Pumps & Systems, May 2008

The South Asian pumps market offers growth potential across the region. Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand (among others) comprise this estimated $1.2 billion market.

Improvements and growth in industries such as chemicals, power and oil and gas are expected to drive the overall market revenues in the area. Furthermore, with environmental regulations increasing demand for high-end, sophisticated pumps, manufacturers must strategize to meet demands for quality, high performance, product development, effective service and competitive pricing.

Pumps & Systems, May 2008

With a national goal to drive a 25 percent reduction in industrial energy intensity by 2017, energy efficiency organizations like the U.S. Department of Energy's Save Energy Now Program and the Hydraulic Institute's Pump Systems Matter are providing companies a broad range of resources to identify and implement cost-effective energy saving measures. While the intentions to improve energy efficiency are pure, the costs and effort required to achieve the goal is daunting. That's why many corporations are working with these organizations to maximize efforts.

Pumps & Systems, May 2008

Under an Energy Conservation Performance Program, Miami-Dade County commissioned a study to evaluate potential capital improvement projects fully funded from the projected savings in energy consumption and/or operating and maintenance costs. Through this program, the cost of new equipment is financed through energy and/or other realized operational cost savings. The capital funding otherwise required to replace existing mechanical systems is avoided, and those funds can then become available for other County needs.

Pumps & Systems, May 2008

Q.

I have heard that the rate of flow through centrifugal pumps can be regulated by submergence control instead of by throttling the pump discharge. How does this work, and does it damage the pump?

A.

Submergence control is sometimes used in applications where NPSH available to the pump is limited, and the pump would naturally be operating with marginal NPSH. A good example is condensate pumps in steam power systems.

Pumps & Systems, May 2008

While complete packaged gas and dry chemical feed systems have been in the water treatment industry for many years, liquid metering pump packaged systems are relatively new. In most cases, plant operators want to purchase a complete chemical feed system-not just a metering pump. Plant or contract engineering staffs can design these packaged systems, and an installing contractor or, in some cases, plant personnel can construct them in place.

Pumps & Systems, May 2008

In trench-type wet wells, the pump intakes are placed near the bottom of a deep, narrow trench coaxial with the inlet pipe but considerably below it (see Figure 1). The closely confining walls of the trench prevent cross currents, which creates a good hydraulic environment for the pump intakes. The trench works very well for both water and wastewater. The ramp shown in Figure 1 is omitted in clear water applications, and the row of pumps starts immediately downstream from the end of the inlet pipe. Pumping stations with capacities in the range of as little as 2.5-Mgal/d to as much as 220-Mgal/d for both water and wastewater are currently in service and performing well.  Some of these installations are more than 40 years old with no indication of poor or unacceptable pump performance.

Pumps & Systems, May 2008

Failures of submerged vertical pumps often occur without warning from the installed sensors and monitors  because of the lack of transducers mounted where they can reliably sense the condition of the pump-down in the hole! Since there are no industrial standards that require sensors at the bottom of the pump, regardless of the power rating, the sensors are most often mounted on the motor, some distance from the pump. In the past, reduced efficiency and pump failure have not proven enough incentive for operators to properly instrument the system.

Pumps & Systems, August 2007

Even when a redundant pumping system is in place, it can be advisable to monitor the condition of the operating units in critical applications where maintaining production depends on motor-pump reliability.

Pumps & Systems, August 2007

Q. Is there a way of predicting the maximum operating speed for a reciprocating plunger pump when pumping a viscous liquid?

Pumps & Systems, July and August 2007 

A review of traditional metering pump designs, along with a look at some of the new technologies that are being introduced.