25 18 Try Premium for

Search
Home My Network Jobs Messaging Notifications Me Work free

FIRE PUMP MINIMUM FLOW

REQUIREMENTS
Published on November 8, 2015

Mike Trumbature
454 articles Follow
RETIRED

Like Comment Share Bakr Saleh - PMP® and 10 others

11 2 comments Messaging

This article was composed based on an overseas vertical turbine, non-listed fire pump
project in progress.

Concerns for running any centrifugal pump at shutoff for prolonged periods expresses
concerns for overheating as well as maximum shaft deflection on HSC pumps and
maximum down-thrust on VT pumps. The above clip from slide #5 of this
PRESENTATION shows no flow and excess flow problems with a vertical turbine
pump. There is more information on the last slide.

MINIMUM FLOW REQUIREMENTS 

Every pump guy would love to see a minimum flow on his fire pump. I'm sure the
insurance companies would like to see no fires at all. They can both wish in one hand
and poop in the other - guess which one is going to fill up first in the fire pump
industry.

FIRE PUMPS 

Electric fire pumps are typically run/exercised weekly-to-monthly for ten minutes.
Diesel are run weekly for thirty minutes. Both pumps run at shutoff with nothing
more than the electric HSC pumps' small case temperature relief valves or the diesel
cooling loop discharge for thermal relief.

FIRE PUMP OVERHEATING  

In order to prevent overheating on electric HSC fire pumps, a small temperature case
relieve valve is required to be installed to remove any excess heat build up in the pump
case by dumping a small amount of water to drain at shutoff. This is generally-covered
in NFPA 20, 4.12. 4.12.1.8 excludes the need far this auxiliary valve with diesel-driven
fire pumps and cooling loops since the cooling loop supply is enough to carry any heat
build up out of the pump's case on horizontal pumps. Vertical turbine fire pumps in
wet pits have even less overheating issues.

FIRE PUMP PROJECT MINIMUM FLOW REQUIREMENTS  

I put this article together to clear up some myths and facts about NFPA 20's use of a
main relief valve where the pump people have demanded a 1000 GPM minimum flow
on a large 9000 GPM, non-listed diesel-driven vertical turbine fire pump. The client is
now demanding a second relief valve to be installed parallel to the first one for this
minimum flow requirement when there is already a main relief valve there per NFPA
20 for overpressure that could be used for this.

NFPA 20, A.4.7.7

This claims the use of a main relief valve as a pressure maintenance device is a poor
practice for the purpose of using lower pressure piping in a design. There is nothing
specifically-saying you cannot dump water out of one in a properly-designed system as long
as you do not exceed the valve's CV factor. See cavitation in the globe valve
YOUTUBE_VIDEO

SETTING THE MAIN RELIEF VALVE FOR 1000 GPMS

In order to set the valve, the valve would be adjusted open at churn to the
corresponding pressure point on the factory curve, using the pressure gauge on the
discharge head. This pressure and flow point can also be used to determine if there is
too much pressure drop across a particular relief valve or not -
see YOUTUBE_VIDEO from above.

LISTED FIRE PUMP OPERATION EXPERIENCES

I've been working with large vertical turbine fire pumps all over Houston, Texas up
and down the Houston Ship Channel in the industrial refineries and chemical plants
and in power generation stations. Many of these installations are several years old.
I've seen the pumps run at churn and with the main relief valves dumping water to
take a load off the older underground mains that were originally properly-designed for
the pumps' maximum pressure. I've not seen any problems with either installations.

So far I've not heard from the pump people as to their reasons why this particular
pump needs 1000 GPMs when all the other listed fire pumps run at shutoff for years
with no problems with a properly-sized gear box thrust bearing like listed right angle
gear drives.

In closing, if this pump and gear is built per NFPA 20 , the client can either run it 30
minutes weekly at shutoff like everyone does or use the main relief valve for minimum
flow since NFPA 20 says nothing about this use. I agree that that a minimum flow is a
good idea, there is just no need to install a second valve to do this when it can be done
with the one already there. This will also help exercise the main relief valve weekly to
prevent seizing from long-term sitting closed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

SETTING FIRE PUMP MAIN RELIEF VALVES

FIRE PUMP TECH SUPPORT GROUP DISCUSSION

Report this

Published by
Mike Trumbature 454 articles Follow
RETIRED
Published • 7y

Like Comment Share Bakr Saleh - PMP® and 10 others

11 2 comments

Reactions

2 Comments
Most relevant

Add a comment…

Mike Trumbature • 2nd 7y

RETIRED

UPDATE - added NFPA 20, A.4.7.7 excerpt clip.

Like Reply

Mike Trumbature • 2nd 7y

RETIRED

UPDATE - added YOUTUBE VIDEO anti-cavitation in globe valves to the FIRE PUMP PROJECT MINIMUM
FLOW REQUIREMENTS section, last paragraph, last sentence

Like · 1 Reply

Mike Trumbature
RETIRED

Follow

More from Mike Trumbature

BLINDSIDED ROOMMATE THREATENS TO KILL
ME
Mike Trumbature on LinkedIn
Mike Trumbature on LinkedIn
MAN DIES IN TRENCHING GREETINGS FOLLOWERS FROM ST
ACCIDENT LUKE'S HOSPITAL IN SUGAR LAND
TEXAS
Mike Trumbature on LinkedIn
Mike Trumbature on LinkedIn

See all 454 articles