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Feedwater Systems Reliability Users Group (Jan 2017)
Austin, TX
Stretching NPSHA vs. NPSHR to the Limit
Presenter:
Art Washburn P.E.
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DISCUSSION POINTS• Two Rules to Get You Home and Plant Priorities
• Customer Challenge To Perform Inspections & Maintenance Online
• Manage In-Leakage to Accomplish Inspections by Creative Means
• Sump Pump and System
• NPSHR vs. NPSHA
• Source References
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Two Rules:
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Two Rules:
Rule #1 – Make Conservative Decisions
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Two Rules:
Rule #1 – Make Conservative Decisions
Rule #2 – Maintain Design Control
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Two Rules:
Rule #1 – Make Conservative Decisions
Rule #2 – Maintain Design Control
Plant Priorities:
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Two Rules:
Rule #1 – Make Conservative Decisions
Rule #2 – Maintain Design Control
Plant Priorities:
1. Nuclear Safety
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Two Rules:
Rule #1 – Make Conservative Decisions
Rule #2 – Maintain Design Control
Plant Priorities:
1. Nuclear Safety
2. Legal Requirements
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Two Rules:
Rule #1 – Make Conservative Decisions
Rule #2 – Maintain Design Control
Plant Priorities:
1. Nuclear Safety
2. Legal Requirements
3. Efficiency
Customer Challenge to Perform Inspections &
Maintenance Online
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- Inspect Circulating Water Inlet Piping, Safety
Related
- Cross Tie Valve Between Plants Leaks ~750 GPM
- Dual Unit Outage Required to Allow Personnel
Access to Inspect Piping, Water Box Valves
Creative Ideas Needed
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- Site Planning Dual Unit Outage, Estimated Cost
Greater Than $10 Million
- Maintenance Organization Identifies Creative Idea
to Complete Inspections with 750 GPM In-Leakage
- Provide Sump Pump: 1000 GPM @ X FT of Head
Circulating Water Inlet Piping, Water Box, Condenser
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Inlet Circulating Water Piping Access Point,
30” Manway
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Sump Pump Predicted Performance Test Curve
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Net Positive Suction Head Available vs. Required
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Energy acting on the inlet (suction) side of the pump include:
1. Atmospheric Pressure (positive)
2. Lift (negative)
3. Pump Impeller requirements (negative)
4. Friction losses (negative)
In order for the pump to move the water, the Net Positive Suction
Head Available (NPSHA) must be greater than the Net Positive
Suction Head Required (NPSHR).
NPSHA > NPSHR (FT absolute)
Atmospheric Pressure > Lift + Impeller Requirement + Friction
Losses
Net Positive Suction Head Available vs. Required
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The available suction head (NPSHA) comes from atmospheric
pressure acting on the surface of the water.
1 Atmosphere ~ (14.7 PSIA)(2.31 FT/PSI)/(1.0) ~ 33.9 FT abs
NPSHA = 33.9 FT abs
WATER
Net Positive Suction Head Available vs. Required
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The amount of ‘Lift’ is elevation differece between the surface of
the water and the centerline of the pump impeller. ‘Lift’ can be
either ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ depending on the actual
configuration in which the pump is running.
• Sump surface above the pump lift is positive
• Sump surface below the pump lift is negative
WATER
Lift = 20.5 ft
Net Positive Suction Head Available vs. Required
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The pump impeller requirements are a function of the flow rate of
the individual pump. The higher the flow rate, the greater the
NPSH requirement. The NPSH curve the the Oconee Sump
Pump is shown below. At maximum expected flow (1000 GPM),
NPSHR is approximated to be 8.6 FT abs.
Net Positive Suction Head Available vs. Required
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The friction losses in the pipe were an unknown for this pump.
While significant data exists for friction losses in steel pipe,
losses in PVC pipe and fittings is not readily available. Also, due
to the size of the pipe (6 inch) the flow velocities (12 ft/sec) are
much higher than recommended (5 ft/sec).
Based on estimates for friction losses, we knew that we would
be near the limit of NPSH at the 1,000 gpm flow rate. This is
why the actual test was required to determine for certain that the
sump pump would perform as required.
Net Positive Suction Head Available vs. Required
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SUMMARY:
The final equation for NPSH is as follows:
NPSHa > NPSHr
Atmospheric Pressure > Lift + Impeller Requirement + Friction
Losses
33.9 ft > 20.5 ft + 8.6 ft + Friction Losses
33.9 ft > 29.1 ft + Friction Losses
Therefore Friction Losses must be less than 4.8 ft in order for the
pump to perform its intended function.
What we learned in the first test is that the friction losses in the
suction line achieve 4.8 ft when the flow rate goes above
approximately 950 gpm. Therefore, any flow rate below this will
have sufficient NPSH for the pump to perform its intended function.
