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Happy New Year!  And good riddance to 2008…

I am implementing my biggest New Year’s Resolution today.  What’s that?  Simply, to be optimistic.  Like Ronald Reagan, I truly believe that our best days are ahead of us, not behind us.  After all the bad news of 2008, I am ready to be optimistic again!

Our new president-elect ran his campaign on a theme of Hope.  Whether you agree with his politics or not, I think we are all ready for a new page, and are HOPING that 2009 will be better than 2008.  There are lots of reasons to be optimistic for 2009, and we are positioning our company to take advantage of them.  You should make sure your company is ready as well.  After we implement Resolution #1, “Be Optimistic”, it is time to implement Resolution #2, “Get Ready.”

The infrastructure industries are about to go through one of the biggest booms in generations.  Though we don’t yet know much about exactly what the government will spend money on, we do know that they will spend tons of it.  Probably a lot of roads and bridges will be built, but there will also be a good bit of investment in water supply and water treatment projects, and a lot of investment in clean energy projects, among others.

My guess is that it will be at least July or so before the money actually starts flowing, but once it does, look out.  It will be like drinking from a fire hose for those companies who have prepared themselves to take advantage of it.  It is critical for all of us to begin RIGHT NOW to prepare our companies and our products and our people to be in position to catch some of this money when it does start flowing.

Specifically, if your company or facility fits within any conceivable definition of infrastructure, plan a major upgrade NOW.  Get the design done, get it approved, and get it ready to be funded.  And then get it in the hands of your congressman.  If your company supplies pumps, parts, or services to any industry that can conceivably qualify as infrastructure, get your marketing messages refined and increase your marketing NOW.  Folks are going to be buying lots of pump systems in late 2009.  You’d better be one of the companies they have heard about when the purchase orders are ready to be written in the summer and fall.

Our annual “State of the Industry” issue publishes during an important time in history. With financial uncertainty in a turbulent global market, and in light of a change in U.S. presidential administrations, experts in the pump industry still find reason for optimism and approach current economic challenges as business opportunities.

Even though the optimism is a bit gentle, our expert “Executive Insights” panel of top industry leaders is particularly candid this year and provides a detailed analysis of trends, issues and strategies for 2009. Read the entire report beginning on page 24 of the January issue and let us know your thoughts.

Meanwhile, an issue that will certainly be discussed during 2009 is the stimulus package proposals in response to President-elect Obama’s goal of creating 2.5 million jobs by 2011.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors released a report on December 8 (the same week we went to press with this issue of P&S) listing 11,391 “ready-to-go” infrastructure projects in 427 cities in search of economic stimulus funding. “Ready-to-go” in this report means implementing the projects quickly in 2009 with a goal of completing them in 2010.

This 803-page report documents 2,536 water and wastewater projects valued at $15.4 billion for a total of 133,193 jobs.

In the coming months, there will be much water-cooler conversation within our industry about this topic, and Pumps & Systems will be covering it in print and online. We would like to hear from you about this as we anticipate much debate. There are many ways for your opinions be heard. Contact me directly or visit our online forum—PumpChat. In addition, we now have an online social networking community—PumpConnect—which is a Facebook-type format and the perfect place to express your views on this and other topics.

Happy New Year!

I was just doing a little research and I found an interesting read that inspired me to blog.  I think if everyone thought like Mr. Bill Sifflard it would be a different time completely.  If we can think positive, we could turn around this economy.  Who knows why this all started, but it sometimes feels like we talked ourselves into it…. Let’s talk ourselves OUT of it! Join me in a positive spin!

Take a look at this post: http://bssentialsolutions.com/find-the-time-for-mastermind

Precision timing gears can operate in the 98% range. The mechanical seal drag has a component of loss for the body rotating within the fluid as well as a component due to the shearing of the liquid film between the rotating face and stationary seat. All these losses are normally very small and might contribute only a few percentage points of inefficiency. This is true unless pumps are operated at very low hydraulic power levels.

As is true with most rotating equipment, larger machines are more efficient. In the case of screw pumps, the reason is that the theoretical flow rate is a function of the cube of the screw size while slip flow, everything else being constant, is a function of the square of the screw size. Figure 5 illustrates this effect for an 8 wrap, 1000 PSID, 1200 RPM screw pump handling 100 centistoke (500 SSU) crude oil.

