Tag Archives: Hydro Reliability Services

Navigating Resonance Challenges

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A Case Study in Diagnostic Testing and Innovative Solutions

Some services are inherently difficult due to factors such as fluid quality or multiple disparate operating points.  These factors are an inherent part of the process and cannot be changed to improve reliability. Harsh applications can be a costly prospect, both in overhaul costs and in the time and labor required for frequent servicing. Many times we become caught in the perception that there is no improvement to be had for these services. A short mean-time-between-failures (MTBF) becomes routine and expected, and maintenance activities and parts procurement are built around this expectation.  

When equipment is sent out for refurbishment, the expectation is that mechanical and hydraulic performance upon reinstallation will be better than what was experienced in the worn condition. This assumption holds true in most cases; however, sometimes unexpected behavior can occur after a pump is remanufactured and reinstalled. While it is easy to jump to the conclusion that these performance changes were caused by errors made during the repair or installation of the equipment, sometimes the problem is more complex and related to latent weaknesses in the design that had lain dormant until refurbishment.

This scenario was experienced by a power utility in the Southeastern US when they ran into significant vibration increases after one of their boiler feed pumps was refurbished by a local repair shop. Concerned by the level of vibration, the utility reached out to Hydro South, who have extensive experience in this application and model. From there, Hydro Reliability Services was called on to collect data on the problematic equipment and use advanced modeling tools to understand the nature of the vibration. The field testing and analysis revealed that pump had been operating with a very small margin between a structural resonance and one of the pump forcing frequencies. Armed with this information, solutions were developed to increase this margin and return to stable operation.

Read the full case study in Pumps & Systems March 2024 edition.

Learn more about Hydro Reliability Services and how they support field testing, vibration troubleshooting, and advanced system studies.

Energy Savings Audits- Understanding your Savings Potential

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Many pump users focus on efficiency ratings when purchasing new equipment, but a much greater source of wasted energy is found when looking at the overall system instead of limiting optimization to the pump design itself. It is rare that a system is operating with equipment that is optimized to deliver flow while operating close to its best efficiency point. More often, pumps are oversized for their systems and achieve the desired flow rate by throttling a valve. The friction added by this valve changes the system curve to achieve the design operating flow; this action is one of the greatest sources of wasted energy in a pump system. Continue reading →

Field Testing Assesses Risk of Reducing Minimum Unit Load

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With changes in the energy landscape, many older plants need to adapt to more flexible operation to fluctuating needs of the grid and remain economically viable.  This flexibility often includes operation outside of the original design of the plant and its equipment.

A Midwest coal-fired power plant recently found themselves in this position. The plant had been designed for a minimum commercial load of 350MW, but they were considering reducing the load to 300MW. Plant engineering wanted to understand what risk operation at this low capacity posed to equipment reliability operation and life. The power producer contacted Hydro Reliability Services to develop an on-site test plan for their condensate, boiler feed booster, and boiler feed pumps to better understand how this operation would impact these critical pumps. Continue reading →

Vibration Institute Annual Training Conference & Expo

Join Hydro at the Vibration Institute’s Annual Training Conference & Expo!

While you are enjoying the conference, stop by Hydro’s booth to talk with Kyle Bowlin, General Manager of Hydro Reliability Services, about how he helps solve customer’s problems using advanced vibration testing and modeling.

Hydro will also be showcasing our Centaur wireless condition monitoring system, including demonstrations of the analytical software using live data.