Walworth Check Valves - Overview

Walworth Cast Steel Swing Check Valves have straight-through flow paths and readily opening
discs to provide very low friction loss.
Points to Remember About Check Valves
1. The function of check valves is to stop reversal of flow automatically and promptly. Usually it is
desirale that they e supplemented y gate! gloe! or other valves for manual control of the fluid
in the line.
" Check valves must e si#ed to meet the flow conditions. $versi#ing of a check valve will result
in increased wear and improper operation.
%. Check valves should e installed so that the force of gravity will assist in closing and holding
the disc or clapper on the seats.
&. Check valves are one-way valves and should e installed so that the line pressure is under the
disc.
'. Swing check valves should not e used in vertical pipe lines handling li(uids at high heads
ecause severe water hammer may result from reversal of flow.
Cover
)ike the *ody is a sturdy unit designed to ade(uately resist pressure-temperature.
Thick Uniform Bod
Totally fulfills or e+ceeds the re(uirements set forth y ,-. Standard.
!mooth O"eration
/ue to the precision machining of the component parts of the /isc ,ssemly.
!treamlined Ports
-ermit unostructed flow which reduces turulence resulting in minimum pressure drop and
minimum erosion.
*ack to Check Valve .llustration Jump to: navigation, search
Check valve in a fire hydrant
A check valve is a mechanical device, a valve, that normally allows fluid (liquid or gas)
to flow through it in only one direction. Check valves are twoport valves, meaning they
have two openings in the !ody, one for fluid to enter and the other for fluid to leave.
"here are various types of check valves used in a wide variety of applications. Check
valves are often part of common household items. Although they are availa!le in a wide
range of si#es and costs, many check valves are very small, simple, and$or cheap. Check
valves work automatically and most are not controlled !y a person or any e%ternal
control& accordingly, most do not have any valve handle or stem. "he !odies (e%ternal
shells) of most check valves are made of plastic or metal.
An important concept in check valves is the cracking pressure which is the minimum
upstream pressure at which the valve will operate. "ypically the check valve is designed
for and can therefore !e specified for a specific cracking pressure.
'eart valves are essentially inlet and outlet check valves for the heart ventricles, since the
ventricles act as a pump.
Contents
(hide)
* "ypes of check valves
+ Applications
, 'istory
- .ee also
/ 0%ternal links
[edit] Types of check valves
A closed !all check valve.
An open !all check valve.
A Ball check valve is a check valve in which the disc, the mova!le part to !lock the flow,
is a spherical !all. 1n many !all check valves, the !all is springloaded to stay shut, !ut
also many do not have a spring inside. 2or those designs without a spring, reverse flow is
required to move the !all toward the seat and create a seal. "he interior surface of the
seats of !all check valves are more or less conicallytapered to guide the !all into the seat
and$or form a positive seal when stopping reverse flow.
3all check valves are often very small, simple, and cheap (although some are e%pensive).
"hey are commonly used in liquid or gel minipump dispenser spigots, spray devices,
some ru!!er !ul!s for pumping air, etc., manual air pumps and some other pumps, and
refilla!le dispensing syringes. Although the !alls are most often made of metal, they can
!e made of other materials, or in some speciali#ed cases out of artificial ru!y. 'igh
pressure '45C pumps and similar applications commonly use small inlet and outlet !all
check valves with !alls made of artificial ru!y and seats made of artificial sapphire, !oth
for hardness and chemical resistance. After prolonged use, such check valves can
eventually wear out or the seat can develop a crack, requiring replacement. "herefore,
such valves are made to !e replacea!le, sometimes placed in a small plastic !ody tightly
fitted inside a metal fitting which can withstand high pressure and which is screwed into
the pump head.
"here are similar check valves where the disc is not a !all, !ut some other shape, such as
a poppet energi#ed !y a spring. 3all check valves should not !e confused with !all
valves, which is a different type of valve in which a !all acts as a controlla!le rotor to
stop or direct flow.
A diaphragm check valve uses a fle%ing ru!!er diaphragm positioned to create a
normallyclosed valve. 4ressure on the upstream side must !e greater than the pressure on
the downstream side !y a certain amount, the pressure differential, for the check valve to
open allowing flow. 6nce positive pressure stops, the diaphragm automatically fle%es
!ack to its original closed position.
A swing check valve is a check valve in which the disc, the mova!le part to !lock the
flow, swings on a hinge or trunnion, either onto the seat to !lock reverse flow or off the
seat to allow forward flow. "he seat opening crosssection may !e perpendicular to the
centerline !etween the two ports or at an angle. Although swing check valves can come in
various si#es, large check valves are often swing check valves.
"his .iamese clappered inlet allows one or two inputs into a deluge gun.
A clapper valve is a type of check valve used in or with firefighting, and has a hinged
gate (often with a spring urging it shut) that will only remain open in the outflowing
direction.
A stop-check valve is a check valve with override control to stop flow regardless of flow
direction or pressure. 7hen the valve is open, it acts as a check valve, !ut the valve can
!e deli!erately shut to stop flow.
A lift-check valve is a check valve in which the disc, sometimes called a lift, can !e lifted
up off its seat !y higher pressure of inlet or upstream fluid to allow flow to the outlet or
downstream side. A guide keeps motion of the disc on a vertical line, so the valve can
later reseat properly. 7hen the pressure is no longer higher, gravity or higher downstream
pressure will cause the disc to lower onto its seat, shutting the valve to stop reverse flow.
A dou!le check valve is often used as a !ackflow prevention device to keep potentially
contaminated water from siphoning !ack into municipal water supply lines.
"here are also double ball check valves in which there are two !all$seat com!inations
sequentially in the same !ody to ensure positive leaktight shutoff when !locking reverse
flow& and piston check valves, wafer check valves, and !allandcone check valves.
[edit] Applications
Check valves are often used with some types of pumps. 4istondriven and diaphragm
pumps such as metering pumps and pumps for chromatography commonly use inlet and
outlet !all check valves. "hese valves often look like small cylinders attached to the
pump head on the inlet and outlet lines. 8any similar pumplike mechanisms for moving
volumes of fluids around use check valves such as !all check valves.
Check valves are used in many fluid systems such as those in chemical, and power plants,
and in many other industrial processes.
Check valves are also often used when multiple gases are mi%ed into one gas stream. A
check valve is installed on each of the individual gas streams to prevent mi%ing of the
gases in the original source. 2or e%ample, if a fuel and an o%idi#er are to !e mi%ed, then
check valves will normally !e used on !oth the fuel and o%idi#er sources to ensure that
the original gas cylinders remain pure and therefore nonflamma!le.
.ome types of irrigation sprinklers and drip irrigation emitters have small check valves
!uilt into them to keep the lines from draining when the system is shut off.
