Explore key facets of centrifugal pump ownership, installation, operation, and troubleshooting

The Second Edition of Pump Wisdom: Essential Centrifugal Pump Knowledge for Operators and Specialists delivers a concise explanation of how pumps function, the design specifications that must be considered before purchasing a pump, and current best practices in lubrication and mechanical seals.

This new edition also contains new startup and surveillance tips for pump operators, as well as repair versus replacement or upgrade considerations for maintenance decision-makers, new condition monitoring guidance for centrifugal pumps, and expanded coverage of operator best practices.

Read Pump Wisdom: Chapter 13: Pump Condition Monitoring: Pump Vibration, Rotor Balance, and Effect on Bearing Life

Chapter 14: Drivers, Couplings, and Alignment (Excerpt)

Consequences of misalignment

Pump misalignment has serious consequences. Among other shortcomings misalignment may be forcing standard bearings to operate at an unintended angle. The simplest approximation of misalignment is obtained by measuring the parallel offset between a pump shaft and the shaft of its driver. Also, the distance between the two shaft ends is measured. The tangent is a trigonometric function; it is obtained by dividing the shaft offset (inches or mm) by the distance between shaft ends (inches or mm), often labeled DBSE.