Two readers responded to “Thermal Stress Affects Pipe Forces on Pumps”.
Editor's Note: Due to the high number of responses from our readers for more information regarding valve applications in "Surge Control in Pumping S
We will start with the basic formulas to calculate the velocity through the pipe of a given inside diameter D, and flow, Q.
New heat activated epoxy-based materials are now being used to repair leaking and corroded pipe work when operations are unable to shut down.
Industrial processes that manufacture, transfer, and distribute a variety of liquefied natural gases, from propane to oxygen to ammonia, require components to protect both the piping system and the pipe supports from the extremely cold temperatures. Pipe supports and piping that are not insulated may become brittle and crack, posing high risk to the piping and structural components.
This past summer I received a suggestion from a Pumps & Systems reader to discuss siphons and their effect on pump head and pipeline flow. If you are like me, your first experience with one of these devices probably led to your first - and hopefully last - taste of gasoline. The siphon is an example of a natural and extremely simple machine that we take advantage of daily.
Polyurethane coating technology is commonly chosen for demanding exterior applications such as bridges, stadiums and other large structures. When maintenance was required inside the Hammond Water Filtration Plant in Hammond, Ind., a moisture-cured polyurethane system proved the only way to coat more than 35,000- sq ft of piping and valves.
Infrastructure is in the headlines again thanks to the Obama Administration and its strategy to help create jobs by rebuilding the nation's roads, bridges and water systems. In fact, renewed interest in infrastructure is so high the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) moved up the release of its Report Card for America's Infrastructure. Unfortunately, the news was not good.
About 900 years before Newton formulated his universal gravitational theory, the Greek philosopher Aristotle espoused something different. He believed that all things had a natural place in the universe, so any object that fell to the earth did so because it had a "need" to return to its natural place. He further theorized that heavier objects would fall faster than lighter ones because they had an even greater need to return. We know now that his theory was a bit off the mark, but had he adapted it to corrosion, it could have described the process quite well.
Materials expand when heated and contract when cooled. Pipes are not immune to these laws of nature, so they will also expand and contract with varying temperature.
With production time and cash flow at an all time premium, more companies are looking for time and cost saving alternatives to replacing slightly damaged assets.
Massive amounts of energy are used to transfer oil and refined products over long distances. In the United States, several long distance pipelines move gasoline from the refineries in the Southwest to the coastal areas in the Northeast. Pipelines are an efficient, quick, reliable and economic method compared to trucking or boats.
Many pipeline systems throughout the U.S. are in need of maintenance, but this maintenance is often pushed back because there is no way to properly shut down the system. Not any more. Time to gain control of your system.
Good suction piping design must eliminate air entrainment in the liquid, minimize friction loss, provide straight and uniform flow at the pump inlet and avoid excessive forces due to pipe strains at the pump.
Corrosive, aggressive soil had eaten through a 35 year old ductile iron pipeline in the Port of Tampa area, causing a multitude of leaks that could not be repaired. Replacing the rotten pipe with more iron would have been costly and shortsighted. The radical environment required polyvinyl chloride (PVC) piping.
Reducing the causes of friction and choosing the proper pump will increase efficiency and cost-savings.
Soils with high concentrations of clay and silt can wreak havoc on construction sites, drain pipes, sewers and pumps. Users working with soils might want to consider geotextiles as a preventive maintenance alternative.
With continuously increasing energy costs, pump manufacturers must provide energy efficient solutions for fluid transfer. Besides hydraulically optimizing current technology, manufacturers are launching a number of new, highly efficient electrical drives and powerful control systems.
How many gallons per minute are REALLY flowing out of that pump?