Valve
0ay e used in vertical or hori#ontal pipe lines. 1ravity and ack- flow will cause /isc to close.
!eat Rin#
Welded or threaded provides a positive seal against leakage etween ody and seat ring.
$isc with Welded-On %acin#
Sturdily constructed to provide an e+cellent seal despite the varying pressures e+erted on the
seat surface
.sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Check Valve on Minimum Flow Line
thread124-198861
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ghamsa (Chemical) 2
Oct
07
5:5
7
We have 4 running centriugal !um!"# $ach !um! i" e%ui!!ed &ith 8' minimum
()& rec*cle line# $ach rec*cle line ha" ()& c)ntr)l valve and chec+ valve
(d)&n"tream ) the c)ntr)l valve# ,ll 4 !um!" di"charge int) )ne c)mm)n header-
24'#
.here &ill /e additi)nal 5th !um! identical t) the )ther 4 !um!" and c)nnected t)
the "ame 24' di"charge header# 0n)rtunatel*- thi" ne& !um! came &ith)ut chec+
valve d)&n"tream ) the minimum rec*cle valve#
We need t) "tart u! the ne& 5th !um! /ut in ca"e thi" !um! "hutd)&n" )r tri!" the
minimum ()& rec*cle c)ntr)l valve &ill ull* )!en# 1* %ue"ti)n i": &ill there /e
ma2)r !re""ure di"tur/ance in the 24' di"!arage header3 Or the )ther running
!um!" &ill &)r+ t) maintain "ta/le !re""ure in the di"charge header3
4)te: &e need t) "tart u! the ne& !um! /ut &e are !lanning t) add chec+ valve
ater ")metime r)m !um! "tart u!#
Find A Job or ost a Job !pening Click "ere#
$eap (Chemical) 2
Oct
07
9:1
1
5i gham"a-
6ir"t ) all- a %ue"ti)n: ,""uming that each ) *)ur !um!" ha" a chec+ valve and a
"hut )7 valve (a" m)"t ) the "*"tem" have)# .he rec*cle line "tart" u!"tream )r
d)&n"tream ) thi" chec+ valve3 8 it "tart" d)&n"tream ) the !um! chec+ valve 8
c)n"ider it i" n)t nece""ar* t) in"tall an additi)nal chec+ valve d)&n"tream )r the
c)ntr)l valve#
8 the rec*cle line "tart" u!"tream the !um! chec+ valve *)u need t) in"tall an
additi)nal chec+ valve d)&n"tream the c)ntr)l valve in )rder t) av)id the recicling
(uid t) run thr)ugh the !um! &hen it i" "t)!!ed# .hi" a""um!ti)n i" c)n"idering
that *)u have a minimum ()& c)ntr)l that )!en" the c)ntr)l valve i it i" "en"ed a
l)& ()& at the !um! di"charge#
,n additi)nal )!ti)n i" t) !r)gram an interl)c+ t) cl)"e the c)ntr)l valve &hen the
!um! "t)!"# 8t c)uld /e d)ne /* venting the air eed line t) the c)ntr)l valve &ith a
three &a* ")len)id valve- )r c)ur"e i *)ur c)ntr)l valve i" 6ail t) Cl)"e#
9egard"-
2ea!
dcasto (Chemical) 2
Oct
07
14::
9
2ea!- d) have th)"e /ac+&ard"3
ghamsa (Chemical) :
Oct
07
19:5
2
5)& can 8 !redict the !re""ure dr)! in the :0; header (570 !"ig) in the <r"t 5 mint"#
)nce the 8; minimum ()& c)ntr)l valve )!en" ull*3 the minimum ()& c)ntr)l
valve i" c)nnected the !um! "ucti)n header (16; &ith !re""ure ) 270 !"ig)
.han+ *)u all
%ig&nch (=etr)leum)
4
Oct
07
5:2
9
Wh* d) *)u need a chec+ in the rec*cle line3 8 a""ume *)ur rec*cle line run" r)m
!um! di"charge t) "ucti)n )r /ac+ t) a tan+# >ince th)"e are (alm)"t )r al&a*") at
l)&er !re""ure than the !um! di"charge- there "h)uld /e n) need )r a chec+ t)
!revent ()& r)m "ucti)n )r tan+ t) the !um! di"charge# ,re *)u "ure *)u d)n?t
mean a /*!a"" line3 , /*!a"" line &)uld n)rmall* have a chec+ valve#
.he /e"t &a* t) ma+e "tart u! !redicti)n" and /e "ure *)u have a "m))th !ath t)
"ta/le ()& )!erati)n" i" t) u"e a !i!eline )r !um! "*"tem "imulati)n !r)gram that
ha" ver* accurate tran"ient anal*"i" &ith c)ntr)l e%ui!ment m)deling
ca!a/ilitie"# @et me +n)& i *)u need additi)nal in)#
http'((virtualpipeline#spaces#msn#com
$eap (Chemical) 4
Oct
07
15:5
:
dca"t)-
!lea"e l))+ the diagram:
http'((i)#uploadem#com(*++,-++.(pagina#$pg
8t i" !)""i/le under the c)nditi)n" 8 "h)& *)u###
4eed t) +n)& a "cheme ) the gham"a ca"e#
%ig&nch (=etr)leum)
4
Oct
07
16::
4
9ight# .he diagram hel!ed a l)t#
6ir"t %ue"ti)n i" &h* i" the rec*cle line )!en &hen the !um! i" "t)!!ed3 8t "h)uld
/e cl)"ed (and interl)c+ed i rem)te c)ntr)lled) until the !um! /egin" "!inning
u!# Once the !um! /egin" "!inning u!- !re""ure /uild" ver* ra!idl* and an* ()&
r)m an* )ther rec*cling !um! int) that "egment &)uld n)rmall* /e ver* "mall and
%uic+l* rever"e directi)n a" the "tarting !um! /uild" !re""ure# 8 it tri!" )n the
"tart-u!- cl)"e the valve#
8 d)n?t "ee an* )ther ;!r)/a/le; rea")n that ()& &)uld c)me r)m the rec*cle line"
int) the <r"t !um!?" di"charge# A)u &)uld n)t n)rmall* have a !re""ure dr)! in that
