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Pumps

Principle , Operation and Maintenance




Prepared by: NAK
142
10.0 OPERATION OF CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS:

Pump Safety:
A pump, like any other item of machinery, can present a number of operating
hazards if it is not operated correctly.
Some of the more important safety rules that apply to pump operation include
the following:

Know what sort of liquid is being pumped.
No two liquid behave in quite the same way when they are being
pumped, mainly because of differing specific gravities and vapor
pressures. Also, the temperature of the pumped liquid can affect the
pump performance since the vapor pressure of any liquid increases
as its temperature is raised. This relationship is shown in Figure 8.2.

Knowing what sort of liquid is being pumped also involves knowing
where the liquid is coming from and where it is going to. Without
this knowledge it would be hazardous to place a pump in service and
difficult to troubleshoot operating problems.

Observe proper purging precautions.
Purging a pump is the process of venting vapor from the pump
casing and where necessary, the suction and discharge lines. The
main reasons for purging a pump are to clear any tendency to vapor
lock and to prevent damage to the pump internal parts.

When pumps vent directly to the atmosphere, the operator should
stand clear as the vapor is being purged, because it may vent with a
great deal of force. The vent valve should be only cracked and not
fully opened at the start of purging.

Maintain protective guards.
Centrifugal pumps have a rotating drive shaft which may present a
hazard to the operator. Guards are fitted to shield against accident
and pumps must not be operated unless all guards are secured in
place.

Maintain correct lubrication.
Pumps should not be started unless first checked for correct lubricant
levels. Lubricant starvation will cause a pump to overheat and
eventually seize up (its rotating parts will lock up with the stationary
parts). It is very expensive to repair a pump that has seized up.

Tidiness around pump area:
The area around the pump should always be kept free from rubbish
or debris of any kind. Any spillage of lubricant should be
immediately cleaned up.

Pumps
Principle , Operation and Maintenance


Prepared by: NAK
143
Pump Start-up:
A pump that has been out of service for a given period must be properly
placed back in service before it may be started.
This involves five activities:

Check for safety hazards:
This involves removing debris from the pump area, cleaning up any
liquid spillage and checking that protective guards are in place.

Checking lubricant level and cooling water flow:
The level of lubricant in the pump and driver bearing housing should
be checked and topped up if necessary with the correct grade of
lubricant.
If the pump is equipped with a force feed lubricator, the level in the
lubricator reservoir should be checked.
Also, since many force feed lubricators do not begin to operate until
the pump is started, the pump should be pre-lubed. This ,may be
done by turning by hand a small crank on the lubricator or by
switching on an electrically driven pre-lube pump (which switches off
automatically after the pump has started).

If a pump is water-jacketed, all valves in the water jacket lines should
be opened and adjusted to give the correct flow rate. Some water
jacket lines are fitted with sight glasses that enable the flow rate to be
checked.

Purging and priming the pump:
If positive suction head is available, then the pump is purged as
follows:

Step 1 Crack and then open the pump vent valve.
Step 2 Open the discharge to suction bypass line.
Step 3 Crack the suction block valve and allow liquid from
suction to fill the pump.
Step 4 Once liquid emerges from the vent line, close the vent
valve.

The above four-step procedure for purging and priming a pump
works only if there is an adequate amount of positive suction head to
the pump. However, if the pump is operating on suction lift (negative
suction head) then the pump must be purged and primed using one
of the two following methods:

(a) If there is liquid at the discharge side of the pump, then the
pump can be purged and primed by opening the discharge
block valve and also the suction block valve.

Pumps
Principle , Operation and Maintenance


Prepared by: NAK
144
(b) When liquid is not available at either the suction or discharge
sides of the pump, then liquid must be pumped into the pump
casing and suction line from another source, using an
auxiliary pump.

