Educational Institute for Equipment and Process Design
Protection for minimum flow
In order to protect pumps agains mechanical damages when the flow falls below the minimum
flow during normal operation and start-ups, a bypass minimum flow line is included in the P&ID.
There are three common ways to protect the pump against such occurance.
Automatic flow control
Here is the typical arrangement:
Notes:
1. Since more control valves and instrumentation are utilized, among the options, in terms
of the investment cost it is the highest.
2. In terms of operation, it is flexible and no manual operation is required.
Restriction orifice
Notes:
1. Among three types, the investment cost is the lowest.
Educational Institute for Equipment and Process Design
2. When there is always the possibility that the flowrate might become lower than minimum
flowrate, the minimum flow line should always be opened; in this regard, a restriction orifice
is also included in the design to control the flowrate.
3. Due to above explanation, the operating utility cost for such arrangement might be
higher.
[Link] method is usually applied to low-capacity pumps.
Here is the typical arrangement:
Automatic recirculation valve or ARV
Notes:
1. It is only applied to clean services.
2. In terms of the cost, it is between other options.
3. In terms of operation, no manual control is required since based on its inner
mechanical structure, the minimum flow can simply be maintained.
Here is the typical arrangement:
Educational Institute for Equipment and Process Design
General notes:
1. When in an operation more than two pumps are used and they work in parallel and
their drivers are both motor and steam turbine, since motors reach final speed faster
than steam turbines, the flow distribution between the pumps might become
imbalance. To avoid it is typical practice to use different minimum flow lines for each
pump.
2. For pumps that cannot operate in shut-off pressure even for a short period of time,
such practice is recommended. An example is high pressure pumps like BFW pumps.