The determination of pump efficiency is a straightforward calculation as follows:

E0 = Power out / Power in = (QD X PD X 100 / k) / W

E0 = EV X EM X 100

EV = QD / QT X 100

UNITS

E0 = overall pump efficiency % % %

EV = pump volumetric efficiency % % %

EM = pump mechanical efficiency % % %

QD = pump delivered flow rate GPM B/D M3/H

PD = pump differential pressure PSI PSI BAR

k = conversion constant 1714 58764 36.03

W = pump input power HP HP KW

QT = pump theoretical flow rate GPM B/D M3/H

Since pumps are frequently sized to operate over a range of pressure and viscosity, for cost calculations, use the power required at the pressure and viscosity that will be representative of normal operation. Screw pumps will require their maximum input power at maximum viscosity. The minimum flow will be delivered at the minimum viscosity. Do not use the minimum delivered flow and the maximum required power to calculate overall pump efficiency. This method understates the efficiency as simultaneous operation at these conditions is not possible.

Figure 6 shows a three screw crude oil emulsion shipping pump on a California offshore

platform. There are three pumps on each of two platforms. Each pump delivers 800 GPM (27,500 B/D) at design discharge pressures to 1190 PSIG. The 800 HP, 1200 RPM electric motor drivers were sized to handle a maximum pumping viscosity of 350 centistokes (1610 SSU). The overall pump operating efficiency at this point is 82%, considerably better than available from centrifugal equipment.

(87,500 B/D) of Orimulsion, an emulsion of 30% water and 70% bitumen, that is exported as a power plant fuel. Design differential pressure is 531 PSID and the pumping viscosity range is 215 to 970 centistokes (1000 to 4500 SSU). The pumps are driven by 1250 HP, 1200 RPM electric motors and operate in the 78 to 82% efficiency range.

Figure 8 shows the range of multiple screw pump sizes available for transport of crude oil.

In order to maintain high efficiencies over longer time periods when pumping crudes with sand, carbonates, sediment, etc., screw pump manufacturers use a number of techniques to enhance the life and prolong the running clearances within these pumps. Hardened or hard coated screws, hard chrome plated liner bores, hard/soft and hard/hard combinations of running surfaces and erosion resistant inlays and overlays all can be used to contribute to longer useful pumping life between overhauls.

SCREW PUMP CENTRIFUGAL PUMPFlow 583 GPM (20,000 B/D- 132 M3/H)

Pressure 1000 PSI (70 BAR)

Crude Viscosity 1000 SSU (200 cst)

Efficiency 82% 45%Power Req’d. 415 HP (309 KW) 756 HP (563 KW)

The power difference is 563 – 309 or 254 KW. With 8760 hours in a year, the annual

energy difference is 254 X 8760 or 2,225,040 KW-Hr. At an energy cost of $0.104 / KW-Hr (2008 U.S. average), the annual direct energy cost difference is $240,000. Add the cost of carrying money, currently about 10%, and the difference is over $268,000. per year for one pump, a significant amount of money.

jimb@pumpxpert.com, and visit www.colfaxcorp.com

I have been with Pumps & Systems magazine for 5 years and I am continually surprised at the number of pumps that surround me.  Before I started the job, I NEVER saw a pump!  Now, I see them everywhere… I can sometimes even tell you who manufactured it!  What I have found is… WE COULD NOT SURVIVE WITH OUT PUMPS!  Here is an interesting story about a water treatment facility in our home town of Tuscaloosa!  See any of your products in there?

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20081215/NEWS/812152998/1007?Title=New_water_plant_will_aid_growth

What kind of car are you driving?

When I bought my first car in the mid 1980’s, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Acura, Mini, Hummer, Saturn, or Suzuki were not among the available choices.  I could, however, have purchased an Isuzu, Fiat, Renault, AMC, Peugeot, or Datsun.

Do you still think that a well established brand that leads its industry year after year is virtually impossible to destroy?  Or is an unassailable competitor?  Think again, and look at General Motors.  The world has changed dramatically, and the concept of a “brand”, while no less important than it used to be, is now a much more fragile thing. 

Just a few years ago, Compaq, Circuit City, Lehman Brothers, and Oldsmobile were household names.  Today, they are gone.  A few others such as AOL, Yahoo, Starbucks, and Kodak, that were industry founders and once commanded dominant market shares are teetering on the brink of irrelevance.

