Replacing a High-Speed Integrally Geared Pump with Pitot Tube Pump to Improve Plant Reliability

Maceyka, Tom

For many years high-speed integrally geared pumps have been the centrifugal pump choice for low-flow high-head services in the refining, petrochemical and chemical industries. While many of these pumps operate satisfactorily, many users experience frequent failures when there is a rapid change in flow rate, also known as a “process upset.” A fully compliant API 610 between bearing rotating casing Pitot tube pump is introduced to assure that during plant process upsets there will not be any damage to the pump, thus resulting in decreased maintenance costs and higher plant reliability. An example of this type of pump replacement, with operational data, is presented to validate the robustness of the Pitot tube pump during rapidly changing process conditions