STUDY AND TROUBLESHOOTING OF ALUM

DOSING PUMP

BY: Manoj Dhage

INTRODUCTION

 BACKGROUND
P115 A/B are positive displacement rotary type helical rotor pumps also called Progressive
cavity pumps. The pumps were supplied by “prorites equipment pvt. ltd. and installed at offsite-
2[ Offsite-2 is the water treatment facility used for canal water treatment.] facility to pump Alum
solution (coagulant) into the flash mixing chamber where it is mixed with water in specific
quantity (in ppm) to carryout coagulation and flocculation.
 Pump performance:
The P115 A/B is motor driven with the capacity and speed ranges from 400-1950 l/h and 125-
635 rpm, respectively. The suction side of the pump is flooded (filled with pumping fluid) which
avoid any type of cavitation and design pressure of pump is 5 bar. The pump has the power
requirement of 0.4 MW and its duty cycle is 12 hours each day.
Pump Metallurgy:
 P115 A/B belongs to the k-range series of pc pumps manufactured by Prorites. Pump
casing is cast iron GG20, rotor is made of duplex steel and stator is made of nitrile. The
base plate of pump mild steel base plate.

Pump Driver:
 P115 A/B is motor driven pump. The motor is provided by the pump “SIEMENS” and has
the power requirement of 0.5 KW. Gear based speed reduction mechanism is used in the
pump with speed reduction of 1:5. The drive service factor is 1.3.
 PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP
 The progressive cavity pump is a positive displacement rotary pump. The pump has an
internal threaded rotor with double thread and externally threaded rotor with single
.
threads. The meshing of two forms a series of cavities 180 degrees apart, which progress
along the axis of the rotor as it rotates. As one cavity increase in volume the opposing
cavity decrease in volume at the same speed. Therefore, the sum of the discharge at the
constant volume. The result is a continuous flow from the pump.

A PC pump is shown in figure.

 PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMPS SELECTION PARAMETERS
 Abrasion
 The progressing cavity pump is one of the best pumps available for handling abrasive
slurries. However, there are some considerations in pump size that need to be made in
order to achieve maximum performance. It is necessary to minimize the slip and internal
velocities to achieve good results. Most progressing cavity pump manufacturers limit these
items by publishing reduced maximum speeds and pressures for pumps handling abrasive
materials.
 Determining the degree of abrasion is largely judgmental; however, the makeup of the
particles will offer some clues as to how it is to be classified. A closer look at what causes
abrasion may be helpful in determining its classification. The components of abrasion are
the particle, the carrier fluid, and the velocity.
I) Particles
 Size — Wear increases with particle size.
 Hardness — Wear increases rapidly with particle hardness when it exceeds the rotor surface
hardness.
 Concentration — The higher the concentration, the more rapid the wear.
 Density — Heavier particles will not pass through the pump as easily as lighter ones.
II) Carrier Fluids
 Corrosivity — Surfaces attacked by corrosion will set up a corrosion-erosion effect.
 Viscosity — A high viscosity fluid will tend to keep particles in suspension
and not be as abrasive.
 Velocity — Low fluid velocity, or pump speed, will minimize abrasive effects. For a heavy
abrasive fluid, it is recommended to keep the average velocity in the elements between 3 to
5 ft/sec. A medium abrasive fluid should be limited to 6 to 10 ft/sec, and a light abrasive
should be limited to 10 to 15 ft/sec. These velocity limits are usually listed in catalogs as
pump rpm limits for various size pumps in conjunction with the abrasive nature of the fluid
Temperature
 The fluid temperature will affect the pump performance in two different ways. First, since
the stator is an elastomeric material, the thermal expansion is roughly ten times greater than
that of the metal rotor which is usually steel or stainless steel. This will cause a tighter fit for
the elements, and higher starting and running torques. When the temperature reaches a
certain limit, it is then advisable to use an undersized rotor which compensates for the
difference in size. Second, the life of the elastomer is greatly affected by heat. Table 2 shows
limits from one manufacturer for elastomers which are being worked such as in a stator, and
will differ from other published information on elastomers used in a static state such as O-
rings and gaskets.
 Mounting and vibration
 The progressing cavity pump is inherently an unbalanced machine due to the eccentric
rotation of the rotor. The vibration which occurs is dependent on the size of the element, the
offset, and the speed of rotation. For this reason, the speed of the pump is limited with typical
limiting speeds reaching 1200 RPM for small pumps (.02 gal/rev and lower), decreasing to
limits of 300 RPM for large pumps (3 gal/rev and larger).

FLOW PROBLEMS OF P 115

 METHODOLOGY:
 Based on the data available on the pump, we will go in a systematic way from the definition of
problem to FTA analysis, then evidence and conclusion.
 PROBLEM DEFINITION:
 After its installation P115 A/B have suffered severe flow problems and required continuous
overhauling over the years. The P 115 is supposed to pump alum into the static mixer where
it is mixed with the canal water and then transported to the flash mixer and then clarifier.
The most common problems that the pump has is the clogged suction and stator wear that
we will see in the further analysis.

