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PHOTOS RECORD GROWTH continued TWO-tNCH extra-heavy piping l welded SMAUER plplnp-bmee* or# welded here ol bend* to step vlb'otlon in hp lines to hydraulic Ifces to stop ony "shimmy*' It's always e pleasure to run into well-filled photo album out ol his desk a chief engineer of the old school. Driv- drawer. Album Is filled with photos ol ing through Palmyra. N. Y. recently, I his associates, interesting repair jobs, was attracied by the one big smoke- and many other things that bore taken siaek In town. U turned out to be The place In hi* plant. U was easy to set Garlock Packing Co's power plant. that his plant and his associate* are as Inside, I found Howard Sponganberg, important to him as his home and his who has been chief engineer tn the tame family. plant since T92B- He was glad to see a flood. ''Here's one headfcche that had Pdtrcft editor because he's been reading us all sweating," said Howard, showing Powui religiously all these year*. A me photos ol water around Ms plant, trip through his plant sOon showed me "We had our first flood in 1942. Then that Howard has a man-sited job. With it paid us a return visit In 1950. There the firm growing steadily through the was 36-In. of water against our plant years, the manufacturing plants have wall Hera when 'Carlock Lake' got ramalways'demanded more and still more bunciioua. power. About the time one new unit is "In *42, we plsced large 2-in. planks installed, snother is overworked, and against all openings around the power- Spanganberg's headaches start all over, house, then dumped truck loads ol clay At present, a new 100,000-lb-pcr-hour - agnlnst the planks to seal them. Water boiler and a 3000-kw steam-turbine efec- came up so fast wo bad only four hours trie generator, complete with condenser, before It got to our building wall. Then, are being installed. A lew months ago, just as wo got to feeling smug about two new triplex, variable-stroke, pumps tho whole thing, we found water flowing for hydraulic service were Installed: Into our cistern inside the plant. Trouble Back in Ms office I asked Howard to was a faulty sluice gale that we couldn't tell me about some problems he's had close. The gate hadn't been closed for io solve. That's when he pulled a large, some time, and now it didn't work. SHEET IRON )> welded to Inside t slight bends on pipe's opposits ;S "But we had to keep the plssl. So we hooked three pumps to the ci^ and ran their discharge outside (pbal( 'Three pumps running at full cJpJ| shoved water outside at the rate cl gpm. That just did keep water do* ihe cistern. 'That flood tought us a lessoo plants might profit from," said H**gl| good-naturedly. "Now we are preptg I If the water pays us a return edpj ll ment. Our answer Is large aheei-bj 81 partitions that fit against the po*! plant door (photo). If a flood threaten, wo can bolt these pbt against angle-irons fastened into *1 brick wotk at all openings. Wtikj gasket at each joint, there's no dsflf of water getting in. That's quicker | easier than building wooden walls ' houling cloy. q. "Take o look at these photos," Howard, thumbing through hli P^j] album- And there f saw every det*d; that event, recorded faithfully. "Too bad more power engineers dttj keep a picture history of their P^jf l commented. "That'* a mighty gether. That ool only stopped vibration, r- Jgh-Pmsure Hydraulic Piping Gave Trouble but also took most strain ofl elbow*. "Thl* new high-pressure, hydraulic system replaced old horbontel, directacting steam pumps," continued How IB 3300 psi Until These Changes Were Made ard. "The old pumps couldn't maintain needed uniform supply pressure that presses called for. Now pressures are held steady and press operation ha* greatly improved. Also, maintenance on entire hydraulic syttem is much less. This is because we dno't have excessive pressure pulsations now." "You know," I said, "this'method of bracing may be good insurance where there it the least Indication of vibration. It not only prevent* pipe fatigue, but also cuts down damage to gages, ther mometers and other instruments caused by vibration. And it prevents Insulation being shaken ofi the Une*" Pocking. "Out in the plant, l noticed that your pumps and other equipment don't Icnk afoUnd the glands," 1 said, after looking through the album. "How do you account for that?" "Of course, we manufacture all types of packing and gasket materials," an swered Howard. "Some of my shsff*'are sealed with our latest mechanical seats. Others with our asbestos packing, or metal foil packing and other types of the many, packings wo manufacture.". "I'm especially Interested in knowing more about mechanical seals," l said. "What's your experience with them?" !yy ,Mp Iron, waltted In 90-d. bendi. ol hoov, piping In floo, pit. kMPl fr.prouuro Iron, .irolnlng piping nt olbowt. Thl. ol.o .ol.od vlbrolion problem "I've found that if the right seal is used for the job," answered Howard, "it does save on maintenance. For ex- . ample, there is no shaft wear because the seal does not rub the shaft- fntiead, ^ferenee lor young engineers mag la 'hero to learo this game." ftbrotion Solved. "A few month* ago (installed two new variable-stroke, oted by -l&O-psi water from centfifugal pumps. Then these triplex pumps take over by driving the rams home st over 3000 psi and holding presses closed mor-driven, triplex pumps," continued while they euro products under high jyard. Each deliver* from 0- to 55- temperature. So only a small amount of i water against discharge pressures water need be delivered by triplex jfib 3300 pel. These pumpa are vertical pumpa at high pressures. d' have built-in, double reduction* "These,pumps work like a charm," Sired drive, with motor mounted above said Spanganberg, "but the piping be upiimp frame. Each pump is driven tween pumps and accumulating bottle TconJtanf crankshaft speed of 235 vihrated so badty we hated to use the [gjfl. .Motors are 12$ hp, 1600 rpm, pumps. Of course, the manufacturer Schronous, having 00% leading power had told us we might have vibration. :or. They are excited from external, On some installation* there Is no trouble, folt do power," said Howard, (hen'on an identical job the vibration jv- Pumps discharge Into air-loaded, by-may be pretty bed. ujraulie accumulator of 250-gallon ea* "We look the manufacturer's sugges ffiipity. - An accumulator shutoll valve tion," said Howard, "and braced the pip* js.olomstically Isolate* accumulator from 108." (see photos] "Extra-heavy -pipe J&jdrsulfe system If any high-pressure was welded to each bend from two an wiping ruptures. Tltat avoids losing gle*. This keeps the bends from straining &epreaied-air charge that loads ac when at 3300 psi. It also braces piping ajou Islor. against vibration. On unlagged piping, I'yThese triplex anils ere In the power where benda ere alight, we welded sheet rPjcw and supply the many hydraulic Iron on inside of bends. On larger lines wanofaeturing buildings. in the floor pit. we welded heavy strap L-.Rutsof hydraulic presses are first oper- iron, to hold all 90-degree bends to a carbon ring aeals against a metal ring that's attached to the seals. Seol is at tached to shaft on outer end ond sealed gainst housing inside old stuffing box. "Another advantage Is there's no leak age. But a sealing problem Is like any other around a power plant, ii'a a good idea to get expert advfce. All in all, I guess that packing problems are about the leosl ol my headaches." Boiler. Howard told me about losing water-wall tubes in a boiler, lie found the %-in. holes in the internal Iced line In steam drum were turned up instead of down. So phosphate couldn't mix with drum water. Bui turning feed-line so hole* pointed down solved problem. At ibis point Chief Spanganberg was called over to the now boiler, so I. fig ured it was a good time to shove o(T before I wore out my welcome. There were many other improvements to write about, hut I'll have to let them go until after vhe new plant Is finished. Howard tikes to keep an eye on everything going in. In leaving. I couldn't help feeling iliai here woe a man who loved his job. t04 PLANT OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SECTION |Sew 1M PLANT operation and maintenance section