By Charles Stolberg
One of the long-standing, major challenges in the wastewater pump industry has been met with the publication of the American National Standard for Submersible Pump Tests (ANSI/HI A 11.6-2001).
The development and acceptance of this test standard will assist pump purchasers in selecting and obtaining the proper product for a particular need. The standard was written specifically for submersible pumps and designed to help eliminate misunderstandings between the pump manufacturer and the purchaser and/or end user.
Recognizing that its members manufacture the vast majority of submersible wastewater pumps in the United States, the Submersible Wastewater Pump Association (SWPA) assumed responsibility for developing this standard so that it would be accepted and used by all segments of the industry.
SWPA's first step toward creating the Test Standard was the development and publication of a Standardized Presentation Format for Pump and Motor Characteristics for a pump or family of pumps (complimentary copies are available from the association upon request).
The required information included in the presentation format is the minimum data needed by a specifier or designer to adequately evaluate using a specific submersible wastewater pump for a specific application. By using the standardized presentation format, pump manufacturers present data in a consistent format so the designer or specifier can make an informed comparison between different brands or types of equipment. A major component of the presentation format is a series of Standardized Pump/Motor Definitions developed by the association, which define the terms that the data represent.
The next step in the process was the development and publication of a comprehensive test standard written specifically for submersible pumps and approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which requires due process, consensus and other criteria for approval. That consensus requires that all views and objections are considered and that a concentrated effort be made toward their resolution.
With this as the goal, SWPA created a Test Standards Subcommittee. Working with the Hydraulic Institute (HI), the SWPA subcommittee worked for more than three years to develop the Standard, based principally on the ANSI/HI Centrifugal Pump Test Standard (ANSI/HI 1.6). The proposed Standard was then submitted to HI for review, comment and submission as an American National Standard. The new Submersible Pump Test Standard represents a "first" SWPA/HI standards collaboration between the two organizations.
The 46-page Submersible Pump Standard applies to the testing of centrifugal submersible wastewater pumps that are driven by induction motors. A centrifugal submersible pump is defined as a close-coupled impeller pump/motor unit designed to operate submerged in liquid. This definition includes submersible pumps operating in either a wet-pit or dry-pit environment. The standard does not apply to submersible vertical turbine pumps or to accessory items such as discharge elbows, suction fittings or sliding connections.
For additional information on the standard, including ordering information, visit www.pumps.org or call HI at 973-267-9700.
About the Author: Charles Stolberg is Executive Director of SWPA. For additional information on the association and its technical resources, its programs and activities or its membership benefits and services, contact Stolberg at: 1866 Sheridan Road, Suite 201, Highland Park, IL 60035-2545. Phone: 847-681-1868; Fax: 847-681-1869; E-mail: swpaexdir@netzero.
