Hydro is proud to be presenting again at the 2025 Turbo Pump Symposia in Houston, TX! Join presenters Dr. Gary Dyson and Freddy Cardenas Linero as they discuss a case study where advanced engineering was used to dramatically increase flow of a shipping pump in an oil and gas terminal facility.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 2:00 – 2:45pm | Room 370A
Centrifugal pumps are critical to fluid handling systems, but as operational demands evolve, optimizing performance becomes essential. This lecture will present a successful hydraulic re-rate of a propane shipping pump (P-1010) at Phoenix Park Gas Processors’ Hull facility in Texas, aiming to double railcar loading capacity without major system modifications. Instead of replacing the pump, a process requiring over 40 weeks of lead time and costly infrastructure changes, the project used a duplicate unit sourced from the aftermarket. It was reverse engineered, hydraulically redesigned, and optimized using CFD simulations to shift the Best Efficiency Point from 350 GPM to 800 GPM while reducing head by 60%.
The study highlights the importance of combining CFD analysis with mechanical evaluation to ensure reliable performance. It outlines a structured methodology from feasibility assessment to installation, including modeling, manufacturing, quality control, and commissioning. This project demonstrates how a targeted hydraulic re-rate can extend equipment life, increase throughput, and reduce energy use and capital costs, all while maintaining existing mechanical and system constraints.
Find out more about this year’s Turbo Pump Symposia here.
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The importance of engaging with a facility that has strong engineering capabilities and subject matter expertise was proven during a series of boiler feed pump repairs for a Canadian biomass power plant. Like many biomass facilities, this plant had segmental ring boiler feed pumps, also commonly referred to as BB4 pumps. This is a complex design installed in a high energy, critical application, with numerous stacked and nested components that must be kept in alignment.
Many of our aging facilities are still using the pumps that were purchased and commissioned during plant construction. Despite the age of this equipment, effective maintenance strategies and upgrade opportunities can extend useful life for decades more. Older pumps are often more robust than current designs, which take advantage of new manufacturing technologies to reduce the raw materials needed for construction. However, vintage equipment has its downfalls as well. It is important to understand the challenges we face when operating and maintaining vintage equipment so that we can stay ahead of potential sources for decreased reliability.
To maintain safe, reliable and cost-effective operation, it is important to ensure pump systems are optimized. When approached with the need to optimize a pump system, many end users will look to purchase new equipment for the changed demand. This can be a costly and time-intensive endeavor, as new equipment installation is often accompanied by baseplate and piping modifications that require the system to be taken offline. In contrast, modifying the existing equipment to meet the new system needs provides a custom solution that maintains the original footprint, can be completed on a more aggressive timeline and often provides a more custom fit to the system.
Hydro manufactured new wear rings without slots to prevent the abrasive material from damaging the case and minimize wear behind the casing wear rings. The worn areas of the casing and a new sleeve were overlaid with tungsten carbide to prevent further damage.