Pumps & Systems, November 2007

This past summer I received a suggestion from a Pumps & Systems reader to discuss siphons and their effect on pump head and pipeline flow. If you are like me, your first experience with one of these devices probably led to your first - and hopefully last - taste of gasoline. The siphon is an example of a natural and extremely simple machine that we take advantage of daily.

Pumps & Systems, November 2007

Our repair shop came upon a customer that purposely buys oversized pumps and immediately operates them at nearly 80 percent closed valve. Each year, after the hot days of summer simmer down, they evaluate the pumps' performance by measuring flow. If the flow dropped by more than ~10 percent, they slightly open the valve (say 70 percent closed) to compensate and run the pump at this new valve position the next season.

Pumps & Systems, November 2007

I was pleased to receive a letter from one of our readers concerning my two-part article "Affinity Laws for Pumping Systems (ALPS)" (Beyond the Flanges, July-August 2007). To satisfactorily address all of this reader's queries, this month's column addresses them in detail for the benefit of our entire audience.

Pumps & Systems, November 2007

Say goodbye to concerns about pump seizure: By properly applying composite materials to a troublesome boiler feed water pump, this large process facility in Alberta can now run one pump during full-rate operation with very low vibration and higher efficiency.

Pumps & Systems, November 2007

New heat activated epoxy-based materials are now being used to repair leaking and corroded pipe work when operations are unable to shut down.

Pumps & Systems, November 2007

Here is a proven methodology to use for your bad actor improvement efforts.

The statistics - both staggering and sobering - are sounding the alarm for a radical transformation in energy efficiency in pumping systems. Part one of this three-part series describes how this pump industry inspired market transformation initiative promises to profoundly change the way business is conducted in the pump industry . . . and how pumping systems are designed, operated, maintained and optimized by the end-user community on a global basis.

Pumps & Systems, November 2007

The benefits of predictive maintenance are becoming readily accepted throughout industry in Europe as well as North America. Guy Mertens, who is responsible for predictive maintenance at the Belgian Refinery Corporation (BRC), added an extra dimension to his predictive maintenance program by using it to identify common machine faults for the maintenance staff to watch for.

As plants continue to consolidate and streamline operations in the search for greater efficiency, one unintended consequence is that installation and troubleshooting knowledge can be lost as maintenance personnel retire or relocate to new jobs.

In most plants and mills around the world, maintenance personnel are typically responsible for installing and troubleshooting compression packing, a reliable and economical means of controlling leakage in pumps and other mechanical equipment. This article serves as a guide describing the best way to troubleshoot and solve common compression packing problems in order to improve the performance of the packing and prolong the life of the equipment that it seals. 

Pumps & Systems, November 2007 

Q. We need to increase flow through our system and plan on adding a second pump in parallel to the existing pump. Are there any pitfalls in doing this and how can they be avoided?