ABSTRACT
This chapter describes pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary coolant pumps (PCPs). Jenkins attests to the considerable challenge in assessing the significance of monitored vibration signals from PCPs, focusing upon the possible correlation of vibration signal content and equipment malfunction as related to machine age. Jenkins presents the Westinghouse approach in identifying vibration problem root causes and corrective changes for these aging PCPs. For rotor vibration monitoring of PCPs, an X–Y pair of proximity probes are mounted 90° apart just below the coupling, targetting the short straight low-run-out section of the shaft. PCPs are not the only vertical pump used in power plant application. Some fossil-fired steam boilers in electric power-generating plants are designed with boiler circulating pumps, which are incorporated into the design to make the boiler physical size much smaller than it would otherwise have to be if relying on free convection alone. Condensate pumps are another example of vertical centerline machines.
