Mechanical Technology March 2015

⎪ Pump systems, pipes, valves and seals ⎪

pumps to the cost and installation of the other options and choose the most cost- effective solution. Scenario 4: If your existing cooling water system has performed correctly for a number of years, but has mysteriously stopped functioning correctly, you must locate that mystery and correct it. It’s not really a mystery. The mystery will reveal itself with some well-placed pressure gauges and a clip-on flow meter.

and head, this is a problem for the cool- ing system manufacturer. Something is out of control. Suggested action: Make them solve the problem. Contact the tower manufacturer and the pump company. Get a lawyer and threaten a malpractice lawsuit if you must. Scenario 2: If your relatively new cooling water system is out of warranty and the pumps never properly delivered head and flow, then it’s your problem but it is easy to fix. Suggested action: Contract a pump specialist in your city and work with him. Or, read Chapter 8 of my pump book, which shows you how to trace the energy through a pipe system. It will show you where energy is consumed in the pipe system. Scenario 3: If your cooling water system has been functioning correctly for many years, and suddenly has new demands on it, such as increased load or production, or newly installed process devices that consume energy, then you may be able to upgrade your existing main pumps, or consider the booster pumps as proposed. Suggested Action: Decide if you need more head or more flow, or more head and more flow to meet the new demands on the system. Get quotes on a pump upgrade. Get quotes on larger pumps. Get quotes on higher speed drives. Compare the cost and installation of the booster

rect. This is relatively easy and fast. If the problem is not in the pump, it is in the system. The pump will do what the system makes it do. The energy (head) designed into the pump should be the same as (or very close to) the energy contained in the system. Installing booster pumps may be the correct route to solve this pump or system problem. But the performance curves of the main cooling tower pumps with the system curve and the duty coordinates, along with sufficient suction pressure must all be established before boosting pump pressure. q

Suggested Action: Contact a local pump specialist, or me or read Chapter 8 of my book. Start with the pump (performance curve, gauges, flow meter) and confirm that the pump is either correct or incor- ATEX product and service range extended

F ollowing recent ATEX certification of the LabTecta bearing protection product range, AESSEAL has announced ATEX certi- fication of all its standard mechanical seals. The products are certified to comply with ATEX directive 94/9/EC, and are backed by an ATEX assessment and support service included at no additional charge to the cus- tomer. ATEX is the certification that allows product installation in environments with potentially explosive atmospheres. It is ex- tensively specified in applications throughout South Africa and Europe. Compliance was achieved after consider- able investment in developing the necessary technical expertise, experience and know-

how to assess ATEX applications and ensure com- pliance with this standard as well as ISO 29001.

AESSEAL is actively involved with various industry bodies to ensure that the mechani- cal seal industry properly advises its users in hazardous area applications. The AESSEAL range of mechanical seals and seal sup- port systems is suitable for a wide range of industries including oil and gas, mining, water and wastewater, power generation, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and food and beverage. q

Mechanical Technology — March 2015

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