"egment ) !i!e t) drive an* ()& in t)&ard" the !um! di"charge- !r)vided that the
tan+ i" n)t a !re""ure tan+ &ith a !re""ue higher than the di"charge !re""ure )
*)ur !um!" (B)u/tul) )r unle"" the rec*cle line /ecame !lugged at the
tan+# Ca"icall* all ()& "h)uld ta+e the !ath ) lea"t re"i"tance- &hich &)uld /e
"traight t) the tan+# 8 !um! D1 &a" )7- the chance )r /ac+()& t) it" di"charge
r)m !um! D2 &)uld /e greater (/ut "till d)u/tul unle"" the rec*cle line &a"
!lugged again)- /ut "u!!)"edl* !um! D1 di"charge valve &)uld /e cl)"ed in that
"ituati)n# 8 that valve &a" )!en- *)u might /ac+()& int) !um! D1- /ut again )nl*
i the rec*cle line &a" !lugged at the tan+ ,4B the valve &a" )!en# 4)rmall* it i"
n)t re%uired t) de"ign )r t&) "imultane)u" ailure"- i the !r)/a/ilit* ) ailure
(!lugging at the tan+) i" ver* l)& and there i" little chance )r a danger)u" "ituati)n
t) devel)!# ,""uming *)ur rec*cle line i" de"igned )r ull !um! "hut-)7 !re""ure-
n) !r)/lem# 8 !um! D1 &a" )n and rec*cling- all ()& &)uld al&a*" g) t) the tan+
r)m that !um! t))- unle"" again a !lug at the tan+#
8 the valve &a" )!en ,4B the tan+ inlet &a" !lugged ,4B an)ther !um! &a"
rec*cling- *)u might get ")me /ac+()& thr)ugh !um! D1# 8" that a /ad !r)/a/ilit*-
given t&) ailure" &)uld have t) had )ccured and an)ther !um! &)uld have t) /e
rec*cling at the "ame time3 8" the "ucti)n !i!ing and "ucti)n (ange )n !um! D1
de"igned )r the !um! di"charge !re""ure3 1a*/e i it" a l)& !re""ure !um!-
ma*/e n)t i it" a high !re""ure !um!# 8 n)t- *)u ma* &ant t) have a chec+ valve
in the rec*cle line#
8?d "a*- n) *)u d)n?t need a chec+ in the rec*cle line- /ut the*?re n)t t)) eE!en"ive-
i *)u eel /etter &ith )ne#
http'((virtualpipeline#spaces#msn#com
dcasto (Chemical) 4
Oct
07
18:5
1
8 can?t "ee the diagram- /ut *)u are in g))d hand" &ith Cig8nch#
ghamsa (Chemical) 4
Oct
07
22:0
4
.han+ *)u all )r !artici!ati)n"# 8 &ill tr* t) de"cri/e m* ca"e again# >)rr*- 8 c)uld
n)t ma+e a clear !icture#
We have )ur centriugal !um!" each i" 1:0-000 //l !er da* in ca!acit*# 4)rmall*-
three !um!" are running and )ne i" )n "tand/*# .he !um!ing "*"tem i" c)n"i"ting
) the )ll)&ing c)m!)nent":
3 >ucti)n header: "iFe i" 16'&ith )!erating !re""ure ) 270 !"ig (all )ur !um!"
ta+e "ucti)n r)m thi" c)mm)n 16'header)
3 Bi"charge header: "iFe :0'&ith )!erating !re""ure ) 570 !"ig (all )ur !um!"
di"charge int) thi" c)mm)n header)
3 =um! !re""ure at (ange di"charge i" 590 !"ig
3 =um! di"charge line i" 14' "iFe
3 $ach !um! di"charge i" e%ui!!ed &ith a chec+ valve )ll)&ed /* a /l)c+ valve#
3 $ach !um! i" "erved &ith 8'minimum rec*cle c)ntr)l valve that i" /ranched
r)m each !um! 14'di"charge line and ha" chec+ valve u!"tream ) the minimum
rec*cle c)ntr)l valve#
3 $ach 8'minium rec*cle line i" c)nnected int) the 16'"ucti)n header
3 .he intent ) the adding a chec+ valve u!"tream ) the 8'minium rec*cle valve
i" t) av)id relea"e ) di"charged ()& t) 16'"ucti)n header during !um! "hutd)&n -
tri!" )r minimum c)ntr)l valve air "ignal ailure
.here i" a ne& 5th !um! /eing added t) the"e )ur !um!"# 0n)rtunatel*- the 5th
!um! came &ith)ut a chec+ valve u!"tream ) the 8'minium rec*cle line# With
additi)n ) thi" ne& !um!- &e &ill have : running !um!" and 2 "tand/* !um!"#
1* %ue"ti)n: i the 5th !um! tri!"- the c)ntr)l l)gic &ill ull* )!en" u! the 8'minium
rec*cle c)ntr)l valve /ac+ t) the 16'"ucti)n header- &hich i" at 270 !"ig# 5)& thi"
"udden )!ening ) the 8'minium rec*cle c)ntr)l valve &ill di"tur/ the )!erating
!re""ure in the :0'di"hcarage !re""ure- &hich i" at 570 !"ig- in the <r"t 5
minute"33 Will thi" )verl)ad the )ther 2 running !um!"- )r &)uld the
:0'di"charage header !re""ure- 570 !"ig- dr)! t) cl)"e the "ucti)n !re""ure33
8 h)!e thi" de"cri!ti)n i" clear and 8 than+ *)u all )r *)ur hel!
ghamsa (Chemical) 4
Oct
07
22:0
7
4)te: =lea"e c)n"ider the (3) in the a/)ve thread a" /ullet"#
%ig&nch (=etr)leum)
5
Oct
07
1:5
9
8 thin+ the c)ntr)l l)gic i" /ac+&ard"#
When the !um! tri!"- C@O>$ the valve# 8 /elieve that the valve "h)uld /e )!en
O4@A &hen the !um! ha" a 904484G "tatu" and &hen 9=1 "tatu" i" @OW (!r)/a/l*
H 20I ) C$= rev")#
When *)u !u"h the "tart /utt)n- the valve need" t)-
1#) O=$4- and "ta* )!en until-
,#) .he !um! reache" ")mething ar)und 20I )!erating "!eed- at &hich time *)u
need t) /e cl)"ing that valve t) /uild "uJcient !re""ure t) )!en the !um!
