Manufacturers try to help you do this by producing pump curve charts.  These are intended as ‘at a glance’ overviews of the pump’s traits and expected performance.  However, the charts themselves contain a lot of information and can be overwhelming at first glance.

Here’s a quick guide for how to read them.

The Basics Of Pump Curve Charts

For starters, let’s look at the two axes on the chart.  The horizontal axis represents the flow capacity.  That is, how much liquid can be pumped.  Then the vertical axis represents head flow, which is the pressure of the fluid within the pump.

The other important thing to know here is that performance of a pump is not linear, which is why it’s always represented as a curve.  The amount of power (usually measured in horsepower) being supplied to the pump will affect performance, but with diminishing results, and usually, some key points where performance is optimal.  For this reason, pump curves often include several curves, each defined by the horsepower being applied.

So, to read a basic pump curve chart, you: 

1. Start on the horizontal axis and select the desired flow capacity you need.
2. Move upwards and see where that point on the axis intersects with the charted curve.
3. If the chart contains several curves, stop at whichever curve represents the amount of power input/horsepower you expect to be using.
4. From that point, go to the left to see what the flow head/pressure will be.
5. Some curves also include a shaded area, which represents the optimal power/flow/pressure range combination for that pump.  This is important for optimizing your energy usage.

And this should give you a good idea of whether the pump you’re looking at will be right for your needs.  This does require some knowledge of what will be pumped, of course, which particularly influences how much pressure you’ll need to move the fluid.

Vertical Turbine Pumps & More

Or, if you’re looking for a pump but aren’t sure what’s best for your needs, the experts at FloRight Pump & Controls are here for you.

The post How to Read a Vertical Turbine Pump Curve Chart appeared first on Flo Right Pump.

In this article, we will briefly look at what a vertical turbine pump is, and how it works.

What You Need to Know About Vertical Turbine Pumps

A vertical turbine pump is a type of centrifugal pump, based around having an elevator motor connected to a long shaft that descends into the liquid to be pumped.  This makes them different from typical pumps, which often have the motor submerged along with the rest of the pumping apparatus.

This is of great benefit since it makes the engine far easier to access when doing repairs or replacements.  In addition, these pumps can have a wider range of fuel options, including power sources that cannot be used in a submerged engine.

A vertical turbine pump typically requires several steps to move liquid from below to above.

1 – Liquid enters the pump through a port called the suction bell because it’s bell-shaped.  This is powered by an impeller which adds acceleration and draws the liquid upwards.

2 – The liquid enters a storage area called the diffuser bowl.  Here, the liquid is put under pressure, so that its upward voyage requires less mechanical power to achieve.

3 – A larger / longer vertical turbine pump will often have several cycles of this, sending the liquid between impellers and diffuser bowls, to keep it moving upwards.

4 – After the final round of impellers and diffuser bowls, the liquid reaches the well bore.  It enters a spinning shaft, supported by brushings, which send the liquid to the surface.  In many cases, the liquid also acts as the lubricant for this operation.

5 – Finally, the fluid enters a discharge head which redirects the flow into surface pipes that will send the fluid to its next destination.

Applications And Features of a Vertical Turbine Pump

These pumps are highly versatile within their use case and can handle widely varying amounts of fluid.  Anywhere from 50 to 30,0000 gallons per minute can be achieved, depending on demand and the power of the attached motor. This gives operations a lot of flexibility in how they pump, and how much.

Some typical applications include:

• Drawing groundwater
• Supplying water to irrigation systems
• Industrial use, transporting fluids across large-scale plants
• Pumping from open bodies of water, such as lakes

In addition, vertical turbine pumps may even be used in situations where a submerged pump might otherwise be used.  The additional power they can achieve, and the ease of maintenance, makes them preferable to submerged pumps.

All this makes vertical turbine pumps one of the most common types of centrifugal pumps in operation.

FloRight Pump & Controls Knows Pumps

For over thirty years, FloRight Pump & Controls has been a leader in sales, installation, and servicing of pumps throughout the country.  If your business relies on pumping, we can help ensure smooth operation for years to come.  Contact us to discuss about pump distribution and repair.

