Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Syracuse University

Piping and Pumping

Process Design
CEN 574
Spring 2004
 Outline
• Pipe routing
• Optimum pipe diameter
• Pressure drop through piping
• Piping costs
• Pump types and characteristics
• Pump curves
• NPSH and cavitation
• Regulation of flow
• Pump installation design
 Piping and Pumping
Learning Objectives
At the end of this section, you should be able to…
• Draw a three dimensional pipe routing with
layout and plan views.
• Calculate the optimum pipe diameter for an
application.
• Calculate the pressure drop through a length of
pipe with associated valves.
• Estimate the cost of a piping run including
installation, insulation, and hangars.
• List the types of pumps, their characteristics, and
select an appropriate type for a specified application.
• Draw the typical flow control loop for a centrifugal
pump on a P&ID.
• Describe the features of a pump curve.
• Use a pump curve to select an appropriate pump and
impellor size for an application.
• Predict the outcome from a pump impellor change.
• Define cavitation and the pressure profile within a
centrifugal pump.
• Calculate the required NPSH for a given pump
installation.
• Identify the appropriate steps to design a pump
installation.
 References
• Appendix III.3 (pg 642-46) in Seider et al.,
Process Design Principals (our text for this
class).
• Chapter 12 in Turton et al., Analysis, Synthesis,
and Design of Chemical Processes.
• Chapter 13 in Peters and Timmerhaus, Plant
Design and Economics for Chemical Engineers.
• Chapter 8 in McCabe, Smith and Harriott, Unit
Operations of Chemical Engineering.
 Pipe Routing
• The following figures show a layout
(looking from the top) and plan
(looking from the side) view of
vessels.
• We want to rout pipe from
the feed tank to the reactor.
 reactor piping
Plan View chase

steam
header 40 ft

feed 60 ft
tank

50 ft 35 ft
Layout View: Looking Down
steam
40 ft
header

feed 45 ft piping
tank chase

30 ft reactor 10 ft
reactor

50 ft 35 ft
Plan View reactor piping
= out chase

= in
steam
header 40 ft

feed
60 ft
tank

50 ft 35 ft
 Layout View
steam
header

85 ft
30 ft
feed 20 ft
tank
35 ft 60 ft
10 ft

10 ft
reactor
 Pipe Routing Exercise
• Form groups of two.
• Draw a three dimensional routing
for pipe from the steam header to
the feed tank on both the plan view
and the layout view.
 Size the Pump
1. Determine optimum pipe size.
2. Determine pressure drop through pipe
run.
200 ft

globe
valve
check valve 150 ft

100 gpm
 Optimum Pipe Diameter
The optimum pipe diameter gives
the least total cost for annual
pumping power and fixed costs. As
D , fixed costs , but pumping
power costs .
 
 Optimum Pipe Diameter

Total Cost
Cost/(year ft)

Annualized Pumping
Capital Cost Power Cost

Optimum

Pipe Diameter
 Example
• Two methods to determine the
optimum diameter:
Velocity guidelines and Nomograph.

• Example: What is the optimum

pipe diameter for 100 gpm water.
Using Velocity Guidelines
• Velocity = 3-10 ft/s = flow rate/area
• Given a flow rate (100 gpm), solve for
area.
• Area = (/4)D2, solve for optimum D.

• Optimum pipe diameter = 2.6-3.6 in.

Select standard size, nominal 3 in. pipe.
 Nomograph
-Convert gpm to cfm
 13.4 cfm.
-Find cfm on left
axis.
-Find density (62
lb/ft3) on right axis.
-Draw a line between
3.3 in points.
optimum
diameter -Read optimum
diameter from
middle axis.
 Practice Problem
• Find the optimum pipe diameter for 100
ft3 of air at 40 psig/min.

• A = (s/50ft)(min/60 s)(100 ft3/min) = 0.033 ft2

• 0.033 ft2 = 3.14d2/4
• d = 2.47 in
 Piping Guidelines
• Slope to drains.
• Add cleanouts (Ts at elbows)
frequently.
• Add flanges around valves for
maintenance.
• Use screwed fitting only for 1.5 in
or less piping.
• Schedule 40 most common.
Calculating the Pressure
Drop through a Pipe Run
• Use the article Estimating pipeline
head loss from Chemical Processing
(pg 9-12).
 P = (/144)(Z+[v22-v12]/2g+hL)
• Typically neglect velocity differences
for subsonic velocities.
• hL = head loss due to 1) friction in
pipe, and 2) valves and fittings.
• hL(friction) = c1fLq2/d5
• c1 = conversion constant from Table 1
= 0.0311.
• f = friction factor from Table 6 =
0.018.
• L = length of pipe = 200 ft + 150 ft =
350 ft.
• q = flow rate = 100 gpm.
• d = actual pipe diameter of 3”
nominal from Table 8 = 3.068 in .
• hL due to friction = 7.2 ft of liquid
head
 Loss Due to Fittings
• K= 0.5 entrance
• K = 1.0 exit
• K=f(L/d)=(0.018)(20) flow through tee
• K=3[(0.018)(14)] elbows
• K=0.018(340) globe
• K=0.018(600) check valve

