Common Mechanical Problems

For purposes of data correlation, model studies, and scale-up, it is useful to arrange variables into dimensionless groups. Table 6-7 lists many of the dimensionless groups commonly founa in fluid mechanics problems, along with their physical interpretations and areas of application. More extensive tabulations may oe found in Catchpole and Fulford (Ind. Eng. Chem., 58[3], 46-60 [1966]) and Fulford and Catchpole (Ind. Eng. Chem., 60[3], 71-78 [1968]). 

The most common maintenance problem with centrifugal pumps is with the seals. Mechanical seal problems account for most of the pump repairs in a chemical plant, with bearing failures a distant second. The absence of an external motor (on canned pumps) and a seal is appeahng to those experienced with mechanical seal pumps. 

The previous problems are some of the more common types encountered on a gas turbine train. Regular and preventive maintenance is the key to a successful operation. Problems will arise, but by proper monitoring of the aerothermal and mechanical problems, preventive maintenance can often avert major or catastrophic failures. 

Integrals of the general type 5.2-4 occur frequently in quantum mechanical problems. They are often termed matrix elements, since they occur as such in the secular equations which commonly provide the best way of formulating the problem (see Chapters 7, 8, and 10 for examples of secular equations). In order to give the results just presented in Section 5.2 some concrete meaning, we shall discuss here the two commonest examples of the type of matrix element represented in 5.2-4. 

The two apexes, where the two barrel lobes meet, are commonly truncated to promote axial mixing. The truncation ability eliminates some common fabrication and mechanical problems in twin-screw equipment. Finally, tight melt sealing is difficult to achieve, because of the open design features of the tangential TSEs. 

The application of thermodynamics to flow processes is also based on conservation of mass and on the first and second laws. The addition of the linear momentum principle makes fluid mechanics a broader field of study. The usual separation between thermodynamics problems and fluid-mechanics problems depends on whether this principle is required forsolution. Those problems whose solutions depend only On conservation of mass and on the laws of thermodynamics are commonly set apart from the study of fluid mechanics and are treated in courses on thermodynamics. Fluid mechanics then deals with the broad spectrum of problems which require application of the momentum principle. This division is arbitrary, but it is traditional and convenient... 

---