Cooling Tower Pump Suction Piping

Next week we look continue to look at cooling tower pump suction velocity.

Cooling tower pump suction piping. Piping condenser cooling tower losses and. Pumps should never support the suction or discharge piping. Problems on the suction side however can be the source. Any stress on the pump casing by the piping system greatly reduces pump life and performance.

Properly engineered condenser chiller and cooling tower piping and controls will improve heat transfer and avoid problems such as air slugging and pumps losing prime. Suction piping is usually one or two line sizes larger than the pump nozzle. Keep in mind that increasing the performance of the pump will help to make up for piping mistakes made on the discharge side of a pump. Some fairly catastrophic events can occur if either is improperly installed.

Correctly piping the suction and discharge of your cooling tower condenser water pump is critical. Pump suction water will reach this level without pump energy. Rotate or exercise condenser water pumps if there is a long horizontal run between pumps or a dead leg in the suction line. It must also provide the energy head necessary to raise water from a low to a higher static head level.

The following guidelines are a sample of some industry standards and good piping layout practices. The pipe velocity should not be greater than the pump suction velocity. Bell and gossett has several pipe sizing suggestions in their manual teh 1209. Open piping circuit for the tower piping circuit the pump must overcome the piping flow friction loss.

Multi cell cooling tower configurations that have 100 percent independent systems have limited redundancy. Piping engineers must look at numerous factors when designing the pump s suction piping and discharge piping. Always try to elevate the tower high enough to have a positive pressure at the pump suction when the pump runs at full flow. Starting with the suction piping it is important to take precaution to avoid air pockets which can destroy a pump in pretty short order.

Typical open tower piping for the tower piping circuit the pump must overcome the piping flow friction loss. Click here to request a copy of the xylem bell and gossett cooling tower piping technical bulletin teh 1209. Pitch suction pipe up to cooling tower when possible and provide a means to vent excessive air. Piping condenser cooling tower losses and valves.

It must also provide the energy head necessary to raise water from a low to a higher static head level. Tower manufacturers the hydraulic institute hi and bell and gossett all suggest lower velocity for pipe selection in cooling tower pump suction piping.