There are so many talented and interesting people working in the pump industry that Empowering Pumps is making an effort to shine a spotlight on individuals who have made valuable contributions over the course of their careers.

This week, we talked with industry pro Kamran Mirza, and he shared a little bit of history and some thoughtful insight with us.

“The ultimate goal isn’t glass half full. It’s glass overflowing.

The half full glass is at a minimum the starting point. It is simply a measure of optimism. The real success comes from the pursuit of accomplishments that require dedication, hard work, innovation, and overcoming difficulties and challenges. This achievement of success breeds an abundance of even greater success. This is evident when the glass is overflowing. This should be the ultimate goal.

When the oil industry and the pump industry joined hands to find a solution for handling multiphase fluids, a consortium of major oil companies pooled in several million dollars for funding a research and evaluation program to select the best pumps for the job. This was named the Poseidon Project. Every conceivable type of pump was tested under a very stringent criteria. The Progressive Cavity pump did not make the cut.

This both disappointed me and also piqued my interest to take on the challenge. The inventor of this technology, Dr. Moineau had originally intended to use this technology as a turbo-charger in French fighter aircraft, even though his initial success had been in pumps. The technology however, had the unique characteristics of a hybrid pump and compressor.

I read Dr. Moineau’s patents and thesis more than a dozen times. Each time I learned something new. I talked to several experts, they pointed to the Poseidon project and told me it would not work. Even Robbins & Myers had their doubts, even though they approved my request for research funding.

Three years of design and development, two years of flow loop testing, and two years of field testing later, we had a product that worked perfectly. We named it the “R&M Tri-Phaze.” Today, the Tri-Phaze has become the industry leader in Progressive Cavity Multiphase pumps.

The picture above shows one historic moment in my life, when I signed the certificate for the first Tri-Phaze progressive cavity pump. It reminds me of the sweat and tears that it took to reach a point that stands out as a testimony of what it takes to achieve the overflowing glass. Not bad for a kid who refused to take “no” for an answer.”

Thank you, Kamran, for your many years of service and contributions to the pump industry!

Know an Amazing Person who is making valuable contributions within the Pump Industry? Nominate them to be “Pump Person of the Week”!