Tag: VEMC

Compressed Air System Piping: Design Considerations for Pressure Drop Reduction

by vemcoblogs -

Compressed air is a major source of power in an industrial setting. But to get the most out of your air compressor system, you need to make sure all the ancillaries are well-designed and installed. Piping is an essential support system which plays a huge role in how well your compressed air system performs overall. We at VEMC are a top-notch ELGi dealer in Mumbai and in this blog, we tell you all you need to know about the design consideration of your piping to reduce the pressure drop in your air compressor system.

Factors contributing to pressure drop in piping

  1. Pipe diameter: This is one of the most obvious factors that impacts the pressure of the compressed air in the piping. Pipe diameter impacts the velocity of the air moving through the pipes. To put it simply, larger the pipe diameter, lesser will be the pressure for a given volume of air.
  2. Length of the pipe: Longer the pipe, greater will be the friction loss and hence lesser will be the pressure exerted by the compressed air. Pressure drop is thus directly proportional to the pipe length.
  3. Material: The friction that the moving air particles experience against the walls of the piping also contributes significantly to the drop in pressure. Thus, the material of the piping walls will also determine the extent of pressure drop.
  4. Fittings: How the piping is designed and fitted is an important factor that affects the drop in pressure. A highly complicated design with too many bends will reduce greater amount of air pressure as compared to a more straightforward one.

Strategies to minimise pressure drop

Now that we have understood what factors cause drop in pressure, let’s take a look at how to avoid or at least minimise it.

  1. Appropriate pipe sizing: Make sure the pipes are of the right size in terms of both length and diameter. Both long as well as broad pipes can cause unnecessary drop in pressure.
  2. Avoid unnecessary bends and restrictions: As much as possible, the piping design should be simple and straightforward. Too many bends and restrictions can also cause a drop in pressure due to greater friction.
  3. Use smooth-surfaced pipes: As mentioned above, friction of air particles with the internal surface of the pipes can also reduce the pressure of the compressed air. It is therefore advisable to use smooth-surfaced material for your piping.

It is quite clear that not only does the power and capacity of your air compressor matter but also the overall system and piping design. With the right piping design and installation, you can maintain optimum performance by reducing drop in pressure.

For more expert advice on your air compressor systems, feel free to call us on 022 43436655 or email us at marketing@vemc.co.in. We at VEMC are the leading ELGi compressor dealer in Mumbai with a wide array of air compressor options available to meet your needs. 

The Impact of Liquid Viscosity on Centrifugal Pump Performance

by vemcoblogs -

Pumps do not operate with the same efficiency and effectiveness with all liquids. One of the most important characteristics of the liquids that impact pump performance is their viscosity. VEMC is a leading Kirloskar pump authorised dealer based in Mumbai and in this blog, we tell you about the impact of liquid viscosity on centrifugal pump performance.

Definition and units of liquid viscosity

Let’s first try to understand what viscosity really means. In simple terms, viscosity can be thought of as the thickness of a liquid. However more technically, it refers to the resistance to flow at a given temperature. At the molecular level, it represents the interaction (more specifically friction) between molecules in a particular liquid. Higher viscosity means a liquid is thicker, that is, it offers more resistance to flow and hence requires more energy to be displaced from one point to another.

Unit of viscosity: Viscosity is measured in Newton-Second per Square Metre.

How viscosity affects pump efficiency and flow rate

As stated above, more viscous liquids are harder to move due to the greater resistance to flow they offer. As such, higher viscosity has a negative effect on the performance of a pump in terms of flow rate as well as head. This means if you are looking to displace highly viscous liquids such as oil or honey, you will need a really powerful pump.

Selecting the appropriate pump type and size for liquids with different viscosities

Let’s now take a look at which pumps are suited for which levels of viscosity.

  • For low viscosity fluids such as water, centrifugal pumps are the best. However, even with a slight increase in the viscosity of the liquid, centrifugal pumps’ performance may be affected.
  • For highly viscous liquids such as oil or honey, positive displacement pumps are most suitable. These can be run at lower speeds and varying flow rates to make up for the thickness of the liquids. 
  • Finally, peristaltic pumps can handle both high as well as low viscosity liquids with relative ease. These are suited for repeatable dosing applications and can run dry without any risk of pump failure.

Other considerations for highly viscous liquids

Apart from choosing the right pump types for the right levels of viscosity, you must also be mindful of the ancillary setup such as suction and piping. For highly viscous liquids, make sure there is no restriction on the suction end. Also, for such liquids, the pipework size must be larger to compensate for the friction loss or extra drag.

If you’re still not sure which pump is best suited for your liquid type, we are here to help you out. Feel free to speak to our experts by calling on 022 43436655 or emailing us at marketing@vemc.co.in. VEMC is the leading Kirloskar pump dealer based in Mumbai with over 72 years of rich industry experience in supplying and installing pumps, valves, fire panels and other high-standard electromechanical equipment.

