Pumps and Compressor: Performance Operation and Evaluation

Introduction

The course outlines the general technology of pumps and compressors Design. It covers how these machines work on the process, mechanical aspects, wear, lubrication and troubleshooting by vibration analysis and other techniques. The course provides participants with the basic knowledge for inspecting pumps and compressors and making fault detections and diagnoses.

This course is to provide the trainees with a strong background in the field of Advanced Rotating Equipment (Pumps, Compressors, and turbines) maintenance and troubleshooting. In addition, the trainee will have a background in Pumps, Compressors, and turbines Performance and construction. The emphasis is placed on understanding the advanced and new techniques of troubleshooting and different methods of maintenance. During the course participant’s discussion, comments, bringing up their own problems are welcomed and encouraged.

Objectives

Extensive use is made of case study material to underline the key aspects of the course and to give the delegates exposure to current best practice. 

• Familiarize the Attendees with different types of rotating equipment
• Learn the principles of operation of the pumps, compressors, and turbines.
• Highlight the importance of seals and bearings on rotating equipments availability
• To enable the attendees to grasp the advanced information in preventive as well as
• Predictive maintenance of rotating equipment
• To present the advanced condition monitoring technologies stressing on vibration and oil analysis.
• Learn the troubleshooting the rotating equipment 

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations.

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for engineers, supervisory and technical staff involved in the maintenance and inspection of pumps, compressors and plant engineers in the oil, chemical and other process industries who require a wider and deeper appreciation of pumps and compressors design, including their design, performance and operation. No prior knowledge of the topic is required.

Course Outline

TECHNOLOGY OF PUMPS

• Parts of the machine: casing, rotor, bearing, coupling.
• Auxiliaries: heating, cooling, lubrication.
• Maintenance: strip-down, assembly, inspection, clearance, adjustment.
• Video: Basic Pump Types and Technology.
• Summary of Thermodynamic Concepts involving Entropy.

TECHNOLOGY OF COMPRESSORS

• Minimizing Compressor Work. Polytrophic processes. Multi-stage compression with Inter-cooling. Isentropic efficiency of turbines. Isentropic efficiency of compressors and pumps
• Reciprocating and rotating machines.
• Parts of the machine: casing, rotor, piston, bearings, couplings.
• Auxiliaries: heating, cooling, lubrication.
• Maintenance: strip-down, assembly, inspection, clearance, adjustment.
• Axial Flow Compressor: Velocity triangles. Torque calculation and torque coefficient. Power calculation and power coefficient.

OPERATION & PERFORMANCE

• Process aspects
• Operating parameters; head, flow, rpm, efficiency.
• Characteristic curves.
• Effect of wear.
• Mechanical issues.
• Video: Fundamentals of Pump Performance 1.
• Design Aspects of Turbomachines: Linear cascades. Linear cascade with drag. Linear cascade results. Radial cascades. Three- dimensional aspects of axial- flow machines. Elementary design considerations. Cavitations.

DETERIORATION

• Forces created by the pressure, by inertia, by friction: effects on bearings and internal parts.
• Defects and typical failures of valves, piston rings and packing rings, piston rod.
• Dismantling and mounting procedures.

LUBRICATION AND BEARING PROBLEMS

• Purpose, different types of oil and grease.
• Anti-friction bearings: types, lifetime, mounting, applications, related problems.
• Plain and pad bearings, thrust bearings: operation, maintenance, incidents.

 COUPLINGS & MISALIGNMENT

• Different types of couplings, related problems
• Different methods of alignment.

SEALS

• Mechanical pump seals, types, operation, related problems.
• Other seals for positive displacement pumps and reciprocating compressors.
• Pump Sales: Affinity laws. Pump software. Suction lift. Viscosity. Re-rate/retrofit. Head-rise.  Radial/horizontal split case
• Video: Fundamentals of Pump Performance 2
• Video: Bearings, Seals and Couplings

ROTORS AND SHAFTS

• Balancing.

 VIBRATION MONITORING

• What to monitor and where.
• Measurement devices
• Overall and spectral measurements.
• Vibration limits
• Introduction to spectrum analysis.

 LUBRICANT MONITORING

• What to monitor and where.
• Shape, size, amount, the chemical composition of debris.
• Debris limits.
• Analytical technique
• Written Test and Discussion
• Video: Special Pump Topics.
• Test Results and Final Discussion.
• Presentation of Course Certificates