Case Study- Solving Vibration Issues in Vertical Pumps

Vertical pumps are especially susceptible to minor conditions that can result in elevated vibration amplitudes. The vertically suspended design and long stationary element lengths often combine into natural frequencies that are near forcing frequencies, such as running speed or even sub-synchronous faults. The complexity of these issues makes it difficult to diagnose and resolve persistent vibration issues with the type of data that is routinely available to the end users.

In-depth field testing paired with computational analysis provides a clear path to both an accurate diagnosis and a solution that has a high likelihood of success. The effectiveness of this methodology was proven for a Gulf Coast midstream company who was experiencing high vibration with their vertical freshwater pumps. By applying advanced field diagnostics, the end user was able to understand the underlying causes of the vibration and evaluate possible solutions in a theoretical environment prior to implementing them in the field.

Read the full case study, published in the May 2025 edition of Pumps & Systems magazine, here.

Read more case studies on vibration analysis and the work completed by Hydro Reliability Services here.

The Hidden Costs of Cheap Repairs 

Why Technical Expertise plays a Critical Role in Equipment Maintenance

As the industrial world becomes more competitive, reducing costs is key for maintaining an advantage in the marketplace. As such, many end users have become more cost-conscious when approaching equipment repair. In some services- where equipment is not complex and performance doesn’t affect process availability or quality- this strategy can provide some benefit. However, the short-term gain of a lower repair price often turns into long-term cost increases when a lack of engineering capability impacts equipment reliability and performance.

The importance of engaging with a facility that has strong engineering capabilities and subject matter expertise was proven during a series of boiler feed pump repairs for a Canadian biomass power plant. Like many biomass facilities, this plant had segmental ring boiler feed pumps, also commonly referred to as BB4 pumps. This is a complex design installed in a high energy, critical application, with numerous stacked and nested components that must be kept in alignment.

In this case, a small shop had completed several repairs that had resulted in high vibration and performance issues. These pumps were a legacy design that was no longer supported by the OEM and required engineering knowledge to properly refurbish and set the balance device. As such, it was important to find a repair partner that had a strong understanding of pump design. The plant worked with Hydro’s Scotford facility to bring these “bad actor” pumps back to optimal performance.

Read the full case study in World Pumps‘ March/April 2025 edition here.

Capability Spotlight: Leverage a Global Network

From its first storefront on Diversey Street in Chicago in 1969, Hydro has grown into an expansive service network that supports rotating equipment users worldwide.  Our extensive footprint ensures that we can deliver our hallmark quality and exceptional customer service to clients across the globe.

Our geographic expansion has been accompanied by the growth of our engineering capabilities and our application knowledge. While all Hydro facilities are guided by the same processes and standards, we have also developed targeted capabilities, tooling, and experience in our individual locations to serve their local markets.  This service base is complemented by our centralized global engineering division, with experts in disciplines such as hydraulic design, metallurgy, and vibration analysis and troubleshooting.

By leveraging a diversity of expertise and resources, we can cater to the unique needs of each customer, ensuring timely and effective solutions that uphold our high standards of excellence. Some examples of niche capabilities within our network that can be leveraged by Hydro’s customers include:

Our growth has strengthened—not diminished—our commitment to local service excellence. Each service center combines on-site, dedicated engineering resources with established local supplier networks to deliver timely, effective support. We believe that communication is the cornerstone of successful collaboration, and we work hard to foster a culture of transparency and engagement.

Find your local Hydro service center here.

Capability Spotlight: Adopt a Higher Standard

Improving performance and life isn’t always about making big changes to design and operation. Small improvements to the standards and processes that are used during refurbishment and assembly can result in outsized benefits.

Hydro specifies machining and fit-up tolerances that often exceed the required industry standards and are best-in-class for the pump industry. Taking the extra time to meet more stringent tolerances ensures better concentricity and parallelism of critical components, reducing the risk of contact between the rotating and stationary elements during operation. Reducing component contact will result in reduced vibration and reduce the rate of wear for close clearance components. Maintaining design clearances greatly contributes to longer mean-time-between-repairs by providing greater stiffness and damping to the rotating assembly and reducing internal recirculation, which in turn affects performance and efficiency. To learn more about the importance of maintaining design clearances, read our Hydro Learning Hub white paper on the subject.

Another improvement that is standard at Hydro for repairs of multistage barrel (BB5) pumps is a dimensional analysis to identify relative centerlines of all impellers to their respective diffusers. This process and the resulting actions to ensure centerline compatibility at each stage are essential in prolonging equipment life and counteracting latent failure mechanisms.

By adhering to stricter tolerances, requiring robust process documentation, and never cutting corners, Hydro’s rebuild process results in greater reliability and increased mean-time-between-repairs. This level of quality ensures a safer work environment for our end user customers, reduces waste by decreasing the frequency of maintenance cycles, and lowers overall cost of ownership.

Learn more about the importance of axial centerline compatibility in multi-stage pumps in this case study.

Find your local Hydro Service Center and ensure high quality equipment rebuilds.

IIOT software service presentation

7 Key Steps on Your Connected Plant Journey

With the advent of machine learning, great strides have been made in using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology to drive smarter and more efficient plant operation and maintenance. But how do you start on this connected plant journey and what is the ultimate destination?