di"charge chec+ and get int) the header# 8t i" d)u/tul *)u &ill /uild "uJcient
!re""ure- i a rec*cle valve i" )!en#
Or-
C#) .he !um! d)e" n)t get a 904484G "tatu" immediatel* ater "tarting- then
C@O>$#
When the !um! tri!"- the rec*cle valve "h)uld /e cl)"ing#
>)- t) ma+e the l)gic ver* "im!le-
C!/0
IF 0 <= PUMP_RPM AND PUMP_RPM <= 20% BEP_RPM
OPEN RECYCLE VALVE
ELSE
CLOSE RECYCLE VALVE
END IF
A)u have "aid n)thing t) indicate t) me that the rec*cle valve "h)uld /e O=$4 &hen
the !um! i" tri!!ing )r i" "t)!!ed# 8 /elieve it "h)uld /e cl)"ed#
=#># .here are 4O K>B" )n th)"e !um!"- right3 8 there are K>B"- *)u !r)/a/l*
d)n?t need an* rec*cle line- i *)u have the c)ntr)l l)gic c)rrect- ") in that ca"e 2u"t
tr* it &ith the rec*cle valve C@O>$B all the time#
http'((virtualpipeline#spaces#msn#com
ghamsa (Chemical) 5
Oct
07
7:0
6
.here are 4O K>B" )n the"e !um!"# We cl)"e minimum rec*cle c)ntr)l valve
during !um! "tart u! in )rder t) /uild !re""ure#
8 agree )ur l)gic i" /ac+&ard# .he valve "h)uld cl)"e &hen !um! "hutd)&n" )r
tri!"#
Lu"t )r the "a+e ) an"&ering m* thread- can *)u !lea"e an"&er the %ue"ti)n in the
la"t !aragra!h )n the thread3'
1* %ue"ti)n: i the 5th !um! tri!"- the c)ntr)l l)gic &ill ull* )!en" u! the 8'minium
rec*cle c)ntr)l valve /ac+ t) the 16'"ucti)n header- &hich i" at 270 !"ig# 5)& thi"
"udden )!ening ) the 8'minium rec*cle c)ntr)l valve &ill di"tur/ the )!erating
!re""ure in the :0'di"hcarage !re""ure- &hich i" at 570 !"ig- in the <r"t 5
minute"33 Will thi" )verl)ad the )ther 2 running !um!"- )r &)uld the
:0'di"charage header !re""ure- 570 !"ig- dr)! t) cl)"e the "ucti)n !re""ure33
1an* than+"
%ig&nch (=etr)leum)
5
Oct
07
8::
1
OM# Cut <r"t- a" 8 "aid /e)re- i the !um! tri!" the rec*cle valve "h)uld cl)"e# 4)
need )r rec*cling )n a !um! &ith !)&er )7#
8t" a /it hard t) "a* eEactl* h)& the header &ill re"!)nd- &ith)ut !utting it in the
"imulat)r- /ut 8?ll tr* t) )7er ")me idea"#
8 the )ther 4 !um!" are running- *)u &ill l)"e 1N5 ) the ()& int) the header- ")
the !re""ure &ill reduce until the "*"tem re"!)nd" ")meh)&# .he "*"tem &ill
re"!)nd &ith a c)m/inati)n ) 2 thing" ha!!ening#
1) the 4 running !um!" &ill tend t) increa"e ()&rate- and
2) the d)&n"tream header and !i!ing &ill !ic+ u! that ()& and the re"i"tance t)
()& ) that !i!ing "*"tem &ill increa"e# A)u &ill eventuall* /alance )ut at the ne&
inter"ecti)n !)int ) the !um! curve" "u!erim!)"ed )n *)ur !i!e "*"tem
curve# .he time it ta+e" t) d) that &ill de!end )n h)& a"t the d)&n"tream !i!eline
can <ll and /ac+ u! !re""ure- ") that?" a/)ut it" length and diameter# 8 *)u didn?t
have c)ntr)l valve" in the di"charge- it "h)uld /e at it" ne& increa"ed !re""ure
a!!r)Eimatel* a/)ut the "ame time it ta+e" )r a !re""ure &ave t) travel d)&n the
!i!eline and return /ac+ t) the !um!"# >ince *)u have c)ntr)l valve" in the !um!
di"charge- the* &ill al") a7ect h)& l)ng the d)&n"tream !i!eline <ll" a" the* m)ve
t) tr* t) maintain &hatever "et !re""ure *)u have# >ince *)u might have th)"e
actuat)r" "et a"t )r "l)& )r )r h)lding a c)n"tant !re""ure )n the header )r a
c)n"tant !re""ure )n the !i!eline- 8?ve n) idea &hat e7ect the* &ill have# ,n)ther
e7ect c)me" r)m the m)t)r t)r%ue curve and the !um! m)ment" ) intertia# .hi"
i" m)re im!)rtant t) include- i the* are large !um!"#
8 thi" i" a critical a!!licati)n- the )nl* &a* t) handle it i" t) d) a ull !um!- valve-
!i!eline- and rec*cle valve "imulati)n &ith vari)u" )!erati)nal c)n<gurati)n" )r
the !um! gr)u!#
9dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
d
CO&TRO''(&) C*&TR(%U)A' PU+P!
2 Walter /riedger! -. 3ng.! "444 0ay "4. walter5at6driedger5dot6ca
7irst pulished in Hydrocarbon Processing ! 8uly 199'.
This ,doe: file is availale for download.

(&TRO$UCT(O&, The centrifugal pump
is one of the simplest pieces of
e(uipment from the controls and
instrumentation point of view. .t is a two
port device with a well defined
characteristic. .ts purpose is to provide
the necessary pressure to move li(uid at
the desired rate from point , to point * of
the process. 7igure 1-1 shows a ;generic;
process with a centrifugal pump
connected to deliver li(uid from , to *.
7igure 1-" shows the characteristic curve
of an actual pump 5a single stage vertical
turine pump6 together with the
characteristic curve of the process!
known as the system curve. The
intersection of the two curves defines the
operating point of oth pump and
process. .t would e fortunate indeed if
this operating point is the one actually specified for the process. .t is impossile
for one operating point to meet all desired operating conditions since the
operating point is! y definition! e+actly one of an infinity of possile operating
points. .n fact the entire point of controlling the pump is to modify its
characteristic so that its actual operating point is the one that is re(uired at every
instance in time.

Several definitions are presented in order to discuss the diagram<
-
o
= /ifferential pressure! or
head! at the operating point of
the pump and also of the
process.
>
o
= 7low rate! at operating
point! of the pump and also of
the process.
-
pm
= 0a+imum differential
pressure across the pump 5at
shutoff6.
>
pm
= 0a+imum discharge
flow of the pump.
-
lm
= Static 50inimum6 differential pressure etween points * and , of the
process.


The minimum static differential pressure of the process is fre(uently #ero! as in a
closed! circulating system. .f the pump is in parallel with other pumps that are
maintaining the system pressure! then -
lm
is greater than #ero. .t is clear from
the outset that if -
lm
is greater than -
pm
! no amount of process control can force
the two curves to intersect. The pump is simply inade(uate. ?ow is process
control like cutting off a rope@ Aou can always cut off more! ut you can;t cut off
less.
,ssuming the pump is more than ade(uate for the process re(uirements at the
moment! what is the est way to trim it ack to the desired operating point! -
1
!
>
1
@ There are three possile locations to place a valve< ,t the discharge! at the
suction! and as a recycle valve. 3ach will e discussed in turn.
