In today’s economy there are many small office, retail, and tenant fit-out work jobs than large expansive projects. These smaller projects come with tighter budgets. Here is a tool you may not be aware exists. Bell and Gossett ECO-CIRC under sink recirculating pump available for tank type water heater as well as tank-less systems. High efficiency and lead free brass construction.
Traditional hydronic piping system designers use tools such as the Xylem Bell & Gossett System Syzer for pipe sizing. You may find this program at http://completewatersystems.com. Tower manufacturers, the Hydraulic Institute (HI), and Bell and Gossett all suggest lower velocity for pipe selection in cooling tower pump suction piping. Bell and Gossett has several pipe sizing suggestions…
This week we continue our suggestions for tower pump suction piping. In order to minimize problems with air, noise, and NPSH at the tower pump, Bell and Gossett recommends you try to keep high pressure drop devices out of the suction piping and also keep the velocity low. Let’s examine high pressure drop device this week.
Over the last several weeks we discussed the feared NPSH and showed it is rarely an issue at design conditions. More often than not, noise and pressure problems are caused by air in the suction piping system. The suction pipe, in many cooling pumping systems, is under very little pressure. In fact, the suction of the pump could be under a vacuum.
Last week the R. L. Deppmann Monday Morning Minute gave an example of a pump selection for which we applied the margin multipliers to arrive at 24.5 feet of net positive suction head required or NPSHR. Now let’s turn our attention to the cooling tower pump suction piping and net positive suction head available or NPSHA. [Read more…]
Last week the R. L. Deppmann Monday Morning Minute left you with a multiplier of 1.3, 1.5, or 2.0 to use with the pump NPSHR. Let’s look at an example this week using the suction energy formula we introduced last week and add one more margin to the formula.
Last week the R. L. Deppmann Monday Morning Minute defined NPSHR, and ended with the Hydraulic Institute (HI) definition as the absolute pressure that will cause the total head of the pump to be reduced by 3%, due to flow blockage from cavitation”. Of importance is the fact that it does not say that NPSHR is where cavitation begins.
Most cooling tower designs and installations are commissioned without any issues. The few percent of times where problems arise will cause multiple meetings, emails, finger pointing, and added costs. The issues are not caused by bad luck or bad Karma; tower water pumping issues are typically caused by air, dirt, or improper application. [Read more…]
The last three articles outlined pump selection in domestic water recirculation systems. In general, these systems have low flow and low head pumps. What happens in a high rise with pressure reducing valves (PRV) in the hot water supply? The pressure reducing valve introduces a fixed pressure drop which must be added to the calculations.
The purpose of the domestic water recirculation system is to delivery hot water near a fixture during times when there is no draw. If someone is using hot water in the next room or apartment or process; the hot water is near enough to your fixture so the hot water is delivered in seconds, not minutes.