Autogas or liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is a mixture of propane and butane. This fuel source can be stored and transported as a liquid but burned as a gas. Autogas dispensing installations frequently use regenerative turbine pumps.
While autogas applications present a share of challenges, they are not unique. Many applications using hard-to-handle liquids such as ammonia, various refrigerants and many hydrocarbons feature low viscosities, sometimes as low as 0.1 centipoise (cP), which is 10 times thinner than water, and vapor pressure near to normal atmospheric pressure. This creates problems for many pumping technologies as these fluids can be difficult to seal and the low viscosity increases the risk of internal slippage during operation.
One of the problems that comes from pumping volatile liquids is cavitation. If the pump’s inlet pressure falls below the liquid’s vapor pressure, then vapor bubbles will form in the liquid. These bubbles will travel through the pumping chamber and, as the pressure increases, implode and cause cavitation, which can damage the pumping hardware.
Regenerative turbine pumps work well in these applications because they are immune to the damage caused to other pumps by cavitation and can handle low viscosities while maintaining high pressures.
A Closer Look at Regenerative Turbine Pumps
Although it has performance characteristics that closely resemble those from a positive displacement (PD) pump, the regenerative turbine pump is rotodynamic. Regenerative turbines combine the high discharge pressure of a PD pump with the performance flexibility of a centrifugal pump. They operate using a rotating, noncontacting, free-wheeling disc with many small buckets or cells on its periphery that functions as an impeller.
These small cells, typically 50 to 60 on each side of the impeller, scoop up the liquid when it enters the suction port of the turbine pump. The impeller then accelerates the liquid within the cells around the narrow hydraulic channel that surrounds them.
This fast spiral motion at high velocity creates pressure, establishing the differential pressure capability of the pump, which is why it is called a regenerative turbine pump. Other names for this technology include peripheral pumps, centrifugal regenerative pumps and regenerative pumps, among others. This technology is categorized in the rotodynamic family of pumps.
Regenerative turbine pumps thrive when transferring liquids at high pressure and low flow while also handling entrained vapors or liquids at or near their boiling point. These conditions typically limit the performance and functionality of most pump technologies, causing unreliable performance, cavitation, noise and vibration. Regenerative turbine pumps do not suffer from these conditions. Specifically, these pumps can handle viscosities of 0.1 to 50 centistokes (cSt) with differential pressures up to 300 pounds per square inch (psi) (20 bar) and have a maximum allowable working pressure of up to 493 psi (34 bar) to enable handling liquids with high vapor pressures.
Typical regenerative turbine pumps generate flow rates up to 52.8 gallons per minute (gpm), however some variations of these pumps are capable of handling even higher flow rates. Some newer iterations of this technology can reach peak flow rates as high as—and potentially higher than—158.5 gpm.
The impeller and its cells give the pump its versatility. The spiral motion, and its speed, diminishes the chances for cavitation and pulsation by smoothing the fluid and collapsing the vapor bubbles immediately when they form. A smooth flow along with a hydraulically balanced design does not create detrimental effects and allows the regenerative turbine pump to function without vibration or noise in most pumping situations.
These functional traits and benefits allow regenerative turbine pumps to span beyond typical applications, such as autogas. This technology also functions optimally in applications known for having low viscosity fluids, such as aerosols and refrigerants. Other applications include ammonia, vaporizer feed and cylinder filling as well as boiler feed water.
Matching Up With Other Pumps
Side-channel pumps, like regenerative turbine pumps, are great at performing well under poor suction conditions, and both technologies are self-priming. The differences come down to the size and ease of maintenance.
Side-channel pumps have a larger footprint due to their design. They are generally made up of multiple pumping stages—these pumps are larger than their single-stage counterparts.
In an LPG installation, a side-channel pump might require four to eight stages to meet the duty parameters. With that many stages, side-channel pumps, which already have a large footprint, also become more complex to accommodate these applications’ demands. Regenerative turbine pumps, using a single-stage, offer the same performance as a four- or five-stage, side-channel pump and can operate at two-pole speeds, compared with typically four-pole speed limitations of side-channel pumps.
Regenerative turbine pumps have a compact footprint and a less complex design that features up to 25 components. This smaller, simpler design makes maintenance a short and efficient task. Less time on maintenance and fewer wear parts gives regenerative turbine pump owners better longevity and substantial financial savings. Also, because regenerative turbine pumps are simpler in design, they can be easier to maintain.
Other PD pumps, such as sliding vane, have their share of advantages, including having higher hydraulic efficiency and better effectiveness during priming over comparable pump technologies.
While regenerative turbine pumps do not have those specific advantages, others allow them to work well in similar applications. For example, regenerative turbine pumps do not have as many moving parts as comparable technology, which allows them to operate continuously without many drawbacks.
On the maintenance side, the lack of multiple moving parts ensures that operators do not have to worry about several pieces, each with their own life and service cycle. Fewer moving parts also means fewer shutdowns for scheduled maintenance, along with the need to keep several replacement parts in stock for eventual replacement. Operators can save more money this way, too, because they only need to worry about a smaller number of parts, which tend to have better longevity than the smaller pieces found in other pumping technology.
The major wear parts on regenerative turbine pumps—the impeller and the mechanical seal—also do not force owners to take them out of service during maintenance or replacement. In many cases, these parts can be replaced within an hour without disconnecting the pump from the pipework and, in frequent cases, without disconnecting the motor.
On the performance side, regenerative turbine pumps can operate continuously without the detriments—pulsation and cavitation—that can affect other pumping technology. This continuous operation allows operators to use them without frequent stops, generating more hours of use in various applications.
When it comes to applications with low viscosity liquids and poor suction conditions or liquids near their boiling point, regenerative turbine pumps are a solid choice. Their performance with an array of liquids in different conditions allows the technology to thrive in a broad range of applications. The challenges posed by these liquids, such as entrained vapor and cavitation, do not pose a threat to this pumping technology’s integrity, which means owners can expect a long life cycle from regenerative turbine pumps with long periods between any maintenance.
When it does become necessary, maintenance of regenerative turbine pumps allows less-experienced users to manage it. These users do not have to worry about replacing multiple wear parts or taking the pump out of service for several hours.
In many cases, the pumps can be repaired or rebuilt without removing them from the pipework.
Regenerative turbine pumps have already proven their value in autogas applications. As they continue to evolve, they will appear more frequently in other applications.