CENTRIFUGAL PUMP FAILURES DURING FIRST YEAR

OPERATION

• Shahab Zardynezhad

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 Presenters
Shahab Zardynezhad, 27 years’ experience working in oil, gas, and
PEng, PMP, API-SIRE, petrochemical projects.
CAT II He is API certified inspector for the rotating equipment.
His area of specialization and industrial experience
included engineering, design, procurement, inspection,
installation, start-up, maintenance, troubleshooting of
the rotating equipment, especially pumps and
compressors.
He has BS degree in mechanical engineering from
University of Petroleum-Iran
MS degree in Industrial Engineering from I.U.S.T-Iran
MEng degree in project management –U of C, Calgary
MEng degree in Mechanical Engineering from University
of Calgary-CA
He has working experience in Asia, Europe, USA, Canada
and Middle East. He is technical writer of Hydrocarbon
Processing and Gas Processing Journals of USA.

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 API 610-11th Edition Design Criteria

6.1.1: The equipment (including auxiliaries)

covered by this International Standard shall be
designed and constructed for a minimum service
life of 20 years (excluding normal-wear parts as
identified in Table 20) and at least 3 years of
uninterrupted operation.

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Client’s Expectation for Failure of a “New” Centrifugal Pump

Failure Rate

0 Time t
4
 Lesson Learned from Industry

❑Due to several
factors, the risks for
failure are highest
upon installation of
pumps and remain
elevated during the
first-year operation
period.

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 Actual Condition-Pump Failure
Failure Rate

1 3

Early Life Wear-Out

Region Constant Failure Rate Region
Region

0 Time t
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 Lesson Learned from Industry-Major Failure

Plant Year Total No of Failed-Percentage, Location

Centrifugal Estimated
Pumps-
Estimated
Ammonia and 2017~2018 300 7% USA
Urea
Oil Refinery, 2009~2011 700 8% Iran
250,000bbl/day
Ammonia and 2005~2006 300 8% Iran
Urea
SAGD, 2016~2017 100 5% Canada
30,000bbl/day
Aromatic Plant 2004~2005 600 8% Iran

HDPE 2008 200 8% Iran

Gas Processing, 1992~1994 400 10% Iran

3000MMSCFD

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Centrifugal Pumps Bathtub Curve Pattern-Typical

Quality Related Failure

Wear Out Failure-
Most Client’s Expectation
Stress Related Failure

Source: https://www.osihardware.com/quantifying-bathtub-curve/
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Causes of Pump Early Failures-8 Main Groups

1) Engineering and Design

2) Manufacturing
3) Tests and Inspection
4) Packing and Storage
5) Construction
6) Pre-Commissioning
7) Commissioning
8) Operation/Maintenance

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1) Engineering and Design

Source: Figure-30, API 610, 11th Edition

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API 610, 11th Ed-Vibration Limit

Source: API 610, 11th Edition-Table 8

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Shop Performance Test-API 610 Pump

Source: Turbotech Consulting Corp

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Pump Vibration Measurement

Source: Google Image

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 Question

• If the bearing housing vibration is out of API

610 limit, however the shaft vibration probes
are within the limit then:
The shaft probes data shall be considered as basis for accepting
or rejection of the pump?

Wrong, or Right?

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 Interpretation of API 610

• 9.2.7.3 All purchased vibration probes, transducers and

oscillator-demodulators shall be in use during the test. If
vibration probes are not furnished by the vendor or if the
purchased probes are not compatible with shop readout
facilities, shop probes and readouts that meet the accuracy
requirements of ANSI/API Std 670 shall be used. The vibration
measured with this instrumentation shall be the basis for
acceptance or rejection of the pump. (see 6.9.3.6)

• 6.9.3.6: Pumps furnished with proximity probes shall meet both

bearing-housing and shaft-vibration limits.

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 Displacement

• Normally, displacement is a good measure at

lower frequencies, the recommended
frequency range is normally 0~600CPM.
• The failure mode is generally the “stress”
caused due to the displacement.

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 Velocity

• Velocity measures how often the

displacement is being applied in a given time
period.
• It is related to the fatigue mode of failure.
• Velocity amplitude unit is a good measure in
the range of 120~120,000 CPM. (Reference: Mobius Workbook)

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 Example- Vane Pass Frequency
• A set of BFW pump had vibration due to the vane
pass frequency.
• The vane passing frequency vibration of
centrifugal pump is a hydro dynamically induced
vibration at a frequency determined by the
number of impeller vanes times pump CPM.
• This means, the vibration due to vane pass
frequency has higher frequencies more than
600CPM.

Source-Image: https://www.mobiusinstitute.com
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 Example- Vane Pass Frequency
• Thus, it is less noticeable with shaft displacement probe
readings.
• Therefore, most of the vane pass vibration issues of
centrifugal pumps are found with bearing housing vibration
readings.
• This means during performance testing of a BFW Pump, if
relying on shaft displacement probes data they have
acceptable vibration at 1X. Because shaft probes may not
capture high frequency vibration over 600CPM.
• However, when bearing housings vibration is measured, the
pump has vibration at 5X and 7X which is the vane pass
frequency.

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 IB-H: 0.19 in/Sec>0.156 in/Sec RMS
0.26Mils<2.6Mils (pk-pk), Speed: 3600rpm

5X

5X

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Wrong Oil Change Method! Soft Engineering & Operation Causes

Constant Oiler was filled fully! Oil Level below Oiler Feed Hole

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API 610 11th Edition
6.10.2.2-A permanent indication of the
proper oil level shall be accurately located
and clearly marked on the outside of the
bearing housing with permanent metal
tags, marks inscribed in the castings, or
other durable means.