Sum K = 19.5
• hL due to fittings = c3Ksumq2/d4 = 5.7 ft
of liquid head loss due to fittings.
• hLsum=7.2 + 5.7 ft of liquid head loss
• Using Bernoulli Equation
P = (/144)(Z+[v22-v12]/2g+hLsum)

elevation velocity friction and fittings

P = ( /144)(150+0+12.9)= 70.1 psi due

mostly to elevation. Use P to size
pump.
Find the Pressure Drop
400 ft

50 ft
check valve

400 gpm water

4 in pipe
 Estimating Pipe Costs
Use charts from Peters and Timmerhaus.
Pipe
Fittings (T, elbow, etc.)
Valves
Insulation
Hangars
Installation
$/linear ft

Note:
not
2003 $
Pumps – Moving Liquids
• Centrifugal
• Positive displacement
– Reciprocating: fluid chamber
stationary, check valves
– Rotary: fluid chamber moves
Centrifugal Pumps
 
                      
Centrifugal Pump Impeller
 Positive Displacement:
Reciprocating
• Piston: up to 50 atm
• Plunger: up to 1,500 atm
• Diaphragm: up to 100 atm, ideal for
corrosive fluids
• Efficiency 40-50% for small pumps,
70-90% for large pumps
Positive Displacement:
Reciprocating (plunger)
 Positive Displacement:
Rotary

• Gear, lobe, screw, cam, vane

• For viscous fluids up to 200 atm
• Very close tolerances
Positive Displacement: Rotary
 Comparisons: Centrifugal
• larger flow rates
• not self priming
• discharge dependent of downstream pressure drop
• down stream discharge can be closed without
damage
• uniform pressure without pulsation
• direct motor drive
• less maintenance
• wide variety of fluids
Comparisons: Positive Displacement
• smaller flow rates
• higher pressures
• self priming
• discharge flow rate independent of pressure
– utilized for metering of fluids
• down stream discharge cannot be closed
without damage – bypass with relief valve
required
• pulsating flow
• gear box required (lower speeds)
• higher maintenance
 Centrifugal Pumps
Advantages
• simple and cheap
• uniform pressure, without
shock or pulsation
• direct coupling to motor
• discharge line may be closed
• can handle liquid with large
amounts of solids
• no close metal-to-metal fits
• no valves involved in pump
operation
• maintenance costs are lower
Disadvantages
• cannot be operated at
high discharge
pressures
• must be primed
• maximum efficiency
holds for a narrow
range of operating
conditions
• cannot handle viscous
fluids efficiently
 Moving Gases
• Compression ratio = Pout/Pin
• Fans: large volumes, small discharge
pressure
• Blowers: compression ratio 3-4,
usually not cooled
• Compressors: compression ratio >10,
usually cooled.
– Centrifugal (often multistage)
– Positive displacement
Fan Impellers
Two-lobe Blower
Reciprocating
Compressor
Centrifugal Pump Symbols
 Pump Curves
For a given pump
1. The pressure produced at a given flow rate
increases with increasing impeller
diameter.
2. Low flow rates at high head, high flow
rates at high head.
3. Head is sensitive to flow rate at high flow
rates.
4. Head insensitive to flow rate at lower flow
rates.
Pump Curve

- used to determine
which pump to
purchase.

- provided by the
manufacturer.
Pump Curve
Low flow at
high head
Pressure
increases
with diameter

Head
sensitive
to flow
at high
flow
rates
 NPSH and Cavitation
• NPSH = Net Positive Suction Head
• Frictional losses at the entrance to the
pump cause the liquid pressure to drop
upon entering the pump.
• If the the feed is saturated, a reduction in
pressure will result in vaporization of the
liquid.
• Vaporization = bubbles, large volume
changes, damage to the pump (noise and
corrosion).
Pressure
Profile
in the
Pump
 NPSH
• To install a pump, the actual NPSH must be equal
to or greater than the required NPSH, which is
supplied by the manufacturer.
• Typically, NPSH required for small pumps is 2-4
psi, and for large pumps is 22 psi.
• To calculate actual NPSH…
NPSHactual= Pinlet-P* (vapor pressure)

Pinlet = P(top of tank, atmospheric) + gh - 2fLeqV2/D

What if NPSHactual < NPSHrequired?
INCREASE NPSHactual
• cool liquid at pump inlet (T decreases, P*
decreases)
• increase static head (height of liquid in
feed tank)
• increase feed diameter (reduces velocity,
reduces frictional losses) (standard
practice)
 Regulating Flow from
Centrifugal Pumps
• Usually speed controlled motors are
not provided on centrifugal pumps, the
flow rate is changed by adjusting the
downstream pressure drop (see pump
curve).
• Typical installation includes a flow
meter, flow control valve (pneumatic),
and a control loop.
 Typical Installation
operator
set-point
FC

FV
FT
Designing Pump Installations
• use existing pump vendor, note spare
parts the plant already stocks.
• select desired operating flow rate,
maximum flow rate.
• calculate pressure drop through discharge
piping, fittings, instrumentation (note if
flow control is desired need to use
pressure drop with control valve 50%
open).
• add safety factor to calculated head – 10
psig spec pump for 20 psig, 150 psig
spec pump for 200 psig.
• using head and flow rate, select impeller
that gives efficient operation in region of
operating flow rate.
• vertical location of pump compared to
level of influent tank (NPSH).
• if want to control flow rate – spec and
order flow meter and flow control valve
also.