CAT 3406 Fuel Consumption for Water Well Pump Application

[Samit]

Hello everyone,

I'm operating a CAT 3406 engine (Serial: 6TB25567) coupled with a surface pump for water well application. I need information about the expected fuel consumption rates at different loads.

System specifications:
- Engine: CAT 3406 (360 HP)
- Pump: Johnson Gear surface pump (300 HP at 1760 RPM)
- Well depth: 400 meters (1312 feet)
- Pipe diameter: 8 inches
- Number of pipes: 67 pieces (3 yards each)
- Pump stages: 12 stages
- Gear ratio: 5.76:1

I'm particularly interested in:
1. Fuel consumption at different loads (40%, 60%, 80%, 100%)
2. Most economical RPM range for continuous operation
3. Expected consumption per hour at optimal operating conditions

Any experience with similar setups would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Shimmy1]

These are all complete WAGs, but I don't think I'm too far off.

100% - 10-12 gph
80% - 9 gph
60% - 8 gph
40% - 7 gph

I'm sure someone will disagree, but I'm going to say 1600-1700 rpm is going to be best for continuous operation.

I would plan on 9 gph, hopefully it comes in a little less.

 

[Coaldust]

Welcome to the HEF, Samit

Opinions and wags are nice because you can get real world input.

Additionally, you can pull up the spec sheet for your exact prime mover, look at Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), do the math and get real numbers.

 

[Oxbow]

These are all complete WAGs, but I don't think I'm too far off.

100% - 10-12 gph
80% - 9 gph
60% - 8 gph
40% - 7 gph

I'm sure someone will disagree, but I'm going to say 1600-1700 rpm is going to be best for continuous operation.

I would plan on 9 gph, hopefully it comes in a little less.

I would think you are pretty close Shimmy. I suspect the rated RPM that Cat recommends is 1800, but unless maxed out on hp I would guess 1600-1700 would be the most economical.

I looked in some old Performance Handbooks that I have but did not find fuel consumption for industrial engines, just various pieces of equipment.

 

[Simon C]

If the pump runs continuously at 300H.P., it will be the same as 300 H.P. of load on a generator or boat. We had one generator like it at a mine on care and maintenance, was running lower load but since it was steady load the fuel consumption was lots. Check generator consumption at heavy load and it will be close.
Simon C

 

[Samit]

These are all complete WAGs, but I don't think I'm too far off.

100% - 10-12 gph
80% - 9 gph
60% - 8 gph
40% - 7 gph

I'm sure someone will disagree, but I'm going to say 1600-1700 rpm is going to be best for continuous operation.

I would plan on 9 gph, hopefully it comes in a little less.

Thank you so much Shimmy.

 

[Samit]

I would think you are pretty close Shimmy. I suspect the rated RPM that Cat recommends is 1800, but unless maxed out on hp I would guess 1600-1700 would be the most economical.

I looked in some old Performance Handbooks that I have but did not find fuel consumption for industrial engines, just various pieces of equipment.

Thanks, Yes that’s what I found from reading

 

[terex herder]

My expectation of a diesel engine developing 360 horsepower would be 18 gallon per hour fuel consumption. Would be better if heat exchanger cooled, engine fan will require about 1 gph.

 

[Nige]

Spec consumption at full power (100% load factor) for that particular engine is 18.2 gallons/hr.

 

[Shimmy1]

Spec consumption at full power (100% load factor) for that particular engine is 18.2 gallons/hr.

Wow. I have a very hard time getting my 3196 to burn 12-14 gallons per hour at 430 hp, did not think that it would be that high...

 

[Oxbow]

Wow. I have a very hard time getting my 3196 to burn 12-14 gallons per hour at 430 hp, did not think that it would be that high...

Wow. I have a very hard time getting my 3196 to burn 12-14 gallons per hour at 430 hp, did not think that it would be that high...

Me neither. We can burn 13 gallons per hour on our 345 with C13 , but that's mucking pretty hard loading 730s with a 3.52 cy bucket and never really having time for the auto idle to cycle.

 

[Simon C]

A water pump does not ever give a 1 second break if there is sufficient water. Therefore the fuel consumption is as Nige posted. Transport trucks bringing fuel often if 24 hours a day.
Simon C

 

[Shimmy1]

A water pump does not ever give a 1 second break if there is sufficient water. Therefore the fuel consumption is as Nige posted. Transport trucks bringing fuel often if 24 hours a day.
Simon C

I realize this, but I have been around a fair bit of 500 hp farm tractors doing heavy tillage, I'm talking 100-108% engine load all day long, and only burning around 20 gph. I didn't think 360 hp could eat that much.

 

[Welder Dave]

Would seem the engine being higher HP than actually needed would have less load resulting in less fuel consumption. Engine has about 16% reserve HP but not sure how that correlates to less percent load on the engine. Also at lower than full throttle could be close to Shimmy's numbers at 100% even though it wasn't 100% load because of the reserve HP.

 

[terex herder]

There is about 20 horsepower hours in a gallon of diesel. Part load is typically worse. Manufacturer publishes graphs of power/rpm/fuel consumption. BSFC is the usual abbreviation, brake specific fuel consumption.

 

[Nige]

Back when it was first built the particular 6BT25567 Serial Number of engine mentioned in the OP burned 18.0 gallons/hr on the dyno at full power versus a published spec of 18.2 gph.

 

[Nige]

Working on the worst case BSFC of 0.361 lbs/BHP hr quoted in the engine test spec then pulling 300 HP @ 1760RPM theoretically it ought to burn 15.25 gallons/hr + an allowance for losses.

 

[cfherrman]

I realize this, but I have been around a fair bit of 500 hp farm tractors doing heavy tillage, I'm talking 100-108% engine load all day long, and only burning around 20 gph. I didn't think 360 hp could eat that much.

How can an engine be at 108% load?

Engine load % is math and I never believe the numbers especially when I pay attention to injector pressure and boost pressure and engine load %

 

[Shimmy1]

How can an engine be at 108% load?

Engine load % is math and I never believe the numbers especially when I pay attention to injector pressure and boost pressure and engine load %

I believe it's called "power bulge". I suppose it's more to make the owner feel better. On a combine in particular, you pretty much regulate your speed based on engine load. Target is usually around 85-90% in wheat. Gives you some wiggle room when you hit a tough spot. Tractors it's just a measure of how hard you're pulling the engine, I just know from experience I've seen the display set on 105-108% for the entire pass, every pass of the field.

 

[Nige]

How can an engine be at 108% load?

Simple answer. It can't. 100% Load Factor is when the engine is producing its full rated BHP at rated RPM. Unless the engine is run at higher than its rated RPM it cannot produce a LF of greater than 100%.

I have no experience of the farm machinery of which Shimmy speaks but my suspicion is that it's a feel good factor used by the makers of the equipment to make the operator feel as though he's getting something for nothing.