idle to submersible

pump insta

are widely used around the world in water supply, general industy, booster stations,
land iwi~ation, land drainage and in
offshore and mining installations. A
borehole pump is designed to extract
water from an underground resource,
with maximum efficiency and reliability and with the minimum of installation cost.
w
The typical design is demonstrated by the Pleuger
submersible borehole
pump from Ingersoll
Dresser Pumps, the result of over 60 years continuous development in this market.
In this article, we will show the basics of the
Pleuger borehole pump, describing its installation
and identifying causes of potential operating
problems.
The main elements for the installation of a
Pleuger borehole pump are shown in Figure 1 and
can be detailed from top to bottom as follows:
1. Discharge bend -To direct flow and enable
connection to pipework.
2. Mounting plate - To support pump from
ground surface level.
3. Rising main -To transfer liquid from pump to
discharge head.
4. Cable - To supply electrical
power to motor.
5. Non return valve -To prevent
flow reversal through pump.
6. Pump -To generate required
flow and pressure.
7. Motor -To drive pump.

The borehole and o

considerations

By Jason Robinson
and
Peter Flemming,
Customer
Division, IngersQli-Dresses

Se

The pump should be positioned in tbe borehole, so that on start up and running, the pump
unit is below both the static and dynamic water
levels. This should then ensure an acceptable
NPSHa and prevent pump cavitation.

Abrasives ~o~t~~t
Any abrasives such as sand should be avoided, but
where this is not possible the amount of abrasive
in the pumped medium needs to be kept to a minimum, to ensure maximum pump reliability is
attained.W%ere abrasives are involved, you should
always consult with the pump manufacturer.
Whilst mechanical problems developing from
abrasives damage can never be completely eiiminated, certain design modifications can be incolt
porated to minimize the effects and therefore maximize reliability and the useful life of the pump.
For example, impeller clearances can be
increased to reduce the detrimental effects of premature wear, although this option can reduce
operating efficiency and therefore increase power
consumption. High velocity hydraulic designs can
be incorporated into the stage pieces, reducing
the likelihood of the abrasive settling within the pump and generating premature wear.The use of
special materials can also be
adopted within
the pu
design, enabling high levels of
abrasive
resistance
to
be
achieved, at the same time as
providing optimum reliability
and efficiency.

The borehole provides access to

e 15s
ain
the underground water resource,
into which the pump will then
The integrity of all joints in the
be installed. Prior test pumping
rising main is of critical imporof a new borebole is always rectance and for a secure pump
ommended to ensure it provides
installation, should never be
A custom-designed
Pleuger
a satisfactory yield. The borehole
overlooked, particularly from she
pump ready for installation
must be of a suitable diameter
point of view of the weight to be
at a Nevada goldmine.
and reasonably true, to simplify
carried within the borehole. For
both installation and subsequent
example, the dry weigbt of a typwithdrawal for maintenance tasks etc.
ical 18 inch pump connected to a rising main 10
Too large a diameter of borehole can lead to inch (250 mm) in diameter and 50 m in length is
inadequate heat dissipation of the motor, a flow
approximately 4 tonnes; but when the same rising
velocity over the motor of 0.2 - 0.5 m/s being the main is full of water, the weight is increased by an
optimum.Where this velocity cannot be achieved,
additional 2.5 tonnes.
The integrity of joints can also directly affect
acceptable cooling can often be attained with the
fitting of a flow shroud.
the frictional losses within the rising main - poor

WORLD

TUMPS

JANUARY

i999

S PECIAL

FEATURE

Inadequate pumping capacity

There are many causes of reduced pumped capacity - some of the more common are described below.
Incorrect direction of rotation
Incorrect direction of rotation will have the effect
of reducing the pump generated head and capacity, as the pump operates further up its performance curve (left of best efficiency) in an attempt
to meet total system head. In addition, incorrect
direction of rotation can result in premature
thrust bearing wear in a submersible borehole
pump and should be avoided.
In&eased system resistance
An increase in system resistance will also result in
the pump operating further up its performance
curve in an effort to overcome system resistance,
which as stated previously can then reduce
pumped capacity. In the extreme, this will result
in the pump seen to be running, but producing no
flow.
Frequent causes for increases in system resistance are:
l

l
l

The closure or partial closure of system isolating valves.

Discharge main, blocked or clogged with build
up of scale, rust or foreign objects.
Well filter stopped up.
The fitting of additional components within
the system, such as valves, filters, flow meters.

Excessive pump internal

wear

Abrasive erosion, as referred to in an earlier section, in addition to cavitation damage and material
corrosion, will result in premature wear of both
internal components and clearances. This then
results in increased internal product recirculation,
opposed to the generation of capacity and head.
Reduced rotating speed
Figure 1. The key elements
borehole
pump.

of a Pleuger

joints will substantially increase losses and if not

allowed for when sizing the system, will result in a
significantly reduced pumped capacity.

Power cable
The cable should be of good quality and correctly
sized to ensure any voltage drop over its length does
not exceed 3.0 to 3.5%.With a 3-phase supply, the
voltage balance between phases should not exceed
5%.Under voltage or reduced frequency will reduce
the motor operating speed and, as a result, reduce
both pump capacity and generated head.

WORLD

PUMPS

JANUARY

1999

Too low a rotating speed, as referred to in the section entitled Power Cable, will directly affect
capacity and generated head. Other possible causes of a reduced rotating speed are - damaged bearings, loss of electrical phase, internal damage to
the pump and reduced electrical supply from the
control gear. Reduced rotating speed may also
have a detrimental effect on motor cooling.
For enquiries
about the Pleuger
range of submersible
pumps,
please
contact
IngersollDresser
Pumps,
Marketing
Services
Unit, PO
Box 2, Chorley
New Road, Horwich,
Bolton,
Lancashire
BL6 6JN, UK. Tel: +44 1204 690524;
Fax: +44 1204 690516.