Suction Bell Design and Application Considerations

The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide
March 2011
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Walter B. Evans, Jr.
Letter from the Editor
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Michelle Segrest
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
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Joe Evans, Ph.D.
Terry Henshaw
Dr. Lev Nelik, PE, APICS
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Mark Goins
ith property damage estimated at

$81 billion and more than 1,800
lives lost, Hurricane Katrina remains
the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
he city of New Orleans was hit the hardest. Infrastructure and levee systems throughout the city failed and left the Big Easy literally
under water.
he Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)
was originally constructed from the 1920s to
1949. It links deepwater ports, tributaries, rivers
and bayous and stretches more than 1,300 miles
from the Mexican border at Brownsville, Texas
along the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico to
Apalachicola, Fla. When hurricanes roll in, the
bodies of water tend to spill into the streets of
New Orleans, ooding homes and businesses.
Fairbanks Morse (Pentair Water) stepped
in following the Katrina catastrophe and was
awarded a contract to produce 11 massive,
highly-specialized pumps for the GIWW West
Closure Complex. Each pump weighs 85,000
pounds, and together they are capable of moving
about 9 million gallons of water per minute.
In this months Pumps & Systems, we are
proud to provide coverage of he Worlds
Largest Pump Station, (page 43). Lori Ditoro
describes how the system works and where all
that water goes in this monstrous eort to keep
New Orleans dry.
William V. Adams, retired, Flowserve Corporation
Addison Perkins
Thomas L. Angle, PE, Vice President Engineering,

Hidrostal AG
Ashley Morris
amorris@pump-zone.com
205-561-2600
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ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
For further information, we have posted an

amazing video at www.pump-zone.com which
details the conception and development of the
four-year project designed to prevent future
Katrina-like devastation.
his issue also features a special section on
Packaged Pumping Systems (page 30) and covers
Dewatering Solutions (page 42). Dont miss the
great article from P&S Editorial Advisory Board
member Kerry Baskins about he Worlds
hirst for Water (page 55).
We are also very happy to welcome back
the expert insight of Terry Henshaw, who
authored our popular NPSH series last year.
his month, he writes about calculating the
maximum speed for a power pump using the
valve springs (page 86). In May, look for his new
column, Centrifugal Pump Hydraulics by the
Numbers, which will be a bimonthly, six-part
series.
In the meantime, look for the Pumps &
Systems team at WQA Aquatech in San Antonio,
Texas, in March and the Texas Water Show in
Fort Worth, Texas, in April.
Robert K. Asdal, Executive Director, Hydraulic

Institute
Bryan S. Barrington, Machinery Engineer, Lyondell
Chemical Co.
Kerry Baskins, Vice President, Grundfos Pumps
Corporation
Walter Bonnett, Vice President Global Marketing,
Pump Solutions Group
R. Thomas Brown III, President, Advanced Sealing
International (ASI)
Chris Caldwell, Director of Advanced Collection
Technology, ABS, & President, SWPA
John Carter, President, Warren Rupp, Inc.
David A. Doty, North American Sales Manager,

Moyno Industrial Pumps
Ralph P. Gabriel, Director of Product Development,
John Crane
William E. Neis, PE, President, NorthEast Industrial
Sales
Dr. Lev Nelik, PE, Apics, President, Pumping
Machinery, LLC
Henry Peck, President, Geiger Pumps & Equipment/
Smith-Koch, Inc.
Mike Pemberton, Manager, ITT Performance
Services
Earl Rogalski, Sr. Product Manager, KLOZURE,
Garlock Sealing Technologies
Kirk Wilson, Vice President/General Manager,
Integrated Solutions Group, & Vice President
Marketing, Engineering & Technology,
Flowserve Corporation
is a member of the following organizations:

PUMPS & SYSTEMS (ISSN# 1065-108X) is published monthly by Pumps & Systems, a member of the Cahaba Media Group, 1900 28th Avenue So., Suite 110, Birmingham, AL 35209. Periodicals
postage paid at Birmingham, AL, and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: Free of charge to qualified industrial pump users. Publisher reserves the right to determine qualifications. Annual subscriptions: US and possessions $48, all other countries $125 US funds (via air mail). Single copies: US and possessions $5, all other countries $15 US funds (via air mail). Call (630) 482-3050 inside or
outside the U.S. POSTMASTER: send change of address to Pumps & Systems, PO BOX 9, Batavia, IL 60510-0009. 2011 Cahaba Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced
without the written consent of the publisher. The publisher does not warrant, either expressly or by implication, the factual accuracy of any advertisements, articles or descriptions herein, nor does
the publisher warrant the validity of any views or opinions offered by the authors of said articles or descriptions. The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily
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2 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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Mot
YOU MAY KNOW US BY THE
BRAND YOU TRUST.
As you are probably aware, the Industrial Motors, Heating and

Air Conditioning, and Appliance Motors and Controls businesses of Emerson
Electric Co. were recently purchased by Nidec Corporation. These businesses have
been combined into one company, now known as the Nidec Motor Corporation.
It is important to note that, through this transition, these businesses have remained
intact, and we are continuing to serve our customers and deliver the same superior
products just as we have prior to the acquisition. The headquarters of the new business
continues to be located in St. Louis, Missouri and all management, manufacturing facilities,
technology and service centers continue in their existing locations around the world.
In summary, even though our name has changed, our commitment to quality,
innovation and dedicated customer service remains the same.
We thank you for your business.
Scott Nieberle
Vice President, Marketing
Industrial Motors & Systems
The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide
March 2011
pump-zone.com
March 2011
Volume 19 Number 3
SPECIAL SECTION:
PACKAGED PUMPING SYSTEMS
DEPARTMENTS
Readers Respond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
New Packaged Pump Station Updates
31 Aging System
John Mowen, P.E., Smith & Loveless Inc.

Packaged wet well mounted pump station passes the test for school designbuild sewer project.
36
p
The Surge in Contingency Planning
Kristen Gurick, Godwin Pumps

To prevent sanitary sewer overflows, pumping must be reliable and
continuous, even through power loss and mechanical problems.
Dr. Lev Nelik, P.E., P&S Editorial Advisory Board

Facts and Fiction About Vibration
Maintenance Minders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Robert Aronen, Boulden International
The Power of Wear Rings
Suction Bell Design and

Application Considerations
FSA Sealing Sense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

How is gasket stress defined in industry?
HI Pump FAQs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
What are the requirements for the discharge piping of a pump?
How are the potential pressure peaks to avoid water hammer
damage calculated? Many pump manufacturers show the net
positive suction head required (NPSHR) by a pump as a curve
that declines in value as it approaches shut off or zero flow.
Other manufacturers show this curve with a change in slope
which increases in value at about 50 percent of best efficiency
point (BEP) flow. Why do some manufacturers do this?
WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

53
p
The Worlds Thirst for Water
56
p
High Pressure Pumping
WQA Aquatech USA 2011 and Texas Water 2011
Kerry Baskins, Grundfos Pumps

Why the growing global water crisis will soon dominate the
focus of the pump industry.
Eric Kadaj, Energy Recovery Inc. (ERI)

Breaking ground in desalination performance and energy efficiency with highpressure pump innovation.
Business of the Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Laurel Donoho and Rebecca Tucker, Frost & Sullivan
Prime Pump Opportunities
Product Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
PRACTICE & OPERATIONS

82
p
Pumping Prescriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Worlds Largest Pump Station
Lakhbir Chauhan P.E., Pump Consulting Services, Inc.

The design of the pump and surrounding systems can be determined by the
size of the suction bell.
59
Joe Evans, Ph.D.

AC MotorsMagnetism and the DC Motor
Wallace Wittkoff, Pump Solutions Group

The Perfect Prescription
Lori K. Ditoro
A monumental project to protect the Big Easy
48
p
Pump Ed 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Efficiency Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
COVER SERIES:
DEWATERING SOLUTIONS
43
p
P&S News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Vital Role of Valve Springs in Power Pumps
Terry Henshaw
When calculating maximum speed, power pump valve springs are an undervalued factor.
4 MARCH 2011
Pump Users Marketplace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

P&S Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Photo Courtesy of Pentair Pump Group, Inc. 2011

Photography by Will Crocker
Table of Contents
Take Your Problems with

Pump Drive Control &
Throw Them Away
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
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Provides Complete User Control in

Only Minutes
Maximizes Energy Savings on

Variable Torque Loads
For more information on the Toshiba P9 or VLP Technology visit:
www.toshiba.com/asd/P9
Readers Respond
Dynamic Vibration Analysis,
August 2007
Improper Grease Lubrication

Could Be Troublesome,
December 2010
Im studying TMD, and this article is

really helpful, pretty easy-reading, unlike
those papers on the internet! hanks a lot!
Chen Hao
Hydraulic Institute Pump

FAQs, February 2011
hanks for your work in putting
together the very interesting and informative February edition of Pumps & Systems.
After reading through the Hydraulic
Institute Pump FAQs section, there appears
to be an error/typo in the formula for shaft deection of an
overhung impeller in the range of X > C. he third term is
shown as:
+ x3
(2Ic)
I believe that it should be:
+ x3
(2Ib)
Lee Ruiz
Lee Ruiz
Hydraulic Institute responds:

Lee, you are correct, and we are in the process of creating
a revision to the current published standard which will incorporate that specic modication. In the mean time, the correct
information is:
Where:
P = FR: Radial force acting at impeller location (I: consideration of radial thrust only) [Newtons]
P = FR + MI x g: Radial force acting at impeller location
(II: consideration of radial thrust and impeller weight)
[Newtons]
MI: Impeller mass [kilograms]
Z, A, C: Dimensions per Figure 1.3.5.4.2.4a in millimeters
(inches)
DB, DC: Dimensions per Figure 1.3.5.4.2.4a in millimeters
(inches)
)
IB, IC: Area moment of inertia (
hank you for your interest and your response.
6 MARCH 2011
My name is Shannon Moses, and I

am the site lubrication engineer and one
of several pumping systems engineers
at the U.S. Department of Energys
Savannah River Plant. I have worked in
the elds of turbomachinery and pumping systems
for the last 43 years. I read with interest your article in the
December 2010
edition of Pumps and Systems about the issues of improper
lubrication of pump bearings. It is interesting to me that while
there has been signicant advances in technology in a number
of related machinery elds as well as in the eld of lubrication
over the last 50 years, most facilities continue to use antiquated
lubrication PM practices and re-lubrication frequencies.
In bearing arrangements such as the one you describe
in your article, folks continue to want to use re-lubrication
intervals which were originally established back in the 1940s
and 1950s for greases of that era. hese greases were general purpose greases formulated with API Group I Base Oils
which generally had an oxidation life of around 4,000 hours
at normal bearing operating temperatures and thus required
re-lubrication approximately every six months.
With modern grease formulations, even the lithium
thickened greases which have a signicantly shorter oxidation
life as compared to the polyurea greases, will last at least three
or four years when good quality API Group IV Base Oils are
used. Group IV Base Oils typically have an oxidation life in
the range of 25,000 to 30,000 hours in the temperature ranges
we are discussing.
At the Savannah River Plant, we are routinely and successfully using lithium thickened greases on roller bearing applications with a three-year re-lubrication schedule. In addition,
when ball bearings are used, as in the example in your article,
polyurea thickened non-EP greases are used and are expected
to last longer than the expected life of the bearings. Most bearing manufacturers have nally come to realize that when the
polyurea greases are used, their ball bearings will never need
re-greasing after the initial installation. he grease will outlast
the bearing.
In the case of ball bearings, the lubrication regime is
totally elastohydrodynamic. here is no need for EP additives,
which are primarily for sliding friction applications (the polyureas cannot easily be formulated with EP additives).
For roller bearings where the loads are higher, the speeds
lower. Where there is potentially some sliding friction present, EPs are generally required and there the lithium greases
with the shorter oxidation life expectancies and thus shorter
re-lubrication frequencies and which can easily be formulated
with EP additives are the preferred product. However, even in
this case, if good quality greases with an API Group IV Base
Oil are used, these products can easily achieve three years of
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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Readers Respond
operation with no re-greasing at moderate bearing operating
temperatures. We routinely install electric motors with deep
groove ball bearings and a good quality polyurea grease, and
we never re-grease them unless our vibration analysis indicates
the need to do so. We also use the same philosophy on pumps
and fans when they use ball bearings and grease lubrication.
One additional point is that I prefer to use double shielded
Easy on the Eyes
bearings where possible. he shields will allow small amounts

of oil that has bled out of the grease to enter the bearing races
and provide adequate lubrication to the bearing but will prevent churning of the grease (viscous shear) which is the source
of excessive heat when a bearing is over-greased. In addition,
the shields help hold the grease inside the bearing cavity and
prevent it from running through the bearing and out of the
bearing cavity on the back side of the
bearing.
his is especially valuable in electric
motors and vertical pumps. Obviously
in the case of vertical applications, the
grease should be placed on top of the
bearing.
Regarding the use of relief plugs,
EPRI recently conducted a study where
they installed grease ttings and relief
plugs on an electric motor.
hey also installed a camera inside
the motor so they could watch what
happened when they greased the motor.
hey then pumped grease into the motor
bearing, both with the motor running
and with the motor not running.
In both cases the bearing cavity
lled with grease rst and then after the
grease/bearing cavity was completely
full of grease some excess grease was
expelled out of the relief plug. Even with
the relief plug still open while the motor
was running, nothing happened until
the motor was shut down and restarted.
When the motor was restarted, the
excess grease in the bearing cavity was
expelled into the motor windings, not
out the relief plug. heir conclusion
was that over-greasing would occur on
motor bearings, even if the relief plugs
were used if the motors were repeatedly
re-greased.
herefore, my recommendation on
your example pump would be to install
new bearings, ll to approximately 1/3

to 1/2 of the bearing cavity with a good
quality polyurea bearing grease, remove
the grease tting and the relief plug and
only re-grease if your vibration analysis
program indicates a need to do so.
Mr. Shannon Moses, P. E.
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Lev Nelik responds:

Shannon, I dont know where to
start! Yours is certainly some of the most
breathtaking refreshing feedback I have
8 MARCH 2011
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
gotten. It is so technical, yet practical, and contains so many

pointers and aspects that perhaps an entire paper can be presented on the subject based on your comments.
It is great to have these sorts of comments, as it restores
the hope that not all is lost in the world of maintenance, and
there are still thinking people out there motivated and passionate about their jobs and the challenges that they are eager
to tackle.
Forty-three years! Wow. I feel like
a newcomer, compared to your time in
the industryI have only been at it for
32 years!
Anyway, to your note. You have
covered several aspects:
Progress in grease quality from 1940s
to today: API Group I to API Group
IV leap: from a six-month grease life
to now a 36-month life
Re-lubrication schedule and manner
versus initial greasing at assembly
Lithium versus Polyurea thickener
options
Ball versus roller bearings
Shields options
Over-greasing
Pump/motor orientation (horizontal
versus vertical)
Relief plugs (EPRI study)
Vibration analysis
seriously at SRS. Your company clearly follows best practices.

For companies like yours, to follow your recommendations, is
a good thing, and Im sure your reliability record is excellent.
However, there is also another world out there. For that
world, to follow your recommendation is to run their pumps
and motors to failure.
(Continued on page 71)
VFD-Induced
Bearing Currents
Kill Motors!
Universal Mounting Kit
Save energy with a VFD, Save your motor with
I have covered these topics onand-o throughout the years at various

publications, including P&S articles.
I was rst going to look them up, but
the topics were many and scattered over
issues, and so I decided to just include
a list of publications, in case you would
be interested to look these up.
Your general summary/recommendation of -cavity lling of the bearing at assembly with polyurea grease,
removing the ttings and plugs, and
never re-greasing unless vibration analysis picks up an issue, is a good recommendation and makes lots of sense (as
you methodically supported with your
explanation within your note).
However, I disagree. Let me hastily add here that I disagree with this not
on its technical merit, but rather on the
logistic realities. he tone and depth of
your note clearly indicates that the bearings-and-lubrication subject is taken
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MARCH 2011
P&S News
PEOPLE
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
WOOD GROUP SURFACE PUMPS (HOUSTON, TEXAS)

realigned its Western Hemisphere sales group. Tony Ford
has been promoted to SPS surface pumping systems sales
manager, south region, with sales representatives covering
35 states reporting to him in Houston. Casper, Wyomingbased, Todd Vencill has been promoted to sales manager,
north region, with responsibility for representatives covering
15 states and Canada. North American distribution sales
will be led by Dan Brock. Manuel Alfaro will continue to
lead SPS sales activities in Latin America, with Carlos Coronado in Peru and Luiz Mayer in Brazil.
Wood Group provides a range of engineering, production support, maintenance management and industrial gas
turbine overhaul and repair services to the oil and gas and
power generation industries. www.woodgroup.com
GE (HOUSTON, TEXAS) announced that its Oil & Gas business has entered into an agreement to acquire the well support division of John Wood Group PLC (Wood Group)
for approximately $2.8 billion. he transaction, which the
Board of Wood Group intends to unanimously recommend
to its shareholders, is expected to close later in 2011, subject
to shareholders approval and customary closing conditions.
GE also announced that, to deliver reliable innovation in the CSP industry, it has exploited its petrochemical
industry steam turbine technology for the commercialization of the rst GE 50-megawatt steam turbines developed
for large-scale parabolic trough CSP applications. hree GE
Oil & Gas 50-megawatt turbine units will be deployed by
Acciona Energy by the end of March 2011 for milestone
solar power projects in Spain. he projects mark the rst
time that GE has designed CSP trains with generators
located between two steam turbines: a reheat conguration
to increase the overall cycle eciency and systems capacity.
GE is an infrastructure, nance and media company.
From aircraft engines and power generation to nancial
services, health care solutions and television programming,
GE operates in more than 100 countries. www.ge.com
YAMADA AMERICA (ARLINGTON

HEIGHTS, ILL.) announced that Steve
Kameyama has been promoted to director
of sales and marketing for the Yamada Corporation. In addition to his new responsibilities, Steve will remain president/CEO
of Yamada America.
Yamada America is a supplier of air
operated double diaphragm pumps.
www.yamadapump.com
Steve
Kameyama
QUADNA, INC., (PHOENIX, ARIZONA)

hired Tim Davis as its service and repair
supervisor.
Quadna, as part a contract for a
Sierrita, Ariz., mining operation, is also
supplying two fabricated vertical turbine
barges with pontoons for pond dewatering.
Tim Davis
Quadna, a DXP Company, engineers, fabricates and
services mechanical systems that move uids and gases for
industrial applications. www.quadna.com
LOCKWOOD, ANDREWS & NEWNAM, INC.LAN(DALLAS, TEXAS)
announced that helma Flores Box, P.E.,
has joined the rm as director of engineering for the Infrastructure Extended Texas
Business Group. In this role, Box will
direct the activities of infrastructure sta in Thelma Box
the Dallas and Fort Worth oces of LAN. She brings more
than 25 years of experience in the development, design,
construction and management of complex water and wastewater treatment projects for public sector clients.
Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. is a full-service
consulting rm oering planning, engineering and program
management services. www.lan-inc.com
10 MARCH 2011
PUMP SOLUTIONS GROUPPSG(DOWNERS GROVE,

ILL.) announced the acquisition of the EnviroGear product line from PeopleFlo Manufacturing, Inc., of Franklin
Park, Ill. EnviroGear will become a new brand of PSG. he
manufacturing of the product line will be relocated to PSGs
facility in Grand Terrace, Calif.
he Pump Solutions Group (PSG) delivers cohesion,
synergies and relevant value to its customers.
www.pumpsg.com.
FAIRBANKS MORSE ENGINE (BELOIT, WIS.) announced
that it has been awarded a contract to supply two fully
skidded, 12-cylinder FM/ALCO 251 engine pump sets to
Ecopetrol S.A. to support petroleum operations in Colombia. Each pump set will deliver 2,185 brake horsepower at
900 rpm and
will allow
operators to
pump 48,000
barrels of
crude oil each
day through
the highaltitude Orito-Tumaco pipeline.
Fairbanks Morse Engine, an EnPro Industries company, designs and manufactures diesel engines, generator
sets, engine pump sets and OEM replacement parts and
provides factory-trained eld service support. Its focus
markets are power generation, pumping systems, nuclear
www.pump-zone.com
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emergency generator set and marine power for the United
States Navy and Coast Guard. www.fairbanksmorse.com
ABB LTD. (ZURICH, SWITZERLAND) announced that is has
completed its acquisition of Baldor Electric Company (NYSE:
BEZ). he transaction was valued at $4.2 billion, including
$1.1 billion of net debt.
ABB provides power and automation technologies that

enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering their environmental impact.
www.abb.com
PUMPSCOUT.COM (TACOMA, WASH.) has launched its new
website to help end users nd the right industrial pump suppliers and get multiple price quotes.
PumpScout.com is a search engine
that helps pump buyers including
engineers, maintenance professionals
and contractors connect with pump
suppliers and get price quotes. www.
PumpScout.com
HIGH PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS,
world class solutions.
RUHRPUMPEN (MONTERREY,
MEXICO) launched its renewed website.
he website has been redesigned. he
new site features an overview of the
Ruhrpumpen product line, the company and many extras such as a picture
database.
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Ruhrpumpen is a centrifugal pump

technology company oering pumps for
petrochemical, power, heavy industry
applications, mining and water. www.
ruhrpumpen.com
SYNCHRONY, INC., (ROANOKE, VA.)
announced another new partnership
that capitalizes on its magnetic bearing technology. Gardner Denver, Inc.,
manufacturer of Homan and Lamson brands of blowers and centrifugal
technology, will integrate Synchronys
high-speed motors on magnetic bearings into its new Homan Revolution
line of high-speed aeration blowers for
the water and wastewater treatment
markets. he blowers oer ows from
2,50011,000 cubic feet per minute and pressures from 3 to 15 psig.
Synchrony, Inc., develops and delivers technology for rotating machinery
and power conversion systems. www.
synchrony.com.
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
ADVANCED DIAMOND TECHNOLOGIESADT(ROMEOVILLE, ILL.) announced that Merck-Millipore has selected

