Condition Monitoring, Troubleshooting and Reliability in Rotating Machinery

2Centrifugal Pump Monitoring, Troubleshooting and Diagnosis Using Vibration Technologies

By William D. Marscher

Introduction

This chapter outlines the current and developing practice of condition monitoring and diagnostic troubleshooting for centrifugal pumps and their systems through application of vibration-related technologies. Key concepts and methods will be described in understandable terms. Modern vibration-based data acquisition and data analysis options are presented, along with physics-based pump condition evaluation strategies. There will be discussion concerning the reasoning behind international guidelines and standard available from HI, ISO, and API and their vibration acceptance requirements.

Circustances for which test results should be augmented by rotordynamics analysis or structural finite element analysis will be discussed in the context of what information these analyses can provide to an End User or OEM that could be informative to reliable and trouble-free operation. Mechanical reliability problems typically involve either tribology (friction and wear) or metal fatigue (crack formation and possible fracture). The likelihood and severity of these tribological and fatigue problems will be considered in terms of physical phenomena and forces associated with them, so that by applying techniques to detect these phenomena and their forces the problems they may cause can be avoided or at least delayed.

The most common sources of force that may result in excess ...