Bluejeep
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2006
- Location
- Cape Cod, Ma
I need to lower the pressure and volume of coolant in my machining center, would throttling it down to a light stream with a ball valve cause a problem with the coolant pump?
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Lowering coolant pressure with a ball valve
- Thread starter Bluejeep
- Start date
- Replies 5
- Views 1,662
andrewmawson
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2003
- Location
- UK
Better to plumb a bypass route round the pump, and throttle that, to keep the pump pumping a reasonably constant volume
Blakews2217
Plastic
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2018
I agree, if you choke it down and almost dead head the pump, there’s not enough volume flowing to keep it cool. Many pumps use what there pumping as a way to transfer heat out of the pump. Personally, I’d plumb a T fitting in, add a valve to that, and use that to lower pressure. If you have a valve near your coolant output (at the pump after the tee or up near the nozzle) that can be further fine tuned to get the result you want.
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Bobw
Diamond
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2005
- Location
- Hatch, NM Chile capital of the WORLD
When I need to throttle the coolant down, I open the ball valve for the
washdown hose.. That knocks it down about half way, and then I have
another ball valve on the machine side where I can choke the flow
down further.. And if that isn't enough.. I extend one of the coolant
hoses way out so that its shooting into the bottom of the machine, and
then put smaller tips on the nozzle(s) I do need.
If you don't have a washdown hose coming off your pump, hook one up, cost
you a few dollars down at the hardware store, and they are pretty darn
handy.
washdown hose.. That knocks it down about half way, and then I have
another ball valve on the machine side where I can choke the flow
down further.. And if that isn't enough.. I extend one of the coolant
hoses way out so that its shooting into the bottom of the machine, and
then put smaller tips on the nozzle(s) I do need.
If you don't have a washdown hose coming off your pump, hook one up, cost
you a few dollars down at the hardware store, and they are pretty darn
handy.
Bluejeep
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2006
- Location
- Cape Cod, Ma
Thanks all, I decided to just throw my portable noga mist rig on.
garyhlucas
Stainless
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2013
- Location
- New Jersey
Consider the type of pump, if it submersible there is no heat problem. Bypassing flow so the pump essentially runs at full load all the time costs you money in electrical usage, throttling the pump reduces the energy consumption. Ball valves are only good for throttling at nearly wide open because when closed down the 'smile' shape picks up chips and the flow falls off. Consider a pipe cap or plug in the end of the ball valve with a single round hole which will throttle most of the flow and let the ball valve trim it. Start with a really small hole because you'll be shocked by how much flow a small hole lets thru. I had to remake an orifice plate to throttle a pump for a customer 3 times!
