FEATURE •
W h y is p u m p p i p i n g
so d i f f i c u l t to design?
The main problem with pump piping design is that pumps are a very
diverse group. The range of possibilities is very wide. There are many
different styles of rotodynamic pump and over 40 different types of
positive displacement pump. Pump sizes range from 5 W to about
300 MW. If we discount pump/turbines used for power generation
schemes, which are usually built onsite from concrete, and only consider pumps
manufactured in factories, the maximum size is reduced to about 47 MW. Obviously, notes
Brian Nesbitt, that still leaves a wide variety of piping requirements.
he average API end-suction
T centrifugal pump can be taken
as a reference point (Table 1).
Pipework for these pumps generally
works well enough. Some significant
features are obvious. Sometimes the
pipework is heavier than the flowing
liquid and sometimes the flowing liqu-
id is much heavier than the pipework.
All pumps produce pressure pulsa-
tions. Rotodynamic pumps produce
relatively low level pulsations, most of
the time, compared to PD pumps. (A
two-stage vertical centrifugal pump
Z
Figure 1. The ideal pipe run
Z meter thin wall pipe can pose mech-
kx
Figure 2. A pipe run w i t h flexibility
WORLD PUMPS October 2 0 0 0
may produce +_5% suction pulsations
at BEP but these increase to over 20%
at minimum flow.)
Low level pulsations can produce con-
siderable axial thrust in large diameter
pipework. The pressure pulsations
from PD pumps can also produce con-
siderable ~xial thrust when pulsation
dampening is ineffective. The flowing
liquid in large diameter pipework
possesses an enormous amount of
momentum and kinetic energy. The
effects of momentum are felt when
the liquid is forced to change direc-
tion at a bend, for example.
Most pumped process applications do
not operate at high liquid speeds.
Surge pressures produced by water-
hammer are usually easily contained
by normal metal pipework. Surge
pressures will be magnified if the
liquid is required to reverse direction.
The axial thrust produced by surge
pressures can be very large. Special
anchors may be necessary to restrain
the pipework in the event of a water-
hammer excursion.
There is one effect which most people
do not address (Table 2 and Table 3) -
the potential energy stored in the
liquid due to compression. Liquids are
relatively incompressible. Although
cold water is one of the least com-
pressible liquids, pressurising water
690 bar(a) does increase its potential
energy considerably. Compressing hot
water to 319 bar(a) has a similar
effect. The potential energy will
become available whenever there is a
reduction in pressure.
0262 1762/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r~ghts reserved
The impact of
pressure surge
Data sheets submitted to pump
manufacturers, for selection and
quotation purposes, concentrate on
conditions at a "steady-state rated or
normal" duty point. All pumps have
at least two transient conditions:
starting and stopping. If pump startup
is very quick then surge effects may be
present in the suction or discharge
pipework. Startup surge in the suction
pipework creates a negative pressure
pulse. If the negative pressure pulse is
large enough, the liquid column can
separate and produce a vapour or gas
void. If the vapour/gas passes into the
pump, cavitation may damage the
pump internals. If the vapour/gas
passes through the pump then
additional surge pressure problems
will be experienced in the discharge
pipework. If the vapour/gas remains in
the suction pipe, the positive surge
pressure will occur when the
separation void collapses.
Pressure reductions inside large dia-
anical problems through elastic instab-
lilt,c: tf the negative pressure pulse is
large enough, the pipe will buckle.
During start-up the discharge pipework
may be subject to the positive surge
pressure effects. During stopping the
effects in the pipework are reversed.
The surge effects created during
starting and stopping can be minimised
by controlling the rate of change of the
flow. Normal flow control strategies
may not be effective in the event of a
