POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP REVERSE FLOW
where can i find evidence/proof/article/etc. for the fact that reverse flow (from discharge to suction) can not occure in positive displacement pumps when it is stopped , because of the way it is constructed and nature of operation .
If a positive displacement pump didn't have leakage back through the
check valves, it would behave ideally, ie. it would deliver a fixed
volumetric flowrate (at a fixed operating speed) independent of
downstream pressure.
How many ideal PD pumps have you ever experienced?
Check valves leak, unless installed backwards by accident. That's another corrolary of Murphy's Law you can live by...
Back
leakage through two check valves of the same construction in series is
definitely possible, ie. the suction and discharge check valves of the
pump itself. Add a third check valve at the point of injection of
whatever stream this pump is generating, and make that check valve of
different construction to those in the pump, and you'l reduce that
likelihood considerably.
As per dcasto, piston and diapram pumps will have both a discharge and
suction check valve (in addition to any included in the piping) which
must both leak through. It is common in my experience to lose flow
because one of the check valves gets stuck open by a small piece of
gravel or something, but a back flow will require both the inlet and
outlet to fail. Still, having seen one check valve fail many times, I
would have to say a backflow (two check valves fail) is not possible in
the case of dirty service, although I have never had it happen.
The
usual over-looked hazard with PD pumps is an uncontrolled forward flow
in cases where the discharge pressure (due to upset, process cycle, etc)
falls below the suction- i.e. you shut the process down and find your
chemical injection tank contents has flowed into the process if you
didn't isolate the pump. The manufacturer can recommend a back-pressure
valve at the discharge to guard against this scenario if needed.
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