The post How A Vertical Turbine Pump Works appeared first on Flo Right Pump.

In general, it’s best to contact an experienced turbine pump servicing company to consult on your specific situation.  However, here are some cases where a pump clearly needs to be replaced, rather than being repaired.

Five Situations Where a Turbine Pump Needs to Be Replaced

1 – Increasing demand on the pump

For a growing operation, it’s typical for a pump to be used increasingly often – and for longer periods – over time.  In general, this will accelerate the decline in a pump’s effectiveness, particularly if it’s being asked to exceed its original specifications.  In such a situation, if the pump is breaking down frequently, the best option will be to upgrade to a new, more powerful model which is capable of keeping up with demand.

2 – Too much downtime

A broken pump doesn’t merely cost money to repair, it also costs money through lost productivity and other downtime.  Often, these costs will exceed the repair costs.  When downtime is too frequent, it’s simply not worth continuing to repair the pump.  You need a new one that you can rely on.

3 – Repairs become too expensive

A pump can break down to the point that repairing it would cost as much, if not more, than buying a new unit.  We understand that in the case of custom-built pumps, the temptation is to try to stretch its life as far as possible.  However, when the damage is too bad, you’ll be better off ordering a new custom unit that can take over the job role.

4 – Space considerations

Older pumps tend to be larger than newer units, and that can become an issue if you’re looking to optimize the use of floor space.  In some cases, it may be that the overall value in getting a new pump with a smaller footprint will outweigh the added replacement costs.

5 – Moving towards automation

If your operation is looking towards “Industry 4.0” upgrades, such as remote wireless monitoring or AI oversight, your existing pumps may not be able to handle those upgrades.  Or else retrofitting them would be too unreliable.  In either case, getting a new pump to go along with your automation upgrades would be a good idea, as well as future-proofing your operation for years to come.

FloRight Pump & Controls Keeps Your Systems Flowing

For over thirty years, FloRight has been a national leader in pump installation, sales, and service.  Our expert engineers can help operations of any size overcome their pumping challenges, with custom-chosen solutions that best fit their needs.  If your vertical turbine pumps are struggling to keep up, contact us to discuss your repair or replacement options!

The post Is Your Turbine Pump Past the Point of Repair? appeared first on Flo Right Pump.

It’s best to have your vertical turbine pump installed by qualified professionals who can certify its functionality. However, here are a few tips to keep in mind during installation and early calibration.

Five Tips for Installing and Maintaining a Vertical Turbine Pump

1. Clean all surfaces thoroughly

Few things can foul an installation more quickly than attempting to attach dirty parts.  Everything should be cleaned and dried thoroughly before beginning installation.  Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to achieve the intended seals and pressure, or they will degrade quickly after installation.

2. Keep all documentation from the seal(s) manufacturer

Different seals have different tolerances for pressure and flow.  Generally, the only way to know these tolerances is through the original documentation.  You want to always have this on hand for installation and ongoing maintenance, to ensure you stay within recommended tolerances.

3. If you cannot achieve tolerances, start troubleshooting with the pump to driver coupling

The pump-to-driver coupling is usually going to be the easiest assembly to get at, and it’s often the culprit when you cannot get your desired runout.  Check all seals and connectors.  Even slight variations in the hardware can cause issues, and the coupling may even need rework.

4. Next, check the seal housing

If the pump-to-driver coupling is fine, the next most likely source of trouble is the seal housing.  This can usually be removed without removing the motor.  While you’re checking the seal housing, also check the runout between the seal housing and the driver shaft.  If there is too much runout, then the problem is in the discharge head.

5. Finally, check the shaft perpendicularity

If you still cannot find the problem causing excess runout, it’s probably not with the seals – but could be a problem with the shaft itself.  The shaft needs to be perfectly perpendicular to function properly.  Fortunately, most assemblies have screws for correcting the shaft positioning.

FloRight Pump & Controls has decades of experience installing, maintaining, and repairing pumps in a wide variety of scenarios.  If you ever need assistance installing or troubleshooting a vertical turbine pump, please contact us for assistance.

The post Tips For Installing and Maintaining a Vertical Turbine Pump appeared first on Flo Right Pump.