Better Pumps

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To develop completely new pumps or adapt
MICK CROPPER existing ones to new requirements, Sulzer Pumps
SULZER PUMPS employs the latest tools and production
Coauthors: techniques. The development of the CD8 pump
Venkatesalu Balakrishnan reflects the present state of the art, which
Jean-Nicolas Favre significantly shortens the development phases
Jon Hayden in particular.
Tim Van Horn
Roland Kaiser

Today, the oil and gas indus-

try demands high-perform-
ance pumps of the utmost relia-
account, such as operation under
extreme temperature conditions.
With the available tools and pro-
duction techniques, it is today pos-
sible to develop dependable pumps
bility, assuring a service life of satisfying all market demands in
20 years at least. Besides general less time and involving less outlay
requirements like delivery rate, than used to be the case. In re-
head and suction behaviour, for sponse to the new standards of the
special duties there are other fac- American Petroleum Institute API
tors which must also be taken into (see box), Sulzer Bingham
Pumps Inc. have launched
the CD8 series of centrifu-
gal pumps. CD8 designates
a range of horizontal, be-
tween bearings double-suc-
tion process pumps with
radially split casings devel-
oped by Sulzer Pumps
(Fig. 1).
1 A horizontal, radially
split double-suction process
pump from the CD8 range.
The impeller cross-section shows
the offset arrangement of the vanes,
which reduces vibration (arrow).

10 SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/98

 HYDRAULIC DEVELOPMENT
First, the existing designs were
subjected to a close analysis, to
localize the most promising areas
for improvements. On the strength
of the findings, the hydraulic com-
ponents were then redesigned.
Using the Impeller Bspline pro-
gram developed by Sulzer to design
the vanes, a series of entirely new
impellers took shape. The data
generated by Impeller Bspline
were converted into so-called solid
models (Fig. 2 shows the solid
model of a pump shaft by way of
example). These 3D models were
checked by the computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) methods on the
one hand, and on the other hand
used to produce full-scale models
Every five years the American
Petroleum Institute (API) de-
fines the requirements to be met
by high-performance centrifu-
gal pumps and their sealing
systems. For the oil and gas
industries these standards gov-
ern the procurement of equip-
ment. The definitions now in
force are set out in the 8th edi-
tion of the API-610 standard
(pumps) of August 1995 and in
the 1st edition of the API-662
standard (sealing systems) of
October 1994. According to these,
among other things pumps must
withstand an operating pres-
sure of 5 MPa (50 bar) and per-
form within a temperature range
from plastic resins with the help
of stereolithography (Fig. 3). To
obtain test results representative
of the entire series, the specific
speeds nq = 11.7, nq = 17.5 and
nq = 23 were selected.
CFD calculations (Fig. 4) cannot
replace model tests entirely, because
the interactions between impeller
and volute case (or between diffus-
er and impeller) and cavitation
effects cannot yet be calculated
completely. Nevertheless, the im-
pellers were optimized by an itera-
tive process based on CFD calcula-
tions before being verified in mod-
el tests in a realistic environment
(with whole inlet and volute case).
By comparing CFD and model test
results, it was possible to ascertain
API STANDARDS
from 30 to +425 C; the vibration
tolerances have been lowered.
The CD8 series of Sulzer Pumps
satisfies the following criteria,
assuring dependable and low-cost
operation:
Reliable suction performance
(174 < S < 213, S = index for suc-
tion specific speed).
Minimum head rise of 10% be-
tween 0 and 80% of Best Effi-
ciency Point (BEP).
Double suction impeller (five
vanes), offset on the two sides
to keep within vibration toler-
ances.
Higher or comparable efficiency
than competing products.
Pump selection between 80 and
2 The solid model of a pump shaft as can be
generated with 3D-CAD programs. It provides
the basis for calculating the NC programs, which
are used only to produce a single run and then
erased.
the deviation of the theoretical cal-
culations and make allowance for
it in the development of the whole
series. On the basis of only three
model tests, reliable predictions
could be derived for 47 different
CD8 pumps (e.g. performance at
different specific speeds and diam-
eters). In this phase, the first
110% of BEP.
Highest head per stage pos-
sible (head coefficient) subject
to satisfying all other hydrau-
lic requirements.
Lip clearance with the maxi-
mum impeller diameter high-
er than 6%, for pumps with
heads greater than 200 m and
with rated power greater than
225 kW.
SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/98 11

