ITT Goulds Pumps
VCW Large Vertical Circulating Water Pumps
The VCW from ITT Goulds Pumps is a large vertical circulating water pump for very high flows at low heads. It is the type of machine that moves cooling water through power plants, condensers and desalination intakes, and its patented discharge-head and impeller designs are aimed squarely at reliability and efficiency at that scale.
Product Benefits
- No tail bearing: At this size, vibration and bearing troubles dominate maintenance budgets. The cantilever impeller design of the VCW eliminates the tail bearing (one less wearing part under water) and also lowers the NPSH the pump requires.
- Patented low-vibration head: The patented “O” Head / OC-Head discharge design reduces excessive vibration, which translates directly into a longer mean time between failures.
- Balanced without balance holes: Hydraulic balance is achieved without balance holes in the impeller.
- Renewable clearances: Replaceable hardened-alloy wear rings on the impeller and diffuser/suction bell mean that running clearances can be restored economically at overhaul.
Where It's Used
- High-flow, low-head duty: The VCW serves high-volume, low-pressure water duties.
- Typical systems: Services include cooling water and condenser cooling circuits, waste treatment, desalination intake and flood protection.
- Pulp and paper mills: Fluindo offers it for pulp & paper mills, where large cooling and circulating water systems are part of everyday operation.
Good to Know
- Pull-out option: The pump is available in a non-pull-out configuration or with an optional pull-out inner element, which allows the rotating element to be lifted for service without removing the outer column. That is worth considering where crane access or outage time is tight.
- Inspected to HI standards: Components are inspected to Hydraulic Institute standards.
- Custom sizing: Sizing is a custom exercise at this scale, so intake conditions and system head should be reviewed with the manufacturer.