$(!C-AR)* T-ROTT'(&), Since the pump e+ists to serve the re(uirements of
the process! and one of the primary purposes of instrumentation is to adapt the
e(uipment to the process! let us consider the pump from the point of view of the
process. .t can e viewed as a constant pressure device with an internal
restriction. .t is the restriction that gives it the BcurveB. .t seems natural to put a
valve on the discharge to further restrict the pump. This has the effect of rotating
the curve of the pumpCvalve system clockwise around -
pm
! as can e seen in
7igure 1-%.
,t this point . must warn the
reader that we are aout to
encounter a paradigm shift. 5D6
The comination of pump and
valve will e presented as a
Black o+B with a single
characteristic curve which .
shall term the BmodifiedB pump
curve.
The more traditional way of
looking at the situation is from
the point of view of the pump. .t
sees the process system curve
as having rotated counter
clockwise around -
lm
. 7igure 1-
% shows that the flow! >
1
! is the
same for oth cases. The difference etween the two pressures is the /elta -
across the valve. Since the purpose of the pump is to serve the process
re(uirements! and the purpose of the valve is to adapt the pump to the process! it
makes sense to consider the valve to e part of the pump system and to use the
modified pump curve rather than the modified system curve in our discussion. .n
any case it can e seen that a discharge valve can e used to achieve any
operating point on the system curve so long as the point is elow the pump
curve.
!UCT(O& T-ROTT'(&), The second possiility for control using valves is to
place the valve in the pump suction line. This would have an identical effect on
the characteristic curve! ut the method has a fatal flaw E cavitation. Cavitation is
a phenomenon that occurs when the pressure of a li(uid is reduced elow its
vapour pressure and rought ack up aove the vapour pressure again. *ules
of vapour form in the li(uid and then collapse upon arriving at the higher pressure
region. The collapse occurs at sonic speed eFecting minute Fets of e+tremely high
velocity li(uid. Wherever these Fets impinge on a solid surface e+treme erosion
occurs. $ver time even the hardest materials will e destroyed. Therefore it is of
utmost importance that this pressure reduction never occurs. .t is prevented y
having sufficient pressure availale at the pump suction so that the pressure
drops that occur as the li(uid is drawn into the eye of the impeller are at all times
aove the vapour pressure of the li(uid at its current temperature.
,n e+planation of the term Get -ositive Suction ?ead 5G-S?6 is in order. This is
the pressure of the li(uid at the pump suction in terms of feet or meters of li(uid
head aove the vapour pressure of the li(uid. The actual G-S? under operating
conditions is called G-S?, and the minimum re(uired y the pump to prevent
cavitation is called G-S?H. Clearly G-S?, must e greater than G-S?H to
avoid cavitation. .t is safe to leave a margin of aout one meter.
These peculiar definitions are very reasonale in terms of the pumps actual
characteristic ut they cause some prolems to the controls engineer. .t means
that the gauge pressure e(uivalent of a given G-S?, is proportional to the
density of the li(uid and is also affected y its temperature. The vapour pressure
can rise dramatically as the temperature rises. This means that the G-S?, can
fall without a noticeale change in pressure.
,nything that would reduce
the net positive pressure at
the pump inlet elow the
G-S?H must e asolutely
avoided. Thus suction
throttling is never used to
control pump flow.
R*C.C'* CO&TRO', The
third remaining possiility for
pump control with valves is to
leed some of the discharge flow ack to the pump suction or to some other
point on the supply side. $nce again we can view the result as a modified system
curve or as a modified pump characteristic. 7igure 1-& shows oth. 3ach curve is
a rotation of the original< The modified system curve as a clockwise rotation
around -
lm
. Gote the little BtailB at the left of the modified system curve. This
represents the flow through the recycle valve efore the discharge check valve
opens to the process. The modified pump curve has a counter clockwise rotation
around the hypothetical intersection of the pump curve with the flow a+is.


This family of curves shows several prolems with recycle control. 7irstly! the
pump is not rated to discharge more than the flow rate at the end of the curve. .t
is "ossible! of course! to run the pump with a wide open discharge! minimum
-! ut it is unhealthy for this particular pump to run at such a high rate. 3+cessive
flow may cause cavitation damage. 53+cess flow cavitation is not caused y
G-S? prolems ut y high velocity within the internal passages of the pump.6
This restriction means that the minimum discharge pressure may not e lower
than the one corresponding to the ma+imum flow. .n other words! the modified
pump curve cannot reach all points on the system curve.
Secondly! although many pumps are capale of operating near #ero discharge
pressure! the very flat pressure vs. flow curve for much of the lower range for
most pumps means a change of flow has very little effect on the discharge
pressure. Thus it would take a very large amount of flow to produce a small drop
in pressure. .n control terms this means that control would e very ;sloppy;.
/ischarge throttling on the other hand! allows the pump to develop the head that
;suits; it. The unwanted
pressure is dropped across
the valve. 5Gote that the
curve for this particular
pump rises rather steeply. .t
will e more easily
controlled than most.6
Thirdly! this method is often
inefficient. 7igure 1-' shows
a system curve! a pump
characteristic! a discharge
modified characteristic! and
a recycle modified
characteristic. ,ove these
is a pump power
re(uirement curve. .n the
case of discharge control!
the pump is adapted to the
process y dropping its
discharge pressure. .f one follows the flow line vertically to the actual pump curve
and then eyond to the power re(uirement curve one arrives at its power
re(uirement. .n the case of recycle control! the pump is adapted y reducing the
discharge flow. 7ollowing the pressure line to the right to the actual pump curve
and then upwards to the power re(uirement curve one arrives at the power
re(uirement for recycle control. Gote that the power re(uirement curve tends to
slope upward as flow increases. Therefore recycle control consumes more pump
horsepower than discharge throttling when oth achieve the same operating
point. This is not always so. .f the power re(uirement curve were flat! there would
e no difference. Gotice on the curve that there is a slight drop in horsepower
near the right hand end. .f circumstances were such that the operating point
corresponded to a downward sloping power curve! recycle control would e more
efficient. This is rare.
!P**$ CO&TRO', There is!
of course! one other means of
adapting a pump to the
changing demands of the
process< Speed control. The
virtue of this method is that it
reduces the energy input to
the system instead of
dumping the e+cess. 7igure 1-
I shows a system curve
superimposed on a family of
curves for a variale speed
pump. The curves reach all
parts of the system curve
elow the full speed curve.
Therefore this is an effective
means of control. Gote!
however! that these curves have one feature in common with recycle control< ,t
the far left end of the system curve the pump curve and the system curve are
almost parallel. 5The particular pump chosen for this e+ample has a rather
steeply rising curve near shutoff. 0ost are consideraly flatter.6 .n mathematical
terms this means that the intersection is poorly defined. .n practical terms this
means that it is difficult to maintain a precise operating point and that control is
;loose; at high turndown.