3 This plastic resin model of a double-suction
CD8 impeller (nq = 23) was produced full-scale with the
help of stereolithography. This procedure considerably
reduces the time taken to produce model pumps.
results from prototypes could also
be taken into account. Vibration
was reduced (above all on the bear-
ing housings) by arranging the
vanes on the two sides of the dou-
ble suction impeller not symmetri-
cal but offset.
MECHANICAL DEVELOPMENT
The mechanical strength of the
pressure boundary parts is verified
by the finite elements method
(FEM). To fix the FEM matrices,
the solid model of the 3D-CAD soft-
ware is employed. Two kinds of
FEM tests were carried out:
Finite elements analysis of the In a simulation, machining spe-
pressure boundary parts to calcu- cialists adapt the solid model of a
late the material stresses under component to the available tooling
operating conditions and under and define all tool paths. In this
hydrostatic pressure. way, time is saved later in produc-
Thermal finite elements analy- tion and the risk of errors is re-
sis to determine the heat acting duced. The pressure boundary
along the pump shaft and casing to parts of the CD8 pump may be par-
the bearings. This investigation ametrized: once a solid model has
yielded valuable information re- been calculated for a volute casing
garding the necessary scale of cool- or pressure cover, geometrically
ing required for these bearings, corresponding parts can be derived
which make an essential contribu- from them with other parameters.
tion to dependable operation. For production, the NC program
for the desired size is then gener-
SIMPLIFIED PRODUCTION ated.
With the solid models calculated in
3D-CAD programs, not only model
pumps but also the NC programs
for controlling the production
machines are generated. At an
early development stage, to-
gether with the production
representatives the engineers
optimize the design of the vari-
ous components for the produc-
tion processes and machine tool.

4 This illustration shows the networked fluid volume on which

the flow calculation is performed (light blue). For an operating
point, the liquid flow rate which flows up to the outlet (red) is
given at the inlet of the range (yellow). Thanks to the use of
so-called periodicity boundary conditions, calculation is
necessary only in one of the five impeller channels (dark
blue) to simulate the behaviour of the entire impeller.

12 SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/98

The ability to produce details by
parameters improves the produc-
tion accuracy at once by better
reproducibility and less human
intervention with its attendant
errors. The production machines
are controlled by NC programs to
machine a single shaft or a run of
similar shafts simultaneously. To
save storage space, the programs
are cleared afterwards. The solid
model serves as the databank for
further pump shafts, enabling NC
programs to be generated again as
needed.
DEVELOPMENT TIME HALVED
The use of modern aids has acquit-
ted itself and is expected to halve
the development time for pumps or
components in future. Here, the
shortened test phases weigh signif-
icantly: thanks to the information
yielded by present CFD analysis,
and shortened model production
time thanks to stereolithography.
Potential test time reductions are FOR MORE DETAILS
great in these areas. The develop- Sulzer Bingham Pumps Inc.
ment time for an impeller (includ- Mick Cropper
ing model tests) has been reduced 2800 NM Front Avenue
from 4 months to 1. Time can also Portland, Oregon 97210
be saved by the central storage of USA
all data: development, FEM and Telephone +1 (1)503-226 5330
CFD analysis all access the same Telefax +1 (1)503-226 5568
databank (cf. STR 3/96, p. 4). E-mail mcropper@
Performance features and reliabil- sbpimail.attmail.com
ity are at one stroke better than
with the previous development
methods. Delivery rate, head and
suction behaviour can be matched
more precisely to the purchasers
needs, because even for custom-
designed pumps the development
outlay is much less and yields good
results with better reliability.
The CD8 series was commercial-
ized successfully in 1997 (Fig. 5).
In addition to the wide range
coverage allowing the right pump
for the job to be selected, custom-
ers appreciate the compact design.
5 A pump of the CD8
series being prepared for
dispatch, with its motor
in the background.
SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/98 13