3rd Edition

Pump Characteristics and Applications

By Michael Volk Copyright 2014
516 Pages 215 Color Illustrations
by CRC Press

516 Pages
by CRC Press

Providing a wealth of information on pumps and pump systems, Pump Characteristics and Applications, Third Edition details how pump equipment is selected, sized, operated, maintained, and repaired. The book identifies the key components of pumps and pump accessories, introduces the basics of pump and system hydraulics as well as more advanced hydraulic topics, and details various pump types, as... Read more

Introduction to Pumps

What Is a Pump?

Why Increase a Liquid’s Pressure?

Pressure and Head

Classification of Pumps

How Centrifugal Pumps Work

PD Pumps

Hydraulics, Selection, and Curves

Overview

Pump Capacity

Total Head

Performance Curve

Horsepower and Efficiency

NPSH and Cavitation

Specific Speed and Suction Specific Speed

Affinity Laws

System Head Curves

Parallel Operation

Series Operation

Oversizing Pumps

Pump Speed Selection

Special Hydraulic Considerations

Overview

Viscosity

Software to Size Pumps and Systems

Piping Layout

Sump Design

Field Testing

Centrifugal Pump Types and Applications

Overview

Impellers

End Suction Pumps

Inline Pumps

Self-Priming Centrifugal Pumps

Split Case Double-Suction Pumps

Multistage Pumps

Vertical Column Pumps

Submersible Pumps

Slurry Pumps

Vertical Turbine Pumps

Axial Flow Pumps

Regenerative Turbine Pumps

Pump Specifications and Standards

Couplings

Electric Motors

Sealing Systems and Sealless Pumps

Overview

O-Rings

Stuffing Box and Packing Assembly

Mechanical Seals

Sealless Pumps

Energy Conservation and Life-Cycle Costs

Overview

Choosing the Most Efficient Pump

Operating with Minimal Energy

Variable-Speed Pumping Systems

Pump Life-Cycle Costs

Special Pump-Related Topics

Overview

Variable-Speed Systems

Sealless Pumps

Corrosion

Nonmetallic Pumps

Materials Used for O-Rings in Pumps

High-Speed Pumps

Bearings and Bearing Lubrication

Precision Alignment Techniques

Software to Size Pumps and Systems

Installation, Operation, and Maintenance

Overview

Installation, Alignment, and Startup

Operation

Maintenance

Troubleshooting

Repair

Case Studies

Introduction

Case Studies

Appendices

References

Index

Biography

Michael W. Volk, PE, is the president of Volk & Associates, Inc., Oakland, California, volkassociates.com, a consulting company specializing in pumps and pump systems. Volk’s services include pump training seminars; pump equipment evaluation, troubleshooting, and field testing; expert witness for pump litigation; witnessing of pump shop tests; pump market research; and acquisition and divestiture consultation and brokerage. A member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and a registered professional engineer, Volk received his BS degree (1973) in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and his MS degree (1976) in mechanical engineering and his MS degree (1980) in management science from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He may be contacted at [email protected].

"…This book is highly recommended for anyone who works with and designs pump systems on a daily basis, as well as anyone learning about pumps for the first time."
—Noise Control Engineering Journal, January-February 2015