Table Of Contentr
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Pump Wisdom
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Pump Wisdom
Problem Solving for
Operators anaSpecialîsts
by
Heinz P. Blocn
AlChE
)WILEY
A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION
Cover based on ideas by Dennis Bowman, PE, Alfred Conhagen, Inc., Houston,
Texas. Page layout and formatting by Joy M. Peterson, Asheville, North Carolina.
Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Bloch, Heinz P., 1933-
Pump wisdom : problem solving for operators and specialists / Heinz P. Bloch.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-118-04123-9 (hardback)
1. Pumping machinery. I. Title.
TJ900.B6483 2011
621.6'9—dc22 2010050397
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21
Tb Ken and the fellow professionals
who appreciate the importance of
avoiding pump failures
V
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Table of Contents
1. Principles of Centrifugal Process Pumps 1
Pump performance: Head and flow
Operation at zero flow
Impellers and rotors
The meaning of specific speed
Process pump types
Process pump mechanical response to flow changes
Recirculation and cavitation
The importance of suction specific speed
What we have learned
References
2. Pump Selection and Industry Standards 15
Why insist on better pumps
ANSI and ISO versus API pumps
What we have learned
References
3. Foundations and Base Plates 23
Securing pumps in place—with one exception
Why not to install pump sets in the as-shipped condition
Conventional versus pre-filled base plate installations
Epoxy prefilled base plates
How to proceed if there is no access to specialist firms
What we have learned: Checklist of foundation and base plate topics
References
4. Piping, Stationary Seals, and Gasketing 35
Pipe installation and support
Sliding supports and installation sequence deserve special attention
Monitoring pipe stress while bolting up
Flange leakage
What to do prior to gasket insertion
vii
Spiral wound and kammprofile gaskets
Pipe, hydraulic tubing, or flexible connections?
Gusseting
Concentric versus eccentric reducers
Vibration problems in piping
What we have learned on piping and gasketing topics
References
5. Rolling Element Bearings 49
Bearing selection overview and windage as a design problem
Radial versus axial (thrust) bearings
Oil levels, multiple bearings, and different bearing orientations
Upgrading and retrofit opportunities
Bearing cages
Bearing preload and clearance effects
Bearing dimensions and mounting tolerances
What we have learned
References
6. Lubricant Application and Cooling Considerations 69
Lubricant level and oil application
Issues with oil rings
Pressure and temperature balance in bearing housings
Cooling not needed on pumps with rolling element bearings
Oil delivery by constant level lubricators
Black oil
Lube application as oil mist (oil fog)
Desiccant breathers and expansion chambers
What we have learned
References
7. Lubricant Types and Key Properties 83
Lubricant viscosities
When and why high film strength synthetic lubricants are used
Lubricants for oil mist systems
What we have learned
References
8. Bearing Housing Protection and Cost Justification 91
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