500 centrifugal pump failures

prevented using new prevention

strategy

Bladimir Gomez
Supervisor,
Rotating Equipment Engineering
PDVSA CRP Refinery
Insert Company Logo(s)
Bladimir Gómez, MBA, ME - Bladimir is the Superintendent
of Rotating Equipment Engineering at the PDVSA CRP
Refinery Complex with 12 years of experience providing
expertise for all rotating equipment from new specifications,
to troubleshooting, and repair strategies.

Bladimir has a Mechanical Engineer degree and an MBA

with focus on management of quality and productivity from
Francisco de Miranda University, Venezuela.
 The Problem

In a major refinery there was excessive failures of

centrifugal pumps, that cost the company millions of
dollars every year.

A new failure prevention strategy was developed to

reduce the high cost of failures.
Centrifugal Pumps Failures and Repair Costs for 2011-2012
1180 7.200.000,00

1160

7.008.000,00 7.000.000,00

1140

1168
1120 6.800.000,00

1100

6.600.000,00 Failures
Repair cost
1080

1060
6.336.000,00 6.400.000,00

1040
1056
6.200.000,00

1020

1000 6.000.000,00
2011 2012
 Centrifugal Pumps Failure by Component

2%
8%

8%

Mechanical Seals
Bearings
Shaft
22% Wear rings
60%
Couplings
 Centrifugal Pump Failure Causes

17%

Improper operation

45%
Off-design
Offdesing
14%

Assembly or
Assembly or
installationdefects
instalation defects
Maintenance
deficiencies

24%
ELEMENTS OF THE NEW STRATEGY (The Solution)

• A New Definition of Failure

• Use of Failure Progression Model
• Development of Three Levels of Inspections
 Traditional Definition of Failure
The traditional definition of failure is the point of Functional Failure.

Potential Current Definition

P Failure P - F of Failure
Interval
e
r
f Functional
o Failure
r Process and
Equipment
m Alarms
a Stressed
n Equipment
c
e

Time
The oil and gas industry defines failure using the Potential-Functional (P-F) Failure Curve.
The notion is that a piece of equipment, at some point in time, will begin to exhibit
decreased performance. This is labeled the Potential Failure. If allowed to progress, the
performance will continue to decrease until the point of Functional Failure.
 New Definition of Failure
The new definition of failure is the point of Potential Failure.
New Definition
of Failure
Potential
P P - F
Failure Interval
e
r
f Functional
Failure
o
r Conditions Process and
Equipment
m Factors Alarms
a Stressed
Errors
n Equipment
c Violations
e Events

Time
This is a paradigm shift in thinking and creates an entirely new approach to preventing
failures. We designed inspection programs to identify the Conditions, Factors, Errors,
and Violations which cause the Events that lead to the Potential Failures.
 The Failure Progression Model

CF CF Probability Probability Probability Probability

CF CF Errors

CF CF Stressed Equipment
Event
Equipment Failure
CF CF
Violations
CF CF
1. Process deviations
2. Human interactions

Contributing Factors that Influence Human Performance

 The Top Twelve Contributing Factors

The Dirty Dozen

1. Miscommunication
CF CF Probability 2. Complacency
3. Distraction
CF CF Errors 4. Pressure
5. Resource Allocation
CF CF 6. Lack of knowledge
CF CF 7. Lack of awareness
Violations 8. Stress
CF CF 9. Fatigue
10. Lack of assertiveness
11. Lack of teamwork
12. Norms [normalization of deviance]
 PREVENT FAILURES

Behavior Process Asset

Management Management Management

Level III Level II Level I

Behavior Process Equipment
Inspections Inspections Inspections
 Three Levels of Inspections

Level III Level II Level I

Behavior Process Equipment
Inspections Inspections Inspections

CF CF Probability Probability Probability Probability

CF CF Errors

CF CF Stressed Equipment
Event
Equipment Failure
CF CF
Violations
CF CF
1. Process deviations
2. Human interactions

