Check wae vente, ynns contol valve 4 AUTOMATIC recirculation control vate. Bypass Systems For Centrifugal Pumps To prevent overheating and consequent seizure of centrifugal pumps, it is most important that a reliable bypass recirculating arrangement be designed into the pumping system. PETER P, VAN BLARCOM, Yarway Corp. For cooling, every centrifugal pump depends largely con the fluid being pumped. The heat generated by the ro- tating members of the pump and by the pump bearings is carried away asthe fluid discharges. This is most critical at low flow when the high horse- power ofthe electric motor or turbine driver is converted to heat, Overheating the pump can cause is failure from flashing of the fuid, which in turn produces bearing seiz- lure or contact of the rotating elements with the station- ary casing. To assure safe operation at all lows, but par- ticularly those of less than 25% of pump capacity, @ bypass or recirculation system is used. Ail factors of a pump bypass system must be consid- ered to assure positive pump protection at low flows. These factors include: capacity; positive, reliable oper- ation; long life; quiet operation; power requirements; system simplicity system design time; pressure breaks down ability; and installed cost figinally pubished February 4, 1974 128 To ensure proper sizing of a centrfugal-pump bypass system, regardless of the fluid being pumped, itis best to rely on the specific pump curve and recommendations of the manufacturer. AS a minimum, this information should be provided to the prospective supplier of a pass system: (1) maximum pump capacity; (2) bypass flow quantity: (3) pump shutoff head; (4) sump or reser- voir pressure; (5) fluid to be pumped; and (6) fuid tem- perature and specif gravity Three basic types of recirculation systems are used in industry today: continuous recirculation, flow-controlled recirculation, and automatic recirculation control Continuous Recirculation Systems Jn a continuous recirculation system, the pump and its prime mover are oversized to provide enough fluid 10 keep the pump cool by continuous recirculation from thedischarge of the pump, back to the sump (or reservoir) oon the suction side ‘A fixed orifice inthe recitculation line breaks down the pressure differential between the pump discharge and the reservoit. This orifice is sized to continuously recirculate sulficient fuid to keep the pump cool. But because ofthis continuous recirculation, this uid never adds to the value of the final product. The system is, therefore, inctlicient and very costly because: * Both the pump and its prime mover must be over- sized to handle the recirculated quantity even at full load fon the pump, where there is sufficient fow to prevent overheating ofthe pump. ‘© The additional power costs to run the pump driver are higher than normally realized. For example, a pump in a 098/kWh area discharging 300 gpm at a 2,500-f. hhead, requires 50 gpm recirculated flow to keep it cool. Assuming the water to be at 330°F, extra annual power costs may be ealeulated as follows: (gpm){discharge pressure, (sp ge) ~ ~~ 3366¢pump eficency) = [30,6 535)(power eos) /13,690K0.75)) = 375 hp over that needed for process de- ig. {(hp)(6,535\0.9)]/(driver efficiency) = [(317.5(6,535)(09)1/0.85 = $2,600 hp mands (s Annual cost Thus, $2,600 would be the cost to recirculate sufficient fluid to coo! the pump (Fig. 2). This cost would gradually increase as the fixed orifice began to wear and enlarge due 0 the high uid-velocity through it, which would then cause an inerease in the quantity of fluid passing ‘through it. This, plus the original purchase costs for over- sized pumps and drivers, make @ continuous-recircula- tion system prohibitively expensive except on the smallest of pumps, Flow-Controllied Recirculation (Fig. 3a), fluid ir ne pump approaches the In a low-controlled syste lated only when tlow dou; ‘minimum spevitied by the pump manuf As the orice on the sition (ar is pump senses that How through the unit nears the mine imum requirement, the flow transmitter sends an electri- cal signal wo open the solenoid valve, thus opening the re- citculation-conttol valve. Fluid is now recirculated to the storage vessel on the suction side of the pump in a quan- tiyy governed by the size of the recitculation-control valve und the pressure drop across it, Fluid may also be going to the process. ‘A multiple pressure-reducing orifice, located after the recirculation-control valve, reduces the pressure drop from the discharge of the pump to the reservoir. This pressure drop can be very large at high pump-discharge pressures. At the instant of opening and the instant of closing, the recirculation-control valve receives the entire pressure drop (rom the pump discharge to the reservoir, and because of this is subject to severe wire-drawing and The control valve must also shut tightly against full BYPASS SYSTEMS 3,500 3,000 Discharge head, fof water 8 3 a 500 Assume 9 9 * 0:80 0 2 80 75 100 128 150 175 200 Pump requtements for recirculation, hp HORSEPOWER REQUIRED for pump recirculation—Fig, 1 through the valve should be subiracted from the total pump oF system ea AL times of severe leakage, the pump may not be lable to satisty the system at fullslow regi ‘A recent survey of electric wlilities i pump-lise single the rei fo the high press sure. In any type of recirculation system, the recireul tion-control valve should fail open to completely assure protection of the pump, in the event of air or electrical system failure, Variations of the flow-controlled system include a tem- perature-differential system wherein the temperature i across the pump is used to open and