Hot boiler water recirculation

Pumping hot fluids can be a difficult application. Many additional concerns must be met in order to avoid cavitation and maintain proper lubricity in the pump's hydraulic end. A large refinery located in Indiana required continuous recirculation of hot boiler water at 200-210°F (93-99°C). The customer's demanding requirements included: direct coupling only, explosion proof motor, and only a reservoir tank to offer for supplying the near-boiling water. At high temperatures the Hydra-Cell distributor would normally have recommended a pressure-feed suction to avoid cavitation. On this application, by increasing the supply line plumbing to 2" (51mm), positioning the pump close to the tank, and changing some plumbing at the top of the tank to create a full 10 ft (3.1 m) of static head, the pump was able to run at full RPM without cavitation.

The chosen pump – Hydra-Cell H-25 with direct coupled 10 hp (7.5 kW) motor – ran continuously without issues from the time it was installed. One interesting note was that the 40 WT Hydra-Oil® worked well through the fall and winter months. When the sultry 90°F+ (33°C) days of summer came (and stayed) in southern Indiana, the 40 WT oil did not last as long between changes. Heavier oil was required due to the high ambient temperature. 15W50 WT oil, among others, was tried and found to hold up in this hot environment.

Model: H-25

Flow: 12 gpm (45 l/min)

Pressure: 900 psi (62 bar)

Liquids:

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