UNCD Bearings to improve the reliability and dry-running
capability of its NovAseptic line of mixers. NovAseptic mixers
are used in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries by customers who require aseptic mixing processes for the manufacture of pharmaceutical and food-grade chemicals.
ADT develops diamond for
industrial, electronics, energy and
medical applications. ADT is a World
Economic Forum Technology Pioneer
and an R&D 100 Award winner for
mechanical seal faces for uid pumps.
For more information about ADT, visit
www.thindiamond.com.
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYEPA

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) announced the agencys decision
to move forward with the development of a regulation for
perchlorate to protect Americans from any potential health
impacts, while also continuing to take steps to ensure the
quality of the water they drink. he decision to undertake a
rst-ever national standard for perchlorate reverses a decision
THE HYDRAULIC INSTITUTEHI

(PARSIPPANY, N.J.) has updated the
2004 edition of the ANSI/HI standard
on viscosity correction and published
the Eects of Liquid Viscosity on
Rotodynamic (Centrifugal and Vertical)
Pump Performance ANSI/HI 9.6.72010. his standard, which was previously revised in 2004, has been updated
to provide better results and is easier
to use for those who are involved in
pumping liquids with viscosity higher
than water.
he Hydraulic Institute is an
association of pump producers and
suppliers to the pump industry in
North America. Its mission is to serve
as a forum for the exchange of industry
information, while providing valueadded services to member companies
and pump users worldwide. www.
Pumps.org or www.PumpLearning.org
WESTECH ENGINEERING, INC.,
(SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH) acquired
WWETCO, LLC, of Atlanta, GA.
he acquisition became eective as of
December 28, 2010. WWETCO has
developed products for combined sewer
overow and has engineered new ways
to use compressed media ltration for
both primary and tertiary treatment.
WesTech Engineering is a manufacturer of process equipment in
municipal water, wastewater, industrial
process and mining.
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MARCH 2011
13
P&S News
made by the previous administration and comes after Administrator Lisa Jackson
ordered EPA scientists to undertake a thorough review of the emerging science of
perchlorate. Perchlorate is both a naturally occurring and man-made chemical,
and scientic research indicates that it may impact the normal function of the thyroid, which produces important developmental hormones. Based on this potential
concern, EPA will move forward with proposing a formal rule.
he agency also held ve listening sessions to help the agency update the
Clean Air Act pollution standards to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution
from fossil fuel power plants and petroleum reneries. he listening sessions
were open to the public and helped the EPA develop a common-sense approach
to reduce GHGs from two of the largest industrial pollution sources, which are
responsible for nearly 40 percent of the GHG pollution in the U.S.
he EPA was established to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environmentair, water, and landupon which life depends. www.epa.gov
INDUSTRIAL VIDEO AND CONTROLIVC(NEWTON, MASS.), announced the
acquisition of Longwatch, a developer of video management software for industrial automation and process control applications.
Industrial Video and Control is a supplier of cameras and video systems specically designed for industrial applications. www.ivcco.com
SENSOREX (GARDEN GROVE, CALIF.) announced
the debut of its new website, a resource devoted
to the sensing of pH, oxygen reduction potential
(ORP), conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), chlorine dioxide (Cl2), sanitizer and custom sensors for
the municipal and industrial water/waste treatment,
laboratory science and horizontal process industries.
Sensorex help customers nd the sensor to best
t their individualized need. www.sensorex.com
FREEWAVE TECHNOLOGIES (BOULDER, COLO.) announced that it has been
selected by Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) for its comprehensive smart grid
deployment. As part of this project, OG&E will use FreeWaves FGR2-PE wireless radio solution for the distribution automation component of the smart grid
network.
FreeWave Technologies designs and manufactures radios that are used in oil
and gas, utility, military and numerous other industrial applications.
www.freewave.com
WILDEN (GRAND TERRACE, CALIF.) announced the

launch of its new website.
he new site oers users the ability to search
for products by brand, size, air distribution system
(ADS) and type or through the industries served
including oil and gas, sanitary, water works, chemical, mining and energy.
Wilden (an operating company within Dover
Corporations Pump Solutions Group) designs
and manufactures air-operated double-diaphragm
(AODD) pump technology. www.wildenpump.com
FLOWWORKS (SEATTLE, WASH.) announced that Gwinnett County, part of
the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, selected FlowWorks, Inc., to manage all sanitary
14 MARCH 2011
www.pump-zone.com
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P&S News
sewer ow and rainfall monitoring data for the Department of
Water Resources on annual contract. Gwinnett County has an
area of 436 square miles and a population of nearly 700,000.
he county has long had a sanitary sewer monitoring program
encompassing nearly 70 sanitary stations, 30 rain gages and
over 260 historical sites.
FlowWorks, Inc., provides secure, web-based delivery
of monitoring data to utilities, municipalities and industrial

clients. www.owworks.com
BENTLEY SYSTEMS, INCORPORATED, (EXTON, PA.)
announced the launch of STUDENTserver. his website
is available at no charge to schools participating in the Be
Careers Network Academic SELECT Subscription program.
STUDENTserver provides all students
and faculty at these schools with easy,
self-serve access to commercial-grade
software used by leading architects,
engineers and owner-operators to
design, build, and operate the worlds
infrastructure. It includes access to
unlimited training, learning transcripts,
professional networking opportunities
on Be Communities, and more.
Bentley is dedicated to providing architects, engineers, geospatial
professionals, constructors and owneroperators with software solutions for
sustaining infrastructure. www.bentley.
com
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ENDRESS+HAUSER (GREENWOOD,
MASS.) announced the opening of two
new training centers in Mobile, Alabama, and Matthews, North Carolina.
he new centers teach fundamental,
theoretical and practical knowledge
about instrumentation and application
technology, with an emphasis on service
and maintenance of the instrumentation. Training is combined with handson experience. Courses include basic
and advanced schools in instrumentation, pH and conductivity measurements, liquid analytical measurements,
ow, level, pressure and temperature,
Proifbus PA and time of ight measurements.
Endress+Hauser is a supplier of
industrial measurement and automation equipment. www.us.endress.com
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To have a news item considered for P&S

News, please send information to Lori
Ditoro at Pumps & Systems, P.O. Box
530067, Birmingham, AL 35253, 205314-8269, lditoro@cahabamedia.com.
16 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
UPCOMING EVENTS
DESIGN & ANALYSIS OF FASTENERS &
BOLTED JOINTS SEMINAR
March 2 3
Hyatt Place Chicago-Schaumburg
Chicago Ill.
1-877-755-2272
www.seminars for engineers.com
SOCIETY OF MANUFACTURING
ENGINEERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
June 5 7
Hyatt Regency Bellevue / Bellevue, Wash.
1-800-733-4763
www.sme.org/conference
AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
June 12 16
McCormick Place Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
1.800.926.7337 / www.awwa.org
PUMPER & CLEANER ENVIRONMENTAL

EXPO
March 2 5
Kentucky Exposition Center
Louisville, Ky.
866-933-2653 / www.pumpershow.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD
March 8 10
Tampa Convention Center / Tampa Fla.
888-299-8016
www.renewableenergyworld.com
WQA AQUATECH USA
March 8 11
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
San Antonio, Texas
210-201-8500 / www.wqa.org
WATER EXPO 2011
March 16 18
Chennai Trade Centre / Chennai, India
+91 42916900 / www.waterexpo.biz
INTERPHEX
March 29 31
Jacob K. Javits Center / New York, N.Y.
203-840-5324 / www.interphex.com
TEXAS WATER 2011
April 5 8
Ft. Worth, Texas
512-251-8101 / www.texas-water.com
OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
(OTC)
May 2 5
Reliant Park / Houston, Texas
972-952-9494 / www.otcnet.org
ELECTRIC POWER CONFERENCE &
EXHIBITION
May 10 12
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
Rosemont, Ill.
712-343-1876
www.electricpowerexpo.com
WINDPOWER CONFERENCE &
EXHIBITION
May 22 25
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, Calif.
202-383-2500 / www.windpowerexpo.org
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
17
P&S News
EASA
June 26 28
Hyatt Regency Denver & Denver
Convention Center
Denver, Colo.
314-993-2220
www.easa.com
AMERICAN MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY

ASSOCIATION/SOUTHEAST DESALTING
ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE &
EXPOSITION
July 18 21
Fontainbleau Resort / Miami Beach, Fla.
772-463-0820
www.membranes-amta.org
INTERNATIONAL PUMP USERS

SYMPOSIUM/
TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM/
CHEMINNOVATIONS/
ISA EXPO
September 12 15
George R. Brown Convention Center
Houston, Texas
979-845-7417
www.turbolab.tamu.edu
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
CONFERENCE & EXPO (RETECH)
September 20 22
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
713-343-1879
www.retech2011.com
PACK EXPO
September 26 28
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nev.
888-275-7664
www.packexpo.com
WETEC
October 15 19
Los Angeles Convention Center
877-933-4734
www.weftec.org
SMRP ANNUAL CONFERENCE
October 17 20
Sheraton Greensboro at Four Seasons
Greensboro, N.C.
703-610-0257
www.smrp.org
CHEM SHOW
November 1 3
Javits Convention Center
New York, N.Y.
203-221-9232
www.chemshow.com
POWER-GEN
December 6 8
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nev.
918-831-9160
www.power-gen.com
To have an event considered for Upcoming
Events, please send information to Lori Ditoro
at Pumps & Systems, P.O. Box 530067,
Birmingham, AL 35253, 205-314-8269,
lditoro@cahabamedia.com.
P&S
18 MARCH 2011
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Pump Ed 101
Joe Evans, Ph.D.
AC Motors
Magnetism and the DC Motor
First of Five Parts
of loadstone (iron ore) from the town of Magnesia on the

received many comments on my four-part series on AC
Aegean coast and because of its attractive properties, called
Power, and most of them were very positive. Several
it Magnesian rock.
readers, however, thought they were too elementary. I
hales also discovered that amber (a fossilized resin
reminded them that the title of my column is Pump Ed
known as elektron), when rubbed, also exhibited an attrac101 not 201 or 301, and its purpose is to introduce people
tive force. It was dierent, though, because its attracto new and unfamiliar topics. Why do I use this approach?
tive forces were not limited to iron but would attract any
hings have changed quite a bit since I attended high
number of objects including feathers and parchment. In
school in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Back then, serious
this latter case, he had unknowingly discovered what we call
science started in the fourth grade, and there was no opting
electrostatics or electricity at rest.
out of physics and chemistry in high school.
An object that exhibits magnetism without the aid of
he physics education I received in high school was
electricity is called a permanent magnet. hese magnets have
conceptual and did not delve into complex mathematical
two areas of maximum attraction, referred to as their north
relationships. hat made it interesting and understandand south seeking poles. Although a number of rules apply,
ableeven to a teenage boy with lots of other things on his
the most basic is that opposite poles attract and like poles
mind. Had it not been, I doubt that I would have pursued it
repel one another.
in college and grad school.
A moving electric
High school education An object that exhibits magnetism
charge can also give rise
changed substantially in
to a magnetic eld, and a
the 1970s and 1980s, and
without the aid of electricity is
magnetic eld, regardless
I am not sure that our curcalled a permanent magnet.
of how it was produced,
rent system achieves what
was achieved back then.
These magnets have two areas of exerts a force on a moving
electric charge.
Because of this, a lot
Before the 19th cenof us did not learn how maximum attraction, referred to as
tury, electricity and magsimple physics can allow
their north and south seeking poles. netism were thought to
us to simplify many of the
be independent forces.
complex topics that we
In 1819, however, Hans Christian Oersted performed an
have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. hat is the purpose
unplanned experiment that demonstrated that they are intiof Pump Ed 101, so this introduction to AC motors will
mately related.
start with the basics. I will also provide several references if
his experiment occurred during a lecture when he
you would like to further your understanding of this interaccidentally placed a wire that was connected to a battery
esting and essential topic.
over the face of a compass and noted that the needle moved
to the right. Upon reversing the battery connections, the
Magnetism
needle swung to the left. He had accidentally discovered the
One of the more neglected subjects taught in science class is
interaction between electric current and a magnet.
magnetism, and like many science topics, it is almost always
he French physicist Andre Ampere, for whom the unit
presented in a boring manner. It is at the heart of both AC
of current intensity is named, went on to demonstrate that
and DC motors and is a primary reason that AC power
a magnetic force generated by an electric current is indisbecame the dominant power source in the world.
tinguishable from that of a permanent magnet. His simple
he rudimentary denition of a magnet is an object
experiment consisted of two parallel wires that were conthat attracts iron. Although undoubtedly discovered in prenected to separate batteries (electromagnets). One wire was
historic times, it was not until 600 BC that the Greek phixed while the other was free to slide toward or away from
losopher hales reported its properties. He studied a sample
20 MARCH 2011
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Figure 1. Components and magnetic field relationships
the xed one.

When current traveled in the same direction in both
wires, the movable wire slid toward the stationary one. When
current traveled in opposite directions, the movable wire slid
away. His experiment demonstrated that an electric current
could exhibit the same attractive and repulsive forces as a permanent magnet. It also showed that reversing the connections
to the battery reversed the polarity of the magnetic eld by
causing current to ow in the opposite direction. he changing polarity of the electromagnet, when combined with permanent magnets, is the basis for the simple DC motor.
The DC Motor
It is dicult to credit any one person with the development
of the DC electric motor. Obviously, it started with Oersteds
discovery of electromagnetism, but many othersincluding
Sturgeon, Henry, Ampere, Faraday and Davenportcontributed to the development process. Unfortunately, none of these
early designs had any practical value due to their low
output power.
In 1873, and once again purely by accident, one appeared
on the scene. In 1871, Belgian inventor Znobe Gramme
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21
Pump Ed 101
The French physicist Andre Ampere, for whom the unit of current
intensity is named, went on to demonstrate that a magnetic
force generated by an electric current is indistinguishable
from that of a permanent magnet.
developed a high output DC generator that used 34 poles
and produced a waveform that was nearly constant. During
a demonstration in Vienna in 1873, his assistant accidentally
connected a generator to one that was already running, and its
shaft began to rotate. he same machine that produced high
electrical power as a generator also produced high mechanical
power as a motor.
Figure 1 shows the components and magnetic eld relationships of a simple two pole, brushed DC motor. he blue
and pink stationary objects located on the periphery represent
the north and south poles of a permanent magnet and give
rise to the two-pole designation. he rotating armature,
located in the center, contains two sets of windings that are
180 degrees apart and connected in series. When DC power
is applied, they become an electromagnet and produce north
and south poles.
Again a blue coil represents a north pole and a pink coil

represents a south pole. Located on the motor shaft, just forward of the coils, is a split ring commutator that feeds the
two coils. At the nine and three oclock positions are carbon
brushes that apply DC power to the two rings of the commutator. he commutator functions as a switch that reverses the
ow of current in the armature coils during rotation.
he left hand gure shows the armature in the vertical
position. You can also see that the splits in the commutator
are similarly aligned. Current ows from the negative brush
through the right commutator, into the coils and back to the
positive brush through the left commutator. In doing so, it
creates a north pole in the upper coil and a south pole in the
lower coil. his causes the armature to rotate clockwise due to
the opposing and attracting forces between the coils and the
permanent magnets.
22 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
he middle gure shows the armature approaching one

quarter of a rotation. he same forces are still at play, and the
split areas of the commutator are approaching each brush. At
exactly one quarter rotation, the forces cancel one another, but
rotation continues due to the inertia of the armature. Just as
it passes the one quarter mark the brushes come into contact
with the opposite commutator ring, and the current owing
through the armature reverses direction.
he result is shown by the gure on the right in which
the coils of the armature have reversed their polarity and the
interactive magnetic forces arise again. In a two coil motor,
this reversal occurs twice during each rotation. Motor speed is
directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to
the magnetic ux produced.
Three-Coil DC Motors
Brushed motors can be designed with any number of poles and
coils. Also, the poles can consist of electromagnets rather than
permanent magnets. Unlike the example in Figure 1, most two
pole motors will have a minimum of three coils and a commutator ring that is split into three separate sections. his eliminates two basic problems.
I mentioned that there is an armature position at which
no rotational force is created. If the motor were to stop there,
it would not restart on its own. Also when the split portion of
the commutator passes the brushes, a short circuit will occur
that can waste energy and cause damage if the current is high.
A minimum of three coils solves both these problems.
The Semiconductor
With the advent of the semiconductor, another DC design
became available in the early 1960s. Brushless DC (BLDC)
motors are synchronous motors that are electronically commutated and overcome many of the limitations of the brushed
motor. In this design, the components do a complete ip op.
he outer magnet poles are replaced with a stator that consists of a group of stationary coils installed in a circle, and the
armature is replaced with a rotor that uses permanent magnets
rather than coils.
Some electronic controllers that operate these motors use
Hall Eect sensors to monitor the position of the rotor and
determine when a particular stator coil should be energized.
Other controllers use sensorless control and monitor the back
electromotive force (EMF) that arises in the uncharged coils
and eliminate the need for Hall Eect sensors. BLDC motors
are popular in the electronics industry and tend to dominate
many applications including computer hard drives, CD/DVD
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23
Pump Ed 101
Brushed motors can be designed with any number of poles

and coils. Also, the poles can consist of electromagnets
rather than permanent magnets.
players and cooling fans. hey are also used to power cooling
fans in the HVAC industry as well as hybrid vehicles.
Resources
For an excellent pictorial presentation on how brush and
brushless DC motors work, visit http://www.stefanv.com/
rcstu/qf200212.html. It was written for model airplane
enthusiasts but applies to all of us.
Finally, if you happen to be one of those who missed out
on the opportunity to enjoy the benets of simple physics you
still have a chance. Paul Hewitt is the author of Conceptual
Physics (http://conceptualphysics.com/). his high school text
book rst appeared in 1987 and is by far the best I have ever
read.
he current 11th edition is pretty pricy, but older editions
are available, inexpensively, at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Dont be embarrassed that it is a high school text. I have a copy
of the 7th edition and use it whenever I want to make a complex topic more understandable. here are also a couple links
to free, online physics books on my website. Go to the Other
Educational Sites section of www.PumpEd101.com.
Next month, I will discuss the operation of an AC motor
and compare it to the DC motor.
P&S
Joe Evans is responsible for customer and employee education at PumpTech Inc, a pumps and packaged systems
manufacturer and distributor with branches throughout the
Pacific Northwest. He can be reached via his website www.
PumpEd101.com. If there are topics that you would like to
see discussed in future columns, drop him an email.
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Pumping Prescriptions
Dr. Lev Nelik, P.E., P&S Editorial Advisory Board
Facts and Fiction About Vibration
acts can be toughour emotions may get in the way.

What we think we know is not always factual but is
based on what we may intuitively feel is an undisputed
truth. It is human to expect everyone else to agree with us,
regardless if we truly know the facts or just think we do. And
if others do not agree, then we think they are incompetent.
Many people feel that all pump vibrations are bad, but is this a
fact or only what we think is true?
Good Vibrations
I published Pump-to-Motor Alignment: Why 0.002-in and
Not 0.020-in?, in Pumps & Systems, February 2007, and
despite the word why in its title, it caused a roar of controversy and a ood of email, most of which expressed surprise,
bewilderment and disbelief that the question was raised.
Uri Sela, a retired Exxon engineer, agreed with me that, Figure 1. Pump in the field with a fault-detect device installed
despite an obvious need
to align as best as possible,
the question of the factual,
data-supported evidence
would be helpful. He also
agreed that he did not have
such factual data. Hienz
Bloch, a well-respected
ASME Life Fellow and
friend, railed strongly
Figure 2. Vibration readings from fault-detect device.
against my question and
quoted several published works that he claimed would prove that
vibrations do have a measured and quantiable eect on bearing life.
However, after I checked the references (Pruftechnik/Ludeka), none
had proof, only a belief that alignment to laser-quality is a good thing.
he other references were academicgood information and lecturing but no data. Rob Riley, retired from Air Liquide, wrote a letter
citing extensive reliability-centered eorts made by his company, with
measured meantime between failure (MTBF) increased from less than
four years to more than four years. His study and eorts, albeit excellent
overall, had alignment as one of many factors. It still failed to answer
whether the alignment, specically and directly, increased the MTBF. I
am still waiting for the answer.
Many readers responded that, to their own surprise, they indeed
did not know the true facts on the matter and relied entirely on the
intuitive feel that it must be important. Corey Pace, from NewPage
paper mill in Kentucky, conducted a laboratory study trying to relate
the misalignment to equipment life and, while presenting excellent data
Figure 3. Vibration classifications
showing that misalignment increases vibrations, could not nd any
26 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
quantiable eect of vibration on the equipment life.

herefore while we do have factual data that misalignment causes vibrations, the relationship between vibrations and
equipment life still remains unanswered, and no quantiable
data is known. Perhaps, one would think, that the doubling of
vibration magnitude from 0.3 inches per second to 0.6 inches
per second would show a signicant decrease in equipment life
(failures of bearings, couplings, seals,
etc.), but doubling from 0.1 inch per
second to 0.2 inch per second might not
have the same eect.
as 0.90 inch per second. Figure 4 shows several months of data.

