Dry pumping of condensate pump
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Due to process adjustments at our plant’s air separation unit, the liquid level in the surface cooler was momentarily 0, yet the condensate pump continued to operate. Will running a water pump without any liquid cause damage to it?
Each type of pump has its specific operating conditions; you can find this information online or by consulting the manufacturer
It will damage the pump. However, when the designed liquid level is set to zero, there is still a certain amount of liquid present in reality, which means the risk is higher.
Running a centrifugal pump without load can easily damage the mechanical seal and bearings; moreover, if flammable liquids or gases are being transported, explosions may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the pump from running without load during operation.
In your case, it’s fine for a short period of time, but it’s best to avoid it~~ Also, is there no interlock mechanism? ~~Hehe~~
There is no low liquid level interlock; does your plant have one?
Yes, there are functions for over-reporting and under-reporting of levels, as well as interlocks for low-low and high-high conditions. The standby pump starts when the liquid level is high, while the main pump stops when the liquid level is low-low~~
The liquid level in the surface cooler is momentarily 0, but since the return valve is open, there is still liquid inside the pump. It cannot run for a long time. We also don’t have low-level interlocking.