As a Fireman, you must have a general knowledge of the basic operating principles of various types of pumps and supporting components, 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.