However, the pump behaved like this for years.
I have two questions for you:
What would you say if I told you the vibrations are 0.90
inch per second for a pump?
What would you then say if I told you it operated like this
for many years and meantime between failure (MTBF) is
Case Study
As an example, we have followed a
pump operating with very high vibrations for about two years, taking data
every ve seconds by a special fault
detect device used in the eld. his
study, Vibration Analysis Simplied,
was also recently published in Pumps &
Systems (November 2010), with vibrations behaving as shown in Figure 2.
Vibrations are shown for vertical
direction on the inboard bearing housing of the pump (outboard values and
inboard at other directions are somewhat better but also high).
According to the ISO standard, a
good vibration level is about 0.07 inch
per second (rms velocity)even for the
highest power machines, as shown in
Figure 3.
he information in Figure 3,
however, is applied to newly installed
machines. If applied to existing pumps
that have been operating for some time
and applied literately, the pumps would
have to be shut down. Perhaps most
of the operating pumps in the world
would need to be shut down. For that
reason, a practical eld limit of 0.3
inch per second (rms velocity) is used,
and although other parameters (speed,
power, type of foundation and the pump
type) may aect the pump, this limit is
generally a good approximate starting
point. his 0.30 inch per second is a
warning level, and 0.50 inch per second
is used as an alarm level.
Reviewing the live trend of the
vibrations in Figure 4, note how frequently not only the warning but also
the alarm level has been exceeded for
this pump, with values reaching as high
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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MARCH 2011
27
Pumping Prescriptions
per second) at about a 0.100inch misalignment.
he equipment life relationship would show a little
change until about 0.10 inch
per second (overall rms), then a
minor reduction until 0.30 inch
per second and after that toward
the alarm value of 0.50 inch per
second, perhaps halved life as
shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Vibrations and equipment life relationships
Now, your mission, should
you
choose to accept it, is to
around 10 years, and meantime between repairs (MTBR)
prove,
disprove,
or
enhance
the
gures in this article with

minor repairsis about six years?
proven (not theory) datawhich, I am afraid is not an easy
task! Keep in mind that we are not arguing against low vibrahe interesting and factual information to have would be
tionswe just want to know the facts.
a eld tested (proven) relationship between the misalignment
P&S
and vibrations, and then a relationship between the vibrations
and the equipment life. his would be valuable data. While I
do not know, but I think, that such a relationship would look
like Figure 4. From 0.002-inch (laser work) to 0.010-inch misalignment (Region A), there would be very little (I think) eect
on vibrations. Region B (straight edge eort) would have a very
slight uptick, and after that (Region C), the raise of vibrations
would become noticeable, reaching a warning level (0.30 inch
Dr. Nelik (aka Dr. Pump) is president of Pumping

Machinery, LLC, an Atlanta-based firm specializing in
pump consulting, training, equipment troubleshooting and
pump repairs. Dr. Nelik has 30 years of experience in pumps
and pumping equipment. He can be contacted at www.
PumpingMachinery.com.
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28 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Photo Courtesy of Smith & Loveless
Special Section: Packaged Pumping Systems
PACKAGED
PUMPING SYSTEMS
A Special
Spec
ecia
ial Section
Sec
S
ection
ction of
of
March
022011
101
February
FM
b h 22011
0111
30 MARCH 2011
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Photo Courtesy
Godwin Pumps
PUMPS of
& SYSTEMS
New Packaged Pump

Station Updates Aging
System
John Mowen, P.E., Smith & Loveless Inc.
Packaged wet well mounted pump station passes the test for school
design-build sewer project.
azelwood West High School, nestled in north St. Louis County,

Missouri, serves approximately
2,400 students with nearly 300 faculty and
sta.
When the school rst opened, it
included an underground dry-pit pump
station that conveyed sewage from its
campus to the public sewer. he pump
station consisted of a buried wet well connected to a buried pump vault with duplex,
centrifugal pumps.
Occasional sewage back-ups from the
aging station equipment led to a spring
2009 decision by school ocials to replace
the original station. Original specications demonstrated pumping conditions
of 400 gallons per minute at 60 feet total
discharge head.
The Replacement Discussion

he school implemented a best value approach to the project
and turned to local design-build rm Haberberger for its experience. Haberberger reviewed the condition of the existing station and began compiling three realistic technical options:
Replace all the pumps and valves in the existing buried pit,
along with the associated electrical and control work
Abandon the dry pump pit and install submersible pumps
into the existing wet well
Install a packaged wet well mounted pump station on top
of the existing wet well
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
he schools sta provided thorough input when discussing which technical option oered the best long-term solution
for the school district. Certain criteria emerged as important
considerations during the design phase:
A completion schedule that would ultimately meet the
schools goal of having a new pump station in service before
school resumed in August (from the previous spring)
Energy conservation via the use of newer, more ecient
sewage pumps
Environmental sustainability
Reduced operational and maintenance costs
A guaranteed maximum price for the completed project
that included all design, permitting, equipment, material
and construction costs
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
31

A solution with an aesthetically pleasing designbecause
the pump station is located at the rear corner of the school
building and along a heavily traveled access road, the new
selected solution needed to look attractive while providing adequate security to protect the equipment from the
weather and vandals
A Packaged Solution
Following the technical review process, the consensus selection
was option three because the above-grade concept provided by
wet well mounted pump stations demonstrated a more economical and safer approach for the school long-term. Haberberger
specied a pump station manufacturer for the project.
By specifying a packaged pump station approach,
Haberberger could now deal with a single-source throughout the entire project,
from setting the initial project deadlines
to the submittal phase for the manufacturing process to receiving the equipment for installation and start-up.
Additionally, the entire pump station would be assembled in a qualitycontrolled environment and be fully
tested prior to shipment. his should
minimize any troubleshooting or assembly problems in the eld.
With a project window of a just
couple of months, this would prove to
be critical because the original station
could not be taken o-line. he project
required completion before fall classes
commenced.
he arrangement of the schools new
pump station diered signicantly from
the original underground chamber with
ooded-suction pumps. he cornerstone
of the wet well mounted pump station
concept is vacuum-priming, which creates uid suction-lift in order to prime
the sewage handling pumps.
his becomes necessary because
these vertically constructed, non-clog,
vacuum-primed pumps reside at grade
level above the conned space wet well
and several feet about the liquid level.
he suction-lift ensures pump priming
for operation.
he vacuum-prime process has
evolved today into a robust yet simple
process that achieves priming in about
60 seconds from a non-primed condition, under standard rated conditions.
hree componentsa pump prime
sensor, a solenoid valve and a vacuum
pumpmake up the contemporary
vacuum-priming process.
When the liquid level in the wet well
requires the pump to start, the pump
prime sensor determines whether the
pump is primed. If priming is required,
the vacuum pump commences and the
32 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
For
the
most
important
jobs
OTHER PUMP SETS
ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Its true. When dependable power is absolutely essential,
quality is all that matters. For decades, operators of critical
applications have relied on pumping systems
from Fairbanks Morse Engine. Why? Durability.
Reliability. OEM parts and factory direct service.
Follow their lead. For the most important jobs,
only one engine pump set is good enough.
Fairbanks Morse.
M E D I U M S P E E D E N G I N E S Y S T E M S O E M PA R T S FAC TO R Y D I R E C T S E R V I C E W W W.FA I R B A N K S M O R S E.CO M
solenoid valve (located on top of the visual inspection dome

on the volute) opens. he vacuum pump evacuates air from the
pump and the suction line in the wet well through half-inch
diameter vacuum tubing. his causes the liquid to ll the pump
volute and prime the pump.
When the prime sensor indicates that the pump is primed,
the solenoid valve closes, the vacuum pump shuts o and the
pump begins operating.
Once primed, the pump can remain primed for an indenite period of time. Reliability is fundamental with this process,
and its key naturally centers on the pumps prime sensor. his
frequency modulation probe is not as prone to fouling as traditional electrodes despite the excessive grease and chemicals
present in domestic sewage.
Maintenance Benefits
By selecting the vacuum-priming process, the design-build
contractor and school facilitated greater safety for both the station installation sequence and long-term operation.
During installation, requirements for entering the existing
wet well would be severely reduced compared to the options of
rehabilitation and installing submersible pumps, each of which
would require extensive wet well entry.
Long term, the schools maintenance sta would no longer
be subject to entering a conned space underground nor be
required to access the wet well to maintain equipment. Instead,
all the pumping equipment, valves and controls are immediately
accessible without requiring special safety gear and harnesses.
34 MARCH 2011
Not only does this eliminate routine conned space hassles, but it also reduces maintenance time and cost.
he school will now have the ability to perform virtually
all pump maintenance and repairs on site, if desired, without
the use of outside contractors or expensive pump maintenance
centers.
he entire rotating assembly is simplied. Removing only
eight cap screws from the connecting motor adapter to the
volute facilitates full access to the volute and suction elbow.
Maintenance and operations costs contribute signicantly
to the accumulation of life cycle costs, which was an important
factor in the decision process.
he process review demonstrated a typical pump service
life of greater than 20 years, four to ve times longer than submersible options.
Additionally, higher wire-to-water eciencies at the design
point will save annually on electrical costs. heir vertical construction with exclusive traits such as oversized stainless steel
pump shafts, oversized bearings, bronze seal housing, premium
ecient motors with Class F insulation and trimmed impellers
inside the shrouds comprise a durable nish made for the ongoing, day-to-day business of pumping sewage.
Project Completion and Success

All parties moved quickly to get the project completed before
school started in August.
While the pump station was being fabricated, Haberberger
was busy completing a review of the ow data and conducting
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
The schools maintenance staff would no longer be subject to entering a

confined space underground nor be required to access the wet well
to maintain equipment. Instead, all the pumping equipment, valves
and controls are immediately accessible without requiring
special safety gear and harnesses.
on-site work at the pump station site in preparation of the new
Awards Competition in Kansas City as an outstanding water/
pump stations arrival.
wastewater design build project in the Midwest.
It was determined during this phase that the original pump
P&S
conditions on record in the schools oce were not matching
John Mowen, P.E., is manager of application engineering
with actual conditions.
for Smith & Loveless Inc., a Lenexa, Kan., manufacturer
After a series of pump cycle tests, the design conditions
of pre-engineered water and wastewater treatment and
were altered to 756 gallons per minute at 81 feet total discharge
pumping systems. Mowen retains more than 35 years of
head. his necessitated a pump change, but the manufacturer
engineering experience in pumping technology and wastehandled this issue prior to testing and shipment without any
water lift station design and application. He graduated
interruption to the nal schedule.
from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science
herefore when the new pump station arrived on site,
Degree in Engineering, and he holds a Master of Science
everything was ready so that it could be immediately installed.
in Environmental Health Engineering from the University
he new pump station was set in place. he piping connecof Kansas.
tions were made, and electrical connections were completed.
Municipal Equipment Co.s local start-up technician was
Danny Rowatt P.E., Municipal Equipment Co., contribpresent immediately thereafter to test the new station and
uted significantly to the content of this profile.
perform operation and maintenance training for the school
personnel.
In summary, the new wet well
mounted pump station was in-place and
New dealers
running satisfactorily before the rst day
invited!
of school.
he school district obtained a
safer and more ecient pump station
that will yield cost savings for decades.
Its been operating for approximately a
year, and the schools maintenance sta
is pleased with its reliable performance
and easy access.
Maintenance sta can perform
all inspections and maintenance at
grade level without any conned space
restrictions.
he process oered innovation,
cost benets and energy eciency to the
project, says Don Kettenbach of the
Hazlewood School District.
Lower pulsation
Higher Fluid Output
he (pump station) that was
Less air consumption
Easy to repair design
installed is easy to maintain, aesthetically acceptable as well as compact and
adapted well to the existing piping
The best air diaphragm pump option:
Made in the USA.
system.
Ghekgpv."cxckncdng."cpf"rtkegf"tkijv0"
On Nov. 19, 2010, the DesignGzvgpukxg"tcpig"cpf"ocvgtkcn"v{rgu0"
Build Institute of Americas MidGo to www.verdergpm.com
America Section recognized the
1 877 7 VERDER. Macon, GA 31210
Hazelwood West School pump station project at its annual Design-Build
Clearly your best choice
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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MARCH 2011
35
The Surge in
Contingency Planning
Kristen Gurick, Godwin Pumps
To prevent sanitary sewer overflows, pumping must be reliable and

continuous, even through power loss and mechanical problems.
fter the Great Depression, the government supplied

money intended for infrastructure investment and
rebuilding. Methods were sought to improve the quality of old systems and allow for the installation of improved
and forward-thinking new systems. People no longer sought
the fastest, easiest or cheapest decision, but the best decision.
When funding became available, companies began the
work to improve and strengthen their processes and replace the
low-priced, simple xes that they had been relying on before
and during the Depression.
In the wake of the global economys most recent recession
and subsequent upturn, the U.S. has once again turned to

rebuilding infrastructures and nding the best solutions for
long-term needs. he smartest companies have moved toward
providing solutions that sustain their broken and temporary
existing infrastructures in an eort to make better, permanent
decisions that promote environmental sustainability and population growth.
It is with this in mind that municipalities have begun to
take a closer look at backup pumping plans from every conceivable angle, in search of a better, more dependable, more
complete solution.
Critically Silenced pumpsets installed

at the J.B. Latham Treatment Plant
36 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Less Power, More Pump

Since the inception of backup power availability, using a dieseldriven generator for alternative power in the event of an outage
has always seemed the most straightforward, cost-eective
approach for superior lift station reliability. However, risks and
shortcomings are associated with this method of contingency
planning, such as:
If failure occurs with the generator, transfer switch, control panel or
electric submersible pumps, standby
generators that create electrical power
are useless.
Initial and ongoing costs can actually
be higher with generators.
hey are usually load-tested to ensure
reliable power during emergencies,
and sometimes these tests require
specialized personnel.
he design engineer rm working on the plant reached out

to a pump manufacturer to engineer a diesel-driven, automatic
backup pumping system with the capacity to generate an average ow of 7,820 gallons per minute, and a maximum ow of
22.5 million gallons per day.
he design was based on two of the pump manufacturers critically silenced diesel-driven pumpsets. Each system
Because of these shortcomings

and given the increasing cost of nes
associated with system overows
backup pumping solutions have been
earning a larger share of the municipal
spotlight.
Backup pumping increases the exibility to perform repairs or preventive
maintenance on permanently installed
pumps. hey also reduce the repair
or replacement costs associated with
unforeseen failures.
his broader form of standby reliability is free from the dangers associated
with being tied to other power sources.
As an increasingly more suitable and
reliable pumping station backup, the
installation of independently powered,
diesel-driven automatic self-priming
standby pumping units with level sensors, controllers and piping has also
drawn interest in the treatment facility
segment of wastewater operations.
Case Study
In Dana Point, Calif., the Operations
Department of the J.B. Latham
Treatment Plant had concerns regarding potential spills that might occur
as a result of power loss and mechanical problems at its inuent pump station. he treatment plant plays into
the water system surrounding Southern
California, and is less than 1,000 yards
from the Pacic Ocean.
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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MARCH 2011
37

can handle 8,400 gallons per minute out of the
box. However, the Latham Plant required that the
pumpsets be modied to include an extended suction line. Dual compressors were installed on the
pumpsets, one of which ran an external priming
assembly near the suction source at the wet well.
Due to pump design space restrictions, a
standard conguration was not an option. he
pump volute was rotated 180 degrees to suit the
space limitations, with the discharge occurring on
the opposite side of the pump.
A controller panel was used, which allowed
for automatic start and stop of the pumping
system with no operator intervention. Based on
Dual compressors installed on the pumpsets,
its interactions with the pump systems electronic
one of which ran an external priming assembly
diesel engine, the controller allowed for inputs
from level, ow, pressure transducers or standard
Continuous pumping during wet-well pump repair
oats. So, when the power failsintentionally or uninten Supplemental pumping during storm water inltration or
tionallythe level in the wet well will rise, and the pump will
power outages
prime and start automatically, continuing to regulate wastewater throughput with controlled eciency until the main wetFor a price comparable to backup generator installation,
well pumps can be put back online.
backup pumping systems provide the reliability of a self-starthere are many benets to having a complete backup
ing unit that is independent of electric power and reduces the
pump station in a treatment facility:
risks associated with mechanical failure in both the traditional
he ability to schedule and perform maintenance
Its not just an ECO-TRIP. . .

Its the worlds
first energy conscious
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w i l d e n p u m p . c o m
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38 MARCH 2011
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS

FW Murphy was our first choice when we decided to upgrade we didnt need to
look anywhere else. We were happy with our existing Murphy controller for pump
automation, but we wanted to expand our capabilities to include remote monitoring.
By upgrading to the EMS controller, our customers can reduce fuel and water usage,
cut emissions, and in turn save money.
Working with Murphy made the transition easy. We were able to write our own
specifications, and Murphy provided the firmware developed specifically to meet
our application needs.
We received personal attention that most companies dont provide. With direct access
to engineers, sales people, and technical support their customer service cannot be
matched. Thats why we stick with Murphy for our electronic monitoring needs.
Kevin Connolly
Owner, KC Irrigation Automation
www.irrigationautomation.com
Murphys latest engine controller, the EMS PRO, is a compact,

flexible, all-in-one industrial pump controller. Its customization and
easy interface make it the perfect fit for engine-driven equipment.
FW Murphy
P.O. Box 470248 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74147 Phone: 1.918.317.2610 www.fwmurphy.com/EMSPRO-PAS
1010642-EMSPRO-PAS

lift station and its typical generator-based contingency plan.
hese self-contained, backup pumping units, available
in soundproof enclosures, meet common municipal codes for
noise. With no additional electrical work or customization
required, this alternative provides greater potential for accelerated construction, resulting in a permanent solution to an
emergency or planned shut-down, without the need to replace
with an improved product when time or funding allows. he
pumping solution is comparable in initial cost and more costeective in terms of life cycle costs.
How Does It Work?

A backup pumping system runs independent of utility line
power and lift station pump control and can meet system
demands during emergency power outages, planned rolling
blackouts and preventative maintenance measures. Start and
stop controls are provided by either a pressure transducer or
oat switches located in the wet well that activate the diesel- or
natural gas-driven pumps when wet-well sewage levels rise to
a preset height.
he automatic priming feature removes air from the suction line and creates a vacuum, which allows the sewage to rise
and primes the pump. he pumpset continues to operate and
pump the required ow. It shuts o when either the wet well
is lowered or the electricity is restored and the primary system

regains control.
he nal result is that the emergency backup pumping
system and the regular pumping system run independent of
each other and do not rely on each other.
As a result, these units represent true redundancy. If the
level sensor indicates a need, the standby pumping unit starts
without the need for a transfer switch or other common control elements. his reduces the inherent aws and risks originally associated with backup pumping operations linked to
backup power. One-unit solutions are more reliable than their
counterparts and result in a more streamlined solution that
is able to prevent more sanitary sewer overows (SSOs) and
negative impacts to the environment.
he packaged backup pumping solution is cleaner, soundattenuated and ideal for residential areas. Its greater reliability
ultimately translates to less impact on daily life for the community surrounding the installation, oering smarter, more
sustainable technology.
P&S
Kristen Gurick is a marketing communications specialist
for Godwin Pumps. She can be reached at
kristen.gurick@godwinpumps.com.
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40 MARCH 2011
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20112011
Pentair Pump Group, Inc. Photography by Will Crocker
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
The Worlds Largest

Pump Station
Lori K. Ditoro
A monumental project to protect the Big Easy
2011 Pentair Pump Group, Inc. Photography by Will Crocker
urricane Katrinathe sixth strongest recorded

Atlantic hurricane and the most costly natural
disaster in U.S. historymade its third and
nal landfall on August 29, 2005 along the LouisianaMississippi border. At this time a Category 3 hurricane,
Katrinas massive size brought with it record storm
surges, which pummeled the coastline and inland areas.
As a result, 1,836 people lost their lives and hundreds
remain missing.
After levee failures in New Orleans, this surge
caused catastrophic ooding within the New Orleans
Metropolitan area that lasted for weeks and covered
about 80 percent of the city. Once the ood waters
receded, the Army Corps of Engineers began the daunting task of restoring the citys levee system.
Part of that plan was the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
West Closure Complex, which today includes 11 massive pumps that will drain water from the city at a rate
of 150,000 gallons per second and send it to the Gulf of
Mexico. With a goal of eight of the 11 pumps operational
by June 1, 2011before the beginning of hurricane
seasonthe complex also includes 32-foot tall, 225-foot
wide metal gates that will block the water. hese gates
will close if a major storm threatens the New Orleans
area. he closure complex will serve mainly Orleans and
Jeerson Parishes.
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

With construction for this waterway completed in 1949,
the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) was built to
link ports, tributaries, rivers and bayous for more than
1,300 milesfrom the Mexican border to Apalachicola,
Fla. he section in Louisiana covers more than 300 miles
and the dimensions range from 125 to 150 feet wide and
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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MARCH 2011
43

12 feet deep. he GIWW is necessary for navigation through
this area but oers a storm surge easy access to the city.
he Harvey and Algiers canals meet at the GIWW. he
West Closure Complex gates will prevent the storm surge from
entering the Harvey and Algiers canals. However, these canals
will still be full of water collected
by other pump stations within
the city, which is why the pumps
at the West Closure Complex
will pump water past the gate
and into the GIWW.
The Station
According to Mike Wiley, GIWW team leader with