Why?  In some cases, poor stewardship of the brand, or unforeseen industry disruptions or mergers are to blame.  Often, it is because the company just sat still while others innovated.  But there is also something at work here that is generational in nature.  Americans today, especially those under the age of 30, are much less loyal to brands than they used to be, and we have a lot more choices than we used to.  I think this is a good thing, and reflective of a vibrant, entrepreneurial economy.  But it is also a warning to the big, dominant, older brands in any marketplace — be good stewards of your brand, and don’t ever stop promoting it.

  How Screw Pumps Can Achieve 80%-Plus Efficiency in Crude Oil Pipelines, Part 2 of 3Multiple screw pumps for crude oil pipeline service are produced in two basic configurations. The twin screw pump is illustrated in figure 1. It is a double suction design. Each shaft is independently supported with bearings external to the pumped liquid. The mesh of the screw set is synchronized through the outboard timing gears; the screws do not touch each other.

Figure 2 shows the construction of a three screw pipeline pump of the single suction design. It incorporates a replaceable liner and single, external support bearing. The smaller outside screws, called idler rotors, are driven by the center screw, called a power rotor. Thus there is metal to metal contact and these designs cannot be used with high gas content or for 100% water. Each type has its merits depending on pressure, flow and the condition of the crude oil.

Screw pumps are positive displacement machines. Every revolution of the pump shaft causes a specific volume of space to be opened to the system inlet pressure environment and then closed off from the inlet. The volume moves in an axial direction and is expelled from the pump by the next succeeding volume. Flow is very smooth and almost completely free of any measurable pressure or flow pulsation. At constant speed, screw pumps have a theoretical displacement dependent upon the size and geometry of the screws and the screw pitch or lead.

The pumps, obviously, have internal running clearances and will not be able to deliver 100% of their theoretical flow when pumping against a differential pressure. Slip flow occurs through the running clearances. The slip flow is a function of differential pressure and fluid viscosity. Increasing differential pressure and decreasing viscosity cause slip to increase. Slip flow is the volumetric inefficiency.

A pump having a theoretical flow of 432 GPM operating at 1000 PSID and 20 centistokes (100 SSU) might have a slip flow of 59 GPM. Thus the pump would deliver 432-59 or 373 GPM. The volumetric efficiency of the pump would be 373/432 or 86%. At higher viscosities, common on crude oils with an API gravity less than 200, the volumetric efficiency of a multiple screw pump can reach well into the 90 to 95% range.In order to limit the slip flow characteristics of multiple screw pumps, higher pressure designs use more “wraps” of screw thread than lower pressure designs. Each wrap acts as a barrier to slip flow, effectively causing the pump pressure rise to occur in stages, figure 3. The staging effect lowers the loading on rotating pump components as well as providing greater resistance to slip flow.

At low viscosities, slip flow is the major contributor to the inefficiency of a multiple screw pump. At increasing viscosity, the slip flow is reduced, sometimes to a negligible level. However, as viscosity increases, more power is required to rotate the pumping screws within their close clearance stationary boundaries. Viscosity is defined as a liquid’s resistance to shear. The pumping screws shear the liquid that is within the running clearances and this is the major contributor to inefficiency when operating at high viscosity.

Proper selection of pump size and speed can keep these viscous shear losses within reason and usually not require and pump speed reduction devices except under the most severe conditions. Figure 4 shows the performance curve of a typical crude oil pipeline screw pump at constant speed. The effects of viscosity and differential pressure are clearly evident.

Note that, like all machines, the pump efficiency is zero at zero differential pressure. This is the point where the machine would pump its theoretical flow but since there is no pressure rise, there is no power output yet it requires about 15 HP minimum to keep the pump rotating. Also note that there is no “best efficiency” point as with a centrifugal pump. Multiple screw pumps have a rapidly rising efficiency curve which then holds fairly high throughout its design pressure range.

Check back in a few days for additional content on how screw pumps are an efficient option for crude oil pipelines.

jimb@pumpxpert.com, and visit www.colfaxcorp.com

Here is a preview of two major statistics from our State of the Industry 2009 issue.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Summary of Shipments of Pumps (2007), industrial pumps increased in value 8.1 percent, finishing 2007 with $4,847.6 million in sales. Compare this with the numbers from 2006, which reported a 1.7 precent gain in sales of industrial pumps between 2005 and 2006.

Centrifugal pumps, the biggest market within industrial pumps, increased by 11.4 percent in sales over the previous year, ending the year with $2,401.4 million. In 2006, the increase in sales for centrifugal pumps between 2005 and 2006 was only 0.2 percent.