close the recircula- tion-control valve, Thermocouples are used to measure suction and discharge temperatures. There have been difficulties, however, in determining the proper place- ‘ment of sensing elements, When electric motors are used to drive pumps, it is pessible to control the recirculation system by measuring ‘motor amperage, which is a function of the work, and therefore of the flow through the pump. But neither of these latter systems are in frequent use today. All the systems so far discussed include a check valve on the discharge side of the pump to prevent reverse Now culation-control valve, Repair is frequently due rap, and hiph inlet at shutell pres- 129 225 Discharge head, ps130 CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS 14,000 12,000 10,000 Pump operating cost (8,760 h/yr), S/vr © 25 50 75 100 125 150 178 200 225, Power requited for recirculation, hp ANNUAL COST of recirculation (continuous flow) Fig. 2 through the pump. Flow- and temperature-controlled systems also require both electric power and a pneumatic system to actuate the control valves, Automatic Recirculation Control Avtomatic-recirculation control can be provided in a system that combines the functions of the pump dis- charge check valveand the recirculation and pressure [7 Gate vate Stor (optional) hes vessel or deaerator Multiple pressure reducing ortice 1] sown el Recirculation’ Tohigh control valve Bee process ate valve orheater (optional) ‘Sensing ovitice (2) Conventional System breakdown elements—i shown in Fig. 3). In this sytem, the rising disk-type of check or nonre- turn valve acts as a low-sensing element. This opens and loses a small plot valve, which triggers the opening and closing of the recirculation-control valve. This is a tight shutoft element, whose unique cascade design dissipates the high-pressure energy prior to passing the recirculated fluid back to the low-pressure sump or reservoir. A cut away photo of the recirculation-control valve is shown fon p. xxx, With normal main low (Fig, 4a), the check valve rises off its seat and floats on the load ot fow discharging from the pump. The lower extension of the check valve lifts the left end of the lever arm, thus allowing the pilot valve to seat to prevent flow through the lower passage to the low-pressure system. Full pump-discharge pressure on the head of the pilot valve keeps it well seated. This pressure is also exerted oon the head of the cascade pistonvia the annular clear- ance around the pilot-valve stem-which closes the cas- cade valve and prevents bypass flow. Pump pressure is also applied on the opposite side of the piston, but to a smaller area. Thus, the cascade recirculation valve re- ‘mains closed. ‘AS process requirements decrease and pump capacity is reduced, the spring-loaded check valve begins to de- scend toward its seat (Fig. 4b). The lever arm, through its pivot point, now can open the pilot valve, When the pilot valve opens, the high pressure on the head of the cas- cade-valve piston is vented downstream to the low-pres- sure bypass portion of the system. AS this happens, the piston moves to the right—due to pressure imbalance— and recirculation flow begins. The point at which the pilot valve opens to place the system in the bypass mode is carefully calculated to match individual pomp characteristics. I is controlled by the annular clearances between the tapered lower por- tion of the check-valve disk and the surrounding body. The check-valve disk becomes, in effect, a variable-area a single, selfpowered unit (as Storage vessel or Seaerator To high pressure rocess or heater Gate vave bypass valve {b) Automatic System RECIRCULATION-CONTROL SYSTEMS. Conventional arrangement is shown in (a), the automatic kind in (b)}-Fig. 3Main flow to process Normal flow range Cascade piston and valve Pilot valve Main flow trom pump Main flow to process (0) Low Main Flow Pilot valve Cascade piston Main flow from pump Main flow to process (c) No Main Flow Main flow from pump flowmeter when pump-discharge quantities fall below 40% of pump capacity When the check valve is fully seated due to lack of process-low requirements (as shown in Fig. 4c), the cas- cade piston and valve are fully open, Bypass flow, which then is at its maximum, is retuned to the low-pressure sump oF reservoir. ‘Although the tightly seated check valve prevents re- verse flow through the pump when the pump is out of service, reverse flow through the bypass system can be used to keep the pump casing and internals warm when the pump is not being used, The cascade valve controls the bypass flow and dissi- pates the high-pressure energy differential from the pump discharge to the sump. This valve splits the main ‘elocity ow into multiple streams. Parallel utes, milled into the cascade cylinder, direct fluid low through a series of 90-deg turns as it cascades, through the valve. The futes constitute a series of vari- able orifice, and each set of flutes (or “stages") absorbs part of the fluid energy. The number of slages is gov- emned by the magnitude of the pressure drop across the BYPASS SYSTEMS — 131 (a) Normal Main Flow Bypass flow Bypass flow BYPASS-CONTROL VALVE mode of operation—Fig. 4 valve. The size or depth of the milled flutes governs flow capacity, Because the seating surfaces are not exposed to high fluid velocity, they maintain tight shutoff of the bypass system for long periods of time. And since no external source of power-electrical or pneumatic—is needed, the system is designed to fail-safe, guaranteeing minimum flow through the pump. Virtually any magnitude of pres- sure drop can be handled by the system, Meet the Author eens foomeaniress