Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
(OP)
HI,
I am trying to fill out a data sheet for a PD rotary (gear type) pump needed for a client. The product is wax liquid with a viscosity of as high as 2500 cP at 212 F. I know the required pressure at the equipment inlet where the pump has to feed to, so I am trying to back calculate what the required discharge pressure would be at pump end by doing some hydraulic calculations. I know the pipe material, length, elevation etc. Any tips on how to do this successfully? I have FluidFlow software that I can utilize for this.
I am trying to fill out a data sheet for a PD rotary (gear type) pump needed for a client. The product is wax liquid with a viscosity of as high as 2500 cP at 212 F. I know the required pressure at the equipment inlet where the pump has to feed to, so I am trying to back calculate what the required discharge pressure would be at pump end by doing some hydraulic calculations. I know the pipe material, length, elevation etc. Any tips on how to do this successfully? I have FluidFlow software that I can utilize for this.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Wax liquid sounds like a non newtonian fluid to me so there will be shear thinning going on but also a significant gel break pressure.
2500 cP is rather high. This is more like polymer flow.
Suspect you'll need operating experience to see what sort of pressure is required.
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RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Consider this paper to support your query (transport of non Newton fluid).
Good luck
Pierre
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Thank you very much pierreick for sharing the paper. I will go through it.
So this is an established fact that waxes ("Paraffin Wax" and "Microcrystalline Wax") are considered as Non-Newtonian fluids? I was finding differing opinions when I searched online about that.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
If your wax has a uniform temperature everywhere, you can use the viscosity at that temperature to calculate the initial pressure drop. Problem will be that when the wax starts moving, the viscosity will change according to its velocity. The good news is that the viscosity will reduce and the wax will move faster and faster, if you keep the same pump discharge pressure. A VFD pump that will let you turn down the speed and reduce the discharge pressure as velocity increases will help you to keep it moving at a steady flow rate and speed, at which time a steady flow rate and velocity can be held constant, and as such bringing no further changes in viscosity.
You will need a table of viscosities of the wax at different shear rates, ie different velocities, at your flowing temperature.
You can analyse the pressure drop at any given flow rate, including zero, if you know the viscosity at your uniform temperature and flow rate. Calculate the velocity using the flow rate you want. Then select the proper viscosity to use according to the velocity of the wax and its temperature, Do that first zero flow. Zero velocity, highest viscosity, will give you the highest pump discharge pressure. To find the pressure drop at that and any other steady flow rate, calculate velocity then simply use the velocity adjusted viscosity. Assume you have steady state flow everywhere and calculate the pressure drop at that flow rate using Colebrook White equation, or Churchill, etc., or your software. Maybe there is one trick. You might have to trick your software into analysing the zero flow initial case. Most equations don't like zero as a flow rate. Just enter that as a very very low flow rate, such as 0.001 GPM.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Then you can also have cold spots where the wax goes really solid.
You sound like you really need to have an electrically traced and insulated system to keep the temperature uniform and as high as you possibly can.
Also find someone who has some level of experience. As I said before, you could be out by a factor of 10 in both directions.
If it's a gear pump then you won't need to turn it down once moving, just make sure you are at the right flow. But the pressure will fall as the flow reduces the viscosity.
Non Newtonian is weird stuff sometimes.
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
The line is steam-traced / insulated and will be maintained at a constant temperature of around 100oC. I have the viscosity of the product at this temperature. I am trying to use FluidFlow software to do the hydraulics but cannot find a way to custom define the wax I have. I am using a simple Newtonian Flow method.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
So probably the only thing you can do is assume steady state flow, try to keep velocity the same everywhere by using only one pipe diameter and assume the temperature is equal at all points in the pipe.
Enter the viscosity at zero flow (0.001 GPM) to calculate your highest pressure loss and the pump discharge pressure for the startup case.
Make a new analysis case. Run the same calculation but at the steady state flow rate and this time use the viscosity at that steady state flow rate velocity to get the pressure drop and the pump discharge pressure for the steady state flow case.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Seems like it's time to just set up a test - this will be especially needed to ensure the inlet conditions to the pump don't cause cavitation.
There are companies that specifically sell wax pumps and it is likely they have people experienced in dealing with just this sort of problem. Go to them for a quote on a suitable pump and see what they say.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Theose are plots of 3 SE Asian waxy crude oils.
What kind of wax is this?
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shear_rate
RE: Liquid Wax Pump Discharge Pressure
Below is an example calculation I did on a shear-thinning polymer from viscosity vs shear rate data from a rheometer.
To get shear rate, you can reference the thread below and the post from Latexman:
https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=199676