 Pump type Vel Pipe w t Water w t Pulses Axial
m/s kg/m kg/m pk - pk % Thrust kg J/m
Peristaltic laboratory pump
Small industrial triplex plunger pump
Small hygienic single-stage centrifugal pump
Small API triplex plunger pump
Large API septuplex plunger pump
Average API end-suction centrifugal pump
Average 2-stage vertical centrifugal pump
Large duplex double-acting piston pump
Large industrial end-suction centrifugal pump
Large API end-suction centrifugal pump
Large segmental multi-stage centrifugal pump
Large multi-stage centrifugal boiler feed pump
Large axial flow pump
Large double-suction centrifugal pump
Large multi-stage vertical centrifugal pump a.6
short straight run next to the pump. form bubbles which partially constrict
The effect is to increase the nozzle the suction connection. The system
loading on the pump. When the short designer has ultimate responsibility
straight run occurs on the suction side for avoiding these problems.
there is an increased probability of
flow turbulence upsetting the pump. Figure 3 shows the suction and dis-
Typical problems thereafter include charge pipework for a high pressure
vibration, short bearing life and in ex- vertical plunger pump. One wonders
treme cases, cavitation. Pseudo-cavi- how much information the system
tation is the most likely - where the designer supplied to the pipe designer.
dissolved gas emerges from solution to Notice the lower portions of the pipes
are anchored to the baseplate. Did the
Z pipe designer consider the thermal
growth of the pump? Did the pipe des-
igner consider the differential expan-
sion/contraction between the pump
and the pipes? Did the system designer
tell the pipe designer the exotic high
pressure liquid end was mounted on a
cast iron box? Do we all remember the
c amount of elongation when cast iron
fails? Did the system designer tell the
Figure 4. A pipe run with two bends pipe designer to mount the dampers as
close to the pump as possible? They
Z could have been much closer! In this
particular case we know the dampers
are working within specification
d
limits. The rest of the pipework
vibrated so badly the damper per-
formance was checked.
Figure 4 shows a simple pipe run with
two bends. Sections 'ab' and 'cd' are
restrained from axial movement in
the 'X' direction because one end is
anchored. The nodes 'b' and 'c' may
move very slightly in 'X' depending
g upon the elasticity of the pipe
material. Section 'bc' may be able to
Figure 5. Normal pipework move in 'Z'; this depends upon the
26 WORLD PUMPS October 2000
KE W-Hammer Axial
Press bar Thrust kg
type of pipe supports fitted to 'ab' and
'cd'. If the horizontal sections are
simply supported or are on hangers
then 'bc' will be able to vibrate. The
amplitude will be dependent upon the
mass of 'bc' and the bending stiffness
of 'ab' and 'cd'. The horizontal
sections could be fully restrained in 'Z'
but this would remove flexibility for
'bc' to expand/contract. The simplest
solution is probably to have simply
supported horizontal sections but
provide an anchor at the mid-point of
'bc'. The movement at 'b' and 'c'
would require checking to see if other
restraints were necessary.
Real life pJpework
All the pipework considered so far is
simple. All the pipe sections lie on a
single 'X-Z' plane. In fact, very few
installed pipe runs are like this.
Because insufficient attention is given
to equipment layout at the earliest
design stages, the pipework shown in
Figure 5 is the norm. This style of
pipework is applied to all pumps
irrespective of dynamic characteristics
regarding pressure pulsations and
surge. It is usually assumed that
rotodynamic pumps do not have
pressure pulsations. It seems very
likely that the pipe designer is not
aware of the specific pump type or the
style of construction. The pipe
designer is definitely not aware about
normal pressure pulsation levels and
damper requirements. Notice that the
pipework is not self-venting, a major
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SOFTWARE he dimensions from volume IX, page 1097
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 FEATURE •

