PR-015-09209-R01 Test Facility for Pump Performance Characterization in Viscous Fluids - Phase I

PR-015-09209-R01 Test Facility for Pump Performance Characterization in Viscous Fluids - Phase I

Pump

goal programming

In the liquids pipeline industry, large horsepower and flow pumps are used to transport liquid along the pipeline. When these pumps are purchased, they are performance tested with water. Performance tests are also sometimes conducted after a pump has been in operation for some time. The performance of a pump is different with water than with a viscous fluid (crude oil). Therefore, the performance results with water are corrected for viscosity. The Hydraulic Institute (HI) developed viscosity correction factors which are used to correct the pipeline pump performance results. These correction factors are based on test results with pump head and flows up to 430 ft and 1140 gpm, respectively. Pipeline size pumps easily have flows in the range of 10,000 to 50,000 gpm. The correction factors used for pipeline size pumps were derived from the HI lower flow and head correction factors. Therefore, the correction factors have an unknown error for larger flow and head pumps.

Wilcox

Reports

Southwest Research Institute

6/23/2016

PRCI members only

CPS

Project - Final Report

PR-015-09209-R01