Pentair - Engineered Flow, the planning for the project began
years ago. he project ran about four years, from spec stage to
delivery of the nal pump in December.
hese pumps are so large that the building that houses
them had to be built around
them, and they had to be constructed onsite. hey are powered by 5444 horsepower diesel
engines. he impeller of each
weighs 85,000 pounds, and the
diuserswhich were customcasted at St. Marys Foundry in
St. Marys, Ohioweigh 60,000
pounds each and are 9 feet tall.
(Kincaid) To reach the construction site, each one traveled from
Ohio to Milwaukee, Wis., to be
machined and painted. hen it traveled from there to Harvey,
La., requiring special permits and an escort because of its size
for each leg of the journey.
Wiley states that these unique, enormous pieces of equipment have no equal. All the engineering was from scratch
we had no patterns or anything.
These pumps are so large

that the building that houses
them had to be built around
them, and they had to be
constructed onsite.
Fairbanks Morse (Pentair Water)

was chosen to design, develop
and manage these 11 enormous pumps. It had already
worked with the Army Corps of
Engineers on the 17th Street pump station, and these pumps
are similar to those in the 17th pump station, which move
3,600 cubic feet per second of water. However, the West
Closure Complex pumps move an additional 3,850 cubic feet
of water. Together, the 11 pumps will move close to 9 million
gallons of water per minute.
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44 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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One of the most difficult aspects of the project was delivery and construction. A local company, Bollinger Quick Repair was challenged with constructing
the pumps once all the components were in Louisiana. Bollinger Quick Repair,
under Fairbanks Morse supervision, assembled the pumps and delivered them to
the station site, Wiley says.
The Power of the Pumps

Hitachi offers a suite
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The specications for each of the West

Closure Complexs 11 pumps is astounding.
1,740 cubic feet per second
(approximately 800,000 gallons per
minute)
10-foot propeller diameter (20,000
pounds stainless steel cast)
12-foot diffuser diameter, 60,000-pound
diffuser
140-inch discharge diameter (owerpot)
Each bowl assembly is 52 tons
Each pump assembly is 70 tons
Powered by 5444-horsepower diesel
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The gear is a right angle spiral bevel/
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2011 Pentair Pump Group, Inc. Photography by Will Crocker
46 MARCH 2011
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Hurricane Katrina Stats
Source: www.ncdc.noaa.gov/special-reports/katrina.html
How It Will Work

he pump intakes are 18 feet below water level. he pump discharge is 30 feet
above the intakes on the opposite side of the station from the intakes. he gates
of the West Closure Complex will close to block the storm surge from entering
the Harvey and Algiers Canals and the city of New Orleans. hen the intakes will
remove water from the city-side of the station and pump it over the wall into the
GIWW. he project is on schedule to have eight of the 11 pumps online and ready
by June 1, 2011.
To say that this station is monstrous is an understatement. Wiley has been
involved with planning the station since the beginning, and when he saw it and the
pumps for the rst time, even he was amazed.
his feat of engineering and planning is amazing, and the added dewatering
capacity may protect the New Orleans Metropolitan area should the unthinkable
happen again.
P&S
Reference:
Kincaid, William, Foundry
takes on huge job, he Daily
Standard, Oct. 1, 2010.
Lori K. Ditoro is a seasoned

journalist and managing
editor of Pumps & Systems.
She can be reached at
lditoro@cahabamedia.com.
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47
The sixth strongest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history, Hurricane

Katrina packed a punch that impacted Alabama, Florida, Mississippi
and Louisiana and caused devastating looding in the New Orleans
Metropolitan Area. Below are some of Katrinas impressive data:
Made its inal landfall on August 29, 2005
Category 5at its strongest
Maximum wind speed170 miles per hour
Minimum central pressure902 mb (historically, the 4th lowest)
Wind speed at inal landfall125 miles per hour
Central pressure at landfall920 mb (historically, the 3rd lowest)
Storm surge20 to 30 feet in Mississippi
Three landfallsbetween Hallandale Beach and North Miami
Beach, Fla., (category 1); at Grand Isle, La., (catgory 3); and near
the Louisiana/Mississippi border (category 3)
At least 80 percent of New Orleans was looded on August 31,
2005
1.7 million residents lost power in the Gulf states
Remained a hurricane for 150 miles inland, inally losing
hurricane strength near Meridian, Miss.
Suction Bell Design

and Application
Considerations
Lakhbir Chauhan P.E., Pump Consulting Services, Inc.
The design of the pump and surrounding systems can be determined

by the size of the suction bell.
he suction bell (Figure 1) is an

essential component of a vertical
axial, mixed ow or turbine pump.
It is the component that provides smooth
passage of uids to the ow into the propeller/ impeller from the formed intake
or the sump. he suction bell is generally
connected to the impeller intake with a
anged connection for manufacturing and
removal convenience. As the name suggests, the area of the suction bell decreases
gradually from the suction tip to the
impeller diameter. his feature provides
uniform acceleration to the ow as well as
ow guidance into the impeller. General
applications include open suction vertical
pumps for ood control and lift stations, pump barrels for high
head transfer stations and for large volume water transfer from
canals for cooling applications in the power plants.
Design Considerations
he following considerations will dictate the design of the suction bell:
1. he suction bell design is tied to the submergence requirements for optimum pump performance in vertical axial
and mixed ow pumps.
2. Larger diameter suction bells reduce submergence requirements. Lower submergence requirements reduce the depth
of the station, which reduces construction costs.
3. he diameter of the suction bell is optimized to suit the
pump and the station design.
48 MARCH 2011
Figure 1. Suction Bell
4. Larger diameter suction bells make the installation more

challenging, requiring larger oor openings.
5. All the station dimensions can be related to suction bell
diameter.
6. he height of the suction bell is dictated by the pump
design.
7. Extensions called suction umbrellas can be added to the
suction bell to increase its inuence after installation.
8. he performance of a pump is seriously impacted by the
vortex, eddy and swirl in the intake sump. hese phenomena can be partially controlled with the suction bell design.
9. Custom designed suction bells can reduce operating costs
and station costs.
10. he suction bell works as a housing for the tail bearing.
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
11. Most manufacturers keep the suction bell diameter as a

multiplier of the impeller diameter ranging from 1.25 to
2.0 times.
12. he generally acceptable multiplier is close to 1.5 times the
impeller diameter.
13. Slower velocities through the bell inlet are recommended.
However, the cost of manufacture increases.
Design Parameters
Many factors must be considered when designing a suction bell
to ensure optimum pumps operation and eciency.
Suction Bell Sizing
Hecker (Hecker, G.E., 1987) proposed a formula to compute
the optimum submergence for a vertical pump as follows:
S = D (1 + 2.3* Fd)
(Eq 1)
S = Minimum submergence in ft
D = he Suction Bell diameter in ft
Fd = Froude Number (Dimensionless)
he Froude Number is computed from the following
equation:
Fd =
V
g*D
(Eq 2)
V = Flow velocity at the suction bell entrance (feet/second)

g = 32.2 ft/sec2
Since ow through the pump can vary considerably,
all the calculations can be referenced to the best eciency/
design point. Another consideration could be the maximum
ow through the pump at the lowest head during continuous
operation.
Equations 1 and 2 are heavily dependent on D, the suction
bell diameter. As is obvious, increasing the suction bell diameter reduces the submergence. If the use of a suction umbrella
is considered, the reduction in submergence can be substantial.
Intake Structure Layout
he intake structure layout and design can be conveniently
expressed in the suction bell diameters. he planned width of
the intake bay is generally recommended as 2D, the clearance
under the suction bell as D/2 and the centerline of the pump
from the back wall in plan is 0.75 D. he overall width of the
station intake is:
(Eq 3)
N * 2D + W
N = the number of pumps

W = the outside wall width.
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
49

he at approach area is generally set to be greater than
5D from the pump centerline. he above considerations are
based on the approach velocity of less than 1.5 feet/second. A
larger suction bell increases the bay width and helps reduce the
submergence to obtain the same approach velocity.
the lip of the bell to the impeller inlet. Shorter heights can cause
higher losses. Excessive heights become expensive. he height
can be easily optimized by physical layout based on dened
ow acceleration.
Conclusion
Vortex Formation in the Sump

Obviously, the suction bell has a pervasive inuence on the
Vortex formation can cause serious performance issues leadpump and the station design. Almost all the design dimensions
ing to ineciency and vibrafor the station can be expressed in
tions. Performance issues can
terms of the suction bell diameter
The
area
of
the
suction
bell
decreases
become critical enough to make
for ultimate convenience. Axial
gradually from the suction tip to the
the pump in-operational causing
and mixed ow pump perforserious nancial loss.
impeller diameter. This feature provides mance is tied to the sump design
Vortex formation can be uniform acceleration to the flow as well which in turn can be tied to the
shown to be dependent on the
suction bell design. he suction
as flow guidance into the impeller.
Froude number and the sump
bell diameter can be used for
dimensions. Both these paraminitial layout and design of large
eters have been shown to depend on the suction bell diameter,
volume water transfer or dewatering pump stations and further
submergence and geometry of the sump. he suction bell is
checked with physical and numerical modeling. Dewatering?
a big controlling factor in the functional design of the sump.
P&S
he design can be further rened and enhanced with physical/
numerical modeling.
Lakhbir Chauhan is a consultant for Pump Consulting
Services, Inc. (www.FLpumps.com). He can be reached at
Suction Bell Height
lchauhan@flpumps.com or 561-809-8416.
he design is based on a gradual increase of the velocity from
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The Worlds Thirst

for Water
Kerry Baskins, Grundfos Pumps
Why the growing global water crisis will soon dominate the focus of the pump industry
he June 2006 cover of Pumps and Systems magazine

readWater: he Next Oil? In that issue, then
editor, Mike Riley challenged as follows: Take this to
the bank: Water will eventually replace oil as our planets core
commodity. Industrialized nations currently look to fossil
fuels and note that a time will come when society will consume what is left of this valuable resource, and we acknowledge an urgent need for research and spending to nd alternative energy sources.
However, what do we switch to when we run out of water?
In only four years, the business of water has become a core
strategic focus for many of the worlds top pump companies,
for specic and urgent reasons.
The Limits of Earths Water Supply

he Earth, like most living things, is roughly made up of twothirds water. he amount of water that exists on our planet has
not changed since its creation. Two atoms of hydrogen and
one atom of oxygenthe same water molecule that we drink
today has likely passed through and sustained hundreds of
thousands of living organisms since Earths birth. Millions of
years ago, when dinosaurs roamed our planet, their existence
depended on the same molecule of water that we drink today.
We will never create more water, and we will never lose what
we have. he Law of Conservation of Matter assures us of this
when it states that matter cannot be created or destroyed. It
can only change form.
hrough a process called the hydrologic cycle, water follows a continuous path of renewal as it evaporates, precipitates
and runs o. It is in a constant state of movement and transformation and even as we consume it and the diusion and
osmosis process takes place in our bodies, all water eventually
seeks to reenter the hydrologic cycle. Eventually 97 percent of
water becomes saline in the form of our oceans leaving only
3 percent or 9.25 million trillion gallons of fresh water that
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
is delayed long enough in the hydrologic cycle to be available

to sustain all life on Earth. Most fresh water, or 68.7 percent,
remains frozen in ice caps and glaciers, with the rest located in
ground water, lakes, swamps, biological organisms and clouds.
All said and done, approximately 1 percent of the worlds water
is available for use/consumption.
Of the 1 percent of obtainable fresh water, we continue
to reduce and lower the quality of the available reserves at an
alarming rate. While the statistics are mind boggling and it
seems that water is innitely plentiful, continually renewable,
and enduringly available, the fact remains that the available
reserves of fresh water in the world are declining. he world
is in a constant state of change, both naturally occurring and
through human intervention. Climate changes, pollution,
population growth and other factors have created a dynamic
challenge to the reliability of water as a sustainable resource.
The Growing Need for Fresh, Clean Water

Without food, humans can live for several weeks. Without
water, we can survive for only days. Today, 1.1 billion of the
inhabitants of Earth live without access to clean drinking
water, resulting in their entire day being spent simply striving
to access enough to survive.
he world population is growing by 80 million people
per year resulting in an increased water demand of (64 billion
cubic meters.) As a result, it is now anticipated that by 2050,
50 percent of the worlds population will lack access to adequate water supplies. Experts estimate that in just 15 years, 48
nations will simply not have enough water. China, for example, has almost one quarter of the worlds population, but only
6 percent of its fresh water. he demand for water from the
Yellow River is so strong, that its ow often fails to reach the
sea. he Yellow River is replenished by glacial runo. However,
those glaciers are disappearing due to climate change.
Water tables are also falling on every continent. Water
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
53

usage is occurring at twice the rate of natural recharge, causing
$6.6 million to replace aging water mains
many water tables to drop at 3 to 6 feet per year. Roughly 70
$877 million for treatment plants
percent of Earths available fresh water is used in agriculture
$633 million for water storage facilities
with 40 percent of the worlds grain harvest produced on irri $318 million to develop new sources for public drinking
water supplies
gated land. Over many years, farmers moved from irrigating
farms with oxen to electric and diesel powered pumps, thus
Clearly, the cost to repair the aging infrastructure across
increasing water usage and water table draw down at an expothe U.S. is staggering. Over the next 20 years, $550 billion
nential rate. he demand for water from sources such as the
to $850 billion will be needed
Colorado River, which is a crucial
for investment in drinking water
water supply to agriculture and
The same water molecule
and wastewater infrastructure in
cities in the U.S. Southwest, conthat we drink today has likely North America. A 2005 study
tinues to draw down. Without it,
the American Society of Civil
seven states cannot survive.
passed through and sustained by
Engineers assigned a letter grade to
Industrial water usage (which
produces nearly everything we use hundreds of thousands of living the various areas of the U.S. infrastructure. With a letter grade of A
in everyday life) carries an enormous water footprint. To produce a organisms since Earths birth. being exceptional and an F being
failing, the U.S.s drinking water
single cup of coee, there is a water
and wastewater infrastructure received a grade of D-, placing it
footprint of 140 liters. A single hamburger requires 2,400
on the threshold between poor and failing.
liters of water. he jeans we wear need 10,850 liters to become
a nished product, and our cars consumed 400,000 liters of
water before they were driven o the assembly line. As the
Future Issues
population grows, so does the consumption of products and
Aging infrastructure, population growth, pollution and clinearly all industries and products involve a large demand for
mate change add up to a growing water problem of historic
fresh water.
proportion. As issues such as privatization of utilities, regulaEssentially, Earth has enough water to sustain life, and
tions, water supply rights and water pricing move to the foremany factors are at work to reduce and pollute the amount
front, public awareness of the growing issue of water and water
that is readily available. However, the infrastructure, price,
scarcity around the globe will increase. he business of water
location and allocation of the resource inevitably dene how
will grow and attract increasing investment and commercial
water aects humanitys way of life. To most of the civilized,
opportunities.
urban world, water is regarded as a God-given resource that
However, with this particular opportunity comes the
is provided for an average price of $1.50 per 1,000 gallons.
responsibility to recognize that an innovative approach will be
he cost of an average shower for a homeowner in the U.S. is
needed by all participants to solve a multifaceted challenge that
somewhere around $0.01.
will ultimately aect if not determine the lives of billions of
human beings. he need for sustainable and alternative energy
sources is obvious. However, there is an equal if not greater
The Cost of Water
need for sustainable solutions to move, treat and reuse water.
Many of us look to the sky and see this resource fall to the
ground, free of charge. However, several hundred billion
dollars are spent each year to collect, treat, store and distribP&S
Reference:
ute that water, making it one of the most heavily subsidized
Infrastructure Management Group, Inc., www.imggroup.com/services/docuresources in our lives. he price of water is essentially articial
ments/AgingInfrastructure_Halleman.pdf
to its actual value and thus, consumers of water treat it as inhe Engineering Center, www.engineers.org
nitely available.
www.worldometer.info/water
he State of the Water Industry, Steve Maxwell, TechKNOWLEDGEy
he EPA estimates that approximately 7 billion gallons
Strategic Group, www.tech-strategy.com
of clean, treated water leak from the pipes of our aging infraOur hirsty World, National Geographic Magazine, April 2010
structure every day at a cost of $10.5 million. In Massachusetts
Liquid Assets: he Big Business of Water, www.cnbc.com
http://www.webofcreation.org/Earth%20Solutions/Water.htm
alone, there are over 21,000 miles of water mains. Consistent
Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis, Jerry Yudelson, New Society
with the rest of the U.S., many water mains were installed
Publishers, 2010.
during the late 1800s, World War I, the 1920s and just after
Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov
World War II with an expected useful life of 100 years. he
Kerry Baskins is vice president at Grundfos Pump USA
leak rates in many major cities exceed 50 percent. An estiand leads Grundfos water industry business in the U.S. He
mated $8.4 billion is needed in Massachusetts during the next
is a member of the Pumps & Systems Editorial Advisory
20 years to make adequate improvements to the states drinkBoard and can be reached at kbaskins@grundfos.com.
ing water infrastructure. his spending breaks down as follows:
54 MARCH 2011
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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High Pressure Pumping

Eric Kadaj, Energy Recovery Inc. (ERI)
Breaking ground in desalination performance and energy efficiency

with high-pressure pump innovation
ccording to recent statistics from the International

Desalination Association (IDA), growth in desalination is increasing dramatically, with more than 14,451
plants worldwide, up from 13,751 in 2008. he primary technology used continues to be reverse osmosis (RO), a process
proven to be a viable solution to water scarcitya problem
more countries face every year.
Reducing the energy consumption required by the RO
process to keep down costs oers more sustainable plant practices and continues to deliver clean, aordable water. It is
critical to every original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and
engineering, procurement and construction contractor (EPC).
Reaching these goals can only be accomplished within safe, predictable and trouble-free operations.
Improving current multistage centrifugal pump technology is the next step in reducing energy usage and increasing
pump performance to ensure lowered operating costs and expedited return on investment for providing safe, aordable desalinated water.
The Role of High Pressure Pumps in

Desalination Systems
he high pressure pump is the heart of the desalination processevery desalination plant must have at least one high pressure pump. In plants with multiple trains, which are modular
desalination units that consist of membranes, pumps, energy
recovery devices, etc., each train also typically has a high pressure pump. he trains typically share common piping headers
and may share common system pretreatment.
In the early days of desalination, positive displacement (PD) pumps were common. PD pumps oered higher
High pressure
centrifugal pump
56 MARCH 2011
Figure 1. Typical reverse osmosis diagram with high pressure

pump
eciencies than early centrifugal pumps when desalination

plant sizes were relatively small.
As desalination matured, however, users began to realize the limitations of positive displacement pumps to scale to
larger facilities and began to adopt centrifugal pumps due to
their inherently easier operation, maintenance and scalability to
larger capacities. Positive displacement pumps still have a place
in desalination but are typically found in smaller train sizes that
generate less than 100 gallons per minute (gpm).
Centrifugal Pump Technological

Advances and Designs
Centrifugal pump eciencies have continued to increase due
to technological innovations. One key innovation is the use of
computational uid dynamics (CFD) software to optimize the
hydraulic component design. he use of this highly complex
software allows pump manufacturers to precisely model the
entire hydraulic space of the pump and reduce eciency losses
internally.
he hydraulic designer has the ability to see how the
ow of water will react to changes in blade geometry without
having to build a prototype for every new design. Of course, all
designs are fully tested during the BETA testing phase of the
project.
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Another key component of high pressure pump design

is how the pump handles thrust loads. hrust loads can be
handled in multiple ways. Some are more eective than others.
Some pumps rely on the motor bearing to handle the thrust
load, though this conguration is not common, as the motor
bearing is not designed to handle the high loads imposed by the
desalination process.
Other systems have an external bearing system located
between the pump and motor to handle the thrust. hese
suction (low-pressure side), which is subject to damage, corrosion, breaking, etc.

he most ideal design employs an internal hydrodynamic
thrust bearing that does not require external tubing and is
lubricated by the pumped uid. In this system, the bearing uses
a series of tilting pads and an adjacent rotating impeller. When
the pump is started, a uid lm is instantaneously established.
As the impeller comes up to speed, the uid layer between
the surfaces of the pads and impeller is compressed, forcing the
Reducing the energy consumption required by the RO process

to keep down costs offers more sustainable plant practices
and continues to deliver clean, affordable water.
external bearing systems require oil and/or grease lubrication
to function properly, as well as regular maintenance and instrumentation to ensure proper operation.
In other systems, an internal disc-type thrust bearing
inside the pump eliminates external bearing systems but relies
on a pressure dierential to function properly. his pressure
dierential can only be accomplished via external tubing from
the bearing location (high-pressure side) back to the pump
pads to come to an equilibrium point and run parallel to the

impeller face. Once this compressed uid layer has a resistive
force equal to that of the thrust load, the pump has reached its
normal operating point.
he hydrodynamic uid bearing was designed specically
for desalination and, therefore, is capable of handling tremendous thrust loads. he bearing arrangement is ideal as it is completely contained within the pump and requires no external
ancillary equipment.

PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
57

his bearing has no scheduled maintenance because there
is no mechanical contact with the pump internals. All internal
sleeves, radial bearings, etc., are also uid lubricated making
this the rst horizontal multistage centrifugal pump of its kind
in the desalination industry.
Increasing Efficiency in Desalination

Systems: the Role of Energy Recovery
Devices
As desalination becomes more widely adopted across the
world, energy consumption has become a hot button issue.
Desalination, and reverse osmosis (RO) in particular, are energy
intensive processes, with energy accounting for approximately
50 percent of a typical desalination plants annual operating
expenditures. For this reason, maximizing pump eciency is
critical to the viability of desalination as an economical solution
to fresh water shortages.
In addition to using high eciency pumps, energy recovery devices (ERDs) have gained popularity because they reduce
the energy used in desalination systems and reduce costs.
here are many ERDs available, and like pumps, ERDs can be
broken down into isobaric (similar to positive displacement)
Flow
Differential Pressure
Cos of energy
2000 gpm
900 psi
$0.10/KWh
Traditional Pump Efficiency
83%
Tilting Pad Pump Efficiency
85%
Motor Efficiency
95%
Traditional Pump Required Power
1331.11 HP
Tilting Pad Pump Required Power
1299.79 HP
Cost Savings per year
$20,467.64
Table 1. Cost savings with hydro-dynamic thrust

bearing pumps
and centrifugal devices. Isobaric devices typically have a higher
eciency but are more complex and may require ancillary
equipment.
Centrifugal devices are typically less ecient but are simpler to use and install in the system. Both of these types of
ERDs capture and recycle the energy from the brine (or waste)
stream of the desalination process to boost the ow on the
membrane feed side.
he isobaric devices reduce the amount of ow that has to
be processed by the high pressure pump, but the pump must
provide full membrane pressure. he centrifugal devices reduce
the required dierential pressure of the high pressure pump,
but the pump must provide the full feed ow.
he hydrodynamic, tilting pad style pump bearing created
58 MARCH 2011
Figure 2. Reverse osmosis process diagram with energy recovery

device
for desalination was also specically designed to compliment

both types of energy recovery devices. he use of these bearings
combined with minimized clearances inside the pump maximizes the overall eciency and reduces energy consumption of
the overall system.
Comparisons and Conclusion

At current pump pricing, the cost savings above would pay
for the pump and motor in 7 to 8 years. he table above only
takes into account energy savings. he operator would realize additional savings due to the lower maintenance costs and
downtime. A life cycle cost analysis should always be performed
when considering high pressure pumping equipment.
Table 1 illustrates the energy cost savings from just a 2 percent gain in eciency from using the tilting pad style bearing.
When choosing a high pressure pump, one must take
into account many variables. Price and delivery should not
be the only considerations. Life cycle cost analysis is the best
way to determine suitability. Does the pump provide the best
eciency? What type maintenance is required and how often?
Does the pump require an external bearing or external tubing?
All of these questions should have signicant weight in the
decision-making process.
Many pump manufacturers are content with providing a
traditional style pump while others continue to push the envelope and come up with new and exciting ways to improve eciencies and help end users be successful. New pump congurations, high speed operation, new bearing designs are all waiting
to be discovered.
P&S
Eric Kadaj has more than 10 years experience in the reverse
osmosis water treatment industry. His expertise includes
system design as well as pump and energy recovery device
applications. Kadaj is currently the pump product manager
for Energy Recovery Inc. He holds a B.S.E. in Chemical
Engineering from the University of Michigan.
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
WQA Aquatech USA 2011
March 8 11, 2011

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center (Hall C)
San Antonio, Texas
Exhibition Hours
Wednesday, March 9
12:30 p.m. 5 p.m.
Thursday, March 10
10 a.m. 5 p.m.
QA Aquatech is a conference and exhibition

for every segment of the water treatment and
supply market including process, drinking
water, residential, commercial and industrial. he four-day
event will have ve tracks:
Fundamentals
Commercial Water Treatment
Industrial Applications
Residential Water Treatment
Trade Show Floor Education
he conference provides many opportunities to network and connect with attendees and exhibitors and gain
education through numerous sessions.
P&S
Friday, March 11
10 a.m. 2 p.m.
Texas Water 2011

Exhibition Hours
Tuesday, April 5
5 p.m. 7 p.m.
April 5 8, 2011
Fort Worth Convention Center
Fort Worth, Texas
exas Water is the largest regional tradeshows

in the U.S. It is hosted by the Texas Section of
the American Water Works Association and the
Water Environment Association of Texas to bring knowledge and networking that will advance the water industry.
P&S
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
Wednesday, April 6
10 a.m. 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 7
9 a.m. 4 p.m.
MARCH 2011
59
Efficiency Matters
The Perfect Prescription

Wallace Wittkoff, Pump Solutions Group
AODD pump technology makes biopharmaceutical processes more efficient.
he ancient Greek philosopher Plato is credited with

coining the phrase, Necessity is the mother of
invention, meaning that a need or problem encourages creative eorts to meet the need or solve the problem.
It is unknown whether that phrase was going through Jim
Wildens head as he watched water from a ruptured pipe
gush into a shop at a steel factory in San Bernardino County,
Calif., 50 years ago. Knowing that it needed to be removed,
Wilden went to work, and in 1955, he had the solution
the air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pump.
he same ingenuity still occurs today, but now for a
multitude of biopharmaceutical processes. he AODD
pump has evolved to uniquely solve complex uid transfer needs in this industry. Because of the critical nature of
some processes, inecient product transfer methods such as
manual rolling carts with containers, purging tanks to evacuate product or manual gravity feeding transfers have been
common. However, specically designed AODD pumps
for this industry now allow further use of pumped transfer
processes (and associated production and energy eciency)
approaching the degree already found in the general chemical/industrial sector.
First, Do No Harm
he diaphragm pump already has a cousin in the industry
the diaphragm valve. he diaphragm valve has long been the
valve of choice in these types of applications because of its
high product containment and clean ability traits. hese are
also available with AODD pump technology, along with a
sealless stem and shaft-free product-side environment.
his is important as both the diaphragm valve and diaphragm pump have less risk of producing product damaging
shear, and neither technology has dynamic seals that would
risk leaks that could contaminate the product or the production environment.
So with innovations and enhancements for the ultrasanitary conditions needed by the pharmaceutical industry, the diaphragm pump is now an attractive option for
many uid transfer needs. hese processesand the products they producemust meet a wide array of regulations
60 MARCH 2011
AODD pumps offer high flow rates (230 gallons per minute) and
ultra-pure/cleanable design for biopharmaceutical processes
and certications to ensure that they are being performed

in a high-purity environment. Among the regulations that
AODD pumps can satisfy are those from EHEDG, 3A, CE,
ATEX, USP Class VI and FDA CFR 21.177. his includes
a validation package with mill, 3.1b, polish, passivation and
classied area use certications.
he liquids can run the gamut from extremely shearsensitive to extremely viscous, and semi-solids can range
from liquid glucose to polymer slurries. Pharmaceutical
and biochemical uids currently pumped with diaphragm
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Inside an AODD Pump
TRANSFERRING
CONFIDENCE.
The uncomplicated design of

AODD pumps features few
moving parts, and those that do
move have simple, speciic tasks:
Air chamberhouses the air
that powers the diaphragms
Air distribution systemthe
heart of the pump, it is the
mechanism that shifts the
pump to create suction and
discharge strokes
Air-Operated Double-Diaphragm Pumps

wildenpump.com
Outer diaphragm piston

connects the diaphragms to
the reciprocating common
shaft and seals the liquid
side from the air side of the
diaphragm
Vane Pumps & Compressors

blackmer.com
Inner diaphragm piston

located on the air side of the
pump, it does not come in
contact with the process luid
Eccentric Disc & Peristaltic Pumps

mouvex.com
Valve ballseals and releases

on the check-valve seats,
allowing for discharge and
suction of process luids to occur
Metering Pumps
neptune1.com
Liquid chamberseparated from the compressed air by the

diaphragms, it ills with process luid during the suction stroke
and is emptied during the discharge stroke
Diaphragmacts as a separation membrane between the
process luid and the compressed air that is the driving force
of the pump; to perform adequately, diaphragms should be
of suficient thickness and of appropriate material to prevent
degradation or permeation in speciic process-luid applications
Air-Operated Double-Diaphragm Pumps

almatec.de
Centrifugal Pumps
griswoldpump.com
Inlet manifoldallows luid to enter the pump through the intake

port located at the bottom of the pump
pumps include: blood and by-products, live cell cultures and vaccine producing
solutions, egg emulsions for vaccine production, pill coatings, eye care solutions,
uids for oncology, specialized disinfectants, nutraceuticals, vitamins, topicals
(creams/lotions) and lter media. he use of AODD technology can guarantee
safe transfer during the production process.
According to Hoovers, Inc., which analyzes companies and industries that
drive the economy, as many as 1,500 companies in the U.S. manufacture and
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
Highland Oaks I,
1100 W 31st Street, Suite 120
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Tel: 909-512-1257
Fax: 909-512-1209
Info@pumpsg.com
pumpsg.com
MARCH 2011
61
Valve seatprovides the ball valves a place to check

Discharge manifoldallows luid to exit the pump through the
discharge port, which is typically located at the top of the pump
Efficiency Matters
market pharmaceuticals (dened as a compound manufactured for use as a medicinal drug), with combined annual revenue of more than $200 billion. hese numbers indicate that
the manufacture of pharmaceuticals is one of the lynchpins of
the American economy. he actual creation of pharmaceuticals
involves one of three major methods:
Synthesisusing chemical reactions to build a drug from
simpler components
Extractionusing solvents to remove and purify a drug
from a natural source
Biotechnologyusing methods such as gene-splicing or
the production of antibodies using mammalian (animalbased) cells
No matter the method used to produce biopharmaceuticals, the actual manufacturing process is a precise one that
must be performed under demanding, exacting conditions,
often in a cleanroom environment that prohibits instances of
product leakage, fouling or cross-contamination.
AODD Benefits
Specically, AODD technology is a boon to pharmaceutical
manufacture in a number of crucial areas:
Sterile product transferAODD pumps remove the need

for gas-purge systems in continuous processes because the
technology allows both the lling and emptying process to
occur at the same time while keeping the product contained and pure.
Process flexibilityAODD pumps can handle highly
variable process conditions found in many hygienic
applications.
Samplingcomplex pharmaceutical processes under strict
conditions require frequent and multipoint sampling.
AODD pumps provide the ability to extract these samples
while maintaining a high degree of containment and avoiding cross-contamination.
Clean in place (CIP)the AODD pumps self-priming,
dry-running and sealless design is ideal for CIP operations.
Chemical feedthis is a traditional role for AODD pumps
as their sealless design and reliable product containment
ensure safety when handling volatile or potent chemicals.
Ingredient unloadingbecause they self-prime, run
dry and have negative suction lift, AODD pumps meet
pharmaceutical-validation requirements and can be applied
where needed.
Product recovery and semi-solids removalagain, the
AODD pumps dry-run, self-priming and full product
62 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
containment makes it ideal for use in most ltering or

separation processes.
Chromatography, separation, purification and filter
feedthese processes often require shear-sensitive transfer
and constant pressure feed, traits found in AODD pumps.
Extracting delicate cell structures from centrifuge discharge
is a good example (see Figure 1)
Maintenance
Simplicity denes the cleaning and maintaining of these
pumps. In the highest hygienic congurations, these pumps
are designed for CIP so that manual labor and contamination
risks do not occur. However, at the same time, these pumps
have been purposely designed to be simple to disassemble for
either manual cleaning procedures or routine maintenance.
Power and Fluid End Separation
As biopharmaceutical processes evolve, more attention is paid
to optimizing the process. he separation of mechanical and
utility functions is an example of area/oor space optimization. AODD pumps can be split so that the power side is
mostly located remotely in an unclassied area and the uid
end can be placed in a classied area, with only an instrument
air-supply line connecting the two. his means that electric
An AODD pump in an application that extracts delicate cell structures from centrifuge discharge
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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MARCH 2011
63
Efficiency Matters
motors, oil-lled gear cases and greased bearings no longer
need to be located in the clean area, raising the level of hygiene
and reducing the risk of product contamination.
Integral Piston Diaphragm
For high purity industries, one primary innovation that has
made this pump among the most viable selections in the
industry has been the integral piston diaphragm (IPD) (see
Figure 1). Unlike traditional pump diaphragms that have an
outer plate that supports the diaphragm that is subject to more
dicult cleaning or can be a potential leak point, the IPD is
completely laminated with USP Class VI PTFE on the product contact side. his oers the highest degree of containment
and clean ability among pumps.
P&S
Figure 1. Integral piston diaphragms (IPD) are featured in certain

AODD pumps.
Wallace Wittko is the global hygienic director for Dovers

Pump Solutions Group (PSG), Downers Grove, IL. He
can be reached at (502) 905-9169 or Wallace.wittko@
PumpSG.com. PSG is comprised of six leading pump companiesWilden, Blackmer, Griswold, Neptune, Almatec
EnviroGear and Mouvex. You can nd more information on
PSG at www.pumpsg.com.
In-Stock Parts Ready To Go

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64 MARCH 2011
Liberty Process
Equipment, Inc.
2525 S. Clearbrook Drive
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4623
Phone: 847-640-PUMP (7867) Fax: 847-640-7855
E-mail: info@libertyprocess.com
Web site: www.libertyprocess.com

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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Maintenance Minders
The Power of Wear

Rings
Robert Aronen, Boulden International
Understand the Lomakin Effect

First of Three Parts
eliability leaders view every repair as an opportunity for

improvement. After all, most process plants in Europe and
North America are more than 20 years old. It makes little
sense to assume that the original equipment supplied in the 1970s is
up to the task of increasing requirements for reliability, eciency, environmental protection and safety.
One simple upgrade that can be performed at the time of repair is
the installation of nonmetallic wear rings with reduced clearance. With
modern composite materials, wear ring clearance can be reduced to
50 percent of the API recommended minimum standard. his change
increases pump reliability, eciency and safety.
Part 1 of this series will address the reliability benets. Part 2 will
address eciency gains, and Part 3 will address safety.
his upgrade is not new, but during the past few years, installing
nonmetallic wear rings has become a standard upgrade for many process
plants. After nearly two decades of eld experience, nonmetallic wear
rings have become part of the industry standard. API 610 11th Edition
(ISO13709:2009), Centrifugal Pumps for Petroleum, Petrochemical, and
Natural Gas Industries, recognizes the use of nonmetallic wear rings
with reduced clearance.
Figure 1a. Concentric rotor end view
The Lomakin Effect

Reducing the wear ring clearance in a centrifugal pump is a signicant reliability upgrade because it increases rotor damping and stiness
in the pump. In more practical terms, reducing wear ring clearance
decreases vibration and shaft deection.
he relationship between shaft deection and reliability is clearly
known. Unfortunately, that wasnt always true. he pump designs of
the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s did not anticipate current standards for
reliability and mechanical seal performance. he main problem with
these older pumps is that the shafts are typically too long, too thin and
too exible. his results in excessive shaft deection and inadequate
mechanical seal life.
he members of the API 610 committee recognized the aws of
older designs and from API 610 7th Edition onward have implemented
design requirements to minimize shaft deection. For new single and
66 MARCH 2011
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Figure 1b. Concentric rotor side view. Differential

pressure from discharge pressure (Pd) to suction
pressure (Ps) produces an axial flow of liquid across
the wear rings.
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
67
To straighten out unnecessarily complex pump systems, call Energy Performance Services from ITT.
Well assess your system, perform upgrades, and cut your energy costs while improving reliability
for a total savings of 20 to 60 percent. For more information, call 1-800-734-7867, or visit ittpps.com. Think about
An older plant can use the power of

the wear rings to increase the shaft
stiffness for hundreds of pumps.
Inefficient pump system?
two-stage pumps, API 610 11th Edition recommends: To obtain satisfactory seal
performance, the shaft stiness shall limit total deectionto under 0.05 millimeters (0.002 inches) at the primary seal faces. (American Petroleum Institute)
For older pumps, the major pump manufacturers sell upgrade packages that
replace the bearing housing, seal chamber and shaft of the pump. he marketing
material for these products inevitably touts increased shaft stiness and improved
mechanical seal life as advantages.
Certainly, both new pumps and retrots are excellent solutions to the problem
of excessive shaft deection. Unfortunately, most process plants have hundreds of
older pumps that would benet from an upgrade, and these options are often economically viable for only a small segment of the pump population.
he good news is that shaft stiness comes from two factorsrotor design
and wear rings. An older plant can use the power of the wear rings to increase the
shaft stiness for hundreds of pumps.
he stability generated by the wear rings is generally referred to as the Lomakin
Eect, which is driven by the dierential pressure across the rings. he wear ring is
a barrier between discharge pressure (Pd) and suction pressure (Ps). he dierential pressure across this interface creates an axial ow velocity as shown in Figures
1a and 1b.
he Lomakin Eect can sometimes be confusing because it encompasses two
separate phenomena that occur at the wear rings: damping and stiness. Damping
does not directly prevent shaft deection, but minimizes rotor response to excitation forcesmuch in the same way that shock absorbers result in a smooth ride
in a car. Reduced clearance increases damping and results in a more stable rotor
(Mancini).
Reduced clearance also increases shaft stiness. he additional stiness is
derived from a positive corrective force which occurs whenever the rotor becomes
eccentric. It works similar to an airplane wing (Figure 2), where the dierence in
relative velocities creates a force due to dierential pressure.
A similar situation occurs when a centrifugal pump experiences shaft deection. he pump rotor is exposed to multiple loads such as the weight of the rotor,
hydraulic forces and unbalance to name a few. he result is shaft deection and a
rotor that runs o-center (Figure 3a and 3b). When this happens, the axial ow
across the wear ring changes, with higher ow and velocity on the side with larger
clearance and lower ow and velocity on the side with less clearance. he stiness
ITT.
Figure 2. The airplane wing. Higher velocity over the top of the wing results in an area
of relatively lower pressure. Lower velocity under the wing results in a relatively higher
pressure. The result is upwards force (lift) that allows the airplane to fly.
Maintenance Minders
have shown similar results.
Studies of older pumps have
shown overall vibration levels
reduced by as much as 90 percent (Komin, 1985). Other
studies have shown increased
life and/or reduced vibrations
in hydrocarbon (Pledger),
boiler feed water (Aronen,
Plaizier, Sinclair) and condensate services (DuPont).
his upgrade can be
of particular benet with
older designs. A 1997 paper
highlighted the upgrade of
several two-stage overhung
pumps. he results from these
upgrades showed increased
performance, reduced vibration and increased mean
time between repair (MTBR)
(Pumps and Systems). Even
Figure 3a. Non-concentric rotor end view. Higher
Figure 3b. Non-concentric rotor side view. The
though
the two-stage overaxial flow will occur in areas with more clearrelative difference in velocity (V1 > V2) results
hung
design
is now considered
ance; lower axial flow will occur in areas with
in a net corrective force on the rotori.e. The
obsolete, many of these pumps
less clearance.
Lomakin Effect.
continue to operate because
replacement with a betweengenerated from these forces is known as the Lomakin Eect.
bearings design is cost prohibitive.
Perhaps most important, the stiness and damping are
located at the impeller where the pump has no bearing supCost of Upgrade
port. his strategic location gives the Lomakin Eect a great
Upgrading with composite wear rings is possibly the most costdeal of power in minimizing shaft deection (Figure 5).
eective way to improve the reliability of existing pumps. he
Combine the increased damping and stiness, and a
upgrade can be performed as part of a standard repair, does
pump with reduced clearance runs with lower vibration, less
not typically require additional machinery modications and
shaft deection and a longer life than a pump with standard
should not add substantial time or complexity to the repair.
clearance.
Case Studies
he reliability impact from reduced wear
ring clearance has been documented in
numerous case studies during the past two
decades. A recent study looked at repair
data, vibration data and seal leakage data
for 61 pumps installed in a North American
renery. he data was compiled for several
years before the installation of composite
wear rings with reduced clearance and for an
equal period after the conversion (Aronen,
Boulden, Russek). he results are shown in
Table 1.
After the conversion to composite wear
rings with reduced clearances, the pumps
were signicantly more reliable, ran with
lower vibration and experienced fewer seal
leaks. Several other individual case studies
68 MARCH 2011
Figure 4. Inverse relationship of Lomakin stiffness coefficient to wear ring clearance.
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Figure 5. Lomakin-induced stiffness is located at the impeller where the pump

needs it.
he upgrade cost of composite wear rings is primarily the added expense of an

advanced composite material in place of a traditional material, such as 400 series
stainless steel, cast iron or bronze. he cost varies widely based on the type and size
of the pump. For example, the added cost of composite material for a small, singlestage pump should be less than $1,000. Whereas, for a large, multi-stage pump, a
composite material upgrade can cost more than $15,000.
Keeping in mind this huge variation, experience suggests that the average cost
of a composite wear ring upgrade is in the range of $3,000. At this price, a large
process facility, such as a renery or petrochemical plant, could upgrade 50 pumps
per year for about $150,000. After a few years, the facility will have upgraded several hundred pumps and have much more reliable pumping capability.
Compare this to the price of the other upgrade options that can increase shaft
stiness, new pumps or major mechanical retrots (typically provided by the OEM
or a qualied independent pump shop). hese other alternatives can substantially
increase pump reliability and in certain situations they are absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately, they cost much more than an upgrade with composite wear rings,
limiting the number of services where these upgrades are justied.
Conclusions
Factor Considered
Change
Annual Repairs
45 percent decrease in repairs
Average Overall Vibration

