mud pump efficiency factory
Rig pump output, normally in volume per stroke, of mud pumps on the rig is one of important figures that we really need to know because we will use pump out put figures to calculate many parameters such as bottom up strokes, wash out depth, tracking drilling fluid, etc. In this post, you will learn how to calculate pump out put for triplex pump and duplex pump in bothOilfield and Metric Unit.
Pumps tend to be one of the biggest energy consumers in industrial operations. Pump motors, specifically, require a lot of energy. For instance, a 2500 HP triplex pump used for frac jobs can consume almost 2000 kW of power, meaning a full day of fracking can cost several thousand dollars in energy costs alone!
So, naturally, operators should want to maximize energy efficiency to get the most for their money. Even a 1% improvement in efficiency can decrease annual pumping costs by tens of thousands of dollars. The payoff is worth the effort. And if you want to remotely control your pumps, you want to keep efficiency in mind.
In this post, we’ll point you in the right direction and discuss all things related to pump efficiency. We’ll conclude with several tips for how you can maintain pumping efficiency and keep your energy costs down as much as possible.
In simple terms, pump efficiency refers to the ratio of power out to power in. It’s the mechanical power input at the pump shaft, measured in horsepower (HP), compared to the hydraulic power of the liquid output, also measured in HP. For instance, if a pump requires 1000 HP to operate and produces 800 HP of hydraulic power, it would have an efficiency of 80%.
Remember: pumps have to be driven by something, i.e., an electric or diesel motor. True pump system efficiency needs to factor in the efficiency of both the motor AND the pump.
Consequently, we need to think about how electrical power (when using electric motors) or heat power (when using combustion engines) converts into liquid power to really understand pump efficiency.
Good pump efficiency depends, of course, on pump type and size. High-quality pumps that are well-maintained can achieve efficiencies of 90% or higher, while smaller pumps tend to be less efficient. In general, if you take good care of your pumps, you should be able to achieve 70-90% pump efficiency.
Motor efficiency is also an important factor here. Motor efficiency depends on the fuel type, whether electricity or hydrocarbon, which in turn depends on availability and cost.
AC motors can achieve 90%+ efficiency when converting electrical to mechanical energy. Combustion engines are much less efficient, with typical efficiency ratings coming in at ~20% for gasoline and ~40% for diesel. Your choice of engine or motor type will depend on the availability and cost of fuel or electricity in your area.
Now that we have a better understanding of the pump efficiency metric, let’s talk about how to calculate it. The mechanical power of the pump, or the input power, is a property of the pump itself and will be documented during the pump setup. The output power, or hydraulic power, is calculated as the liquid flow rate multiplied by the "total head" of the system.
IMPORTANT: to calculate true head, you also need to factor in the work the pump does to move fluid from the source. For example, if the source water is below the pump, you need to account for the extra work the pump puts in to draw source water upwards.
*Note - this calculation assumes the pump inlet is not pressurized and that friction losses are minimal. If the pump experiences a non-zero suction pressure, or if there is significant friction caused by the distance or material of the pipe, these should be factored in as well.
You"ll notice that the elevation head is minimal compared to the discharge pressure, and has minimal effect on the efficiency of the pump. As the elevation change increases or the discharge pressure decreases, however, elevation change will have a greater impact on total head.
Obviously, that’s a fair amount of math to get at the pump efficiency, considering all of the units conversions that need to be done. To avoid doing these calculations manually, feel free to use our simple pump efficiency calculator.
Our calculations use static variables (pump-rated horsepower and water source elevation) and dynamic variables (discharge flow and pressure). To determine pump efficiency, we need to measure the static variables only once, unless they change.
If you want to measure the true efficiency of your pump, taking energy consumption into account, you could add an electrical meter. Your meter should consist of a current transducer and voltage monitor (if using DC) for electrical motors or a fuel gauge for combustion. This would give you a true understanding of how pump efficiency affects energy consumption, and ultimately your bank account.
Up until this point, we’ve covered the ins and outs of how to determine pump efficiency. We’re now ready for the exciting stuff - how to improve pump efficiency!
