A most important question for 46TH TPS attendees

Given the present entirely justified Cost Containment Environment of the industry, machinery safety and reliability is now in most cases the sole responsibility of plant machinery specialists.  The 46^th TPS affords all attendee’s a terrific opportunity to increase their machinery knowledge base.

Therefore, we have a question for all attendee’s that can significantly affect the way you treat your driven machinery (pumps, compressors, fans etc.).  What are the design objectives of driven machinery?  Closely examine figure 1 below  and do not continue reading until you answer our question utilizing this figure and your present machinery knowledge base.

What are the design objectives of Pump and Compressor OEMs?  To provide _____________________________ while  _______________________.    This objective is true for both dynamic (centrifugal and axial) pumps and compressors and positive displacement types.  Figure 1 was drawn for dynamic types since approximately 95% of the pumps and compressors in your facilities are dynamic types.   If your answer is the correct one, what should be your action plan when you go back to your facility?    Another way of stating this question is who should you discuss the knowledge gained during the 46^th TPS other than your immediate supervisor and associates?

Two hints to our question:  Movement and Equilibrium: 

Movement of what and equilibrium with what?   What happens if equilibrium requirements are not as anticipated?  Are there performance and mechanical protection systems for the machinery?

Look at the figure again and ask yourself. What does dynamic machinery provide, energy or flow?  From the beginning of STEM education, we naturally read curves from the horizontal axis (“X”) up to the curve and then cross horizontally to the vertical (“Y”) axis!   Is this the case for dynamic machinery?  The machinery is designed for a certain flow and energy but are these values always the same in the field?

Enjoy the 46^th TPS and remember our question.  Prioritize the Discussion Groups, Case Histories and the Exhibition Floor.  Papers, Tutorials and Short Courses (If you were fortunate to attend a Short Course) are important of course but leaving the TPS with facts to be a proactive machinery specialist is what your management wants and needs from you.  IE; start a “RCA” (Root Cause Analysis) when machinery performance and mechanical parameters change!  Let’s try to eliminate RCFA’s!!!  One last message: Always remember the Y axis in figure 1 and associate with the people who relate to the Y axis.

(Answer: Plant Flow requirements while staying in equilibrium with the process requirements )

(Answer: Plant Flow requirements while staying in equilibrium with the process requirements)