In the critical work of maintaining power plant machinery, operating difficulties with centrifugal pumps will inevitably occur because of the essential requirement for electric power plants to operate at all times throughout the year. The root causes and solutions for pump failure comprise major areas of study for engineers in seeking the highest availability of electricity-generating units, extending time between major machinery overhauls and providing early detection of potential failure modes well in advance of machine degradation. This guide for engineers provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of centrifugal pumps, addressing the range of pump operating problems encountered in both fossil and nuclear power plants. The book is divided into three sequential parts: Part I - Primer on Centrifugal Pumps, Part II -Power Plant Centrifugal Pump Applications, and Part III - Trouble-Shooting Case Studies. Employing effective research models developed through years of experience, the author draws on an extensive range of scholarship that covers the detrimental impact of power plant pump failures on overall plant performance, as well as the preventative measures that aid in successful pump maintenance. After covering the performance and components of centrifugal pumps, operating failure modes are covered both for fossil and nuclear power plants. This is followed by the presentation of several power plant pump troubleshooting case studies. The text also walks readers through the various other industrial applications of centrifugal pumps, as in their use within petrochemical plants and in ocean vessel propulsion systems. Recognizing the warning signs of specific impending pump failure modes is essential to minimizing the financial costs of dealing with pump operating problems. To this end, the author lays out a range of theoretical models and relevant examples in support of the essential work of power plant pump use and maintenance:

This book gives an unparalleled, up-to-date, in-depth treatment of all kinds of flow phenomena encountered in centrifugal pumps including the complex interactions of fluid flow with vibrations and wear of materials. The scope includes all aspects of hydraulic design, 3D-flow phenomena and partload operation, cavitation, numerical flow calculations, hydraulic forces, pressure pulsations, noise, pump vibrations (notably bearing housing vibration diagnostics and remedies), pipe vibrations, pump characteristics and pump operation, design of intake structures, the effects of highly viscous flows, pumping of gas-liquid mixtures, hydraulic transport of solids, fatigue damage to impellers or diffusers, material selection under the aspects of fatigue, corrosion, erosion-corrosion or hydro-abrasive wear, pump selection, and hydraulic quality criteria. As a novelty, the 3rd ed. brings a fully analytical design method for radial impellers, which eliminates the arbitrary choices inherent to former design procedures. The discussions of vibrations, noise, unsteady flow phenomena, stability, hydraulic excitation forces and cavitation have been significantly enhanced. To ease the use of the information, the methods and procedures for the various calculations and failure diagnostics discussed in the text are gathered in about 150 pages of tables which may be considered as almost unique in the open literature. The text focuses on practical application in the industry and is free of mathematical or theoretical ballast. In order to find viable solutions in practice, the physical mechanisms involved should be thoroughly understood. The book is focused on fostering this understanding which will benefit the pump engineer in industry as well as academia and students.

This comprehensive volume provides a complete, authoritative, up-to-date reference for all aspects of power plant engineering. Coverage ranges from engineering economics to coal and limestone handling, from design processes to plant thermal heat balances. Both theory and practical applications are covered, giving engineers the information needed to plan, design, construct, upgrade, and operate power plants. Power Plant Engineering is the culmination of experience of hundreds of engineers from Black & Veatch, a leading firm in the field for more than 80 years. The authors review all major power generating technologies, giving particular emphasis to current approaches. Special features of the book include: * More than 1000 figures and lines drawings that illustrate all aspects of the subject. * Coverage of related components and systems in power plants such as turbine-generators, feedwater heaters, condenser, and cooling towers. * Definitions and analyses of the features of various plant systems. * Discussions of promising future technologies. Power Plant Engineering will be the standard reference in the professional engineer's library as the source of information on steam power plant generation. In addition, the clear presentation of the material will make this book suitable for use by students preparing to enter the field.

This last, the education of pump users, is precisely what this book was intended to do. To what extent we must have achieved our purpose, our readers must decide. My good friend and associate, J. T. (Terry) McGuire, and I have been working very closely together for a long time. Our view of engineering problems and of their solutions coincide to an astonishing degree. When I was asked to prepare a second edition of my book Centrifugal Pumps, it was logical that I turned to Terry and suggested that he be my coauthor on this project. He agreed to do so, and his cooperation has been most valuable, both in improving the resultant work and in easing my burden. It would be presumptuous on my part to pretend that nothing has changed in the technology of centrifugal pumps during the 30 years since I prepared the manuscript for the first edition of this book. Let me, then, speak of some of these changes.

This book is intended for those new to the use and abuse of centrifugal pumps. It is also for those whose involvement with pumps is so occasional, that they need a reminder of the basics.