Outcome Electromechanical systems

3
Maintenance
Centrifugal Pumps

Dr. Mohamed Allam

 Fluid machines
Fluid machines : they are devices that converts the energy stored by a fluid into
mechanical energy or vice versa.
1) Turbines are energy producing device since they extract energy from the fluid and
transfer energy to a rotating shaft, resulting in a decrease of fluid pressure. (work
output).
2) Pumps are absorbing devices that adds energy to a fluid via a rotating shaft
resulting in an increase in fluid pressure (work input). They are used to move
liquids.
 Fluid machines
3) There are several machines that pump gases such as:
• A fan is a gas pump with relatively low pressure rise and high flow rate, such as
ceiling fans, house fans.
• A blower is a gas pump with relatively moderate pressure rise and moderate flow
rate. Examples include centrifugal blowers in ventilation systems.
• A compressor is a gas pump used to deliver a very high pressure rise, at low flow
rates. Such as: air compressors that run pneumatic tools and, and refrigerant
compressors used in refrigerators, and air conditioners.
 Types of Pumps
• Pumps are classified to two large categories :
 Rotodynamic pumps: It is a rotodynamic pump which imparts centrifugal force
on the liquid by rotation of the impeller. The impeller causes the liquid to move
outwards from the center to beyond the circumference of the impeller along its
blades.
 Positive-displacement pumps: It displaces the liquid from the suction side to the
discharge side by mechanical variation of volume of chamber in the suction side
to the discharge side.
They can be grouped into three two categories based on their design and
operation:
 Reciprocating pumps.
 Rotary pumps.
 PUMPS

Rotodynamic Positive displacement

Centrifugal
Rotary Reciprocating

Gear Piston
Mixed flow
Lobe Diaphragm

Radial flow
Sliding Vane Plunger

Screw
Rotodynamic Positive displacement
 Centrifugal pump classification
• Centrifugal pumps can be classified based on the manner in which fluid flows
through the pump.

• The manner in which fluid flows through the pump is determined by the
design of the pump casing and the impeller.

• The three types of flow through a centrifugal pump are:

Radial flow, Axial flow, and Mixed flow.

Centrifugal pump classification by flow :
1) Radial centrifugal flow pumps: 2) Axial centrifugal flow pumps

3) Mixed centrifugal flow pumps

 Radial Centrifugal Pumps
• Principle of operation:
 Centrifugal pumps basically consist of a stationary pump
casing and an impeller mounted on a rotating shaft.
 The pump is usually driven by an electric motor linked
to the shaft by a flexible coupling.
 The Casing is a region that expands in cross-sectional
area that is converted the kinetic energy of the fluid that
is provided by impeller to pressure energy.
Pump characteristic curve and system Curve of Centrifugal Pump
 Pump characteristic curve:
• A manual for a specific pump usually contains a curve of pump flow
rate versus pump head called a pump characteristic curve. Shut off head

• For a given centrifugal pump operating at a constant speed, the flow

rate through the pump is dependent on the head developed by the
pump. The lower the pump head, the higher the flow rate.
Pump runout
• After a pump is installed in a system, it is usually tested to ensure
that the flow rate and head of the pump are within the required
specifications.
• Shutoff head is the maximum head that can be developed by a
centrifugal pump operating at a set speed.
• Pump run-out is a the maximum flow a centrifugal pump can
develop without damaging the pump.
 Pump and system Curve of Centrifugal Pump
 System characteristic curve:
• The system operating data can be measured and depicted
graphically in the system characteristic curve. As the delivery rate
increases, the system head increases that can be determined by
practical calculation.

