🔍 Key Concepts

• Operation of a steam reciprocating pump (how suction and discharge strokes work) • How air or gas in the suction or discharge affects pump priming and capacity • Effect of suction lift limitations on a pump’s ability to deliver rated flow

💭 Think About

• For each option, ask: Would this condition reduce the amount of liquid actually moved each stroke, or just change pressure/efficiency? • Think about how air entering the pump or being trapped in the system changes the pump from moving mostly liquid to moving a mixture of liquid and gas. • Consider whether excessive suction lift makes it harder for atmospheric pressure to push the liquid into the pump on the suction stroke.

✅ Before You Answer

• For each choice, decide if it would cause loss of prime, cavitation, or partial filling of the pump cylinder. • Check which conditions would cause the pump to move compressible air instead of incompressible liquid, reducing delivered capacity. • Verify whether all three listed issues could reasonably reduce discharge flow rate, not just pressure.