Pump type ] Velocity Pipe w t Water wt Pulses Axial KE W-Hammer Axial

I m/s kg/m kg/m pk - pk % Thrust kg J/m Press bar Thrust kg
Peristaltic laboratory pump 1.2 ~149
Small industrial triplex plunger pump ¢1 ~794 O:O46 20
Small hygienic single-stage centrifugal pump 3,5 . s .

Small API triplex plunger pump 3.6 7~ °,

Large API septuplex plunger pump 2,5 378,

Average API end-suction centrifugal pump 43 18:s - . 3
Average 2-stage vertical centrifugal pump 3.8 2S3: , , O:S 8.4
: ,2
Large duplex double-acting piston pump 2.8 123 1~3, .. 46,
Large industrial end-suction centrifugal pump 4.2 7U 3
Large API end-suction centrifugal pump 3,8 155 1~, 3"
Large segmental multi-stage centrifugal pump 6,0 863 9i. 3:
Large multbstage centrifugal boiler feed pump 9.3 ~3 2 948t ' .
Large axial flow pump 2A 1316 3391 ~, 5,
Large double-suction centrifugal pump 3.8 678 3e43 5 ~3{}> :

Large multi-stage vertical centrifugal pump 3.7 868 5991 ' 1 978'

problem when handling hazardous Software pitfalls A premium on

liquids.
Notice also that the equipment is not
rigidly located but is on flexible
mountings. This does not mean,
necessarily, that the equipment is
supported from something rigid, like
concrete, and uses rubber inserts.
Much equipment is mounted on
structural steelwork which is
effectively flexible. The ability of the
equipment to move adds a new
dimension to the piping design. All
anchors are external to the
equipment. All sections of this pipe
run can be loaded by axial, bending
and torsional forces provided by the
mass of the pipe/liquid and the
pulsation/surge pressure variations.
The magnitude of the various
mechanical forces are dependent
upon the positioning and the degree
of restraint provided by the supports.
The hydraulic forces are dependent
upon the levels of pressure pulsations
and surge.
The pipe run shown in Figure 5 does
not include the essentials found in
most pipes: flanges/connectors,
isolating valves, control valves, and
branches to associated systems. All of
these items increase the complexity of
pipe supporting and restraints. Pipe
design is usually accomplished by
proprietary computer software.
Inadequate input data, which only
describes part of the problem, will
produce inaccurate results.
It seems the computer software usually
used by pipe designers is for the design
of static pipework. In reality pumps
inject very complicated pressure
signals into the suction and discl~arge
pipe runs. Software analysis to see
if the pipe runs will be excited,
mechanically or acoustically, by the
pump signals, are not conducted
as a matter of routine. These
checks normally only follow after
commissioning when the piping
dynamics are considered to be
unacceptable, and the pump has been
blamed first. Only when the pump is
shown to be operating properly are
other avenues explored. Modifying
the dynamics of installed pipework
can be very costly.
This article has concentrated on the
mechanics of pipework design, The
mechanical design is very important
but not as important as the hydraulic
design. Process pipework connected
to pumps is fitted to convey liquid.
This prime function must be accomp-
lished efficiently. The mechanical
design must not interfere with the
successful conveyance of the liquid.
The proprietary software used to
design pipework seems to concentrate
on 'Code' compliance rather than en-
suring that the prime objective is acc-
omplished successfully. The system
designer must arrange the equipment
so that properly designed pipework
will allow the pump to function
correctly.
expertise
Today, industry places great reliance
on computers and software, tf
experienced engineers are to be
replaced by software, then the
software must capture and re-deploy
the wisdom and experience of these
engineers. The mechanical software
used to ensure code compliance of
pipe runs will only be completely
successful when it incorporates the
hydraulic rules-of-thumb. There is
considerable difference in designing
suction pipework compared to
discharge pipework. Software which is
not developed using experienced
engineers can only solve textbook
problems. The real pump world is
dominated by problems which don't
appear in textbooks.
Note: System designers should be aware
that the European Pressure Equipment
Directive, which comes fully into force
after 29 th May 2002, requires "that due
consideration is given to the potential
damage from turbulence and formation
of vortices", •
BRIAN NESBITT IS AN INDEPENDENTCON-
SULTANT SPECIALISING IN POSITIVE DIS-
PLACEMENT PUMPS. BRIAN HAS BEEN IN-
VOWED WITH PUMPS AND PUMPING
SYSTEMS SINCE 1974. A MEMBER OF
THE BSI M C E / 6 COMMITTEES, BRIAN
REPRESENTSTHE UK ON CEN AND ISO
PD PUMP COMMI'n'EES AND IS CURRENT-
LY WORKING WITH THE API 6 7 4
TASKFORCE. BRIAN CAN BE CONTACTED
AT BRIANNESBITT~)EMAIL.MSN.COM

www.worldpumps.com WORLD P U M P S October2000 : 2 9