.n practice! variale speed drives for centrifugal pumps are still relatively
uncommon. 7or small pumps the power savings are not significant and for large
pumps the associated electronics ecome very e+pensive. ,lso! they do not have
the high reliaility of valves. Variale speed steam turine drives are (uite
common in the larger horsepower ranges. 3lectric variale speed drives are used
in certain speciali#ed applications such as pumps that are emedded inside a
high pressure vessel. .n such cases there are no alternatives.
R($(&) O& T-* CURV*, )ast ut not least< Go control at allD The fact is that the
maFority of pumps in the world run with no control at all. The e+act flows and
pressures are not critical and the pump has een reasonaly well selected. The
discharge pressure will rise to partially compensate for increased ack pressure.
.t falls as the ack pressure decreases so that the flow does not increase as
much as it otherwise might. The pump is allowed to Bride on its curveB. When this
situation is acceptale! leave well enough alone and don;t try to fi+ what ain;t
roke. 5*e careful though! the machine may still re(uire minimum flow and other
protections as detailed in the section on 0achine -rotection.6
+*A!UR*+*&T, The appropriate measurement for the controller depends on
the demands of the process. 7low control is a fre(uent re(uirement. Two rules
guide the location of the flow measurement< 0ake sure that side streams are
included or not! as re(uired! y the measurement and make the measurement at
the highest convenient pressure. The latter re(uirement is to avoid any possiility
of flashing or cavitation within the measuring device. .n general the est place to
measure flow from a centrifugal pump is etween the recycle Tee and the
discharge throttling valve. The e+ception is when the discharge is at an e+tremely
high pressure and the suction has ade(uate G-S?,. .n that case a suction
measurement may e est.
)evel control of a vessel is one of the most common re(uirements
1
. The vessel
may e either upstream or downstream. .t is (uite possile to connect the )evel
Controller directly to the discharge valve. 7re(uently! however! the vessel serves
to uffer a downstream process from upstream flow variations. .n that case it is
not desirale for level control to e precise. -erfect level control implies that the
flow out is e+actly e(ual to flow in at all times. $ften it is desired that the
downstream flow remain as uniform as possile while keeping the level within
ounds. .n simple terms! it is desired that the flow out is the average of the flow
in. The vessel asors the instantaneous differences. This simple re(uirement is
more difficult to accomplish than it may seem and deserves a discussion entirely
of its own. , simple arrangement that is often satisfactory and is widely used is to
have the )evel Controller cascade to a 7low Controller on the pump discharge.
The flow loop keeps the discharge ;constant; while the )evel Controller gradually
raises or lowers the setpoint as the level in the vessel rises or falls.
,nother common re(uirement is to control the pressure of either upstream or
downstream e(uipment. The tap for the pressure transmitter should e
connected at the point where it is desired to control the pressure. Gote that a
pressure tap etween the pump and a discharge throttling valve is proaly
meaningless. , careful look at many pump curves will show that the
characteristic near shutoff is (uite flat and may even slope downward. -ressure
control cannot e accomplished when the pressure curve is flat. .f the slope is
the ;wrong; way! control will work ackwards and drive the valve away from the
set point. .n this case the minimum flow should e set so that the pump cannot
operate in the positive slope region of the curve. 5.t is! of course! possile to
reverse the action of the controller so that it can operate to the left of the peak.
*ut in that case! what will happen if the operating point moves to the right@ .t is
e+tremely difficult to design control systems that can operate continuously along
a characteristic curve that has a local minimum or a ma+imum in it.6
There is a second! more serious! prolem with pressure control. Centrifugal
pumps are essentially constant head machines. The discharge pressure for a
given pump rotating at a fi+ed speed is proportional to the density of the li(uid.
This means that if the li(uid has a constant density! the discharge pressure is
constant. The BcurveB of the pump curve is produced y losses and other affects
caused y flow. Unless there is a flow through the system! there is only one
pressure and that is the shutoff pressure. .f it is desired to control the pressure of
a vessel eing charged y a pump! it is est to pressure control a valve at the
outlet of the vessel and let the pump ride on its curve. .f the vessel must e dead
ended! only recycle flow at the pump can control pressure to a setpoint.
O& / O%% CO&TRO', $nCoff
control is used in many
situations where the oFect is
simply to move a li(uid from
point , to point * and the
e+act pressure or flow rate is
unimportant. , typical
e+ample is the sump pump.
The simplest arrangement
employs a level switch with a
very road deadand. This is
used together with a
?andC$ffC,uto switch to turn
the pump on and off. The schematic is shown in 7igure 1-J. The )S?) contact
opens when the level is elow its setpoints. B0B represents the motor contactor
which energi#es the motor whenever the contactor is energi#ed. B0B also
represents the au+iliary contact that is closed whenever the contactor is
energi#ed.
.f it is important that the level
never goes eyond the upper
or lower setpoints! the
StartCStop arrangement is
preferred. .t is illustrated in
7igure 1-K. The process
sensing switch has a
separate output for the upper
setpoint 5$n6 and the lower
setpoint 5$ff6. 5Two switches
may e re(uired.6 The
manual switch consists of a Start and a Stop utton or a comined
StartCHunCStop selector with a spring return to centre. The operator may start or
stop the pump whenever the level is etween the two setpoints. ?e cannot stop it
when the level e+ceeds the high setpoint unless he locks it out. ?e cannot start
the pump elow the low setpoint. , variation of the circuit places the left
connection of the start utton to the left of the low level switch. With this
arrangement it is possile to drain a vessel elow the low set point y holding the
start utton on. The pump will stop as soon as the utton is released.
With oth of these arrangements! there must e sufficient deadand etween the
high and low setpoints to make certain that the pump does not cycle on and off
too rapidly. 3+cessive wear of oth the motor and its starter will result if this
occurs. Hapid cycling is a sign of an over-si#ed pump.
+AC-(&* PROT*CT(O&, $nce the process re(uirements have een met! the
attention of the process control engineer turns to protecting the e(uipment.
Centrifugal pumps are fairly undemanding. .n general they have only two
re(uirements< that the G-S?H is met at all times and that a certain minimum flow
is maintained. To meet the first re(uirement is generally a piping design prolem.
.n cases of dout! a low pressure shutdown switch may e added to the suction
line. , second look at the e+planations of G-S?! aove! shows that determining
the setpoint of the switch is not necessarily a simple matter if there is any
possiility of the li(uid density changing. Things get even more complicated if the
vapour pressure is very sensitive to temperature. , rise in temperature that
causes the li(uid to oil will cause the net positive pressure to fall to #ero even
though there is an increase in actual pressure. )-1 and )G1 pumps are
notorious for G-S?, prolems. 7ortunately most pumps can tolerate rief
periods of cavitation without noticeale damage.