The P115 A/B flow rate data is shown in the table below :
 FAULT TREE ANALYSIS
 There can be several reasons that can cause low or no flow rate problems in the progressive
cavity pumps we will do our FTA analysis and see which reasons are more plausible than
others. Now the pump manufacture data shows that the flow problem can occur from the
following reasons shown below:
1)Wrong rotor rotation direction
2)Pump and system characteristics does not match
3)Suction Lift too high
4)Leaked inlet or Suction line
5)Back Pressure too high
6)Rotor or Stator Wear
7)Clogged inlet, Suction Line or Cavity

Now there is no reason to believe that these are all the problems that can happen with the
pump but the most common one has been listed above. Now we will see these problems one by
one.
 Wrong rotor rotation direction
• Wrong rotor rotation can be the reason for no flow rate. The reason for wrong rotor direction
can be related to electrical circuit of the pump. But the problem is that flow problem is
repetitive and the electrical problem cannot be reason for failure of the pump again and
again. So, we can rule this reason safely without any doubt.
 System and pump are incompatible
• It is possible that the pump speed and flow doesn’t match with system characteristic and the
operating point of the pump is not at the optimum location but from the manufacture data
available as shown above in table 1 and 3 the system and pump are quite compatible and
there is no reason to believe that pump is failing because of this reason.
 High back pressure
• High back or discharge pressure can also cause slip in the pump and result in the backward
flow of the fluid. Now there is not enough data to safely rule out this possibility but later
evidence show that the root cause of the problem is not high discharge pressure as we will
see as we further go on.
• The progressive cavity pumps do not create pressure across its ends It only transfer the fluid
from one end to the other and that is why they have low or no lift at all. Most of progressive
cavity pumps has a suction side that is always filled with fluid to keep the cavities with liquid.
Also, the system for alum dosing is the head system not a lift system .as you can see from
figure the suction side in the head system is flooded so the problem of high suction lift cannot
occur. So, we can also rule out this possibility too.
 Leakage at inlet section
• Leakage at the inlet is can also be the reason for pump failure as high suction pressure can
cause leakage through unions or joints but the pressure at the suction is not very high is not
high enough to cause such failure at least no repetitively.

High suction lift

 Clogged inlet or suction
• Clogged inlet, suction or strainer can cause pump to fail and the reason can be suspended
solids in the fluid that is undissolved alum or other impurities that might be present.

 Rotor and stator wear

• Wear at the rotor and stator can also be reason for flow rate problem as the clearance
between the rotor and stator increases the pump slip increases and discharge flow rate
increases.
 Now, after the first stage of FTA analysis the following reasons for pump failure are more
reasonable then the others.
1)Rotor or Stator Wear
2)Clogged inlet, Suction Line or Cavity.
 Now Rotor wear can occur because of several reasons:

i) High Temperature
High temperature can cause the swelling of the stator as it is an elastomeric material which
results in decrease in internal diameter of the stator and when the pump is running it will result
in high wear of stator. But the operating temperature of the pump is well within materials
working range.

ii) Highly abrasive fluid

If the solution is highly abrasive in nature because of any of the factors discussed before then it
may cause rotor wear.

iii) High fluid velocity

If the fluid velocity is high, it may cause erosion effect but as discussed before progressive cavity
pumps are low speed pumps and P115 is operating well within its speed range so that cannot be
the case.
 iv ) Corrosion
If the fluid is corrosive to the stator, then stator will wear rapidly but alum solution is not
corrosive to the stator material.

v) Inadequate flushing procedure

Inadequate flushing procedure can cause serious damage to the pump as after the shut
down if the pump not flushed properly it may cause the sludge to be formed in the rotor
path as liquid evaporates and on startup it will cause serious damage to the pump
 ROOT CAUSE FOR P115 FLOW PROBLEM:
 After the detail FTA analysis done the root cause for the pump low flow rate was stated to be
inadequate flushing procedure. The final FTA analysis chart can be shown as below in figure :
EVIDENCE
• I) Findings of recent overhauling of P115 B
Recently P115 B was overhauled and excessive of rotor and stator wear was found that
caused slip in flow. See the figure:
II) Findings of overhauling of P117 and
P118
The root cause for repeated failure of stator is the inadequate flushing procedure. The water
I.
evaporates from the solution leaving thick slurry during off-duty, if not flushed before
shutdown, which damage the stator when it is restarted. The more severe case is seen in
P117/118. See figure below;
III) Inadequate alum solution making procedure
From the report issued by the process on P115 it was said that the alum solution making
procedure was inadequate and that is why solid is the solution resulted in line choking and
pump wear.

 Results and suggestions:

 From FTA analysis and evidence above following recommendation were made over the
problems.
 Proper flushing of pump at shutdown should be carried out.
 Proper alum solution facility should be installed.
 Alum dosing can be replaced with liquid coagulant.
 Strainer should be cleaned and checked for damage.
 Discharge pressure should be handled properly.
And thats how by applying the FTA the troubleshooting of alum dosing pump were resolved.
 CONCLUSION

It has been my good fortune to get an opportunity to undergo training at a Prorites Equipment
Pvt. Ltd..
It has been a very enriching journey, helping me realize my hidden potential to work under tiring
circumstances.
The application of theoretical learning to practical experiences, cannot be taught in a classroom
but can be learnt only through actual work, and this company has provided an ideal platform for
the best practical experience one can get.
Working under a group of seniors who don’t give the solution directly but rather leading you to
it, thereby assisting you in finding your way through the obstacles, helped develop my thinking
actual experience one can get.
In-plant training has made an invaluable contribution to starting my career.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

a)ALI, H. (n.d.). RCA REPORT OF P117/118.

b)NELIK, L. (n.d.). Centrifugal and rotary pump.
c)PROCESS, E. (n.d.). TEST RUN OF BULAB 5082 AT OFFSITE-2.
THANK YOU!