Level
25 percent decrease in overall

vibration
Annual seal leaks (VOC

services)
67 percent decrease in recorded

seal leaks
Upgrading centrifugal pumps to composite wear rings with reduced clearance is a

major reliability upgrade that can be executed at the time a pump is repaired. he
reduction in clearance results in increased shaft stinessaddressing one of the
major problems with many pumps, particularly older designs. Case studies have
shown this upgrade to result in fewer repairs, lower vibration and fewer mechanical
seal leaks.
Compared to other upgrade methods that improve rotor stiness, composite wear rings oer a cost-eective method of improving reliability for a large
Table 1. Results from Refinery Study of 61 Pumps
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
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MARCH 2011
69
Maintenance Minders
Unfortunately, alternative upgrades cost much more than an

upgrade with composite wear rings, limiting the number of
services where these upgrades are justified.
population of pumps. Furthermore, this investment pays o
not only in terms of reliability but in reduced energy consumption. he eciency benets of this upgrade will be the
topic of Part 2.
P&S
References
American Petroleum Institute. API Standard 610 11th Edition, (ISO13709).
Centrifugal Pumps for Petroleum, Petrochemical, and Natural Gas Industries.
September 2010
Aronen, R., Boulden, B., and Russek, M., 2007, Driving Pump Reliability
Forward with Advanced Composite Wear Rings, Proceedings of the 23rd
International Pump Users Symposium, Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas
A&M University, College Station, Texas, p. 15-19.
Aronen, R., Plaizier, D., and Sinclair, D., 2007, Building a Better Boiler
Feed Pump, Pumps and Systems, November 2007.
DuPont, Tough Composite Bearings Prove heir Value at Power Plant, E.I.
du Pont de Nemours & Co., 2008.
Flowserve, 2005, How to Ensure Old Pumps Help the Environment,
Pump Insight, News on Pump Technology, Systems and Services, First Quarter
2005.
Komin, R. P., 1990, Improving Pump Reliability in Light Hydrocarbon and
Condensate Service With Metal Filled Graphite Wear Parts, Proceedings
of the Seventh International Pump Users Symposium, Turbomachinery

Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, p. 49-54.
Mancini, M., 2009, Increasing Pump Reliability and Life (Part 2) Pumps
and Systems, January 2009.
Marscher, W.D., 2007, An End Users Guide to Pump Rotordynamics,
Proceedings of the 23rd International Pump Users Symposium,
Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station,
Texas, p. 69-83.
Pledger, J. P., 2001, Improving Pump Performance & Eciency with
Composite Wear Components, World Pumps, Number 420.
Pumps and Systems, New Life for Old Pumps, May 1997.
Robert Aronen is managing director for Boulden

International in Europe and the Middle East. He has
worked with nonmetallic wear rings since 1998, first as
a rotating equipment engineer in a California refinery
and for the past several years representing DuPont Vespel
CR-6100. He has a BSME, 1991, from Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology. He can be reached at
robert@bouldencompany.com.
70 MARCH 2011

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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Readers Respond
(Continued from page 9)
For example, to use bearing shields for the reasons you
outlined, is a good thing, but in many organizations this is not
practical. hings need to be kept simple. Lithium based grease
is typically more common, and that is what such organizations
naturally carry. Adding another brand of grease to their store
room may cause cross-mixing. Standard bearings are usually
open-shielded, and that is what most organizations have, and
they do not want to change.
here also exists a middle-of-the-road community, which
is somewhat open to new ideas, but the may just listen and
not actually implement the ideas. hese folks often revert to
what they know.
I still think your ideas are great, and the world should at
least hear your point. I look forward to hearing more from
you, and hopefully we can meet in the near future.
Relief Valves for Positive

Displacement Pumps,
January 2011
Mr. Nelik, I enjoyed reading your
article in this months Pumps & Systems
regarding positive displacement (PD) and
centrifugal pumps. In your opening
paragraph, you state that PD pumps are ow generators,

while centrifugal pumps are pressure or head generators. I
would agree with the rst part of this statement, but I would
say that centrifugal pumps are also ow generators. he purpose of both pumps is to move uid from Point A to Point B.
hey just do it a dierent way. If ow is not required, then a
pump would not be necessary. he pressure is simply a result
of the ow in the system.
Wouldnt you agree?
Greg Miller
Lev Nelik responds:
I agree, Greg. All pumps ultimately move uid by adding
energy to it. he build-up of pressure within the centrifugal
pump, from the inlet to the exit of the impeller is due a centrifugal force. Once built, the pressure is then expanded along the
discharge delivery line via friction and static elevation pressure
parts. In a PD pump, there is no centrifugal force component
adding energy to the uid, but simply a brute force carry-over
from the low pressure side to the high pressure side, and thus
it is somewhat simpler to apply the term ow generator to
a PD pump.
hank you for your question.
P&S

PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
71
From the voice of the fluid sealing industry
SEALING SENSE
How is gasket stress defined in industry?
This months Sealing Sense was prepared by FSA members
Dave Burgess, Brian Hasha & Kris Kolb
asket stress is a term commonly used to describe the

unit load on its surface. It is one of the most important parameters of a bolted joint because it directly
impacts the ability of the gasket to seal. Since the conditions
under which a bolted joint operates during its life can be
complex, compressive stress denitions have been established
to describe conditions throughout this life cycle. Gasket types
respond dierently to a given stress range, so employing the
guidance provided by the gasket manufacturers regarding
how their materials react is important. A soft and conformable gasket may seal at a relatively low gasket stress while a
hard metal gasket may require much higher stress.
Four Aspects of Gasket Stress

he compressive stress required on a gasket can be viewed in
four ways.
Conform to the Flange Surfaces
A minimum amount of compression is needed to seat the
gasket on the ange surfaces. he gasket must conform to
the anges irregularities to function eectively. If the anges
were perfectly at and smooth, a gasket might not be needed.
With greater imperfections, more compression is needed to
form the gasket into that shape.
Block the Gasket Materials Permeability
Once the gasket has conformed to the ange surface, additional compression may be needed to block any permeability
in the gasket body. Permeability through gaskets varies greatly
for dierent types of material, but in almost all cases, leak
rates decrease as the compressive load increases. his relationship is the basis of the gasket constants as determined by the
room temperature tightness (ROTT) test. hese constants
were created specically to provide more than one specic
compressive stress that makes a particular gasket type seal.
he state of the uid, including molecular size,
72 MARCH 2011
determines the stress required. Required stresses, especially

in gaseous services, will increase depending on how tight the
seal needs to be. hese stresses are higher than the minimum
stresses that are necessary to make the gasket conform to the
anges.
Withstand Internal Pressure
When using nonmetallic gaskets, the ability of a bolted joint
to hold internal pressure depends on friction, which is related
to the compressive load on the gasket. he minimum compressive stress will need to be high enough to maintain the
friction needed to keep the gasket from blowing out from the
internal pressure.
Temperature
he fourth consideration for determining an installation
stress is temperature. Elevated temperature will create gasket
relaxation and subsequent relaxation in the bolt load. Some
load losses can be as high as 50 percent of the initial gasket
stress. he initial installation stresses need to be high enough
to compensate for this eect. his is the reason that some
gasket manufacturers recommend a retorque after the rst
heat cycle depending on the gasket type (of course, observing
the appropriate lock-out and tag-out safety procedures).
Characterization of Stresses
he minimum seating stress, ideal operating stress, minimum operating stress (considering internal pressure of the
system) and maximum operating stress specic to a given
gasket material need to be understood and taken into consideration. While many references to values for these stresses
have been published, the most updated reference is found
in an appendix to recently published ASME PCC-1-2010
Guidelines for Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly.
his valuable post construction document also oers insight
and recommended guidance on diverse sealing challenges,
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
such as surface nish acceptance for used equipment and misalignment limits for
piping systems.
References to gasket stress in this document are shown, but further explanations are needed. Below are the terms and references used in the text and some suggested guidance agreed upon by gasket material manufacturers.
Minimum gasket seating stress (SgminS) can be dened as the Y value in
ASME Code calculations. his is basically the absolute minimum stress needed to
conform to the anges, assuming that there is little or no internal pressure. Most
gasket manufacturers can provide these values on their gasket materials. Often,
these values are determined with low-pressure leakage tests on each gasket material.
his minimum stress value will normally be used only in ange design calculations.
Minimum gasket operating stress (Sgmin-O) will normally depend on the
design pressure of the assembly. It will be higher than the seating stress, or Y value,
of the gasket. Most gasket suppliers can provide the minimum operating stress with
consideration of the pressure. It is not uncommon for these values to increase with
increasing gasket thickness. Gasket manufacturers will recommend that installation
stress be higher than the minimum seating stress.
Maximum assembly gasket stress (Sgmax) is the stress that could damage the
integrity of the gasket and detrimentally aect its ability to maintain a seal. Many
gasket manufacturers will perform laboratory tests to determine the maximum stress
on a gasket. Many variables are involved when considering the maximum stress or
crush strength of a material, including surface nish, gasket width and thickness,
material type and temperature. Most manufacturers will test with smooth surfaces
Figure 1. Y
value ranges
for gasket
materials
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MARCH 2011
73
FSA Sealing Sense

as well as standard ASME serrated ange nishes. hicker gaskets are usually less resistant to over compression and crushing.
Also, serrated anges tend to allow for higher compressive loads
because the rougher surface will grab or hold the gasket better.
Smooth surfaces allow the gasket to slip sideways and split at
lower stresses.
Because there is a natural variation in any assembly
method between calculated and
actual compressive stress, most
gasket manufactures will supply
a maximum recommended stress
that is safely below the actual
crush test results. For example, if
laboratory tests show damage to
a gasket at 25,000 psi stress, the
recommended maximum stress
might be limited to 15,000 psi.
Target gasket stress (SgT) is
the load that allows the gasket, as
well as the entire joint, to operate at optimal performance and sealability. Additionally, the
installation stress creates a preload in the joint that compensates for overall bolted joint relaxation after installation and
during operation for the service life of the joint (with consideration given to joint integrity). ASME PCC-1-2010 Guidelines
for Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly recommends
that the target stress should be as high as possible, he target
gasket stress should be selected to be towards the upper end
of the acceptable gasket stress range, as this will give the most
amount of buer against joint leakage.
Many reasons exist for using a high target gasket stress. In
assemblies running at high pressures or anges with large internal diameters, there will be signicant unloading of the joint
when pressurized. Studies conducted by the Pressure Vessel
Research Council (PVRC) on pipe bending stresses showed
that the bolt stress in the joint was a major factor in keeping the
gasket from leaking. he higher the bolt stress, the more bending force the joint could potentially handle.
System uctuations in pressure and temperature will aect
the retained bolt load in a joint. Since these factors may reduce
the load in the bolts, it is good practice to install the bolts at
higher initial stresses, as long as the components are not damaged and bolt material yield is taken into account. Stresses in
the bolts will have a direct impact on the stresses in the anges,
so these factors must all be considered when selecting the target
gasket stress.
How does one choose the appropriate gasket installation
stress? With equipment such as pumps, valves, actuators, sight
glass assemblies, etc., the manufacturer of those components
should be consulted. For standard plant piping, the designer
or plant engineer will typically dene the maximum bolt stress
based on the bolt grade, operating temperature and ange
design stresses. Note that this maximum bolt stress is NOT
the same as the allowable stress in ASME design calculations,

which is typically only 25 percent of yield. his stress limit is
much higher because the ASME Code calculations are meant
to force the design to have a signicant safety factor, and the
design stresses are therefore low.
Once the maximum bolt
installation stress is known, the
gasket supplier can provide the
recommended gasket stress. hey
will need to know the service
conditions for the assembly to
select the correct gasket stress.
he Y value from the ASME
Code calculations should only be
used to design the anges.
he minimum gasket operating stress might be used if the
system is going to run at very
low pressures. For example,
assemblies using pipe and ange
materials with low compressive
strengths might need to use the lowest possible gasket stress to
aect a seal and avoid damage to the anges. Flanges running at
higher pressures and temperatures will use a stress higher than
the minimum operating stress.
Elevated temperature will

create gasket relaxation
and subsequent relaxation
in the bolt load. Some
load losses can be as high
as 50 percent of the initial
gasket stress.
74 MARCH 2011
Target Gasket Stress

he simplest method of selecting the target gasket stress is to
calculate the available compressive stress at the maximum bolt
stress. his maximum bolt stress is typically determined by the
plant engineer, and could vary from 40 percent of bolt yield to
over 75 percent at some plants. As long as the available gasket
stress at maximum bolt stress is below the maximum gasket
stress (or crush strength of the gasket) and above the minimum
recommended gasket stress for the operating conditions, that
can be the target stress.
Another detail when discussing gasket stress and related
available bolt load with the manufacturer is to be sure that both
are considering gasket stress based on the same gasket compressed area. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code calculations for the initial bolt load requirement or operating condition (Wm1) and the gasket seating condition (Wm2) are based
upon an eective gasket area, which in the case of Wm2 can be
as little as half the ACTUAL compressed area. Many manufactures will use the actual compressed area when discussing
gasket stress. his can often lead to misunderstandings if not
taken into account.
Next Month: How can compression packing be applied in severe
service?
We invite your questions on sealing issues and will provide best
effort answers based on FSA publications. Please direct your questions to: sealingsensequestions@fluidsealing.com.
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Sealing Sense is produced by the Fluid Sealing Association (FSA) as part of

our commitment to industry consensus technical education for pump users,
contractors, distributors, OEMs and reps. As a source of technical information
on sealing systems and devices and in cooperation with the European Sealing
Association (ESA), the FSA also supports the development of harmonized
standards in all areas of uid sealing technology. he education is provided in
the public interest to enable a balanced assessment of the most eective solutions to pump systems technology issues on rational total life cycle cost (LCC)
principles.
he Gasket division of the FSA is one of six with a specic product technology focus. As part of its mission, it develops publications such as the Metallic
Gasketing Technical Handbook as well as joint publications such as the newly
revised ESA/FSA Flange Gaskets Glossary of Terms, and Guidelines for Safe Seal
Usage - Flanges and Gaskets as well as the FSA/ESA Gasket Installation Procedures,
which are available in eight languages. hese are intended to complement the
more detailed manufacturers documents produced by the member companies.
Following members of the Gasket division sponsored this Sealing Sense
series:
American Falcon, Inc.

Lamons Gasket Co.
Daikin America, Inc.
Nippon Pillar Corp. of America
Donit Tesnit d.d.
SGL Technic Polycarbon Division
Empak Spirotallic Mexicana SA de CV
Slade, Inc.
he Flexitallic Group
Teadit International
Garlock Sealing Technologies
hermoseal Inc.
W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
Triangle Fluid Controls, Ltd
GrafTech International Holdings, Inc.
YMT/Inertech, Inc.
John Crane
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Its our turn!
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75
PUMPFAQs
Q. I am aware that there are requirements for the inlet piping
of rotodynamic pumps. What are the requirements for
the discharge piping of a pump?
A. he maximum velocity at any point in the outlet (discharge) piping shall be 4.5 meters per second (15 feet per
second). his limit will, however, be reduced if there is a check
valve in the outlet piping that will generate a hydraulic shock
when it closes. Note that the pump discharge nozzle velocity
may exceed this value. herefore, the straight discharge pipe
length at the pump discharge nozzle, which will be the same
diameter as the discharge nozzle itself, cannot be subject to this
velocity limitation.
System pipe friction losses, life cycle costs, and process
considerations normally dictate the size of the discharge piping
and ttings. If the liquid is a slurry, then the velocity in the
discharge pipe may be higher to keep the solids in suspension.
Pipe ttings mounted close to the discharge ange will
normally have minimal eect on the performance or reliability
of rotodynamic pumps. However, some pumps can be sensitive to ow-disturbing ttings mounted close to the pump discharge. his can result in increased noise, vibration and hydraulic loads. If in doubt, check with the pump manufacturer.
For most pumping systems, an inlet (suction) shut-o valve
should be installed in the pump inlet piping for system isolation. Likewise, a discharge shut-o valve should be installed in
the pump discharge for system isolation.
he shut-o valve is used during priming, when starting or
stopping the pump and during maintenance. Except for axial
ow pumps, where the shut-o horsepower is excessive, it is
advisable to close the shut-o valve just before stopping and
when starting the pump. his is especially important if there
is no discharge check valve and the pump is operated against a
high static head. In addition, for very high horsepower pumps
or pumps with thermally sensitive liquids, it is advisable to
throttle the pump to minimum ow just before starting or
stopping the pump.
If a foot valve is not installed in the suction pipe, then
a check valve may be necessary between the pump and the
shut-o valve to protect the pump from reverse ow and excessive backpressure. If expansion joints are used, they should be
placed on the pump side of the check valve to dampen, and
not transfer, closure slam. (Do not rely on an expansion joint
76 MARCH 2011
to dampen the shock of check valve closure. Add a damper to

the check valve when shock due to rapid closure of the check
valve is likely.)
Submersible turbine well pumps must always have a check
valve installed in the discharge line, no more than 7.6 meters
(25 feet) (for water at sea level) above the lowest liquid (pumping) level in the well or sump. his distance limit is necessitated
by the vapor pressure limitation to ensure that a uid void will
not form under the check valve, which can cause a hydraulic
shock or water hammer the next time the pump is started.
At higher elevations, higher temperatures and for liquids
with dierent vapor pressures, this distance must be evaluated
and will be less than the specied 7.6 meters (25 feet). he
discharge valve and check valve can be replaced by a triple-duty
valve that provides both functions in a single body.
Triple-duty valves also provide circuit balance capability
and require shorter installed pipe lengths at reduced cost compared to separate valves. Note that triple-duty valves may have
a very high energy cost associated with their use. his should be
evaluated as part of a life cycle cost (LCC) analysis.
ANSI/HI 9.6.6 Rotodynamic Pumps for Pump Piping is an
excellent, must-have resource for pump piping requirements.
Q. Water hammer can be dangerous and cause pipes or

ttings to fail. How are the potential pressure peaks to
avoid such damage calculated?
A. Yes, water hammer or hydraulic shock is a condition that

exists when a column of uid changes velocity quickly. his
condition can exist when the power to the driver is lost suddenly, air is nally expelled from the system piping, a valve is
closed too quickly or a check valve closes too slowly and allows
backow to occur before it slams shut.
When this occurs, the kinetic energy is rapidly transformed
into pressure energy, which will cause a sharp rise above normal
system pressure. his transformation produces an acoustic pressure wave that propagates upstream within the pipe.
When pumps start or stop or the momentum of the uid
in the piping is changed by any other means (such as opening
or closing a valve rapidly), a pressure wave is formed. he pressure wave can be either above or below the normal pressure in
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
the piping with the pumps operating depending on the conguration of the piping and pump system.
hese pressure waves are called surge pressures or water
hammer (when water is the uid), and their magnitude can be
sucient to burst or collapse piping, valves, machinery casings
and other devices.
he magnitude of the pressure wave can be calculated with
reasonable precision if the conguration of the piping, the size
of the pipes, the materials of the piping, the properties of the
uid and how quickly the pump and/or uid accelerates or
decelerates are all known. When the column of uid in the
piping is either started or stopped, the energy of the system is
transformed from velocity energy to head or pressure energy.
Because the uid and piping material are not completely
incompressible, they will absorb a fraction of the energy.
his analysis is covered in many hydraulics texts and can
be performed with available computer software. his material is
provided to inform the designers and users of pump piping systems that a surge analysis is necessary because surge will occur
in every pumping system. In most cases, the peak pressure of
this surge may be below the pressure that may cause damage,
but one cannot determine this solely by any simple rules.
If a valve at the end of the pipe is closed in less than four
seconds, the pressure of the surge wave will be maximized. he
potential magnitude of the pressure wave can be tremendous.
Based on elastic column theory, the formula for the maximum pressure rise for rapid valve closure (prior to the pressure
wave making a round trip back to the valve) and no friction
loss is as follows:
Metric units
P=xax
V
g
U.S. customary units
P=xax
V
144g
Where:
P = Pressure rise kPa (psi)
= Liquid specic gravity kN/m3 (lbf/ft3)
a = Velocity of sound in water m/s (ft/s)
V = Velocity of the liquid in the pipe m/s (ft/s)
g = Acceleration due to gravity 9.81 m/s2 (32.2 ft/s2)
Table B.1 shows the increase in pressure at the crest of the
shock wave. his is the increase in pressure over the pressure
already in the pump casing. As an example, assume a pump
is operating at 345 kPa (50 psi), and the liquid velocity is
1.5 meters per second (5 feet per second). he instantaneous
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MARCH 2011
77
HI Pump FAQs
Figure 1.122. NPSH test with rate of flow held constant
Table B.1 Magnitude of pressure wave

pressure inside the casing will increase to 2503 kPa (368 psi),
[or 345 kPa (50 psi) static + 2158 kPa (318 psi)] as indicated in
Table B.1 at 1.5 meters per second (5 feet per second).
At a liquid velocity of 2.4 meters per second (8 feet per
second), the instantaneous pressure will hit 3797 kPa (558 psi).
Pump casings are not usually designed for this magnitude of
instantaneous pressure increase.
his equation ignores any dampening eect of the uid
compressibility and the piping material elasticity, so this equation slightly over predicts the maximum surge pressure.
Q. Many pump manufacturers show the net positive suction head required (NPSHR) by a pump as a curve that
declines in value as it approaches shut o or zero ow.
Other manufacturers show this curve with a change in
slope which increases in value at about 50 percent of best
eciency point (BEP) ow. Why do some manufacturers
do this?
A. he ANSI/HI 1.6 Centrifugal Pump Tests standard denes

the NPSHR as the value at which the total head produced by
the pump is reduced by 3 percent at a constant rate of ow, as
the net positive suction head available (NPSHA) is reduced.
One method of determining the NPSHR is accomplished by
conducting a series of tests with the rate of ow held constant
and the NPSH available to the pump reduced. he result is a
family of curves similar to Figure 1.122.
78 MARCH 2011
his test will usually produce lower values of NPSHR

as the rate of ow is reduced. However, as the rate of ow
approaches shut o, the ow at the impeller inlet begins to
recirculate in a way that creates vortices between the impeller
vanes accompanied by cavitation on the vane surfaces.
his can cause signicant damage to the impeller and
pump without reducing the pump total head in a measurable
amount. Some manufacturers further increase the published
NPSHR in this range to avoid such damage to the pump.
Refer to ANSI/HI 1.6 Centrifugal Pump Tests for additional information on pump test curves.
P&S
Pump FAQs is produced by the Hydraulic Institute as

a service to pump users, contractors, distributors, reps and
OEMs as a means of ensuring a healthy dialogue on subjects of common technical concern.
HI standards are adopted in the public interest and are
designed to help eliminate misunderstandings between the
manufacturer, the purchaser and/or the user and to assist
the purchaser in selecting and obtaining the proper product
for a particular need.
As an ANSI approved standards developing organization, the Hydraulic Institute, process of developing new
standards or updating current standards requires balanced
input from all members of the pump community.
We invite questions and will endeavor to provide answers based on existing HI standards and
technical guidelines. Please direct your inquiries to:
pumpquestions@pumps.org.
For more information about HI, its publications,
Pump LCC Guide, Energy Saving Video-based education program and standards, please visit: www.pumps.
org. Also, visit the new e-learning portal with a comprehensive course on Centrifugal Pumps: Fundamentals,
Design and Applications, which can be found at:
www.pumplearning.org.
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Business of the Business
Prime Pump
Opportunities
Laurel Donoho and Rebecca Tucker, Frost & Sullivan
The Indian Water and Wastewater Industry
hile major global economies are still feeling the

eects of the 2009 recession, signs of strength are
occurring in the Indian economy. Investor condence has largely been restored, and investments that had
been suspended due to the slowdown in demand are beginning to pick up pace.
Water has become a crucial commodity in many regions,
India not excluded. Emphasis on water quality, coupled
with stringent wastewater discharge regulations, are creating
opportunities for the water and wastewater space to see the
potential for signicant growth. his creates an opportunistic
scenario for pumps suppliers.
Reasons for Pump Market Growth