Test Pit: Maximum Attainable Flowrate at Duplicated
Suction Condition
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Sump Pump: Inadequate NPSHA Performance
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Foot Valve Head Loss Curve: Simmons 8” Valve
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Suction Piping: Friction Losses
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- 6” Sch. 80 Pipe: 1000 GPM, 12.5 FPS, Friction
Loss (7.2 FT / 100 FT)
- 7.2 / 100 = X / 20, X = 1.44 FT
- Limits:
- Steel Pipe, 8 – 12 FPS
- PVC Pipe, 5 FPS max (Wear, Noise)
Discharge Piping: Friction Losses
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- 6” Sch. 80 Pipe: 1000 GPM, 12.5 FPS, Friction Loss
(7.2 FT / 100 FT)
- Unit 3: 7.2 / 100 = X / 500 FT, X = 32.4 FT
- Unit 1: 7.2 / 100 = X / 1100 FT, X = 79.2 FT
- Limits:
- Steel Pipe, 8 – 12 FPS
- PVC Pipe, 5 FPS max (Wear, Noise)
Sump Pump Predicted Performance Test Curve
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Sump Pump Skid Assembly
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Sump Pump Skid Assembly - Finished
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Impeller
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Sump Pump Foot Valve Assembly
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Sized a Vortex Breaker Plate
Plate Diameter Still Fit Thru
30” Access Manway
Added Drain Valve to Allow
Quick Opening from Outside
Pit, Emergent Draining of
Water (250 lbs), and Removal
of Suction Piping System
Valve – Leather Flapper
Suction Piping
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Suction Piping Joints, Fittings, Zero Leakage
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Suction Piping Joints, Fittings, Zero Leakage
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Test Pit: Suction Piping Mock Up of Field Configuration
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Test Pit: Suction Piping Mock Up of Field Configuration
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Test Pit: Suction Piping Mock Up of Field Configuration
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Test Pit: Maximum Attainable Flowrate at Duplicated
Suction Condition
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Sump Pump: Inadequate NPSHA Performance
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Field Configuration:
- Suction Pipe
- Fill & Vent Connects
- Manway Cover Positioned
for Installation in an
Emergency
- Limited Access Thru 30”
Manway
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Field Installation: Discharge Piping
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Unit 1: Pump Flowrate Achieved
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Field Installation: 30” Manway Access
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In-Leakage: Dumping Right on Top of Foot Valve
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In-Leakage: View from Turbine Building Bottom Floor
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In-Leakage: View from Turbine Building Bottom Floor
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In-Leakage: Video from Turbine Building Bottom Floor
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Oconee Unit 3: Sump Pump System Configuration
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Oconee Unit 3 Inspections: Sump Pump Performance
Highlights
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- Allowed for Inspections of Circulation Water Piping
- Unwatering Circulating Water Inlet Piping: X Gallons
- Discharge Piping Length of Run: 450 FT
- Capacity: 750 GPM In-Leakage, 900 GPM Maximum
- Discharge Piping 10 FT Sections: Zero Leakage
- 6” Discharge Piping Material: PVC
- Discharge Returned Water Back to Lake Keowee
Oconee Unit 1: Sump Pump System Configuration
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Oconee Unit 1 Inspections: Sump Pump Performance
Highlights
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- Allowed for Inspections of Circulation Water Piping, Water
Box Valves, and an Amertap System Modification
- Unwatering Circulating Water Inlet Piping: 3,542,000 Gallons
- Discharge Piping Length of Run: 1,100 FT
- Capacity: 400 GPM In-Leakage, 880 GPM Maximum Pumped
- Discharge Piping 10 FT Sections: Zero Leakage
- 6” Discharge Piping Material Changed from PVC to
Aluminum.
- Material Change Relieved Fire Watch Requirements, as the
Piping is Routed Thru Operating Units (2 & 3).
- Discharge Returned Water Back to Lake Keowee
- Chemistry Department did not have to Manage 3.5 Million
Gallons of Water Thru Chemical Treatment Ponds
Oconee Unit 1 Inspections: Pump Lost Prime 3 Times
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- Pump Prime was Lost One Time as a Result of Low Water Level
- Water Wave Generating a Vortex
- Scaffold Builder Bumped Dump Valve, Opening Valve
SOURCE REFERENCES:• Centrifugal Pumps: Design & Application, Lobanoff and Ross
(practical application)
• Centrifugal and Axial Flow Pumps, Stepanoff (theory)
• Centrifugal Pumps, Gülich
• Vertical Turbine, Mixed Flow & Propeller Pumps, Dicmus
• Centrifugal Pump Handbook, Sulzer
• Pump Handbook, Karassik
• Centrifugal Pump Clinic, Karassik
• Centrifugal Pumps Selection & Operation, Karassik
• Centrifugal Pumps, Karassik
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Gene Cernan, Last Man on the Moon, Dead at 82 – R.I.P.
THE (HAPPY) END
QUESTIONS ?
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