Abstract
The starting phase for pumps in water transportation pipelines is crucial and has significant transient characteristics which merit further study in order to evaluate the operational stability of the pumping system. This paper presents the results of a study in which the relative steady operating conditions and starting period of a large double-suction centrifugal pump were monitored in real time, including pressure fluctuations, shaft run-out and vibration at the bearing. The transient characteristics of a double-suction centrifugal pump under different operating conditions have been analyzed using fast Fourier transform (FFT) and continuous wavelet transform (CWT). Results indicate broadband frequency components within the spectrum of pressure fluctuations in the volute casing under all test conditions, and the central frequency of the broadband frequency gradually decreases as flow rate increases and approaches the blade frequency, which is the primary reason for an increase in blade-frequency amplitude. This may produce a vibration frequency that is similar to the natural frequency of a certain part of the double-suction centrifugal pump during the starting period, which causes the resonance phenomenon. The radial force is also large during the starting period, which causes eccentric wear of the seal ring at the impeller inlet.
Highlights
In China, the power of all kinds of pumps can currently reach 950 million kW and accounts for about 16% of all electricity consumption in the country
The key goal of this paper is to accurately investigate the transient characteristics of a large double-suction centrifugal pump in a real pumping station during the starting period and to analyse the differences between transient characteristics during the starting period and operating conditions with constant flow rates
The double-suction centrifugal pump was started with a closed valve
Summary
In China, the power of all kinds of pumps can currently reach 950 million kW and accounts for about 16% of all electricity consumption in the country. The power of all kinds of pumping stations in China has reached 160 million kW, with an annual power consumption of 530 billion kW·h, accounting for about 10% of the country’s total electricity consumption. More than 435 million pumping stations are used for agricultural irrigation and drainage in the water conservancy industry, and the total power is 27 million kW. The double suction centrifugal pumps are widely used because of their high efficiency, large flow rate and good balance of axial force. With the increasing scale of pipeline water transmission projects in China and the development of large-scale pumps, more attention has been paid to the transient characteristics of double-suction centrifugal pumps.
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