India has been a traditional producer of pumps with a sevendecade history. However, it is only with the recent globalization that the country is marking and increasing its presence in the world pump market. India produces more than
two million pump units per year, with about 95 percent
of demand accounted for by domestic manufacturers and
imports making up the remaining percentage.
he water and wastewater sector is one of the top three
end-user markets for pumps in India and is expected to be a
strong area of demand for pump manufacturers through the
next decade.
Several key factors are driving opportunity and growth
in the Indian water and wastewater industry, as well as the
pump industry as a whole:
Maintaining and enhancing water qualityincreased
regulations, ecient legislation and pragmatic guidelines
are expected to be areas of focus. his is important if
environmental degradation is to be eventually controlled
and reversed. Compliance will become an important
measure for the industry.
80 MARCH 2011
Infrastructure expansionIndias gross domestic product

(GDP) growth has hovered at about 8 percent, and
infrastructure-related development investments in the
11th Five Year Plan are planned in the multiple billions.
Challenges in water management, created by several
factors:
Indias growing economy, increasing middle class,
expanding infrastructure and vast agricultural region
are contributing to water challenges. India is the
worlds largest user of groundwater, using about 230
cubic kilometers every year (more than one quarter of
the global total). With the prevalent drought conditions in many arid states due to inadequate rainfall,
groundwater levels have been depleting at a rapid
pace. his is expected to increase demand for pressure
booster and deep well submersible pumps to draw
water from greater depths.
Urbanization of the country has lead to the migration
of more than one billion people from villages to major
cities, creating pressure on the existing infrastructure,
including the delivery of utility water after removal and
treatment of wastewater.
Rising consumption and decreasing supply of uncontaminated water is driving the growth of desalination
plants in this country, also a boon for pumps.
Indias emergence as a low-cost manufacturing hub
India has a dual advantage of low-cost labor and highly
technical, skilled manpower. his is an enticing proposition to the western multinational pump manufacturers
that can set up manufacturing facilities and reduce production costs by substantial levels. his scenario facilitates
not only addressing the increasing domestic demand but
also in exporting pumps to neighboring regions, including the Asian growth engine countries.
Growing real estate/housing sectorgrowth in this
specic portion of infrastructure is expected to increase
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
demand for energy ecient water pumps, oering both

cost savings and reduction of carbon footprint.
Market Challenges
While this market holds great promise for increasing pump
revenues in the water and wastewater space, many factors challenge sustained market growth. One is the continued potential for political instability, which can have signicant negative
eects on projects funded by the government. A change in
government tends to delay or abolish planned projects, particularly in the water and wastewater sector.
A further issue is the inconsistency in the implementation
of environmental standards at the state level. his is a major
restraint on market growth in that most states do not have
systems in place to monitor water pollution levels suciently,
systematically and consistently. Moreover, environmental
agencies have not been granted rm support or inuential
legislative mandates, limiting their capacity to be eective. A
lack of conscious eorts for the enforcement of environmental
legislation can aect the growth in the pumps market.
Projected Growth
In spite of these issues, the overall Indian pumps market in the
water and wastewater sector is expected to continue in growth
mode. he Figure 1 shows Frost & Sullivans forecast for this
industry through 2016.
In Figure 1, revenues in the base year of 2010 were an
estimated 5,635.8 million Indian rupees (INR), which translates, based on January 2011 conversion rates, to just under
$124 million (which includes both centrifugal and positive
displacement [PD] pumps). Currently, centrifugal is the bulk
of this number, constituting approximately over 95 percent of
revenues. While growth is expected for both types of pumps,
centrifugal units are expected to continue to be heavily favored
in demand. he compound annual growth rate for pumps in
this sector is forecast at just over 18 percent, based on the
growth trends indicated for the country as well as the industry.
Centrifugal pumps play a pivotal role in municipal water
supply and irrigation projects. With many projects lined up
in both these areas during the forecast period, strong growth
is projected for these units. PD pumps are largely conned
to wastewater treatment and sanitary requirements. Lack of
awareness among end users and consultants about the energy
savings potential from these units is a deterrent for growth in
this type pump.
Overall, rising water demand in India due to increasing
population and rapid urbanization is expected to drive a variety of infrastructure activities, from industrial/commercial/
municipal water treatment and distribution to wastewater
applications to desalination projects. Additionally, increased
regulations and more strict compliance enforcement point to
a robust scenario for the water and wastewater sector in India
over the next decade.
P&S
Figure 1. Forecast for the Indian water and wastewater pump industry through 2016
Laurel Donoho is the global program manager, Industrial

Automation & Process Control, for Frost & Sullivan. She has 19
years of strategy, analysis and consulting expertise in the industrial space. She can be reached at laurel.donoho@frost.com.
Rebecca Tucker is a research analyst for Frost & Sullivan. She
has over a decade of marketing research and communications
expertise, which includes marketing communications, industrial
research reports and technical writing.

PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
81
Practice & Operations
The Vital Role of Valve

Springs in Power
Pumps
Terry Henshaw
When calculating maximum speed, power pump valve springs

are an under-valued factor.
istory tells us that a fellow named

Ctesbius built a reciprocating power
pump in about 150 B.C. on the Nile1.
It sat near the surface of the river, was driven
by an undershoot waterwheel and pushed river
water into an irrigation system. During the
more than 2,000 years since, it seems we have
struggled to analyze the valve dynamics of this
basic machine.
I have often wondered why reciprocating
power pumps cannot run as fast as reciprocating compressors. he power ends look the same
and are similar to internal combustion engines,
which also run much faster. It, therefore, must
be a uid end limitation.
Could it be only the dierence in the densities of the dierent uids, and if so, what is
the mathematical relationship between the uid
density and the maximum acceptable running Figure 1. A three-inch-stroke, triplex power pump showing the springs on both
speed?
valves
Early in my exposure to power pumps, I
learned that some experienced users had established maxiThe Role of Valve Springs
mum allowable speeds for power pumps, based on stroke
After observing a number of pumps, in operation on test
length. After a few years of wrestling eld problems with
stands and in the eld, I concluded that the seeminglypower pumps running at high speeds, I established my own
innocuous valve spring plays a major role in establishing
set of maximum speeds, based strictly on eld observations.
the maximum speed and is, in fact, the most important part
My standards were also based on stroke length.
of a power pump. Strong springs push the valves onto the
hese standards were published in References 10 and
seats near the ends of both the suction and discharge strokes,
11. Ive never been totally comfortable with these standards,
resulting in a smooth, quiet pump which produces acceptwondering if there could be an engineering basis for estabable pulsations.
lishing maximum speeds.
82 MARCH 2011
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
On the other hand, weak valve springs allow the valves to be o the seats
so far that, as the plunger reverses, the valves are slammed, by the reverse
ow of pumpage, onto the seats. his results in a noisy, excessively-pulsing pump. he resulting hydraulic shocks shake pipe, damage instruments,
damage drive components (such as gears and couplings) and damage pump
components (such as valves and packing). he excessive pulsations can also
cause cavitation. I have solved a number of eld problems caused by excessive pulsations by installing semi-arbitrarilly-selected stronger valve springs
in the pumps.
For years, I searched, numerous technical documents for equations
that would provide the requirements for valve springs that would result in
a smooth-running pump. he Worthington group (References 2, 3, and 4)
provided signicant information on valve characteristics, but their equations
yielded inconsistent results.
Finally, after searching for more than 40 years and after many calculations and analyses, I discovered the mathematical models (equations)
which seem to accurately describe power pump valve dynamics. hose
models were presented in a technical paper at the 2009 International Pump
Users Symposium (Reference 13) and in an article that appeared in the
COMPRESSOR Tech Two magazine in July 2010 (reference 14). he models
are veried by test results, as shown by the examples in the article.
he above documents explain how to calculate the required spring force
for a particular set of physical and operating parameters or how to calculate
the actual valve lift for a valve assembly in a particular application.
After writing these documents, I began to wonderrather than calculate the spring force required (which is based partially on pump speed), can
I use the equations to calculate the maximum speed of a power pump, based
partially on the maximum available spring force? he maximum available
spring force is a function of the maximum allowable shear stress in the spring
and the spring dimensions. Equation 6 (detailed later in the article), is the
resultant which ties it all together.
Equation 6 combines the equation that calculates the spring force
required to obtain smooth pump operation with the equation that relates
spring force to spring stress, wire diameter and spring mean diameter. Using
a number of half-reasonable approximations for spring dimensions and
stress, an equation was also obtained which enables the calculation of the
maximum speed for a typical power pump. Examples are shown.
Figure 2. A flat-faced, single-port, outward-flow

disc valve
Types of Valves
he equations in this article apply to the more common pump valves as
shown in Figures 2 & 3. he pumpage ows radially outward between the
valve (disc) and seat seating surfaces. Both the at face disc valve and the
bevel face, wing guided valve are covered. Dierent equations are required
for a valve if the ow is radially inward, or if the valve is double ported.
The Preferred Valve Lift at a 90-Degree Crank

Angle (L90)
Previous attempts at analyzing power pump valve dynamics, as seen in
References 2, 3, and 4, were based on the maximum acceptable valve lift
being proportional to the diameter of the valve. (he larger the valve, the
higher it could be allowed to lift.) Such a relationship resulted in large valves
that slammed onto seats and small valves that were unnecessarily limited
in their lifts. My discovery was that the maximum acceptable valve lift, for
smooth operation, is entirely a function of the pump speed (rpm of the
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
Figure 3. A bevel-face, wing-guided valve
MARCH 2011
83

Nomenclature
As
A2
A3
A4
c
d
Dm
DP
D1
D2
D3
D4
FS90
g
K
Kc
Ki
Ls
L90
N
P1
P2
P3
P4
Q1
Q2
SS
t
VS
VV
W1
W2
W3
W4
Flow area through valve seat (wings & webs are ignored), ft2 (m2) = (/4)(D32 D22)
Valve area acted upon by P2, ft2 (m2) = (/4)(D32 D12) = A4 - A3
Seating surface area exposed to P3, ft2 (m2) = ( /4)(D42 D32)
Area of top of valve (that exposed to P4), ft2 (m2) = ( /4)(D42 D12)
Oriice coeficient of valve escape area
Diameter of wire in the helical valve spring, ft (m)
Mean diameter of the helical spring, ft (m)
Diameter of plunger or piston, ft (m)
Diameter of hole in center of valve disc, feet (m)
OD of inner seating surface, feet (m) (ID of port opening in seat)
ID of outer seating surface, feet (m) (OD of port opening in seat)
OD of valve outer seating surface, ft (m)
Spring force on valve when crank angle, , = 90 degrees, lb (N)
Acceleration of gravity, 32.2 ft/sec2 (9.8 m/s2)
Whal stress correction factor for a helical spring made of round wire
Clinging coeficient
for an OD-low valve = ((D4/D3)2 + (D3/D4)2 - 2)/8(sin)2
for an ID-low valve = (2 - (D2/D1)2 - (D1/D2)2)/8(sin)2
Coeficient of inertial impact of pumpage on upstream side of valve
Stroke length of plunger, feet (m)
The lift of the valve at about 90 degrees of crank rotation, ft (m)
Rotative speed of pump crankshaft, rev/min
Stagnation pressure upstream of valve assembly, lb/ft2 (Pa)
Static pressure acting on upstream disc area A2, Ib/ft2 (Pa) = P1 - (VS)2/2
Static pressure in lift low area between valve and seat, lb/ft2 (Pa)
Stagnation pressure downstream of valve assembly, lb/ft2 (Pa)
Flow rate created by plunger at mid-stroke (the peak) = Q90,
assuming pure sinusoidal movement of plunger, ft3/sec (m3/s) = 2NLsDP2/240
Instantaneous low rate created by the plunger (plunger volume displacement), ft3/sec (m3/s) = (Q1)(sin )
Shear stress in the wire of the helical spring, lb/ft2 (Pa)
Time increment, sec = 30/N (for in radians) = /6N (for in degrees)
Velocity of pumpage moving through seat, ft/sec (m/s) = (Q2)/(AS)
Velocity of valve, ft/sec (m/s)
Weight of valve (in air), lb (N)
Weight of valve if axis is vertical, less the bouyant effect of the pumpage, lb (N) = W1(1 - W3/W4)
(if axis is horizontal, W2 = 0)
Speciic weight of pumpage, lb/ft3 (N/m3) = g
Speciic weight of valve, lb/ft3 (N/m3)
Angle between valve seating surface and valve axis, degrees
Angle of crank rotation from start of stroke of plunger, radians = t = Nt/30
Density of pumpage, slugs/ft3 (lb-s2/ft4) (kg/m3) = W3/g
Angular velocity of pump crankshaft, radians/sec = N/30
crankshaft). It is independent of valve size. hat simple concept

formed the basis for all the analyses that followed.
Although the maximum valve lift (except for the case when
a late opening valve overshoots upon opening) occurs at angles
only near 90 degrees of crankshaft rotation, the symbol L90 is
84 MARCH 2011
used here to represent this value. For smooth valve action and
minimal hydraulic shock, the following has been established,
from eld experience, and gleaned from References 3, 6, and 7,
as the maximum plunger-mid stroke lift of the valve:
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Equation 1
Equating 4 and 5 and solving for pump speed, N, yields

the following:
L90 = 6/N feet (72/N inches) (1800/N mm)
his equation results from the need for the valve to impact
the seat, upon closing, at a velocity low enough to prevent
damage to the valve and seat, and to minimize hydraulic shock.
his limit applies to both the suction and discharge valves. (he
suction valve should not lift higher than the discharge valve.)
The Spring Force Required at 90-Degree

Crank Angle
As shown in Reference 13, the following spring force is required,
when the valve is at L90:
Equation 2
FS90 = A2(Q1/cD3 L90sin)2/2 (Q1/AS)2A2/2 KCQ12/ L902
+ KiQ12/AS W2 + W1L90(N/30)2/g
On the right side of the equation, the rst term represents

the pressure drop through the lift area and is the predominant
term at higher pump speeds. he second term represents the
pressure drop within the valve seat caused by the velocity head.
he third term is the clinging eect. he fourth is the pumpage impact eect. he fth is valve weight (if the valve axis is
vertical), and the sixth is the valve acceleration (inertial) eect.
In the case of a wing guided valve or a disc valve guided
by wings on the O.D., D1 = 0 and D2 = 0, the above equation
reduces to:
Equation 6
21.4
Nmax =
DP
csin
LS
d3SS
1/2
1/4
] [ KD ]
m
To obtain an approximate solution, we can substitute the

approximate value of 0.6 for c sin , which yields:
Equation 7
16.6
Nmax =
DP
1/2
d3SS
1/4
[ L ] [ KD ]
S
his equation can be used to calculate the maximum speed

for a pump with a single-spring, single-ported, outward-ow
valve with the optimum valve lift. For the popular 302 stainless
steel valve spring material, the approximate maximum shear
stress is 40,000 psi (5.76 x 106 lb/ ft2), and with a Whal spring
stress correction factor of K = 1.2, the following is obtained:
Equation 8
776
Nmax =
DP
1/2
d3
1/4
[ L ] [ D ]
m
To be able to calculate the approximate maximum speed

for a typical power pump, we can substitute approximate
spring dimension ratios as follows:
Equation 9
Dm = DP/2
d = Dm/8 = DP/16
Equation 3
which results in:
FS90 = (Q1/cL90sin)2/8 + (Q12/AS)(Ki ) KCQ12/ L902
Nmax = 116
W2 + W1L90(N/30)2/g
Surprisingly, the valve size drops from the rst term, and
as stated above, the rst term is the predominant term at higher
pump speeds. herefore at higher speeds, a close approximation
of the required FS90 spring force can be calculated with the rst
term only, and without knowing the size of the valve. To simplify
the analysis presented, only the rst term will be used to represent the spring force required for smooth operation. With L90 =
6/N, the rst term can be rewritten as follows:
Equation 4
2N2LSDP2
FS90 =
8 (240)(6)csin
1/2
1/4
[L D ] [ ]
P
For cool water, =1.94 lb-s2/ft4, and the equation reduces

to:
Equation 10
98
Nmax =
(LSDP)1/2
where the stroke length, LS, and the plunger diameter,

DP, are both in feet. To substitute inches directly, change the
numerator from 98 to 1180.
Examples
DP = 1 in., LS = 2 in.
Nmax = 1180/(2)1/2 = 834 RPM
Spring Stress and Size Parameters
DP = 2 in., LS = 5 in.
Nmax = 1180/(10)1/2 = 373 RPM
he equation that relates the stress and spring dimensions to

the force in a helical spring, made of round wire, is:
DP = 4 in., LS = 6 in.
Nmax = 1180/(24)1/2 = 241 RPM
DP = 6 in., LS = 12 in.
Nmax = 1180/(72)1/2 = 139 RPM
Equation 5
d3SS
F=
8KDm
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Figure 4 is a plot of Nmax = 1180/(LS DP)1/2 with LS and DP

expressed in inches.
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
85

The Unexpected Results
Equations 6 and 9 reveal some of the following unexpected results:
he maximum allowable speed varies
inversely as the square root of the
product of the plunger stroke and
diameter.
he density of the pumpage aects
the maximum speed only to the onefourth power, a small amount.
he maximum allowable spring
shear stress aects speed only to the
one-fourth power, a small amount.
Doubling the allowable stress (to
80,000 psi) increases the maximum
speed by only 19 percent. Doubling
the spring force with two springs in
parallel also increases the maximum
speed by only 19 percent.
Increasing the spring wire diameter,
d, increases the maximum allowable
speed to the three-quarter power.
Increasing the spring mean diameter,
Dm, increases the maximum allowable
speed to the one-half power (square
root).
Figure 4. Plot of the approximate maximum power pump speed, on water, for a singlespring, outward-flow valve
About That Compressor

Speed
he density of air at standard conditions

is approximately 1/800th that of cool water. herefore, an air
compressor with a single-ported, single-spring valve would
be limited to an approximate maximum speed that is about
(800)1/4 = 5.3 times that of the same size pump on water, and
that looks about right. Because compressors are typically made
with multi-port, multi-spring valves, the multiplier is higher
than 5.3. hat seems to provide a reasonable answer to the
question: why cant reciprocating power pumps run as fast as
reciprocating compressors.
For the plunger diameter in inches, change the 940 coecient

to 6.52.
For example, a 4-inch diameter plunger in a 5-inch
stroke pumprunning on cool water, at the maximum allowable speed of 264 rpm, with the optimum valve lift of 0.273
incheswill require a spring force, at that valve lift, of about
104 pounds. his same spring would be selected for a 4-inch
diameter plunger in a 10-inch stroke pumprunning, on cool
water, at the maximum allowable speed of 187 rpm, with the
optimum valve lift of 0.386 inches. A more accurate value of
FS90 can be obtained with Equation 2 or 3.
Can it be so simple? So it seems.
Another Unexpected Result