Take it all with a grain of salt, of course. These are the numbers for 2007, not 2008, so we do not have a measure of the current sales in pumps. It should make our State of the Industry 2010 a very interesting issue. For more of these statistics, keep an eye out for our January 2009 issue.

Manufacturers are being driven by evolving legislation and a global conscience for eco-friendly products. By coordinating economy and ecology in their manufacturing operations, manufacturers can minimize their carbon footprint, which might be a vital component for survival in the 21^st century.

Manufacturers now select materials, coatings, lubricants, etc. that are recyclable or have a low environmental load.  Manufacturers also design manufacturing and assembly processes to minimize scrap and maximize yield, which is needed to be lean and reduce waste.  End users must properly size and operate pumps in an efficient manner to reduce energy consumption and maximize service life.  Performing valuable predictive and preventative maintenance is also important, especially for the bearing system.  It is better to replace a pump bearing or seal than having to replace an entire pump assembly prematurely or risk allowing harmful matter into the environment.

In Pumps & System’s October issue, “The Submersible Pumps Market in North America” states a few compelling factors that support growth, one of which is that aging and existing treatment plants will need to be upgraded in the near future.  Now is a good time to review pump designs with bearing engineers, who can suggest new, innovative technologies to considerably extend life and markedly reduce maintenance events. Reduced maintenance can significantly diminish oils and other environmentally unfavorable byproducts to disburse into the environment. Upgrading also ensures that the pump bearings have no carcinogenic compounds, coatings, and use biodegradable greases that easily decompose.

Pump manufacturers can take advantage of sophisticated design and material technologies when designing the bearing system.  Bearing technologies exist to reduce friction and can dramatically extend pump bearing life by using specialty steels, heat treatments, and surface finish textures developed from advanced bearing tribology research.  Advanced bearing technology equates to less energy consumption for the equivalent work.  Pump engineers working closely with bearing engineers can maximize efficiencies and minimize noise, vibration, and mechanical losses.  Dramatic pump bearing advances continue to be made for performance, reliability, extended life for ecology, and economy.

This does take extra effort, but apart from making your competition green with envy, one can be proud of efforts made to contribute to your pump being green.

Next time I will describe bearings associated with the growing global need for pumps in the water industry.  Feel free to visit the NSK North American website for more company and technical information at http://www.us.nsk.com/.

*In September, the 2008 list of The 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World was unveiled.  See the list here.  NSK Corporation’s parent company, NSK Limited, made the list.  Read the article here.

This month, Pumps & Systems wrapped up our busy 2008 trade show schedule with a visit to Orlando for Power Gen International. It was a great show. More than 17,000 industry professionals from 76 countries were expected to visit the exhibit hall that featured more than 1,200 companies.

Pumps & Systems strives to stay on the forefront of industry trends, topics and technology. We attend more tradeshows than any other pump-related magazine, which provides us direct insight into our coverage of a myriad of applications. In 2008, our publication was represented at 14 trade shows, distributing about 5,600 magazines in addition to our monthly circulation of 42,500-plus.

In 2009, our industry presence grows even stronger. Look for P&S at 20 trade shows this year, covering the entire United States with international stops in India and Germany.

Next month, we release our annual “State of the Industry” report featuring Executive Insights from many top-level industry leaders. Nowhere else can you find a more complete and expert account of what to expect next year.

As the leading voice in the pump and rotating equipment industry, P&S will expand our coverage in 2009 of ongoing issues such as maintenance, reliability and energy efficiency while also attacking subjects like aging infrastructure, installation issues, advancements as well as the future of instrumentation, aftermarket and other topical and critical industry issues important to our readers. Our ongoing coverage continues to focus on pumps, the entire system and all its components.

We constantly look for ways to improve Pumps & Systems, with the needs of our readers as the key motivator. As we enhance our print coverage, we make tremendous efforts to improve our exposure online through www.pump-zone.com. We launched a Live Webinar Series and have industry experts contribute blogs. Our popular forum—PumpChat—continues to be the best resource for pump professionals to find answers from experts and colleagues. This year, look for an expanded social networking community.

Through our print and digital magazine editions, Pumps & Systems is now read in 113 countries—covering six continents—and our readership grows every day.

As you can probably tell, we are excited about 2009 and all its possibilities. Let us know what you would like to see in Pumps & Systems.