When a pump is taking suction from a vessel! a low level shutdown switch is
essential. The switch! or transmitter! must e separate from any level control
devices.
To meet the second
re(uirement! minimum flow! is
somewhat more difficult. ,
centrifugal pump adds energy
to the li(uid that the moving
li(uid carries away. .f flow is
locked! the temperature within
the pump will rise steadily until
the li(uid oils 5net positive
pressure is now #ero6. /amage
to the pump is (uite likely. 7or
this reason some form of
minimum flow is almost always
included on larger machines. The simplest arrangement is a fi+ed restriction
orifice on a line leading ack to the supply side of the pump. The preferred
destination of the recycle flow is ack to the vessel from which it came. This
allows the heat to dissipate efore it is recycled ack into the machine.
Hestriction orifices have two drawacks< They waste energy when the process
demand is sufficiently high to meet all minimum flow re(uirements and also they
limit the ma+imum pump output.
, more efficient method of recycle control re(uires that the discharge flow of the
pump itself is measured! and that a valve in the recycle line is opened when the
process does not draw the re(uired minimum flow. The most straightforward way
to accomplish this is shown in 7igure 1-9. Gote that the recycle line tees off
upstream of the control valve. .t is precisely when the control valve is closed that
the recycle is needed. There is a small prolem with controlling the minimum flow
in this way< The measurement orifice in the discharge consumes energy and also
slightly reduces pump capacity. , second prolem is that the actual signal eing
measured is the - across the orifice plate. Since flow varies as the s(uare root
of -! a minimum flow of &4L of ma+imum flow implies a controller whose set
point is only 1IL of the measurement range. , typical instrument accuracy is
1L. Therefore an error of JL of the setpoint can e e+pected. 7ortunately the
minimum flow need not e held very accurately. Hecycle control is sometimes
accomplished using a local pneumatic controller mounted directly on the valve.
Gote< Alwas use a fail-open valve.
Various schemes have een devised to infer the re(uired valve setting from the
net discharge flow measurement. These re(uire the flow downstream of the
recycle Tee to e sutracted from the re(uired minimum flow. The recycle valve
is then opened in proportion to the difference! if it is positive. To do this accurately
one must know the valve and actuator characteristics. There is no feedack to
confirm that the correct flow is occurring. Since the flow is usually aove the
minimum flow! the valve is usually closed. This will cause the controller to wind
up and e slow in responding when a low flow condition suddenly arises.
7ortunately pumps can tolerate short periods of low flow so this is not a prolem.
$ne method of minimum flow control that is occasionally proposed is to put a
flow control loop on the recycle line with the set point e(ual to the minimum flow.
This solution is worse than a fi+ed restriction. When discharge flow is high! the
discharge pressure falls. 7low through a fi+ed orifice will reduce somewhat. ,
flow control loop will open the valve further to maintain constant flow precisely
when it is not needed. ,t this point the operator will e tempted to manually close
the valve. Then! when a discharge lockage occurs! there will e no minimum
flow at allD
There are a numer of devices availale! called ,utomatic Hecirculation Valves!
or ,HC valves! that comine the functions of net discharge measurement!
recycle control! recycle valve and discharge check valve all in one device. These
devices can e very effective ut they suffer from one drawack< lack of fle+iility.
.n cases where the pump and process characteristics are well known! they can
e an ideal solution. -ipelines! for e+ample! have many identical pumps
operating under steady conditions. $nce the correct components are known!
application is routine. .t must e kept in mind! however! that oth the process and
pump data provided to the controls engineer for a new facility are often tentative.
,HC valves have very little margin for error when the reality turns out differently
from the theory. $ne particular prolem that can occur with the older style ,HC
valves that operate in an openCclose mode! and even with some that modulate! is
instaility. .t occurs as follows<
The discharge valve egins to close due to a reduced process
demand.
The ,HC valve senses the reduced flow and opens the recycle
valve.
The pump discharge pressure drops.
The discharge 7low Controller senses that it is eing starved of
flow and opens the discharge valve.
The ,HC valve sense the increased flow and closes.
The pump pressure rises.
The discharge valve closes.
The cycle repeats itself.
Gote that ,HC valves are not positioned y conventional actuators. They are
positioned y the process li(uid itself and are capale of very rapid action.
.nstaility results in violent slamming of the recycle valve! scaring the operators
and severely damaging the reputation of the controls engineer. Very little can e
done at this stage other than to remove the ,HC valve and to attempt to modify
its characteristic y changing the spring or oring out the recycle ports. The latter
spoils the hardened seats re(uired in high pressure drop applications and
leakage is inevitale. *oiler feed pumps seem to e especially prone to these
prolems. Gote that ,HC valves are (uite e+pensive and often cost more that a
complete flow control loop. They are! however! e+tremely effective! and simple!
under the right circumstances. Their use often simplifies the piping arrangement
and essentially eliminates routine valve maintenance.
,HC valves are est ought as part of the pump package. .n this way the
responsiility for ensuring that they match the pump rests with the party that is
most familiar with it.
The pump curves used in this article represent an actual pump ut are y no
means typical of all pumps. 0ultistage pumps! in particular! may have little (uirks
in the curves that can complicate controls. .f the characteristic curve droops as it
approaches the #ero flow a+is! 5the shutoff pressure is less than their peak
pressure6 the minimum flow setting must e well to the right of the peak or
severe instaility can result. *oiler feed pumps discharge into a compressile
volume. .f they have a reverse slope near shutoff! they may e+perience surge
much like a centrifugal compressor does. Gote that ,-. ST/ I14
"
! the ,merican
-etroleum .nstitute standard for centrifugal pumps! e+plicitly ans a drooping
characteristic.
!*A' %'U!-(&) and COO'(&), -umps in certain special services re(uire
flushing andCor cooling fluids to e inFected into the seals. The details are
provided in ,-. ST/ I14
"
! ,ppendi+ /. .n general the instrumentation is rather
simple! consisting of rotameters! pressure gauges and thermometers.
.n certain ha#ardous services! sealing ecomes a more comple+ issue. .f the
danger of a seal leak is sufficiently serious! speciali#ed leak detection may e
re(uired. $ne simple method is the installation of a pressure switch! or etter yet!
a transmitter! etween the tandem seals. This can then e connected to the plant
alarm system.
!A%*T., Centrifugal pumps are not generally ha#ardous pieces of e(uipment.
