7R9. Flow-Induced Vibration of Power and Process Plant Components: A Practical Workbook. - MK Au-Yang (Retired, Lynchburg VA). ASME, New York. 2001. 479 pp. ISBN 0-7918-1066-7. $65.00.
Reviewed by RG Kirk (Dept of Mech Eng, Rotor Dyn Lab, Virginia Tech, Randolph Hall-Room 119, Blacksburg VA 24061).
The author has documented in this text his many works and accomplishments in this important area of flow induced vibration. This book has many positive features that make it worthy of consideration for practicing engineers in the power industry. The author has 33 years of experience, and the text is a credit to his understanding of the theory and analysis of self-excited instabilities of structures in liquid flow fields. Many of the concepts he has developed can be extended to and be useful for design of vertical pumps, vibrating pump impellers, canned motors, and all other submerged structures.
The book consists of 14 chapters; each chapter has a summary introduction and nomenclature section followed by a more in-depth treatment of the various subjects. The double use of some variables and others missing from the nomenclature makes it more challenging to assure the proper interpretation of the equations. The first chapter will be discussed at the end of this review. Au-Yang presents a good discussion of kinematics, vibrations, and acoustics in Chapter 2 and structural dynamics in Chapter 3. The information is presented nicely and with workable equations understood by engineers having a second course in vibrations or modal analysis. The author tried to reduce the mathematics in the text and give only useable equations. However, many practicing engineers may not routinely apply Bessel functions in simple solutions, but it seems necessary to master the subjects of added hydraulic mass and damping covered in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 was to simplify this, but the simple equations have terms that were not defined, and the example uses yet other terminology. The discussion of vortex-induced vibration in Chapter 6 contains good discussion and examples. Chapter 7 presents the critical velocity for fluid-elastic instability of tube bundles which move back to higher math to present the theory. The next two chapters cover turbulence-induced vibration in parallel and cross-flow conditions. Chapter 10 discusses axial flow-induced vibration with some workable equations and then presents a very nice discussion of leakage flow-induced vibration in pipes and valves. The next chapter discusses impact, fatigue, and wear of tubes and includes what appears to be simple equations and fatigue curves for estimating potential concern for impact wear of vibrating tubes. Acoustically induced vibration and noise is covered in Chapter 12 with workable equations, good discussion, and six case studies. The final chapter discusses signal analysis and diagnostic techniques. A brief discussion of ultrasonic, eddy-current, and Hall effect transducers plus motor current signature analysis concludes the text.
The previous comments have covered very briefly and in most part, the content of Chapters 2–13. This leaves only Chapter 1 for further comment. At first glance, the material presented was thought to be exactly what would be needed by a practicing engineer in any US-based industry. The discussion of both SI and US units is, in fact, necessary and required. What is needed in this chapter is a correct discussion of the conversion constant required for both SI and US units. Proper physical units are lost in calculations if the conversion constant and units are not included. The author presents what could be a workable procedure, but there is an error on page four where an electronic form of ASME steam tables (1979) is quoted to give dynamic viscosity in units of lbf/sq.ft/second. This is obviously wrong, but on page 5 the table has units of dynamic viscosity wrong in both US and SI system of units. Then on page 93, the units of dynamic viscosity appear correct, but the kinematic viscosity units are now reported in error. Finally on page 130, the units for both are correct. While the author indicated he was not going to use many examples are quoting what must be in fact Many engineers in US industries still use correctly. Proper application of English Engineering, English Gravitational, or US units and conversion constants will help prevent such errors.
The influence of liquids on vibrating structures is an area of research needing even more coverage and documentation than what is included in this text. Overall, it is very valuable that Au-Yang has documented his vast experience in this book, Flow-Induced Vibration of Power and Process Plant Components: A Practical Workbook. The insight and discussions, including in particular the examples and case studies, are reason enough to purchase this book.
