Horizontal Multistage Pumping System Provides Natural Gas Liquids Solution

Pumps & Systems 
April 2013
Written by: Matt Cray & Jim Rector, Schlumberger

GRAPHALLOY^® Pump Bearings Combat Low NGL Viscosity

Shale natural gas activity throughout North America has created many opportunities and challenges for natural gas liquid (NGL) plant operators who need cost-effective pumping solutions to treat, fractionate and move natural gas liquids from remote processing sites to pipelines bound for end markets.

Horizontal multistage centrifugal pumps can be a cost-effective, operationally efficient and safe alternative to reciprocating, vertical turbine can pumps and axial split case pumps that have historically been used in these high-pressure applications.

Although first developed in the 1940s, the horizontal multistage pump did not truly evolve until the oil boom of the early 1980s. During that period, water injection had become a pervasive need, which was difficult to maintain with traditional reciprocating pumps. The quick delivery and increased reliability of the horizontal multistage pump made it a suitable replacement for the older, more conventionally-used pumps.

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For more information on GRAPHALLOY^®, please visit www.graphalloy.com

GRAPHALLOY® Pillow Blocks - The Problem Solvers

Cost-Saving Solutions for Harsh Environments

• GRAPHALLOY^® 845 series flange units have reduced maintenance costs in Chicken Roasters by more than 50% after replacing standard ball bearing units.
• 400°F temperatures caused failure in pillow blocks on a Hot Strip Mill Run Out Table.  GRAPHALLOY 448 pillow blocks were able to withstand the temperature as well as the quench spray.
• Conveyor running above a 1020°F zinc bath presented a problem for traditional bearings. GRAPHALLOY 318 flange units provided years of trouble free operation.
• A vacuum at 1500°F is an environment that most bearings cannot handle. GRAPHALLOY 963 pillow blocks have been running for more than a year without problems.
• Six years of maintenance free operation was the result of the GRAPHALLOY replacements of spherical roller bearing pillow blocks on a salt cake conveyor.
• Fish screens in the Columbia River is a great application for submersible GRAPHALLOY pillow blocks.
• Harsh chemical wash down required replacing 24 of 96 ball bearing pillow blocks on a weekly basis.  GRAPHALLOY 845 pillow blocks have run for more than six years with an annual savings exceeding $20,000.
  
  

GRAPHALLOY^® Pillow Blocks and Flange Units

• Come in FDA accepted grades 
• Impervious to temperature extremes from -400°F to +750°F 
• Withstand wash down and harsh chemical environments 
• Available in split and solid bushings and housings

Bearings that Excel in Pumping Anhydrous Ammonia

Keeping ammonia pumps running was a problem for fertilizer companies until they installed GRAPHALLOY^® self-lubricating bearings.

A major pump manufacturer was repairing a large number of vertical pumps in Anhydrous Ammonia (NH₃) service. Their customer serves the fertilizer industry and needs the pumps back quickly, especially during the short growing season. The pumps, with bronze bushings installed, were failing due to running dry.

Anhydrous Ammonia is an efficient and widely used nitrogen fertilizer. When used as an agricultural fertilizer, it is compressed into a liquid. When injected into the soil, the liquid ammonia expands into a gas and is readily absorbed in the soil moisture. With a boiling point of -28.01° F at a pressure of one atmosphere, Anhydrous Ammonia requires special equipment and technology to transport, store and apply.

The refrigeration or pressurization system can fail and the pumps can flash, run dry and ultimately fail. The pump manufacturer knew from experience that GRAPHALLOY is one of the most recommended bearing materials found in Anhydrous Ammonia service and typically includes the stuffing box bushing, line shaft bearing and bearings in the bowl assembly.

The manufacturer, working with GRAPHALLOY engineers, replaced the bronze bushings with GRAPHALLOY Babbitt Bearings. GRAPHALLOY has kept the pumps from seizing during dry-run, low-flow, start up and shutdown.

According to the pump manufacturer, the usual service life of Anhydrous Ammonia pumps fitted with GRAPHALLOY bearings is 5 - 7 years. In one instance, the pump manufacturer said the GRAPHALLOY bearings showed no wear after running dry for over 24 hours.

GRAPHALLOY provides reliable, problem-free solutions for the most difficult applications. Contact us to find out what GRAPHALLOY can do for you.

GRAPHALLOY® at Middle East Turbomachinery Show

GRAPHALLOY® will exhibit at the Middle East Turbomachinery Symposium in Doha, Qatar on March 17 - 20, 2013. Visit Booth 317. Click here for more information about GRAPHALLOY.

Graphite Metallizing Celebrates 100 Years of Quality and Service

Graphite Metallizing Corporation of Yonkers, NY celebrates its 100th anniversary of solving tough bearing problems.

The company began in 1913 when two engineers developed a method for putting molten metal into carbon to create a new material called GRAPHALLOY®, a graphite/metal alloy. Over the years, Graphite Metallizing developed additional grades of GRAPHALLOY to address new applications. Today, GRAPHALLOY customers are comprised of major industrial companies around the world who demand the highest level of quality and service.

GRAPHALLOY is a proprietary material that has exceptional mechanical, chemical, and tribological properties. As a result, GRAPHALLOY works where traditional bearing materials often fail. In addition to being self-lubricating, GRAPHALLOY withstands high-temperatures, performs well under cryogenic conditions, can survive dry running pumps and maintains its integrity even when submerged in hostile liquids such as acids, alkalies, hydrocarbons, black liquor and liquid gases.

GRAPHALLOY can be custom-designed for specific application dimensions and tolerances. GRAPHALLOY standard and custom designed products provide lifetime cost savings and significant operating advantages over conventional bushings and bearings.

Eben Walker, General Manager of Graphite Metallizing said: “It’s amazing that even after 100 years and producing over 150 grades of GRAPHALLOY, our customers and our engineers continue to find new applications for this versatile material.”

Pillow Block Assemblies Designed for Long-Life

Pillow Block and Flange Block Assemblies from Graphite Metallizing are equipped with a GRAPHALLOY ^® bushing and are designed for long-life operation. They are easy to install and will operate successfully under a variety of conditions.

Depending on the application, our Pillow Blocks and Flange Blocks are available as in split, solid, solid, self-aligning, cast iron, stainless steel and in a two-bolt or four-blot arrangement.

GRAPHALLOY Pillow Block and Flange Block Assemblies eliminate maintenance and frequent replacements while providing increased reliability.

Visit our website to learn more about GRAPHALLOY Pillow Blocks and Flange Blocks.

Switch to Rubber-Based Bearings Saves Money and Maintenance Time

Bearings from Graphite Metallizing result in six-figure savings:

Trigen-Kansas City Energy Corporation, a Veolia company, provides centrally produced steam and chilled water to customers in the Kansas City, Missouri, central business district and cogenerates electricity. A Floway VU vertical turbine pump captures up to 24,000 gallons per minute of water from the silt-laden Missouri River to feed chillers and steam generators. In the past, particulate in the water caused the bronze-backed rubber bushings to fail after approximately thirty months, requiring the company to spend $60,000 to replace them along with shafts.

Read more in Modern Pumping Today

For more information about Graphite Metallizing, visit http://www.graphalloy.com