 Operating point:
• The point at which the system curve and pump curves intersect.
• So if the operating data do not conform to the specification, the
technician should first check and calculate the correct operation of
the pump in the system. This should be done on initial
commissioning and every time the system is modified.
 Priming of the centrifugal pump
• Most centrifugal pumps are not self-
priming, the pump casing must be filled
with liquid before the pump is started.
• If the pump casing becomes filled with
vapors or gases, the pump impeller
becomes gas-bound and incapable of
pumping.
• To ensure that a centrifugal pump
remains primed and does not become gas-
bound, most centrifugal pumps are
located below the level of the source from
which the pump is to take its suction.
Radial centrifugal flow pump Bearing block

Spiral housing

Housing cover

The pump consists of three main

components:
1) Spiral housing (Impeller and casing).
2) Housing cover
3) Bearing block.
 Delivery port
(Discharge)

Housing Packing
cover gland
Impeller Bearing
block
Shaft

Spiral
housing

Intake port
(suction)
1) Spiral housing
It is consists of the impeller and casing.
The Impellers can be open, semi-open, or enclosed:
a) The open impeller consists only of blades attached to a hub.
b) The semi-open impeller is constructed with a circular Plate attached
to one side of the blade.
c) The enclosed impeller has circular plates attached to both sides of
the blades.
The enclosed impeller can be either
single-suction or double-suction.
a) A single-suction impeller: allows
liquid to enter the center of the
blades from only one direction.
b) A double-suction impeller allows
liquid to enter the center of the
impeller blades from both sides.
Diffuser around the impeller:

It is a set of stationary vanes that

surround the impeller.

The purpose of the diffuser is to

allowing a more gradual expansion
and less turbulent area for the
liquid to reduce in velocity and
also to increase the pressure of the
fluid .
2) Housing cover

Housing cover

Locking ring (Lantern ring)

Packing gland press

Packing gland packing

Stuffing box
Stuffing box
• It is cylindrical space in the pump casing surrounding the shaft and It contain packing
glands and Lantern ring .

1) Packing glands are placed in this space to eliminate the rate of leakage along the shaft
(seal the pump shaft).
• The packing gland is a woven cord mainly made of solid fabrics. It is deformed in the
packing space between the shaft and the housing by an axial force and so pressed onto
the surfaces being sealed by a gland press.
• The gland press compresses the packing by way of screw fittings.
• The high speed rotation of the shaft generates a significant amount of heat because of
friction between the shaft and the packing rings.
• If no lubrication and cooling are provided to the packing, the temperature of the
packing increases to the point where damage occurs to the packing, the pump shaft,
and possibly nearby pump bearings.
2) Lantern ring

A lantern ring is a perforated

hollow ring located near the
center of the packing box that
receives relatively cool, clean
liquid from either the discharge of
the pump or from an external
source and distributes the liquid
uniformly around the shaft to
provide lubrication and cooling.
3) Bearing block

Radial ball Corrugated

Bearing block
bearing spring

Shaft Feather key

Bearing
cover

Splash ring
Assembly of
centrifugal
pump

Side view
 Assembly of
centrifugal pump

Top view
 Pump maintenance

• All pump operators should

maintain their pumps in
accordance with the
maintenance and operating
instructions issued by the
manufacturers.
• Maintenance is the
umbrella term for
inspection, servicing and
repair.
1) Inspection
During inspection of the pump, checks should be made regularly while
the pump is running to ensure early detection of faults, focusing in
particular on the following points:
• Leakage
• Noise
• Smooth running
• Temperature
• General condition
2) Servicing
In accordance with the service intervals specified in the manufacturers’ maintenance
instructions, which are additionally dependent on the specific operating conditions, it is
advisable to check pumps about once a year.
a) Bearings: The operating instructions specify that the lubricant should be changed on
pumps.
b) Packing glands: They are checked for leaks and wear. They can be adjusted, if still
possible. The gland packing should be replaced after about 2000 operating hours.
c) Couplings: Pumps coupled to their drives (motor) by flexible couplings should be
checked for misalignment.
d) Pump internals: The pumps should be opened and their internals checked for wear and
corrosion at the specified servicing intervals.
2) Repairs
• During servicing, parts may replaced as required or not, but during repair
complete wearing parts or defective components are replaced after
predetermined operating cycles.
• These cycles are either specified by the manufacturers or they are determined by
the identified condition of parts at the various maintenance intervals.
• It is advisable to schedule every second to third service as a repair operation.
Factors to reduce failures of the centrifugal pump
Design, installation, and operation are the dominant factors that affect a pump’s
mode of failure. A number of basic points need to be observed in order to reduce
failures :
1) Operating pumps beyond their design specifications can result in increased loads on the
bearings, leading to fatigue failure.
2) Incorrect installation procedures, such as improper fitting of bearings or inadequate
tightening of components, can lead to misalignment and increased stress on the
bearings.
3) Inadequate lubrication is a primary cause of bearing failure because it is lead to
increased friction and heat.
4) Avoided of Contaminants such as dirt, debris ‫األجزاا اامكسوزة‬, or water can infiltrate ‫ تتوزل‬to
the bearing block, causing wear on the bearing surfaces.
5) Avoided of lengthy periods of dry running as this would shorten the service lives of the
shaft seal and valves. The delivery medium provides additional lubrication of those
components.
• When packing a new packing gland the
following points need to be considered:
• Correct choice of packing based on quality and
dimensions.
• Completely remove old packing residues (3)
• The shaft protective sleeve (7) must be free of surface
damage
• Use a split bushing or a tamping tool never a screwdriver
or a sharp tool, which could damage the packing rings.
• Tighten the gland press (5) by screws after inserting the
packing, then slacken it slightly
• The pump shaft (2) must be loose enough to be turned
slightly by hand
Cavitation in centrifugal pumps and their causes.