One of the easiest ways to improve pump efficiency is to actually monitor pumps for signs of efficiency loss! If you monitor flow rate and discharge (output power) along with motor current or fuel consumption, you’ll notice efficiency losses as soon as they occur. Simply having pump efficiency information on hand empowers you to take action.
Another way to increase efficiency is to keep pumps well-maintained. Efficiency losses mostly come from mechanical defects in pumps, e.g., friction, leakages, and component failures. You can mitigate these issues through regular maintenance that keeps parts in working order and reveals impending failures. Of course, if you are continuously monitoring your pumps for efficiency drops, you’ll know exactly when maintenance is due.
You can also improve pump efficiency by keeping pumps lubricated at all times. Lubrication is the enemy of friction, which is the enemy of efficiency (“the enemy of my enemy is my friend…”).
A fourth way to enhance pump efficiency is to ensure your pumps and piping are sized properly for your infrastructure. Although we’re bringing this up last, it’s really the first step in any pumping operation. If your pumps and piping don’t match, no amount of lubricant or maintenance will help.
Pipes have physical limits to how much fluid they can move at a particular pressure. If pipes aren’t sized properly, you’ll lose efficiency because your motor will have to work harder. It’s like air conditioning - if your ductwork isn’t sized appropriately for your home, you’ll end up paying more on your energy bill.
In this post, we’ve given you the full rundown when it comes to calculating and improving pump efficiency. You can now calculate, measure, and improve pump efficiency, potentially saving your business thousands of dollars annually on energy costs.
For those just getting started with pump optimization, we offer purpose-built, prepackaged solutions that will have you monitoring pump efficiency in minutes, even in hazardous environments.
Manufactured to withstand the toughest drilling and environmental conditions, our K-Series triplex mud pumps are ideal for all drilling applications. This legacy product features a balanced forged-steel crankshaft and Southwest Oilfield Products ‘L” Shaped modules which is essential to minimize wear, noise, and operating vibrations. These attributes are essential when drilling deeper high pressure formations, long laterals and when handling corrosive or abrasive fluids and slurries.
Every American Block triplex mud pump is manufactured and fully load tested before leaving our manufacturing campus, and is available in sizes ranging from 800 HP to 2200 HP. The American Block K1600 HP Mud Pump is also available in a 2000 HP up-grade version, when more HP is needed in the same 1600 HP footprint.
WN (Q) series Dredging pump is a new type of mud-pump, which is developed by using various advanced computer-aided design software, in view of the imminent situation of rivers disrepair, dredging and dredger filling in China.
The series of mud pump with the overall structure of applicable to Marine, digging mud performance, long life, high efficiency, shaft seal reliable, the use of comprehensive economic benefits and other characteristics, can fully meet the dredger on the mud pump requirements, each set of products through the China Classification Society CCS ship Inspection.
At present, the series of mud pump has provided supporting successfully for cutter suction type, bucket wheel type,trailing hopper type dredger etc. Made a huge contribution for dredging rivers, port.
An expendable needs to be dependable until its replacement. This is the very essence of the approach at ShalePumps towards all components, classified as expendables in Oil Exploration and Production. Mud Pump Fluid End Modules are absolutely vital to the operations of a Mud Pump. Machined from the highest quality of forged material, the fluid end modules have a very high threshold for cracking. This lends the fluid end modules longer life which in turn has a positive effect on overall operations.
All fluid end modules that leave the plant at ShalePumps got through a battery of tests that include hydrostatic testing. With assured integrity of the materials that go into all fluid end modules, the mud pumps can be operated with greater confidence.
The residual stress testing procedures are rigorous and translate into steady performance under exerted pressure in operations. All fluid end modules that go into the mud pumps are tested through scientifically proven fabrication techniques. Part of the reason why our expendables are always dependable till the extended duty cycle comes to the end of its operational life.
Product Features ● Its compact structure, lighter weight, and small size with high efficiency can be matched with kinds of pump devices according to drilling rig`s requirement and different conditions. ●Its durable and compact structure can ensure the smooth operation of pump, and meet the specific requirements of...