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Bearing Failure of Stand-By BFW Pump during Start Up,
Soft Engineering & Operation Causes

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Air Lock in Oiler!

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 BFW Bearing Failure-Causes

• Root Cause:
❑Air Lock in Oiler-Lack of Lubrication during Start
Up
• Contributing Causes
❑Lack of Training in Filling Oiler
❑Jumper (i.e: By-pass) the Shutdown Switches for
Vibration
❑Operator Late Action
❑Lack of RTD for Bearing or Oil (Engineering)

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Oil Leakage from Bearing Housing-Manufacturing

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Trace of External Leakage between Seal and Bearing
Housing

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Lack of Vent Plug on Bearing Housing

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Vent Plug-Bearing Housing

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Closed System Oiler with Vent and Balance Line

Source: Trico Corp Constant Level Oiler

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 Make Up Oil (Operation)
• A pump shutdown for more than 30 days must
have oil applied directly to the bearing to re-
lubricate surfaces before start up.

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Location of Oiler (Manufacturing, Engineering, Commissioning)

Right

Wrong
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Drainage of BB3 and BB4 Pumps
(Manufacturing & Engineering & Packing & Shipment)

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Plan 52 Installation (Engineering and Manufacturing)

Source: API 682, Figure G38

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Risk of Liquid Crystallization-(Engineering Cause)

Example: Ammonia carbamate

crystalized inside pump and
mechanical seal during cold stand-
by when the temperature reaches
to 30~50 degree C depends on
concentration of NH3 and CO2. 35
Mitigation- Liquid Crystallization

Source: API 682, Figure G14

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Minimum Flow Piping Design-Crystallization

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com

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Temperature Drop-Minimum Flow Line (Stand By Condition)

A- Min Flow Pipe Skin B- Min Flow Pipe Skin

Temperature Close to Temperature Close to Take
Vessel Shell, (Stand-By Out from Pump Discharge
Condition). Pipe (Stand-By Condition).

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Impeller Wearing Rings (Sump Pump-VS4), Material: ASTM A 276-304L+Colomony Coated-
Galling, overheat, scratches – Level Switch Setting was not correct (Commissioning)

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Impeller Nut Coming off the Shaft –End Suction Pumps
(Engineering & Design)

• Result: Machining the casing and leakage to

atmosphere, Risk of auto ignition!
• API 610, 6.6.3:
❑ Impellers shall be keyed to the shaft.
❑ Overhung impellers shall be secured to the shaft by a
cap screw or cap nut that does not expose shaft
threads.
❑ The securing device shall be threaded to tighten by
liquid drag on the impeller during normal rotation, and
a positive mechanical locking method (for example a
staked and corrosion-resistant set-screw or a tongue-
type washer) is required.

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 Impeller Nut Coming off the Shaft

• Nuts threads were opposite of shaft rotation

direction. The nut tightens with shaft rotation.
• Check valve have been inspected and the
pump was not run in reverse rotation.
• The VFD could be exciting a torsional
resonance at some speed within the operating
speed range.

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 Energy Density, API 610 (Engineering)

• For selection of bearing type and lubrication

type for centrifugal pumps
• Energy Density = Rated Power (kW) x rated
Speed, rpm >= 4,0x 106 kW/min

Then hydrodynamic radial and thrust bearings

shall be used for the pump

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 Factors to be considered

• Pump application,
• Availability/reliability consideration,
• Vendor’s experience,
• Possibility of viscosity change,
• Capacity/head change,
• Pump efficiency change due to aging, etc
Lower limit for “Energy Density” may be
considered

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 Efficiency

• The pump efficiency is calculated by Vendor

based on shop performance test data which is
different from site condition. It is expected and
experienced that pump efficiency at site
condition for a new installed centrifugal pump is
lower than pump efficiency at shop test
condition, ~5% ~20%.
• Decreasing efficiency will increase the pump
power. Higher power means “Energy Density”
and higher load on bearings.

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 Overall Efficiency Gap= η MBEP - ηTOP

Reference: Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology—AQUA, 2014, Page 570.

Efficiency Loss = η MBEP - ηTBEP

• Installation Date : 2007

• Test Date: 2012

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 Pump Actual Power Consumption- Shop and Field

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 Head Increase

• Head Increase (Important): According to API

610 (Clause 6.1.4) , the pump shall be capable
of at least 5% head increase at rated condition
by replacement of the impeller(s) with one(s)
of larger diameter or other proper change.
This will impact the pump energy density.

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 Flowrate Increase

• Flow: If the pump runs at higher flowrate,

then power and Energy Density will be
increased and the load on bearing will be
increased too.

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Copy Right -Turbotech Consulting Corp

Preservation of Mechanical Seal Pipes and Accessories

Small Bore Piping Internal Rust Stainless Steel Seal Pot Rusting

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Welding Work-Construction

Welding on Pump
Nozzle without
Isolation!!?

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 Conclusion

Cost of Conformance vs Cost of Non-Conformance

Wear Out
Infant Mortality
Failure Rate

Random Failure

Operating Age or Usage

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Conclusion-Continued

Credit

Source: PMBOK, 5th Ed-Figure 8-5

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Thank you Very Much for Your Attention!

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