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EDWartens UK

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Pumps, Compressors and Rotating Equipment

The machinery side of a process plant, taught the way a rotating equipment engineer uses it: how centrifugal pumps build head, pump and system curves, NPSH and cavitation, affinity laws and pump selection, API 610 pump types, positive displacement pumps, mechanical seals and API 682 seal plans, bearings and lubrication, installation and shaft alignment, reciprocating, screw and centrifugal compressors, surge, and commissioning, testing and troubleshooting.

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Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
14
Video
23 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Convert between pressure and head and work hydraulic and shaft power; draw a system curve and find the operating point, including pumps in parallel and series; calculate NPSH available and judge the margin against NPSH3; apply the affinity laws and impeller trimming and select a pump and motor; check a selection against the API 610 operating regions and read its datasheet; size gear and metering pumps; choose a seal arrangement and API 682 piping plan; estimate bearing life and choose a lubricant; correct alignment at the feet and allow for thermal growth; work compressor discharge temperature, staging and surge margin; and commission, test and troubleshoot a pump against ISO 9906.

  • Convert pressure to head, work hydraulic and shaft power, and read a centrifugal pump's parts and curves
  • Build a system curve and find the operating point for one pump and for pumps in parallel and series
  • Calculate NPSH available and judge the margin against NPSH3 at the worst case
  • Apply the affinity laws and impeller trimming, select a pump and size its motor for end-of-curve power
  • Check a selection against API 610 operating regions and choose an API 682 seal arrangement and plan
  • Estimate bearing L10 life, choose a lubrication method and read an oil analysis
  • Find soft foot and pipe strain, correct alignment at the feet and set thermal growth targets
  • Work compressor discharge temperature, staging and surge margin, and accept a pump test to ISO 9906

Software

A spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for system curves, NPSH, power and alignment calculations. A free online pump selection tool such as Grundfos Product Center is used to read real pump curves; it runs in a browser and needs no licence.

Hardware

None. Pumps, seals, alignment tools and compressors are shown in the lessons; you do not need your own.

Syllabus

14 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Rotating equipment in a plant: machine families, the engineer's job and the standards7 lessons
  2. 2Centrifugal pumps: parts, how the impeller makes head, and specific speed6 lessons
  3. 3Pump curves, system curves and the operating point5 lessons
  4. 4NPSH and cavitation: NPSH available, NPSH3 and margin5 lessons
  5. 5Affinity laws, impeller trimming and selecting a pump6 lessons
  6. 6API 610 process pumps: pump types, design rules and the datasheet5 lessons
  7. 7Positive displacement pumps: gear, screw, lobe, diaphragm and plunger3 lessons
  8. 8Mechanical seals and API 682 seal arrangements and piping plans4 lessons
  9. 9Bearings and lubrication: rolling element and hydrodynamic bearings8 lessons
  10. 10Installation and shaft alignment: baseplates, soft foot, pipe strain and couplings7 lessons
  11. 11Compressors 1: compression basics and reciprocating compressors7 lessons
  12. 12Compressors 2: screw and centrifugal compressors, surge and anti-surge control8 lessons
  13. 13Commissioning, performance testing and troubleshooting4 lessons
  14. 14Final assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Pumps, Compressors and Rotating Equipment

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

What is a pumps and compressors course?
It is training in how centrifugal and positive displacement pumps and reciprocating, screw and centrifugal compressors work, how they are selected and specified, and how they are installed, aligned, tested and kept running. This course covers pump and system curves, NPSH and cavitation, affinity laws, pump selection, mechanical seals, bearings, alignment, compressor surge and troubleshooting.
Who is this rotating equipment course for, and what do I need to know first?
It is for mechanical and chemical engineers, maintenance engineers, technicians and operators who work with pumps and compressors, and for graduates moving into a rotating equipment engineer role. You need school physics (pressure, energy and power) and basic spreadsheet skills; no rotating equipment experience is needed.
Do I need any software for the pump selection course?
No paid software is needed. A spreadsheet such as LibreOffice Calc handles every calculation, and a free browser-based selection tool such as Grundfos Product Center is used to read real pump curves and practise selection.
Is the course free to learn, and how long does it take?
Yes, every module, the notes, worked problems, practice tasks, the optional project and the final assessment are free to learn. The course takes about 23 hours at your own pace, of which about 15.6 hours is video; the optional pump selection project takes about 10 hours more.
Which standards does the course follow?
It explains the principles of ISO 13709 (API 610) for centrifugal pumps, ISO 21049 (API 682) for mechanical seals and ISO 9906 for pump acceptance tests, together with API 617, 618 and 619 for compressors, ASME B73.1 for chemical pumps and the Hydraulic Institute's NPSH margin guideline. Standards are paraphrased, never reproduced, and the purchase specification always governs.
What certificate do I get, and how is it verified?
You get a verifiable certificate of completion when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It carries a unique certificate number and a QR code that open a public verification page showing the course, the modules covered and your final score. It is not an API, ISO or vendor certification.
Does the course teach vibration analysis?
Only as a symptom: the course shows when vibration points to a pump or compressor problem and what to give an analyst. Spectrum analysis and fault diagnosis are taught in Vibration Analysis Training and in Machinery Fault Diagnosis and Condition Monitoring.
What jobs does this lead to, including in the Gulf?
It prepares you for roles such as rotating equipment engineer, mechanical maintenance engineer, pump and compressor technician, and reliability or commissioning engineer for machinery. Refineries, gas plants, petrochemical complexes and desalination plants in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman hire for these roles and buy pumps and compressors to API standards.

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