Engineers Ireland

Course aim

This course will give the participants a sound understanding of how pumps work and impart a methodology to diagnose problems and improve the operation of pump system.

Overview

Pumps are the second most common machine, after the electric motor.  Centrifugal pumps are widely misunderstood and this course provides a clear understanding Pump Head, flow, energy use and speed.  Having covered common pump problems and their solutions, the course then addresses the Top 10 items to achieve the most sustainable pump operation possible. This covers use of variable speed drives, addition of jockey pumps, reduction in impeller sizes and better operational control to reduce energy use.

Learning objectives

While the mechanical engineer may be the primary pump owner, this course will also be of interest to the control systems and electrical engineers as they are often called to sort out pump trip out’s and other failures. The course will also cover pump house and foundation requirements as well as optimum piping arrangement.

Programme

Day 1 Module 1

• Concept of Pump Head & Pressure
• Pipeline Friction Loss
• Effect of Heat Exchangers, Valves, Filters
• Pump Head Calculations

Day1 Module 2

• Cavitation and Vapour Pressure
• NPSH Calculations
• Sizing Pipeline for best efficiency
• Reading Pump Curves

Day 2 Module 3

• Types of Centrifugal and PD pumps
• Making Optimum Pump selection
• Variable Speed Drives
• Improving Piping Layout for best performance

Day 2 Module 4

• 10 Top tips for sustainable pumping
• Instrumentation and Control of pumps stations
• Operation of pumps in parallel and series
• Diagnosing common pulp problems
• Achieving best practice pump performance

Who should attend

Engineers and technicians who have significant power being used in pumping.
The course will suit those dealing with water and waste treatment as well as pharmaceutical industry applications.  This course will interest food plant operators with hygienic pumps and address the specific issues around CIP / SIP.

Why should I attend

This course will give a solid foundation explaining exactly how pumps operate and follow on with explaining what can be done to get the pump system to operate a whole lot better.

Trainer's profile

Martin McCarthy, Chartered Engineer, FIEI, BE MSc, has been training designers, operators and maintenance staff on pumps and pump systems in Ireland, UK and USA.  He is a subject matter expect and has worked with many firms to successfully troubleshoot difficult pumping problems.  He was managing director of CH2M HILL Ireland – one of world’s most successful engineering firms.