CHAPTER 9
PUMPS, VALVES, AND PIPING
As a Fireman, you must have a general
knowledge of the basic operating principles of
various types of pumps and supporting com-
ponents, such as the different types of valves and
piping used aboard ships.
Aboard ship, pumps, valves, and piping are
used for a number of essential services. They
supply water to the boilers, draw condensate from
the condensers, supply seawater to the firemain,
circulate cooling water for coolers and condensers,
pump out bilges, transfer fuel oil, supply seawater
to the distilling plants, and are used for many
other purposes. The operation of the ship’s
propulsion plant and of almost all the auxiliary
machinery depends on the proper operation of
pumps. Although most plants have two pumps,
a main pump and a standby pump, pump failure
may cause failure of an entire power plant.
With the knowledge gained in this chapter,
you should be able to describe pumps, valves, and
piping systems in terms of their construction,
function, and operation. The information in this
chapter, as it is throughout the book, is of a
broad and general nature. You should refer to the
appropriate manufacturer’s technical manuals
and/or ship’s plans, information books, and plant
or valve manuals for specific problems with
individual equipment. By studying this material,
you should be able to relate to the specific
equipment found on your ship.
PUMPS
Pumps are vitally important to the operation
of your ship. If they fail, the power plant they
serve also fails. In an emergency, pump failures
can prove disastrous. Maintaining pumps in an
efficient working order is a very important task
of the engineering department. As a Fireman, you
must have a general knowledge of the basic
operating principles of the various types of pumps
used by the Navy.
It is not practical or necessary to mention all
of the various locations where pumps are found
aboard ship. You will learn their location and
operation as you perform your duties. The pumps
with which you are primarily concerned are used
for such purposes as
. providing fuel oil to the prime mover,
. circulating lubricating (lube) oil to the
bearings and gears of the MRG,
. supplying seawater for the coolers in
engineering spaces,
. pumping out the bilges, and
. transferring fuel oil to various storage and
service tanks.
CLASSIFICATION OF PUMPS
Pumps aboard ship outnumber all other
auxiliary machinery units. They include such types
as centrifugal, rotary, and jet pumps. In the
following section we discuss these different pumps
and their application to the engineering plant.
Centrifugal Pumps
Aboard gas turbine ships, centrifugal pumps
of various sizes are driven by electric motors to
move different types of liquid. The fire pump and
seawater service pump are two examples of this
type of pump.
A basic centrifugal pump has an impeller
keyed to a drive shaft, which is rotated by an
electric motor. The drive shaft is fitted inside a
casing, which has a suction inlet and a discharge
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