Resetting the pump circuit breaker:
It is a common safety procedure to isolate the electrical supply to the
pump drive motor when a pump is taken out of service for
maintenance. This is done by tripping the circuit breaker in the
switchgear building, securing it with a padlock and fixing a warning
tag.
Placing a pump back into service, therefore, requires the pump circuit
breaker to be reset and this is normally done by the person who
secured the padlock and fixed the warning tag. This is to prevent
the pump being accidentally started whilst still under maintenance.

Lining up the pump:
The final activity just before pump start-up is to make sure that a
clear flow path exists between the source of pump suction and the
point where the pump will deliver the liquid. This activity is known as
lining up the pump and simply involves checking that all valves and
regulators are open on both suction and discharge lines.

Starting the Pump:
Starting up a centrifugal pump involves the following steps:

Step 1

Close all drains and vent lines after priming the pump.

Step 2 Check that force-feed lubricators, seal oil system and water
cooling systems are fully operational.

Step 3 Open the suction block valve to its fullest extent.

Step 4 If the pump is being started to relieve another pump, then open the
discharge block valve fully. If, however, the flow will be through a
line that has been out of service, then the discharge block valve
should only be opened.

Step 5 Press the pump start button or switch and check for an increase in
lube oil pressure.

Step 6 Gradually open the discharge block valve (if not already opened in
step 4).

Step 7 Check the discharge flow controller for the desired flow rate and
make any adjustments to the set point that may be necessary.

Pumps
Principle , Operation and Maintenance


Prepared by: NAK
145
Monitoring Pump Operation:
After the pump has been started and running for several minutes, the
following checks should be made to make sure that the pump is operating
normally without any problems:

Monitor discharge pressure for abnormal values.

Re-check lubricant levels.

Check operation of force feed lube systems.

Check for excessive motor temperatures.

Check pump bearings and packing for excessive temperature.

Listen for abnormal noises.

Check for excessive vibration.

Check packing or mechanical seals for excessive leakage.

Switching Pumps:
Switching pumps involves shutting down one of two pumps arranged in
parallel whilst at the same time starting up a relief pump.

Since it is important that the load be switched from one pump to the other with
the least possible disturbance to the process, switching should be carried out
by two persons. One person shuts down the pump to be taken out of service
whilst the other person starts up the relief pump.

The procedure for switching two centrifugal pumps is as follows:

Step 1

Prepare the relief pump for service. This involves the five main
activities discussed earlier.

Step 2 Temporarily bypass any automatic high pressure or low flow
rate shutdown devices which might be accidentally be activated
when the pumps are switched.

Step 3 Check that drains and vent lines on the relief pump are closed
and the suction and discharge block valves are fully open.

Step 4 Start the relief pump.

Step 5 As soon as the relief pump begins to discharge liquid, shut
down the pump that is being taken out of service.

Pumps
Principle , Operation and Maintenance


Prepared by: NAK
146
Step 6 Check the relief pump (now operating) for correct lube oil level
and pressure and also discharge pressure and flow rate.
Adjust the flow controller, if necessary, so that the new flow
rate is as required.

Step 7 Place automatic shutdown devices back in service.

Securing a Pump for Maintenance:
When a pump is to be taken out of service for maintenance, the following
steps should be carried out:

Step 1

Shut down the pump using the stop button or switch. If
necessary, the process should be switched to a standby pump.

Step 2 Isolate the electrical supply to the pump by tripping the circuit
breaker in the switchgear building, then securing it in the
"open" position with a padlock and attaching a warning tag. As
an additional precaution, check that the pump does not start
when its start button is pressed.

Step 3 Close completely both the suction and the discharge block
valves.

Step 4 Open the vent valve to allow the liquid pressure inside the
pump to be reduced to atmospheric.

Step 5 Open drain valves (usually located at the bottom of the pump
casing) and allow the liquid to drain off. Close the drain valves
after all the liquid has been drained from the pump.

Step 6 Tag the pump for repairs.

SAFETY NOTE:
A pump which is locked out in the switchgear building or
tagged for repairs should never be re-started without first
checking that all work on it has been completed and a permit
to re-start has been issued.

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