Flowserve expands Spanish pump testing facility

The investment is designed to meet increased customer needs for larger cooling water pumps and expanded testing capabilities. Flowserve customers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia can now obtain actual site condition tests together with run-out flow verification at the point of manufacture.

“The expanded capabilities at the Coslada test facility further underscore our commitment to satisfy our customers’ needs for high-quality pumps and technical services,” said Jim Quain, president, Flowserve Engineered Pump Operations. “We recognise their investment in special purpose vertical pumps is significant, and we work hard every day to confirm our customers’ confidence in us by providing world-class performance testing and verification support.”

The Flowserve test bench now accommodates flows up to 90 000 m3/h (400 000 gpm) for a total differential head (TDH) of 10.5 m (34.4 ft), making it among the largest of its type in the world. The upgraded test loop now covers an area of 1800 m2 (19 400 ft2) at a depth of 8.5 m (27 ft), fitted with anti-vortex devices to handle the increased flow characteristics. It can accommodate motors up to 5 MW (6700 hp) with variable frequency drive from 20 to 66 Hz. The addition of a multi-size discharge manifold provides the flexibility to test pumps with discharge ports to 2750 mm (108.3 in).