diagram, engineering drawing

Wireless Sensor Data Integration Into Existing Plant Historian

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A large American energy company wanted a new data collection system to be integrated into its site historian along with process trending software to better diagnose system-related issues that can lead to maintenance issues.

Thanks to the help of an aftermarket service company, the energy company combined multiple sources of data and can now view complex mechanical vibration phenomena in parallel with plant process data. By comparing the two sets of data side by side, plant personnel will correlate process conditions with mechanical vibration data.

The service provider’s history of pump and rotating equipment knowledge helped to provide actionable analysis of pumps and other rotating equipment health—and a mechanism to provide additional engineering solutions to complex problems. Combined with the energy company’s focus on reliability and a history of maintaining their equipment, this system provided an improved method of data collection and analysis.

Source: https://www.pumpsandsystems.com/wireless-sensor-data-integration-existing-plant-historian

Re-engineering System Reliability

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A US fertilizer plant was experiencing recurring reliability problems with its horizontal multistage boiler feed pumps. The series of repeat failures motivated the owner plant to consult with a widely-known unbiased ­­­­aftermarket pump service provider. Previous experience with this company’s Texas facility gave the plant confidence that they had the capability to troubleshoot the problem and provide a solution. This type of supplier has been classified as a “CPRS”— Competent Pump Repair Shop, because their worldwide affiliates are staffed by specialists who have the fullest support of pump engineers at the company headquarters.

The aftermarket pump service provider performed a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) that took into consideration historical failure information and included an independent engineering analysis of the operating conditions. A review of the system history uncovered that the fertilizer plant had originally been designed with two 100% pumps. When the system was uprated, increased output requirements necessitated that both pumps operate in parallel to meet the new demand. Based on this information, the FMEA determined that the most probable failure mechanism was discharge recirculation caused by low flow operation.

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Unearthing the Root Cause of Vibration Issues

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A recently constructed fertilizer plant was experiencing significant vibration problems on their brand new UAN Solution pumps. This vibration forced the plant to take the equipment out of service.   

The site was unable to diagnose the root cause of this problem on their own and the unreliability and resulting unavailability of this critical equipment was causing significant stress on the new plant. They heard through another fertilizer plant that a global aftermarket pump service provider had been able to diagnose and remediate their pump problems with great success. The site reached out to this aftermarket pump service provider to help identify the issue and provide solutions.   

The pump was shipped to the aftermarket pump service provider’s Chicago repair shop to perform a thorough disassembly, cleaning, and inspection (DCI). The service provider’s engineering team reviewed the original pump design and historical vibration information provided by the plant. Between this review and the DCI results, sufficient evidence was gathered to perform a root cause analysis (RCA) that explained the aberrant behavior of the problem pumps. The pumps were then re-engineered to eliminate the diagnosed problem and provide the plant with reliable operation.   Continue reading →

Hydro, Inc.

Welcome to Hydro University

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Hydro, Inc. is proud to announce our newest training platform, Hydro University. At Hydro University, our mission is to ensure pump users around the world have access to critical knowledge, troubleshooting methodology, technical skills, and strategies required to optimize industrial operations and reduce maintenance costs.

We strive to teach and engage our students to be the next generation of industrial pump users and provide the tools to assist them in achieving greater success in their careers, businesses, and industries.

With over 50 years of experience in the pump industry, Hydro offers a wide range of technical webinars, e-learning, and in-person seminars for end-users who want to learn more about pumping technology and build their skills within the field.

The topics are expansive and cover a breadth of knowledge such as centrifugal pump fundamentals, system optimization, vibration, failure modes, and much more. As an independent company, our flexibility also allows us to customize topics and programs to fit your individual needs.

Do you want to learn more about the intricacies of your pumps, how to effectively troubleshoot problems, or optimize pump operation?

Contact HydroUniversity@hydroinc.com today to learn more.