Plugging Equation 9 into Equation 4 produces another surprising result:
Equation 11
2N2LSDP2
FS90 =
8 (240)(6)csin
] = [
N2LSDP2
439
13460LSDP2
] = [ L D
S
1/2
his equation says that the approximate spring force (in

pounds) required for any power pumpwith the general
design parameters stated above, with any density pumpage, to
achieve the optimum valve liftcan be obtained by the simple
calculation of 940 times the plunger diameter (in feet) squared.
86 MARCH 2011
439 ]
= 940DP2
High-Speed Warning
Although the above equations allow us to determine the approximate maximum speed allowed by adequate valve springs, many
factors may dictate a lower speed. Some of those conditions are:
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Weak valve springs

Valve springs that have a stiness that is less than calculated
(not uncommon)
Special valves (such as balls)
Limited NPSH available from the system
Air or other gas dissolved in the pumpage
Air or other gas entrained in the pumpage
Long, and/or undersized, and/or complex, suction pipe
Absent or inadequate pulsation-dampening equipment
High temperature of pumpage
Solids in pumpage (slurry)
Compressible pumpage
Viscous pumpage
High ambient temperature
Desire for less pulsation in suction and/or discharge piping
A high spring force, as required by large pumps, which may
be dicult or unsafe to assemble or disassemble
Desire for extended life of packing, plungers, valves, springs
and other pump and system components (reduced maintenance requirements)
herefore, the above equations simply indicate the approximate maximum speed as determined by the valve spring,
which usually must be reduced to meet specic application
conditions.
Did it really take us 2,000 years to establish the more signicant characteristics of the power pump? So it seems.
P&S
Reference:
1. Ingenious Mechanisms, New York: Ingersoll-Rand, Hydraulic Division, 1960
2. Worthington Pump and Machinery Corp., formulas and derivations for
reciprocating pump valve lift and valve springs, 1949 1953
3. Wright, Elliott F., New Developments in Reciprocating Power Pumps,
A paper presented to the 6th meeting of the National Conference on
Industrial Hydraulics, about 1955
4. Wright, E. F., Marks Mechanical Engineers Handbook, 6th Edition, Section
14 - Reciprocating Power Pumps, 1958
5. Collier, Samuel L., Knocking From Valve Hammer in Triplex Pumps,
ASME Paper 83 PET 29, 1983
6. Collier, Samuel L., Mud Pump Handbook, Gulf Publishing Co., 1983
7. Worster, A. R., Importance of Maintaining Proper Valve Lift on
Compressor Valves, a paper presented to the N.G.A.A. regional meeting
in Odessa, Texas, February 26, 1954.
8. White, K. H., Prediction and Measurement of Compressor Valve Losses,
ASME Paper 72 Pet 4, 1972
9. Vetter, Gerhard and Schweinfurter, Friedrich, Pressure Pulsations in the
Piping of Reciprocating Pumps, Chem. Eng. Technol. 10, 1987
10. Henshaw, Terry L., Reciprocating Pumps, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. Inc.,
New York, 1987
11. Positive Displacement Pumps Reciprocating, API STANDARD 674,
American Petroleum Institute, Washington. D.C., June 1995
12. Price, Stephen M., Smith, Donald R., and Tison, James D., he Eects
of Valve Dynamics on Reciprocating Pump Reliability, a tutorial
presented at the 12th International Pump Users Symposium, Houston,
Texas, 1995
13. Henshaw, Terry, Power Pump Valve Dynamics A Study of the
Velocity and Pressure Distribution in Outward-Flow Bevel-Face and
Flat-Face Power Pump Valves, a technical paper presented at the 25th
International Pump Users Symposium, Houston, Texas, 2009
Terry Henshaw is a mechanical engineer, licensed in Texas and Michigan.

He worked for Union Pump Co. for
25 years, including stints as manager of
the reciprocating pump division and as
manager of research & development. He
served as chairman of the reciprocating
pump section and the metrication subcommittee for the Hydraulic Institute and as a member of
the task force which wrote API 674 for recips. In 1986, he
formed an independent consulting service, from which he
semi retired in 2000 to Magnolia, Texas.
He wrote the book Reciprocating Pumps, published
in 1987, and the two sections on pumps in the 11th edition
of Marks Handbook, published in 2007.
His major client is the NLB Corp., for which he has
designed a number of high pressure pumps, control valves,
and related water-jetting equipment. He can be reached at
pumprof@att.net.
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
14. Henshaw, Terry, Improve Power Pump Performance With Stronger Valve
Springs, COMPRESSOR Tech Two, July 2010
Watch for the May issue of

Pumps & Systems!
Beginning in May, you will nd Terry
Henshaws new, columnCentifugal
Pump Hydraulics by the Numbers. This
six-part column will be bimonthly.
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
87
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Cartridge Seal
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88 MARCH 2011
he design features are stationary seal head assembly that

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Laser Shaft Alignment

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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Wireless Shaft Alignment

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by May 20 to get the Advance Registration Discount!
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8::8"Ih|y"Is}k5""Z{5"Sv|pz3"TV"=:8:9"ZH
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PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
89
Product Pipeline
Taste and Taint Free Elastomer Seal
Universal Mounting Kit
Precision Polymer Engineering

(PPE) introduces a taste and
taint free sealing material for
potable water that meets the
Water Regulations Advisory
Scheme (WRAS) BS 6920
taint taste requirements for
cold and hot water use (up to
85 degrees C). Called E73D,
the peroxide-cured Ethylene
Propylene Terpolymer (EPDM)
elastomer is suitable for use in all
types of potable water applications also requiring KTW D1/D2, DVGW W-270 D1/D2,
NSF/ ANSI 61, ACS XP P 41-250 drinking water regulation
compliance.
he AEGIS SGR
Bearing Protection
Ring protects the bearings of VFD-driven
motors from electrical damage, and the
new AEGIS Universal
Mounting Kit (U-Kit)
simplies its mounting
on virtually any AC
motor shaft. Available from Electro Static Technology, the kit
includes the AEGIS grounding ring and mounting hardware
for most motor designs. Ordered based on the NEMA u
shaft diameter, the kit contains the correct size ring for the
motor and four styles of brackets with bolts and lock washers.
Self Priming Chopper Pumps
Grinder System
Vaughan Company
introduces its line of
self priming chopper
pumps, ideally suited
for lift stations, scum
wells, portable cleanout
or any retrots of clogging pumps. he new
high eciency chopper
impeller design allows
priming up to 24 feet.
hese self priming chopper pumps cover a wide range of
applications with ows up to 6,000 gallons per minute.
Moyno, Inc., introduces the MaxFlow Annihilator Grinder System,

a custom-engineered headworks
debris handling system that protects
downstream pumps, valves and
process equipment and their lift stations in water treatment plants. he
low-maintenance grinder system can
be used in place of bar rakes, screens
and drum screen grinders. It contains
two or more Annihilator grinders
mounted side-by-side in a stainless
steel retrieval frame.
Welding End Prep Tool

ESCO Tool announced an I.D.
clamping welding end prep tool
that produces high torque at low
rpm for cutting high chrome
content boiler tubes, stainless
steel and tubes with overlays. he
ESCO Mongoose MILLHOG
right angle drive I.D. clamping
welding end prep tool features a
1.25-horsepower motor with a
reduction drive gear to produce
240 pounds of torque at 100 rpm. It requires nine sets of
clamps for the full 0.750-inch I.D. to 3-inch O.D. range of
the tool. Eliminating the need for cutting uids, the tool uses
TiN-coated cutter blades that feature a radical chip breaker
which directs the chip away from the tube and minimizes heat
generation.
Measurement Solution for the Water

Wastewater Industry
Electro-Chemical Devices
introduces the new CA-6
Colorimetric Online Analyzer,
which performs colorimetric or
Ion Selective Electrode (ISE)
based laboratory analyses accurately and reliably. he device
is easy to install and is available with up to four channels
(optional) each from a separate
sample point. A menu structure
and touchscreen make accessing information or customize
analyses easy, and it operates in
temperatures from 5 to 50 degrees C.
90 MARCH 2011
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Diaphragm Pumps
KNF Laboport Filtration
Series diaphragm pumps
provide solutions for many
lab applications, including
ask ltration, vacuum blotting, vacuum manifold, and
vacuum desiccation. hese
pumps perform cleanly without pump oil, conserving water
by eliminating water aspirators, supplying consistent vacuum
levels and eliminating any potential for solvent-contaminated
waste. hey can achieve ow rates from 5.5 liters per minute
to 37 liters per minute and vacuum from 15 Torr (29.3 in.
Hg) to 120 Torr (25.2 in. Hg), depending on the version.
Variable Frequency
Drive
SJE-Rhombus introduces the
VARIOspeed variable frequency
drive (VFD), designed specically
for pressure control applications.
As the ow and head conditions
change, this drive automatically
controls the pump speed and
maintains a constant discharge pressure. It is available from 5

to 150 horsepower at 208 to 240 volts and 5 to 250 horsepower at 380 to 480 volts, single phase or three phase supply
voltage. Typical applications include booster pumps, deep well
submersible pumps and irrigation pumps.
Lubrication Meters
Universal Flow Monitors
announces the addition of
a transmitter to its entire
lubrication ow meter
line. he three variable
area lubrication meters
for circulating water
and lubrication oil are
the SN, MN and LL Series. he
SN vane-style meters are designed for ows
from 0.5 gallons per minute (gpm) to 20 GPM (2 lpm to 75
LPM). he MN vane-style meters are designed for ows from
10 to 70 gpm (40 to 250 lpm). he LL piston-style meters
are designed for ows from 0.25 gpm to 20 gpm (1 lpm to 75
lpm).
P&S
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below the ad to contact an advertiser.
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
91
BULLETIN BOARD
MONITOR PUMP PERFORMANCE

U"7,/
U*1*
" /"
U,9,1

U
6//"
U , 1,
"7",9"1,
, 9/,
888-600-3247
Theory
UNIVERSAL
POWER CELL
May 12-13, 2011 in Atlanta

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT PUMPS
For more information go to
Uiiii
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Live Performance Testing
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U"i-i`v
]->
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i]*>i]
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Hands-On
www.PumpingMachinery.com
U{>]6
770-310-0866
Looking for Useful Pump

Information?
look here first...
pump-zone.com
MARKETPLACE
PUMP USERS
DONT FIND
YO
YOURSELF
IN A JAM.
OFF Button
Provides push button
circuit disconnections
Uniqu reversing cutter

Unique
action allows pump to
clear jams and hangups.
Doubles
Doubl life by allowing
both sides
of the cutter
s
to wo
work.
Arc Flash Chambers

Prevent Exposure
to Arc Flash
Safety Shutter
Keeps NFPA 70E Hazard/
Risk Category=0
Your Peace of Mind

is Our Top Priority
Maximum protection from

electrical hazards. Minimum
downtime for pumps.
zoellerengprod.com
1-800-928-7867
www.meltric.com 800.433.7642
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Advertiser Name
R.S. # Page
ABZ, Inc.
Advanced Engineered
Pump, Inc.
Advanced Sealing
International (ASI)
Baldor Electric Company
BaseTek, LLC
Basler Electric
Blacoh Fluid Control, Inc.
Blue-White Industries
Boerger, LLC
Boulden Company
Bredel: Watson-Marlow
Pumps Group
Cashco, Inc.
Check-All Valve Mfg Co.
CLYDEUNION
Cole-Parmer
Dan Bolen & Associates, LLC
Danfoss
Dynaflow
EagleBurgmann
EASA
Electro Static Technology
Equipump
Fairbanks Morse Engines
Frost & Sullivan
FW Murphy
The Fulflo Specialties Co.
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
175
92
161
93
138
100
139
118
119
120
162
121
57
11
24
40
16
13
95
17
135
122
123
101
124
163
140
164
102
125
126
176
103
151
104
147
28
73
23
25
8
94
69
94
1
89
9
92
33
77
39
63
Advertiser Name
R.S. # Page
Godwin Pumps of
America, Inc
Graphite Metallizing Corp.
Griffco Valve, Inc
Hayward Flow Control
Heinrichs USA LLC
Hitachi America Ltd.
Hydraulic Institute
Hyundai
ITT Goulds Pumps
ITT Water &
Wastewater USA, Inc.
Jordan, Knauff, and CO.
Junty Industries, Ltd.
Liberty Process
Equipment, Inc.
Littlefuse
Load Controls, Inc.
Load Controls, Inc.
Meltric Corporation
Mersino
Motor Protection Electronics
MSE of Canada Ltd.
Nidec Motor Corporation
NSK
Peerless Electric
Proco Products, Inc.
Pump Solutions Group
Pumping Machinery
www.pump-zone.com
105
152
127
106
153
141
154
107
142
15
64
32
7
75
46
50
19
67
108
155
165
45
75
94
156
109
128
177
166
110
157
167
111
112
143
144
145
178
64
IBC
21
92
93
51
77
95
3
55
47
62
61
92
Advertiser Name
R.S. # Page
R+W Coupling Technology

Ruhrpumpen
Salem Republic Rubber Co.
Scenic Precise Element Inc.
SCHENCK
SEPCO
SEPCO
ShinMaywa (America) Ltd.
Sims Pump Co.
Sims Pump Co.
Smith & Loveless Inc.
St. Marys Carbon Company
SWPA
TAW, Inc.
Toshiba
Trachte, USA
Trask-Decrow
Tuf-Lok International
Val-Matic
Vaughan
Verder
VERTIFLO
VibrAlign
Weir SP
Wilden
Zoeller
Zoeller
129
113
130
168
131
132
169
158
117
170
133
146
134
171
114
159
172
173
148
115
149
160
150
136
137
116
174
18
IFC
22
95
27
12
95
81
29
95
37
50
71
94
5
70
95
94
44
BC
35
70
14
49
38
41
93
* Ad index is furnished as a courtesy and no

responsibility is assumed for incorrect information.
MARCH 2011
93
PUMP USERS
MARKETPLACE
Stay Connected With

on
Employment
EXECUTIVE SEARCH/RECRUITING
Serving the Pump & Rotating

Equipment, Valve, and Industrial
Equipment Industry since 1969
Domestic & International
Specializing in placing:
General Management
Engineering
Sales & Marketing
Manufacturing
DAN BOLEN JASON SWANSON
CHRIS OSBORN DAN MARSHALL
9741 North 90th Place, Suite 200
Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-5065
(480) 767-9000 Fax (480) 767-0100
Email: danbolen@mindspring.com
www.danbolenassoc.com
94 MARCH 2011
@PumpsSystemsMag
and at
www.pump-zone.com
YOUR AD COULD
BE HERE!
For More Information, Contact:
Mark Goins
205-345-6414
e-mail:
mgoins@pump-zone.com

www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
PUMP USERS
MARKETPLACE
OB CAN
S
FO OLET MAKE
RA E
NY PAR
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MP
Use the Best!

Sims Replacement Pump Parts
PRECISION MACHINED IMPELLERS,
RINGS, SLEEVES & BEARINGS
FOR ALL CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS!
Specialists in Structural Composites
Specialists in Hydraulic Design
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SIMS PUMP CO.
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Rotary Lobe Pumps
Macerating Technology
i nno v at i o n
The Multichopper,
The Multicrusher,
(Single Shaft Grinder)

for solids and debris
laden fluids, macerates
and conditions stringent
material in homogenous
sludge.
(Twin Shaft Grinder)

grinds and crushes
foreign objects like
wood, plastics, textiles,
skins, etc.
Boerger, LLC | Minneapolis, MN | 877.726.3743 | www.boerger-pumps.com

1-800-287-1538
1
800 287 1538
www.trask-decrow.com

PUMPS & SYSTEMS
www.pump-zone.com
MARCH 2011
95
P&S Market
Jordan, Knauff & Company
RigC ounts
Q uadrillion Btu
he Jordan, Knau & Company (JKC) Valve

Figure 1. Stock Indices from February 2010 to January 2011
Stock Index demonstrated continuing strength, 50%
+42.7%
up 32.9 percent over the last 12 months and 40%
+32.9%
outperformed the broader S&P 500 index by almost 30%
16 percent. he JKC Pump Stock Index also contin- 20%
+17.2%
ued a strong trend, up 42.7 percent for the same time 10%
period, which is above the broader S&P 500 index
0%
by more than 25 percent. he recent rally has been -10%
driven by a number of factors, including a more posi- -20%
Feb-10
Apr-10
Jun-10
Jul-10
Sep-10
N ov-10
Jan-11
tive economic outlook for 2011, continued expansion
in the manufacturing sector and increased demand for
S&P 500 Index
JK C Valve Stock Index
JK C Pump Stock Index
energy.
Source: Capital IQ and JKC research. Local currency converted to USD using historical spot rates. he
On Wall Street, stocks experienced a strong JKC Pump and Valve Stock Indices include a select list of publicly-traded companies involved in the pump
and valve industries weighted by market capitalization.
rebound in the second half of 2010, which has conAdministration is projecting West Texas Intermediate crude oil
tinued into 2011. In general, investors seem more conto average approximately $93 per barrel in 2011, $14 higher
dent in 2011. Many will continue to pay close attention to
than the average price in 2010 and $11 higher than projections
earnings reports as they are released in the coming weeks to see
just a few months earlier.
if companies grew their top lines after the drastic cost-cutting
Domestic and global manufacturing extended their expanmeasures they made through the last two years.
sion
streaks.
he January U.S. Purchasing Manufacturers Index
Figure 2. U.S. Energy Consumption and Rig Counts
(PMI) of 60.8 is at its highest level in seven years. In addition,
4,000
20.0
the index has marked an 18th consecutive month of expansion. he January Global Manufacturing PMI rose to a nine3,000
15.0
month high at 57.2 and has shown expansion for 19 consecutive months.
2,000
10.0
1,000
5.0
$500,000
70.0
$425,000
60.0
$350,000
50.0
$275,000
40.0
0.0
Jan-03
Jan-07
U.S. Rig C ounts
Jan-09
Jan-11
W orldwide Rig C ounts
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration and Baker Hughes Inc.
he economic committee of the American Bankers

Association recently raised its 2011 U.S. Gross Domestic
Product forecast to 3.3 percent from the 3.0 percent it forecasted in June. his is signicantly better than the 2.8 percent
growth the American economy experienced in 2010 and in line
with the 3.2 percent forecast he Wall Street Journal recently
published from its annual survey of 55 economists.
he outlook for the energy sector remains strong, as well.
he U.S. consumed 97.9 quadrillion BTUs of energy in 2010,
a 3.3 percent increase over 2009. An average of 1,541 oil and
gas rigs were in the eld per month in the U.S. in 2010, a
42 percent increase over 2009. he Energy Information
96 MARCH 2011
$200,000
Jan-92
PMI Index
U.S. Energy C onsumption
Jan-05
Monthly Shipments
(U S$ in Millions)
Jan-01
Figure 3. U.S. PMI Index and Manufacturing Shipments
30.0
Jan-95
Jan-98
Jan-01
Jan-04
U.S. Manufacturers' Monthly Shipments
Jan-07
Jan-10
U.S. PMI Index
Source: Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Report on Business and U.S.
Census Bureau.
P&S
Jordan, Knau & Company is an investment bank based
in Chicago, Ill., that provides advisory services to the pump,
valve and ltration industries.
www.pump-zone.com
PUMPS & SYSTEMS
hese materials were prepared for informational purposes from sources that are believed to be reliable but which could change without notice. Jordan, Knau & Company and Pumps & Systems shall not in any
way be liable for claims relating to these materials and makes no warranties, express or implied, or representations as to their accuracy or completeness or for errors or omissions contained herein. his information is
not intended to be construed as tax, legal or investment advice. hese materials do not constitute an oer to buy or sell any nancial security or participate in any investment oering or deployment of capital.
Wall Street Pump and

Valve Industry Watch
TOUGH MOTOR
PROTECTION
FOR A SMOOTH
OPERATION
NEW
IIntroducing the POWR-GARD family of motor protection products

Electronic overload relays that protect low- to medium-horsepower motors and pumps
E
2
3
1 PGR-6130 Electronic Overload Relay
2 PGR-6150 Motor Protection System
This compact relay with integrated CTs

provides overload, phase unbalance and
overtemperature protection. It is an ideal
replacement for older-style overloads.
This compact relay protects motors from

overload, undercurrent, overcurrent, ground
fault, jam, overtemperature, phase loss, phase
reverse and phase unbalance. Integrated CTs
and an optional 40-character LCD display
make the PGR-6150 extremely exible.
Littelfuse POWR-GARD offers a full line of motor protection relays for small,
medium and large pump applications, including advanced, multifunction
protection relays for large and critical motors.
To learn how our protection relays can help you optimize processes and
reduce downtime in your facility, visit www.littelfuse.com/protectionrelays
or call 1-800-832-3873.
3 PGR-6800 Pump Protection Relay

This relay protects pumps from
undercurrent, overload and unbalance,
and can be used to replace and
consolidate older relays and low-level
sensors. It is easy to install because of
its compact size and integrated CTs.

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The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide

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Walter B. Evans, Jr.

Letter from the Editor

Beth Ann Higgs

ith property damage estimated at

Thomas L. Angle, PE, Vice President Engineering,

Editorial Advisory Board

For further information, we have posted an

Robert K. Asdal, Executive Director, Hydraulic

David A. Doty, North American Sales Manager,

is a member of the following organizations:

PUMPS & SYSTEMS

As you are probably aware, the Industrial Motors, Heating and

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The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide

New Packaged Pump Station Updates

John Mowen, P.E., Smith & Loveless Inc.

The Surge in Contingency Planning

Kristen Gurick, Godwin Pumps

Dr. Lev Nelik, P.E., P&S Editorial Advisory Board