1) It is the process of the formation and subsequent collapse

of vapor bubbles near to the impeller of pump.
• It is the most common failure mode in the pump.
• It is not only degrades a pump’s performance, but also
greatly accelerates the wear rate of its internal
components.
• There are three causes of cavitation in centrifugal pumps:
a) Change of phase.
b) Entrained air or gas.
c) Turbulent flow.
a) Change of phase

The formation or collapse of vapor bubbles in either the

suction piping or inside the pump is one cause of
cavitation.
Ex.: Boiler feed in steam power cycle, where the incoming
liquid is at a temperature near its saturation point while
the liquid flashes to its steam state.
Prolonged operation causes seriously damages to the
pump’s impeller vanes: small pits or holes on the impeller.
b) Entrained air or gas.
Most pumps are designed to handle single-phase
liquids within a limited range of specific gravities
or viscosities. Entrainment of gases, such as air or
gas, has an adverse effect on both the pump’s
efficiency and its useful operating life.
Ex. When the suction pressure of the pump are
below or equal to saturation pressure of the liquid,
that cause to form a vapor (vapor +liquid) .

c) Turbulent Flow
Installing more devices before the suction of the
pump cause the flow to be turbulent that lead to
formation of swirl flows and gases in the liquids.
Such as installing many valves, elbows, fittings in
the suction pipe; and increasing the length of the
suction pipe.
How to prevent cavitation in centrifugal pump
The quantity used to determine if the pressure of the
liquid being pumped is adequate to avoid cavitation is
Net positive suction head (NPSH).
• Net positive suction head available (NPSHA): It is the
difference between the pressure at the suction of the
pump and the saturation pressure for the liquid
being pumped.
• Net positive suction head required (NPSHR): It is the
minimum net positive suction head necessary to
avoid cavitation.
• NPSHR is determined through testing by the pump
manufacturer and depends on factors including,
impeller design, pump flow rate, impeller rotational
speed, and the type of liquid being pumped.

To avoid cavitation
How to prevent cavitation in centrifugal pump

To increase NPSHA:
1) Decreasing the temperature of the liquid being pumped.
Decreasing the temperature of the liquid decreases the
saturation pressure.
2) Reducing the pressure losses in suction pipe of the pump,
by increasing the pipe diameter; reducing the number of
elbows, valves, and fittings in the pipe; and decreasing the
length of the pipe.
To decrease NPSHR:
1) Decreasing the flow rate through a pump by
throttling a delivery valve.
2) Decreasing the speed of the centrifugal pump by a
variable-speed centrifugal pump.
Indications of cavitation in centrifugal pump

1) Fluctuating of the following: flow rate, discharge pressure and pump

motor current .
2) Destructive to pump internals: pits on the impeller vanes.
3) Excessive pump vibration, which could damage pump bearings,
wearing rings, and seals.
4) Noise: sound like a can of marbles being shaken.
Common failure modes of centrifugal pumps

Summaries at least five failure modes

and the identify the problems of each
failure.