Piping Recommendations For Pump Piping
Piping Recommendations For Pump Piping
Piping Recommendations For Pump Piping
(Source : http://www.mcnallyinstitute.com/CDweb/p-html/p015.htm )
There are entire books written on this subject so in the next few paragraphs I will
try to give you some of the highlights of what you should know about piping as it
relates to pumps and seals.
A check valve and a stop valve should be installed in the discharge line with
the check valve placed between the pump and the stop valve to protect the
pump from reverse flow and excessive back pressure.
Expansion joints should be installed between the check valve and the pump.
Suction and discharge piping should be supported to prevent transmitting
forces and bending moments o the pump casing.
Suction piping must be kept free of air leaks.
The installation of check valves should be avoided in the suction piping
although they are often used to reduce the number of valves that have to be
operated in switching between series and parallel pump operation.
A foot valve is often installed in the suction piping to aid priming. Do not
install one if the pump is operating against a high static head because failure
of the driver would allow liquid to rush back suddenly, causing water
hammer. This is especially true for vertical turbine and submersible pumps
that are not designed for use with a foot valve.
Foot valves should be of the low loss flap type rather than the multiple
spring variety and have a clear passage for the liquid at least the same area
as the suction piping.
A horizontal suction line should have a gradual rise or slope to the pump
suction.
Cast iron pumps should never provided with raised face flanges. If steel
suction or discharge piping is used, the pipe flanges should be of the flat
face type and not the raised face type. Full-faced gaskets must be used with
cast iron flanges.
The optimum control valve location is within five feet (1,5 meters) of the
pump discharge to prevent too much surging of fluid in the system when the
discharge is throttled. Vortexing can occur if any of the following conditions
are present:
o Low liquid levels
o Liquid level falling greater than 3 ft./sec. (1 meter/ sec.)
o There is a large concentration of dissolved gases in the liquid.
o High outlet velocities in pipes leaving vessels. Generally greater than
10 feet/sec. (3 meters/sec.)
o Liquids near their vapor point.
o High circulation caused by asymmetrical inlet or outlet conditions.
o Inlet piping too close to the wall or bottom of the tank. Consult the
Hydraulic Institute Manual or a similar publication for recommended
clearances.
o In a mixer, the liquid level must be at least one and one half diameters
of the blade, above the blade.
The optimum pipe size will consider the installed cost of the pipe (the cost
increases with size) and the pump power requirements (the power required
increases with pipe friction)
Try to limit the friction loss at design flow to 2-5 feet for each 100 feet (1-2
meters for each 30 meters) of pipe).
To prevent the settling of solids you need a minimum velocity of about 4 to
7 feet per second (1.5 to 2.5 meters per second)
Velocities of no more than 10 feet (3 meters) per second are recommended
in the suction side piping to prevent abrasive wear.
4,500
22,500
40,000
45000
55,000
1.2 meters
2.5 meters
3.0 meters
3.4 meters
3.7 meters