Dealing with constant pumping systems issues? Learn how to troubleshoot and solve these issues using key principles before these become big problems.
Date & Location:
May 20 – 21, 2015
Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, Burbank, California
About the instructor:
Randal Ferman is principal engineer of Ekwestrel Corp, providing independent, objective engineering consulting services on new and existing pumping equipment and systems.
Industries benefitting from Randal’s consulting include oil & gas, electric power generation, water, solids handling, pump manufacturing, engineering and construction, energy efficiency advocacy, pipeline transportation, and pump service and repair.
With more than 38 years’ experience in the pump industry, Randal has delivered training globally to companies such as Chevron, Hyosung-Goodsprings, and Shell.
Students will learn:
- How to develop the system curve
- How to calculate the Net Positive Suction Head
- How to calculate the pump Total Head versus Rate of Flow characteristic
- How to match pumps to variable, parallel and series pumping systems
- How to use the Specific Speed and Suction Specific Speed performance parameters to select a pump
- The performance, efficiency, reliability and cost differences between Positive Displacement and Rotodynamic (centrifugal) pumps
- The classifications, configurations and arrangements of rotodynamic (centrifugal) pump types
- How to use the Affinity Laws for changing pump speed and impeller diameter
- How to avoid and remedy cavitation erosion problems
- The symptoms of axial and radial thrust problems
- How to use field readings to assess pump performance
- Operational and maintenance procedures to improve mechanical seal and bearing reliability
- The key points to be addressed in a pump specification
- What level of rotor unbalance is permissible and how to calculate it
- How to determine pump minimum flow
- The essential steps for aligning a motor to the pump
- To use vibration readings to identify the most common pumping machinery faults
- To objectively assess a pump’s reliability
Course size
Course size will be limited to allow sufficient time for individual question and answer and interaction.
Who should attend?
Engineers with less than 3 years’ experience with pumps and pumping systems:
- petrochemical,
- maritime,
- pump manufacturing
- storm water, drainage and wastewater
- electric power generation
- pipelines
- water treatment and distribution
- irrigation
Pump service and repair technicians, supervisors and managers
Plant maintenance supervisors of all experience levels
Facility operations technicians
Purchasing agents for pumping machinery and pumping systems
Pump applications and sales engineers
Reliability engineers
Efficiency engineers
Specifying engineers for pumping systems
Petrochem process, piping and system engineers with less than 5 years’ experience
Workshop Schedule:
7:30 AM Registration, coffee/tea/water
8:00 AM Class begins
10:00 AM Break, coffee/tea/water
10:20 AM End of break
12:00 PM Lunch (on your own)
1:00 PM End of lunch break
2:40 PM Break, coffee/tea/water
3:00 PM End of break
4:30 PM Class ends
Workshop Outline:
Training Day
A) Introductions and overview of training objectives
B) Liquid properties and fluid flow basics
- Fluids definitions and essential characteristics
- Conservation of mass and energy
- Flow regimes, Reynolds number
- Friction and resistance losses
- Cavitation
C) Pump and system characteristics
- System resistance characteristics
- How to develop the system curve
- Pump characteristic curves
- Rotodynamic
- Positive displacement
- Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
- Preferred and allowable operating regions (POR, AOR)
- Matching pumps to the system
- Variable system demand and system head
- Multiple pumps – series and parallel
- Methods of pump flow control
D) What is a pump?
- Similarities and differences between rotordynamic (centrifugal) and positive displacement (PD) pump types
- Ranges of application
- Inherent cost, performance, efficiency and reliability advantages and disadvantages
E) Rotodynamic (centrifugal) pump types
- Impeller types
- Volute and diffuser casing types
- Impeller, volute and diffuser arrangements
- Mechanical arrangements: horizontal vs. vertical; overhung vs. between bearings; single casing vs. double casing
- Pump classification
- Diversity of rotodynamic pump applications and pump configurations
F) Main pump performance parameters
- Main performance parameters
- Rate of flow and total head
- Rotational speed
- Specific speed and impeller type
- Input power and efficiency
- Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
- Suction specific speed
- Viscosity corrections
G) Affinity rules
- Speed change
- Impeller diameter change
- Combination of speed and diameter change
H) Pump selection
- Industry / application
- Conditions of service
- Hydraulic aspects
- Selection process
- Pump speed and limitations
- Stage count
- Efficiency
- Boundaries of experience
I) Pump cavitation diagnosis & prevention
- Signs and symptoms of cavitation
- Effects of cavitation
- Types of cavitation
- Risk conditions, mitigating factors, prevention
- Material rankings
Training Day 2
J) Intakes, suction and discharge piping
- Intake objectives
- Piping, valves and fittings
- Suction barrels
- Venting
- Free-surface intakes
K) Axial and radial thrust
- Axial thrust and balancing arrangements
- Axial thrust problems – symptoms and causes
- Radial thrust and problem symptoms
L) Pump and drive components
- Rolling element bearings, lubrication and cooling
- Wear rings
- Shaft and couplings
- Packing box (stuffing box) vs. mechanical seals
- Mechanical seals
- Seal chambers
- Vapor pressure margin
- Flush, circulation and venting
- Seal troubleshooting
- AC induction motors
- Winding insulation and operating temperature
- Motor bearings
- Variable Frequency Drives (VFD’s)
M) Materials of construction
- Common pump materials and material standards
- Mechanisms of damage
- Component and environmental special considerations
- Coating and surface treatment options
- Non-metallics
N) Pump performance testing
- Pump test standards
- Provisions for measurement of flow
- Pressure measurements for Total Head and NPSH
- Measurement of input power
- Measurement accuracy and uncertainty
- Data reduction example
- Use of proxy data for pump/system assessments
O) Assembly and installation
- Rotor balance
- Foundation anchors, leveling and grouting
- Drive train alignment
- Piping loads: static, thermal and hydraulic
P) Minimum flow
- Purpose of minimum flow
- Terminology, vibration characteristics, and suction recirculation
- Thermal minimum flow
- Shutoff (closed valve)
Q) Pump troubleshooting
- Vibration measurement
- Sources of vibration excitation
- Structural excitation considerations
- Rotor deflection and critical speed
- Rotordynamic considerations
- Condition monitoring
- Rotodynamic pumps
- Positive displacement pumps
- Troubleshooting pump problems
R) Surveillance and reliability metrics
- Definitions, terminology
- Objectives and methods
- Data collection, condition monitoring and evaluation
- Corrective actions
- Reliability – relationship to pump operating point
S) Pump standards and specifications
- Dimensional standard chemical process industry (CPI) pumps
- Hydrocarbon process industry (HPI) pumps
- Hydraulic Institute standards
- Technical data sheets and specifications
T) Final Question and Answer
Students take home:
- A bound copy of the course presentation materials
- A course completion certificate
Training Location:
Burbank Marriott Hotel & Convention Center is conveniently located adjacent to the Burbank International Airport. There are multiple dining options nearby, including the popular Daily Grill restaurant located inside the hotel. For those traveling from out of town, group rates may be available – please contact us for details.
