Reasons for poor performance of liquid ammonia pumps
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The liquid ammonia pumps used in our facility are of two types: high-speed pumps and diaphragm pumps. However, when the liquid level in the ammonia tank drops, the pumping stops working properly or stops altogether. What could be the reason? 1. Our ammonia tank does not have a pressure replenishment device; it only has a saturated vapor pressure. 2. Previously, measurement would only be taken when the liquid level dropped to 20 tons; now, no measurement is taken even at 38 tons, although the tank has a capacity of 65 tons. 3. It has been recently found that the water content in ammonia is relatively high; could this be related to it? Could the experts please explain this?
It might be that an excessive amount of water causes a sharp decrease in the vapor pressure of ammonia!
A horizontal tank, right? The inlet head pressure must be too low
It’s a system issue or a device problem; check those first
Could it be that cavitation is occurring?
How can methanol be separated from ethanol?
When a diaphragm pump experiences this kind of problem, it must be an issue with the pump itself; it has nothing to do with the tank. It might be due to a poor seal or damage to the internal components.
You are using a centrifugal pump, which has poor cavitation resistance. Once the inlet pressure drops, the pump suffers from cavitation and is unable to draw in liquid, so of course it cannot deliver any liquid. It is recommended to consider VIKING’s liquid ammonia gear pumps or vane pumps.