ABSTRACT
Power plant pumps are major players both in the overall electric power generation heat-rate efficiency and in plant availability. A pumped liquid flow loop is analogous to a direct current (DC) electrical circuit, where the pump is like the battery, the flow path resistance is like the circuit electrical resistance, the pump head is like the battery voltage, and the pump flow is like the electrical current produced. Cavitation starts with the formation of vapor pockets or cavities in any flowing liquid when the liquid flows into a location where the pressure becomes lower than the liquid's vapor pressure. The two basic coupling types used to connect pumps and drivers are the rigid adjustable and the flexible. Bearings position the rotor and thus are the primary load-support points for the rotor. There are basically two general types of bearings employed for pumps: rolling-contact, often erroneously called anti-friction bearings; and fluid-film.
