Flow Control’s Larry Bachus (a.k.a. "Pump Guy") kicked off his 2009 Pump Guy Seminar Series in New Orleans this week, schooling attendees on the finer points of pumping systems design. With 40 end-users in attendance at the event, this marks the fourth successful Pump Guy Seminar Flow Control magazine has presented. And, being in New Orleans, I can assure you a good time was had by all (see photo above).
Café Du Monde and beignets aside, Larry entertained the audience with his unique presentation style and imparted his wealth of knowledge to raise awareness on pumping systems efficiency and best practices.
A key addition to this Pump Guy Seminar was a case study segment in which Larry detailed a recent application for which he provided consulting services. The application explained how a simple pump modification was used to generate a $13,140 in electricity savings on a single pump. The modification was applied to eight pumps at the plant, resulting in savings of more than $105,000.
Overall, Larry’s focus was to bring attendees back to the basics of systems design strategy, as he made the point, "Pumps are not rocket science." He warned attendees against getting caught up in complex technologies, and advised them to instead concentrate their efforts on the founding principles of pumping systems design, such as pump and system curves, NPSHa vs. NPSHr, and proper piping arrangements.
At one point, Larry wondered why some engineers withhold their pump curves from the operators. "Why don’t operators have access to the pump curves," he said. "This is like hiding the dashboard from the driver of a car." An engineer in attendance chimed in to agree with Larry, saying that his organization had fallen into the habit of filing their pump curves away rather than using them to maximize efficiency. With pump curves in hand and the ability to interpret them though, Larry made the case that operators can more effectively address the pumping process.
Other topics covered at the seminar included: Cavitation; the Affinity Laws; Work & Efficiency; Pump Classification; Shaft Deflection; and Pump-Motor Alignment. All told, it was an intense three-day training session, and everybody learned a lot.
Next up for the Pump Guy Seminar is a three-day event Oct. 13-15 in Pittsburgh at the Holiday Inn, Pittsburgh Airport. You too can gain insightful knowledge about pumping systems efficiency. Start saving money now by registering at our Early-Bird Rate by June 26th. For more info on the Pump Guy Seminar, visit www.FlowControlNetwork.com/events.asp. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.
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