Starting the process of implementing new technologies can be intimidating, but you don’t have to venture out into the digital frontier alone. This article maps out the journey from initial data collection to system optimization and points out some important guideposts along the way.

  1. Collect More Data, More EfficientlyThe first step for developing a connected plant may sound basic, but it is essential for everything that follows. Collecting the right data at high frequency intervals is the cornerstone of moving your plant into the digital world. Minimizing the time between collected data points and ensuring that your hardware has a range capable of detecting all failure modes will provide greatly improved line of sight to transient events and incipient problems.Collected data connects both artificial intelligence and human intelligence with monitored equipment. Data needs to be stored and analyzed in an environment where it is accessible by internal and external subject matter experts. With cloud-based access to information and automated alerts sent through email or SMS, equipment owners no longer need to jump through hoops to get information on current equipment health.Route-based maintenance or “islands” of information are roadblocks on the connected plant journey.
  1. Integrate Information on Plant Operation

    Getting information on equipment condition is an important step forward, but to give this information perspective it is important to integrate it with data related to equipment design and operation. Collecting inputs such as vibration and temperature can help provide a clear picture of how the equipment is operating, but system data will help refine why it is operating this way.For example, inputting the original tested pump performance data can provide perspective on how much performance is degraded or how the operating point relates to the best efficiency point. Another example would be integrating information on plant load or flow control valve position; correlating system load with equipment behavior provides perspective on how operation is directly affecting monitored inputs.
  1. Predict Future Performance and ProblemsOnce data points are being collected at high frequency intervals and operating data is available, the groundwork is established to start becoming more predictive. Monitored inputs can produce a detailed picture of current condition. Correlating different operating modes with changes in observed data provides a basis for anticipating future behavior under varying conditions.In this phase, the analytical software used becomes an important factor as algorithms are finetuned to provide more accurate predictions. Actual outcomes are fed back into the software to provide validation of these predictions and train it to better interpret monitored information. On the human side, experience with equipment design, maintenance, and behavior are crucial for supporting the machine learning process. This human element is also critical in assessing risk based on predictions supplied by the software.
  1. Detect Anomalies Instead of Blind AlertsWhile automated alerts are a good first step in making your digital resources work for your maintenance strategy, considerable value is realized when your system can differentiate anomalies from expected behavior. This requires training AI-driven software to recognize “normal” equipment behavior.A pump may exhibit high vibration from its commissioning and frequently exceed recommended alarm values- but this behavior does not necessarily represent a maintenance concern. Conversely, equipment with a smooth operating history that suddenly exhibits a vibration spike indicates a problem even if that vibration does not reach the set alert boundary.Separating anomalies from steady trends will greatly improve identification of incipient problems so that actions can be taken before substantial damage occurs.
  1. Diagnose Root Causes with ConfidenceOnce the software can classify different types of behavior, it can be taught what failure modes are associated with that specific set of observed conditions. This is another area where having a subject matter expert support software development is very important. With expert input, the software can learn to recognize patterns in the monitored data and suggest possible failure modes as they develop in real-time.When monitoring software reaches the point where it can intelligently diagnose events, it provides the plant with actionable information. Instead of starting a root cause investigation with a blank sheet of paper, you can quickly perform validation steps for suspected failure modes. This can significantly shorten downtime caused by equipment unavailability.
  1. Get Proactive and Eliminate Potential Problems
    Centaur Sensors
    With the software’s advanced diagnostic capabilities trained, the output can be used to develop a proactive approach to maintenance. When failure modes are recognized, engineered solutions can be developed to extend equipment life. After solution implementation, the software can analyze the efficacy of the fix and continue to monitor equipment condition to make sure that new failure modes were not introduced.Innovative methods of monitoring or analyzing the data can be used to further understand and trend the health of the system. For example, instead of just monitoring vibration, parameters can be measured that allow the software to calculate efficiency and correlate this to changes pump wear ring clearance. By trending more sophisticated values, your plant can get closer to the monitoring the causal factors of degradation rather than just measuring their effect.
  1. Optimize Design and OperationThe end of the connected plant journey is an optimized approach to maintenance, operations, and engineering. Developing technology that does the bulk of the processing and analytics frees up our human resources to focus on what they do best- using their experience and insight to interpret grey areas, assess risk, and plan ahead.With a proactive maintenance plan, equipment condition can be trended and maintenance intervals extended by making changes that positively affect equipment health.On the operations side, understanding efficiency can inform decisions of what machines to run in parallel. Being able to operate the most efficient piece of equipment will result in energy savings, directly reducing the cost of operation. Historical data can also be used to optimize the combination of equipment being run at different plant loads.Plant engineers can use the connected plant output to take a deeper look at their systems and determine if the original design still suits current operation. Equipment design can then be optimized to provide operation that is safer, more efficient, and more reliable.Lastly, a well-developed IIoT strategy will help equipment, equipment owners, and subject matter experts stay connected to the data and to each other, optimizing communication and flow of information.

 

Wireless Condition monitoring, the perfect combination of man and machine. Where human experience and secure machine data collection create a long-term strategy for your operation. Beyond basic data trends machine health, take a chance at Centaur for your rotating equipment. Apply for a free trial today.

Note: This article was originally published on bicmagazine.com.