Match Pumping System and Application

When designing a pump station, it is important to match it to the pumping system and application. If you install a pump that doesn’t match, you will experience ongoing issues until the problem is resolved.

Pumping Stations

Pumps are used extensively in industry to provide cooling, lubrication, and transfer fluids to processes and to provide a motive force in hydraulic systems. Many manufacturing plants, commercial buildings, municipalities, and other institutions rely on pumps to run their day-to-day operations. Pumps can be as small as a few horsepower or several thousand horsepower, depending on their use.

Pumps are available in many different sizes. Pumps can be classified by how they add energy. For example, Perth centrifugal pumps increase fluid speed and convert this energy to pressure. Positive displacement pumps squeeze the fluid directly. These classifications include many subcategories. The right pump type for your application depends on many factors. There are often multiple types that meet the same requirements.

Pump reliability is critical. Failure of pumps in cooling systems can lead to equipment overheating or catastrophic damage. In lubrication systems, inadequate pump performance can destroy equipment. Pump downtime in many power and petrochemical plants can lead to a significant loss of productivity.

Pumps are vital to the day-to-day operation of many facilities. To ensure the system’s ability to function under any conditions, it is important to size pumps conservatively. Engineers often forget to consider the cost of oversizing pumps. Instead of ensuring that the pumps are large enough for the system’s needs, they may choose safety and add more capacity. This practise can lead to higher than necessary system operating and maintenance expenses. Additionally, pumps that are too large require more maintenance than pumps of the correct size. Excessive flow energy can cause damage to valves, piping stress, and excessive system operation noise. At APT Water, we pride ourselves on assisting you in installing the correct pump solution to ensure long-term success. That’s why we recommend Lowara pumps.

These are the top 10 steps to ensure a reliable pump.

Proper design and equipment selection
Proper installation and commissioning

Proper flow control
Proper Operation
Proper Maintenance
Stock the right parts.
Monitor Efficiency.

Keep track of your lifecycle history.
Establish a Pump Management Program.
Establish a Configuration Management Process

Pumping system components

A typical pumping system has five components: the pumps, prime movers, piping, valves, and end-use equipment, which includes heat exchangers, tanks, as well as hydraulic equipment.

Pumps

Both positive displacement and centrifugal pumps can serve many applications. However, centrifugal pumps are more popular because they are easy to use, safe, simple to maintain, and have a long operating life. Centrifugal pumps in Perth are less susceptible to wear and require fewer part replacements than positive displacement pumps. While the mechanical seals and packing must be changed periodically, they usually only require a short downtime. The operation of Perth centrifugal pumps is possible in a wide range of conditions. Improper valve positioning can cause catastrophic damage, but if precautions are taken, the risk can be avoided.

Positive displacement pumps have a fixed displacement volume. The flow rates they produce are proportional to their speed. The system’s resistance to this flow determines the pressures it produces. Some applications are more suitable for positive displacement pumps than others. These pumps are more suitable for the following situations:

The fluid used to work is viscous.
This system needs a low-flow, high-pressure pump to work properly.
The pump should be self-priming.
The fluid used must not be subject to high shear forces.
It is essential to control the flow of water.
Pump efficiency is highly prized.

One disadvantage is that positive displacement pump control systems require more safeguards, such as relief valves. Potentially, positive displacement pumps can over pressurise system piping or components.

Pumping System Principles

Design Practices

Fluid system designs are often designed to meet the requirements of other systems. In cooling system applications, heat transfer requirements dictate how many heat exchanges and how big each heat exchanger needs to be. Based on system layout and equipment characteristics, pump capabilities are calculated. Pump capabilities for other applications such as municipal wastewater treatment are determined by how much water must be moved and the pressure and height at which it must be pumped. The flow rate and pressure requirements for the system or service dictate the size and configuration of the pumps.

After identifying the service needs of the pumping systems, the pump/motor combination should be engineered. An understanding of the operating principles is necessary to select the correct pump type and determine its power and speed characteristics.

The design process’ most challenging aspect is balancing the requirements of the system with the pump and motor characteristics. Widely varying flow and pressure requirements can make this difficult. Designing equipment for normal operation can be difficult because it is important to meet the system’s needs in worst-case situations.

System Types

Like pumps, the characteristics and requirements of pump control systems vary greatly. However, they can be classified as closed-loop or open-loop systems. A closed loop system circulates fluid around a common path that has a common beginning and ending point. An open-loop system is a fluid transfer system that has an input as well as an output. Perth pumps serving closed loop systems like a cooling system don’t have to contend with static loads unless they are ventilated tanks at different heights. The primary pump load of a closed-loop system means that the frictional losses of equipment and piping are high.

Open-loop systems, on the other hand, require pumps in Perth to overcome static requirements. These are due to tank pressurisation and elevation. A mine dewatering device is an example of such a system. It uses pumps for water movement from the bottom of the mine to the surface. In these cases, static head is usually the dominant pump load.

Understanding the basics of system operation, fluid properties and pressure, as well as temperatures and system layouts, is key to selecting the right pump. These conditions determine the type and size of Perth pumps that are required to fulfil certain service requirements. To improve the reliability and performance of your system, it is important to understand the system requirements (peak demand and average demand as well as the variability of demand) in relation to the time of day or year. It is easier to design systems with consistent requirements than to be able to accommodate large variations in demand.

APT Water has the expertise to design pump solutions for every industry. For more information, contact us today.