing Life
Extension and Reliability
Features of Modern ANSI
Pumps,” 2nd International
Conference of Improving
Reliability in Petroleum
Refineries and Natural Gas
Plants, Houston, 1993
[2] Zanker, “Effect of Impeller
Pump Out Vanes on Pressure
Distribution and Thrust in
Centrifugal Pumps,” BHRA,
November 1962
[3] Pellin J. and McCollough
W., “Design and Implemen-
tation of a Mechanical Seal
Improvement Program at an
www.pump-zone.com
Oil Refinery”, Proceedings
of the Texas A&M 12th
International Pump Users
Symposium, Houston, 1995
[4] Bloch, H., “Pump Shaft
Deflections,” HP In Relia-
bility, Hydrocarbon Pro-
cessing, October, 1984
[5] Cooper, P., “Cavitation and
NPSH Considerations for
the Boiler Feed Pumps,”
EPRI, 1986
[6] Hart B., “Best Practice:
Centrifugal Pumps; NPSH
Definitions and Specifi-
cations,” DuPont Internal
Notes, May 18, 1992
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
FEB05PUMPS&SYSp54-72 1/20/05 6:19 PM
[7] Nelik L., Salvaggio, J.,
Joseph, and Freeman, J.,
“Cooling Water Pump Case
Study – Cavitation Perfor-
mance Improvement,” Pro-
ceedings of the Texas A&M
12th International Pump
Users Symposium, Houston,
TX, 1995
Lev Nelik has 30 years experi-
ence with pumps and pumping
equipment. He is a Registered
Professional Engineer, who has
published over 50 documents on
pumps and related equipment
worldwide, including a "Pumps"
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Page 63
section for the Encyclopedia of
Chemical Technology (John
Wiley), a section for the Hand-
book of Fluids Dynamics (CRC
Press), and a book, Centrifugal
and Rotary Pumps: Fundamentals
with Applications, by the CRC
Press. He is President of Pumping
Machinery, LLC, a company spe-
cializing in pump consulting,
equipment troubleshooting and
training. Dr. Nelik’s many years of
experience in engineering, manu-
facturing, sales, field and manage-
ment include key roles with
Ingersoll-Rand, Goulds Pumps,
www.pump-zone.com
Roper Pump and Liquiflo
Equipment. He serves on the
Advisory Committee for the Texas
A&M International Pump Users
Symposium, on the Editorial
Advisory Board for Pumps &
Systems magazine, and is a former
Associate Technical Editor of the
Journal of Fluids Engineering. He
is a Full Member of ASME, and a
Certified APICS. He is a graduate
of Lehigh University with Ph.D.
in Mechanical Engineering and a
Masters in Manufacturing Sys-
tems. Contact him directly at
www.PumpingMachinery.com
Circle 128 on Reader Service Card
FEBRUARY 2005 63