State of the Art Parts: A Gulf Coast refinery had the primary pump for a critical system at the HydroTex Golden Triangle facility for refurbishment. While the primary pump was in the shop, the backup pump operating on-site began to show signs of failure. The impeller of the pump being repaired had extreme wear and was unable to be reused. The shop needed to source an impeller in an expedited timeframe to complete the repair ahead of schedule and get the primary pump back in service before the backup pump failed. Continue reading →
Hydro is proud to announce the inauguration of the Centaur Monitoring and Diagnostic Center at the HydroAire Service 40th Street location in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The M&D Center supports end-users who monitor their critical equipment through Hydro’s condition monitoring service, Centaur. Having a dedicated space for monitoring and analysis facilitates a quick response when emergent issues are detected.
Ease of Mind: An Expert Set of Eyes
Centaur allows real-time remote access to live and historical equipment data, enabling Hydro’s team of skilled vibration specialists to perform advanced asset monitoring in tandem with the equipment end users. As part of Centaur’s standard service offering, the engineering team provides monitoring oversight, monthly health reports, and advanced analytical support.
The Centaur engineering team is supplemented by Hydro’s global engineering network. As an unbiased presence in the aftermarket for over 50 years, Hydro has amassed critical experience over a broad spectrum of manufacturers, designs, and applications. This cross-OEM experience is leveraged when making diagnoses and recommending remedial actions. Continue reading →
When an oil and gas vertical firewater pump suffered heavy abrasion and wear due to significant sand and particulate matter from a nearby river, HydroTex Golden Triangle, based in Beaumont, Texas, solved the problem, meeting the hydraulic requirements of the firewater system.
In this case, the impellers were severely worn, which meant that replacements and upgrades were needed if it was to meet the National Firewater Protection Agency (NFPA) hydraulic requirements. The critical pump was removed from service and classified as an emergency. The removal naturally resulted in downtime at the local site, so a quick turnaround was vital. Continue reading →
HydroTex repaired and tested a batch of over 20 pump trains from a Texas energy company. Due to the way the pumps were stored, each came with its own set of unique challenges.
In 2008, a large energy company in Texas purchased over 20 complete pump trains, including motor skids, pumps, and all the components. While they were waiting to be installed, the pumps were store in a laydown yard and suffered severe water damage when Hurricane Harvey, a category 4 storm, made landfall in Texas in August 2017, causing catastrophic flooding throughout the area. To complicate matters further, in 2019, Tropical Storm Imelda caused further damage to the equipment.
In early 2020, the energy company sent the weather-damaged equipment to HydoTex Golden Triangle in Beaumont, Texas for a complete evaluation, repair, and high-quality performance testing.
All 20+ pump trains had similar damage, but each one had its own unique repair scope. HydroTex was able to create plans to appropriately refurbish all of the pumps. The plans ensured that the pumps would be tested to verify proper mechanical and hydraulic performance. HydroTex initiated reverse engineering on all the equipment and major components while sending the motors to a vendor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
To verify the quality of each repair scope, HydroTex offered to include a mechanical run test of each pump and Hydro’s Performance Test Lab in Chicago. The mechanical run test would verify that the refurbished pump operated with minimal vibrations and expected thermal increases during operation. This test would provide assurances to the end-user that when it comes time to install each pump that they can expect reliable performance and an extended lifespan of the pump.
In addition to a mechanical run test, the Hydro’s test lab was able to provide a complete hydraulic performance test. By adding this service, the end-user would be able to confirm that the pumps would meet the process conditions necessary to perform when installed. The assurance of mechanical performance and hydraulic performance provided the best decision-making information to the end-user, setting them up for long-term success with these pumps, and building trust in the quality of the repair.
The fully refurbished and performance-tested equipment is now stored in an indoor storage facility rather than an open yard with exposure to the elements.
The 20+ pump trains were prioritized into three sets. HydroTex delivered all the refurbished equipment in record time—less than a year. Even with delays caused by a global pandemic, HydroTex was able to deliver the first priority set, with the second set delivered a month later, and the third set delivered within the following month. Each had to be individually assessed with specific plans of action and specific performance testing.
Some of the repairs required were more intricate and meticulous than others. These are complete pump trains and not only individual pump repair. HydroTex also repaired all the skids, all the seal changes, all couplings, and coupling guards, the bases, and the foundations.
Hydro Inc. has a strong engineering capability and an expansive global reach in the pump industry, especially in aftermarket services. Pump Engineer had the pleasure of speaking with George Harris, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Hydro Inc., where he discussed the company’s recent research initiatives, reliability support for customers, customized designs and the significance of upgrades and health audits.
Written by: Deirdre Morgan Publisher: Pump Engineer / December 2016
“We were very fortunate that early in the company’s development we had the good fortune to work closely with Dr. Elemer Makay, a foremost consultant to the power generation industry and a specialist in troubleshooting multi-stage, high energy pumps”, states Harris. “Engineering combined with meticulous observation and analysis in the field were key to his troubleshooting process. As a result of his training over a twenty year period, engineering became the focus and strength of Hydro Inc.’s aftermarket services”.
According to Hydraulic Institute statistics, 85% of the critical pumps in industries, such as power, refineries and pipelines, are custom designed for the specific application intended. In order to properly rebuild, upgrade or troubleshoot these installations requires a solid aftermarket engineering capability and experience. Not only must the engineer understand pump fundamentals, but also the application and system in which the pump is being used, as well as the changes that may have occurred in plant operating conditions since the pump was originally installed.
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Hydro is proud to announce the inauguration of the Centaur Monitoring and Diagnostic Center at the HydroAire Service 40th Street location in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The M&D Center supports end-users who monitor their critical equipment through 