Selecting the Right Dryer to Remove Moisture from Compressed Air

by vemcoblogs -

Moisture in compressed air could be problematic especially if you’re using it for food processing, spray painting or electronics. Moist air can cause growth of microbes, rusting of pneumatic tools or damage to circuits. To remove this moisture, it is necessary to use an air dryer in your compressor. But you must know which air dryer suits your needs best. We at VEMC are the top ELGi air compressor dealers in Mumbai and in this blog, we tell you how to select the right air dryer for your compressor.

Types of compressed air dryers

Let us first look at the top 3 compressed air dryers and their working mechanism.

  1. Refrigerated dryers: These are the most commonly used air dryers and these operate by using an air-to-air heat exchanger and air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. These remove moisture from the air through condensation.
  1. Desiccant dryers: Desiccant dryers use adsorbent material such as silica, activated charcoal, calcium chloride, calcium sulphate or zeolites to remove moisture from the compressed air.
  2. Membrane dryers: These dryers use a membrane to remove moisture from the air. The membrane is usually made of polyamides or polyurethane. The compressed air is passed through the membrane which has tiny pores that allow air to pass through but retain the moisture.

Factors to consider when choosing a dryer

A number of factors go into consideration when deciding upon which air dryer to choose for your operations. These are:

  1. Moisture removal capacity: First of all, find out how capable the air dryer is to remove the moisture from the compressed air. This is after all your main concern and should get the highest level of importance.
  1. Pressure dew point: This represents the temperature to which compressed air can be cooled without condensation. A good air dryer brings down the pressure dew point so that the moisture is turned into liquid and can then be removed with ease.
  2. Energy consumption: What amount of energy is your air dryer consuming is another factor you need to watch out for. This is especially true as electricity prices are rising every passing year, and most businesses aim to optimise their energy resources to be reduce their carbon footprint.

Impact of compressed air quality on downstream equipment and processes

When operating in an industrial setting, it is not just necessary to have compressed air, but the quality of the air also matters significantly. Compressed air loaded with moisture can cause rusting and early wear and tear of equipment including the compressor itself. Likewise, if you’re operating in sensitive industries like pharmaceuticals or food processing, moist air can hasten the growth of microbes in the product leading to spoilage.

For more on which air dryer will meet your needs the best, feel free to get in touch with our experts by calling on 022 43436655 or emailing us at marketing@vemc.co.in. We at VEMC are the leading dealers of ELGi reciprocating compressors and oil lubricated screw compressors.

How to Read a Water Pump Curve

by vemcoblogs -

In its most basic form, a pump curve displays two things: Flow and Pressure. However, depending upon its sophistication, it can also show information like efficiency, power etc. Reading a pump curve correctly helps you discern whether the pump is suitable for your application. VEMC is one of the leading water pump dealers in Mumbai, and in this blog, we teach you to read a water pump curve.

How to read the pump curve

As mentioned above, a water pump curve shows the relationship between flow rate and pressure. Usually, the flow rate is shown on the horizontal axis and pressure on the vertical axis. So the curve displays the flow rate at a certain pressure or conversely the pressure of water at a certain flow rate. It is presumed that the water pump curve has been plotted for water.

Let’s take the adjacent graph for illustration. As you can see, the pump produces no flow at 41 meters of head and a maximum flow of 2100 litres per minute at 23 meters. This is because a pump operates under a number of influences such as speed and frequency of the motor which affect its flow and pressure. The speed of the motor for instance, directly impacts the flow rate and pressure.

Selecting the right pump based on requirements and operating point

A system curve is another graph to watch out for. It plots points between resistance of a system (head to be overcome by the pump) and flow rates. The system curve depends on factors such as height, diameter or length of piping, fitting type and number etc. The suitability of a pump is determined by how well the pump and the system curves match. The pump operating point is where the system curve crosses the pump curve on superimposition. 

Limitations of pump curves

While pump curves are extremely useful tools to understand the relationship between your pumps’ flow rate and pressure, and also to determine the right pump for the right task, they do have certain shortcomings as well.

A pump curve does not explain the relationship between operating point and equipment reliability which experts consider highly important. This relationship makes a huge difference in terms of pump longevity, and cost of repairs and replacement. 

Likewise, the Best Efficiency Point (BEP) indicates the point or area with highest efficiency for a given impeller diameter. In an ideal world, pumps would never operate outside of a BEP. However, in reality, factors like system upsets and fluctuating demand can make the BEP to shift. This can cause cavitation, rise of temperature, or wear and tear of seals and bearings.

For more on how to use tools like the water pump curve to make the right pumping decisions, feel free to speak to our experts by calling us at 022 43436655 or emailing us at marketing@vemc.co.in. We are the top Kirloskar pump distributor based in Mumbai with decades of rich experience and unparalleled expertise in pumping.