Experimental investigation of a pumping station from CET power plant Timisoara

Abstract

In this paper the results of experimental investigations carried out on four high power centrifugal pumps from CET-Centre power plant Timisoara are presented. The aim of this investigation is to determine the operating curves of the pumps after more than 10 years of operation and to identify the optimum configuration of pumps to operate in parallel. Because of the differences between the pumps, problems occur in exploitation when try to make them operate in parallel configuration. One problem consists in not being able to operate the pumps in parallel in any configuration because of different pumping heads, and another problem is the high consumption of electric power because the pumps are not operated at best efficiency point. Using a measuring equipment based on thermodynamic method and a portable ultrasonic flow rate meter, experimental measurements were performed on each centrifugal pump to obtain the operating characteristics curves (pumping head vs. flow rate and efficiency vs. flow rate). Then analysis was performed to determine the best arrangement of pumps operating in parallel so that the necessary flow rate to be obtained and the parallel operation of the pumps to be without problems and with a minimum electric power consumption.