This month's column focuses on whether to use shaft sleeves in overhung centrifugal pumps (Type OH-1 per American Petroleum Institute [API] 610 designation). The most common OH-1 pump type is the...
In my experience, few plant personnel are concerned with how a pump is running until after it breaks down. When the whole plant unexpectedly shuts down, then the pump gets attention. By simply...
Misapplication of pumps is one of the more frequent field issues I witness. The issues are normally the result of a lack of knowledge and understanding of the physical limits of the machine.
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I often witness end users operating pumps to the left side of the curve, away from the best efficiency point (BEP) and near shutoff. This is not the ideal area because of issues with shaft deflection,...
During the last 20 years, the common understanding that new industrial pumps require some basic checks and adjustments prior to installation and startup has been supplanted by a new notion that pumps...
Most experts agree that the majority of centrifugal pump problems occur on the suction side of the pump. Based solely on my experience, I would state the percentage is at least 80 percent, and in the...
This column is about the most common mistakes pump end users make daily. It is also about how to avoid these mistakes and how to fix them.
I learned these lessons the hard way.
When I entered...
Learn the advantages and disadvantages of five 1EEE 519-compliant VFD technologies—often referred to as clean power drives—and how each addresses the impact of non-linear loads and harmonics.
Learn about the challenges maintenance managers face with improving overall reliability and some of the technology considerations for implementing an online fleetwide monitoring solution for predictive maintenance.