Contributing Factors that Influence Human Performance

 Strategies Comparison (Before and After)
Traditional Predictive Inspection
Defined routes focus on detection of
failures (stressed equipment)
Report Anomalies
Activity done by the Predictive
Inspector
Use of conventional hardware, such
as vibration portable data collectors,
infrared thermometers, process
monitoring and instrumentation
systems.
New failure Prevention Method
Defined routes focus on stressed
equipments, process events(*) and
human error and/or violations
Report preventions
Activity done by the unit team
(Inspector, Engineers, Operators
and PM perssonel)
personnel)
Use of conventional hardware, such
colectors, |
as vibration portable data collectors,
infrared thermometers, process
monitoring and instrumentation
systems.
Example: Mechanical seal failure prevention on a BB2
type centrifugal pump of a Cat Cracker Unit

API Pump type BB2 API Seal Code C2A3C54

API Plan 54 Diagram
Inpection strategy:

Level 1 Inspections (Asset Management)

Vibration monitoring – Rotating equipment inspector
Inpection strategy:

Level 2 Inspection (Process Management)

Seal gland temperature – Plant Operator

Oil temperature / outlet API Plan – Plant Operator

Reservoir pressure – Plant Operator

Inpection strategy:

Level 3 Inspections (Behavior Management)

Contributing factors – Rotating equipment engineer
Mechanical Seal Conditions- API Plan 54- Level 2 Inspection
120

100

80

60 Oil Temperature (F)

vs. inspection events

40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Mechanical Seal Conditions- API Plan 54- Level 2 Inspection
200

180

160

140

120

Glad
Glandtemperature
temperature
100 Oil Outlet temperature
Oil Inlet temperature
80

Each vs. inspection events

60

40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Inspection Results:
Level 1 inspections analysis: Vibration levels normal,
no leaks at seal.
Level 2 Inspections analysis :Oil flow reduction across
the system caused by problems with the flow
regulation valve, determined by the level 2 inspections
(IOW)

Level 3 inspection analysis : Miscommunication

Actions Following Inspections

Risk assesment: High

The monitoring of the flow regulation valve was not included in

the existing Preventive Maintenance Program.

Actions:

• Replace flow regulation valve, include valve monitoring in the

PM program and communicate to the personnel (training).

• Review of the rest of the API Plan 54 applications at the plant

and check for the flow regulation valve monitoring.
Mechanical Seal Conditions- API Plan 54- Level 2 Inspection
120

100

80

60 Oil Temperature (F)

vs. inspection events

40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Mechanical Seal Conditions- API Plan 54- Level 2 Inspection
200

180

160

140

120
Glandtemperature
Glad temperature
100 Oil Outlet temperature
Oil Inlet temperature
80

Each vs. inspection events

60

40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
 Conclusion:
By expanding the inspections to the process conditions
and contributing factors that occur prior to the potential
failure, the equipment failure is prevented.
The three levels of inspection were applied to 4000+
centrifugal pumps in the refinery.
This resulted in a reduction of over 500 pump failures
over two years of implementation, with savings of 4MM$.
No additional cost or resources were required.
To prevent failures, must reduce the contributing
factors
Centrifugal Pumps Failures and Repair Costs for 2011-2014
1400 8.000.000,00

7.008.000,00 7.000.000,00
1200

6.336.000,00 1168
6.000.000,00
1000 1056

5.000.000,00

800 4.578.000,00

Failures
763 4.000.000,00
Repair cost

600
3.168.000,00
3.000.000,00
528
400
2.000.000,00

200
1.000.000,00

0 -
2011 2012 2013 2014
 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Dic-2011

Feb-2012

Abr-2012

Jun-2012

Ago-2012

Oct-2012

Dic-2012

Feb-2013

Abr-2013

Jun-2013

Date
Ago-2013

Oct-2013
MTBF Centrifugal Pumps

Dic-2013

Feb-2014

Abr-2014

Jun-2014

Ago-2014
MTBF Centrifugal Pumps 2011-2015

Oct-2014

Dic-2014

Feb-2015
To prevent failures, one must reduce the
contributing factors.