?owever! there is one special safety consideration whenever a pump is drawing
volatile hydrocarons or other flammale li(uids from a vessel with significant
capacity. 5,-. H--J'4
%
! defines this as five tons.6 Volatile li(uids have a low
viscosity and seal leaks are not uncommon. The leaked li(uid often catches fire
and it is asolutely essential that the pump e shut down to prevent feeding the
flames further. .n such situations it is desirale to have a remotely controlled
lock valve etween the pump suction and the source vessel. This valve and its
actuator should e fire safe. Since closing the valve can cause low flow damage
to the pump! it must have a limit switch to shut down the pump whenever the
valve is not fully open. .t should also have oth opened and closed status
indication in the control room so the operator can e fully confident that the valve
is open when the pump is running and that the valve is closed when a ha#ardous
situation e+ists. .f the lock valve has an electric actuator! it is a good idea to
have an alarm on the main panel to indicate if there is a power failure! if the local
switch is not in the ;Hemote; position! or if there is any other reason the valve
might not work when called upon to do so. .n e+tremely critical processes! one
may wish to interlock the pump so that it cannot start unless the valve is in
working condition.
,ny indoor pump in flammale service should have ade(uate fire detection in the
uilding. Ultraviolet detectors are preferred ecause they are sensitive to flame.
They are e+tremely fast acting since they do not depend on heat uildup or the
generation of smoke. 5There is an e+ception to this rule< .f the flammale material
produces a lot of smoke! it may oscure the vision of the UV detector. .n such a
case one might e advised to install oth smoke and UV detectors.6 , certain
amount of care must e taken when UV detectors are installed. They are
sensitive to sunlight and to welders. The sensitivity to welders is proaly a good
thing since it forces all welding to e co-ordinated with the control room. The
sensitivity to sunlight means that they must e positioned so that they are
unlikely to ;see; the sun. The usual position is high up under the eaves of the
uilding in diagonally opposite corners. This is not always fool proof. The author
is aware of one case where a pipeline compressor was shut down ecause a UV
detector saw a welder working out in the parking lot. The welder was directly in
line with a gap around a pipe that went through the uilding wall. BSmartB
comined UVC.H detectors are ecoming availale that are ale discriminate
etween sunlight! welding arcs and fire. This type is also suitale for outdoor use.
7usile link sprinkler systems are e+tremely reliale and can contriute greatly in
cooling down a fire that is too hot to approach. Their drawack is that they only
ecome active once considerale heat has een developed. .n critical
applications they are est used together with a faster detection system.
.t may e worthwhile installing flammale vapour detectors near the ase of large
pumps if leakage is a possiility.
Gever overlook the placement of check valves. This is a safety related issue that
should not e left to other disciplines as check valves are an integral part of the
functioning of many control schemes. .t is generally self-evident that parallel
pumps need check valves on each individual discharge. This check is also
needed downstream of the control valve on single pumps. When the pump is not
running! the discharge valve will most proaly go wide open. , reverse flow
could have some peculiar effects on the upstream process. , check valve is also
re(uired downstream of the recycle valve if a fire safe valve is necessary. ,ny
time the fire safe valve isolates the pump from the supply vessel! the recycle
valve will open wide. ,HC valves should e checked to make sure all necessary
check functions are included.
ACC*!!OR. (&!TRU+*&T!, Centrifugal pumps re(uire few accessory
instruments. Since the purpose of the pump is to develop pressure! it is a good
idea to have a pressure gauge on the discharge. .f the application re(uires a low
suction pressure interlock! a pressure gauge should also e provided at the
suction. .t would e nice to have a local flow indicator ut they are invarialy
e+pensive and inconvenient to install so they are rarely used. , thermometer on
the suction may serve to warn of cavitation if the vapour pressure is temperature
sensitive.
PARA''*' PU+P (&!TA''AT(O&!, Centrifugal pumps are fre(uently operated
in parallel. Their smooth operating curve allows this to e done without
complication. .f it is intended that the pumps are usually operated individually and
not simultaneously! it is sufficient to have a common discharge throttling valve
and suction lock fire safety valve. ?owever it is essential that each have its own
recycle arrangements. /o not e swayed y the argument that the two pumps
will never e run simultaneously. The most ovious reason for simultaneous
operation is to switch from one to the other so that maintenance can e done
without shutting down the process. .n this case the pump that is eing started will
e operating against a locked discharge check valve and is in no position to
make use of a common recycle valve. Hememer that the throttling valve is there
to serve the process ut the recycle is there to protect the machine. Aou don;t
share seat elts do you@
-arallel variale speed pumps oviously have individual controls. The most
effective arrangement is to provide constant flow controls to the maFority of the
pumps. The setpoints should e at the peak efficiency for each individual pump.
The remaining pump should have its controller set to handle the swings. ,ctually
this an e+ample of the comple+ suFect of Supply and /emand Control and
deserves a discussion of its own. Gote that is meaningless to have two pumps
each on pressure control pumping into the same header. They will not share the
load.
!*R(*! PU+P (&!TA''AT(O&!, Sometimes centrifugal pumps are operated in
series. The usual situation is when a multistage pump has an G-S?H greater
than what is availale. .n such a case! a single-stage pump with a low G-S?H is
used as a ooster. This is common with oiler feed pumps especially if the pump
is drawing hot water whose vapour pressure is already elevated.
-rocess demand control is applied to the high pressure pump. The ooster pump
should e on discharge pressure control. The author was involved in one
situation where oil field inFection water was drawn from a cistern connected
directly to a river. .n this case the ooster pumps were pressure controlled y
recycle ack to the cistern. This allowed the recycle water to keep the water in
the cistern agitated! preventing an accumulation of silt.
.t is not unusual for a group of ooster pumps in parallel to supply a group of high
pressure pumps in parallel. .n such cases care must e taken to ensure that the
various operating cominations are matched in capacity.
3very individual pump in a series installation must have its own minimum flow
arrangement.
!U++AR., 7igure 1-14 shows a complete set of instrumentation for a typical
centrifugal pump application. The drawing illustrates a pump drawing volatile
hydrocarons from a large surge vessel. The following features are illustrated<

, level C flow cascade loop on the pump discharge to provide
process control.
, check valve on the discharge downstream of the control valve to
prevent reverse flow when the pump is shut down.
, fire safe motor operated valve 50$V6 in case of seal leakage
and fires.
,n interlock from the 0$V to stop the pump if the valve is not fully
opened.
, low level interlock from the vessel to stop the pump if the vessel
loses its li(uid seal.
, pressure gauge on the suction to indicate ade(uate G-S?,.
, thermometer on the suction to indicate potentially high vapour
pressure.
, minimum flow recycle loop ack to the vessel.
, check valve on the recycle line to prevent reverse flow when the
pump is shut down! especially when the fire valve is closed.
, pressure gauge on the pump discharge to indicate that the
pump is working.