Presenter

Amr Mohamed Gad

Senior Machinery Engineer with RasGas company since 2007

• 13 years of experience in maintenance, retrofits, and upgrades

of Gas Turbines, Compressors and Pumps in natural gas facilities.

• Previous publications at 5 major worldwide conferences

Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

Amr Mohamed Gad– RasGas

Dr.Nicholas White – RasGas
Arbain Bin Mahmood– RasGas

2nd Middle East Turbo Machinery Symposium

17th – 21st March 2013

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 Index

• RGX2 Steam Condensate System

• Problem Summary
• Troubleshooting History
• Unit 92-A261A –Failure
• Performance Deterioration
• RCFA-Unit 92-P261A
• Operational Risk Mitigation
• Recommendations Results
• Lessons Learned

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 RGX2 Steam Condensate System

Steam condensate system set up at RGX2

• Total of x6 Boiler Feed Water Pumps (x4 steam driven pumps and
x2 motor driven pumps).

Operating philosophy N+2:

• x4 in service and x2 Stand by operation.

x6 No. BFW

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 RGX2 Steam Condensate System

Pump specifications:
• Rated capacity 750 M3/hr
• Rated power 1.7 MW
• Differential head 680m
• Horizontally split casing
• 4 stage with double inlet impeller

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 RGX2 Steam Condensate System

New pump before installation Old pump at skid in RGX2

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 Problem Summary

• One pump experienced high thrust bearing temperature alarm

after 16 months of operation

• The thrust bearing was replaced twice during the following 6

months without identifying the root cause
• System operation indicated low pump performance (flow rate
and head rise)
• During the 25 months of operation, thrust bearing temperature
again reached high alarm level and pump was found seized
upon inspection

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 Troubleshooting History

Historical Records
Unit 92-P261A historical events shown on a timeline
pump’s thrust bearing temperature
increase due to bearing degradation over
one year – alarm level reach xx deg C
Plot-0

120 92TI6864AA.PV
32.137
92TI6864AB.PV
100
28.376
92TI6864BA.PV
65.055
80
92TI6864BB.PV
58.462
60 92TI6865AA.PV
32.43
92TI6865AB.PV
40 29.695
92TI6865BA.PV
74.042
20 92TI6865BB.PV
75.849
92PI6802A.PV
0 7.4481E-02
10/6/2009 8:20:59.518 AM 372.00 days 10/13/2010 8:20:59.518 AM 92PI6517.PV
92P261A PMP NDE BRG TEMP 61.984
92P261A PMP NDE BRG TEMP 92PI6518.PV
92P261B PMP NDE BRG TEMP 61.994
92P261B PMP NDE BRG TEMP
92P261A PMP NDE BRG TEMP
92P261A PMP NDE BRG TEMP
92P261B PMP NDE BRG TEMP
92P261B PMP NDE BRG TEMP
OIL TO PMP & TURB 92P261A
WB FR 92P261ABCD
WB FR 92P261ABCD

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 Troubleshooting History

Unit 92-P261A -Vibration readings

Plot-0 11.624 11.624

28
10.842
18.608
Pump D.E/N.D.E VAH&VAHH is 50/70 Mm PK-PK 11.233
21.319 \\RTIS67\92VI6808AA.P
25.592 26.349 12.015
8.1319 8.1319 UM PP
8.1319 7.7411 \\RTIS67\92VI6808AB.P
Pump D.E 6.2027 5.0305 11.233
24 8.9133 8.9133 UM PP
radial vibration 7.3748 7.3748 \\RTIS67\92VI6809AA.P
20.928
UM PP
\\RTIS67\92VI6809AB.P
25.958
19 UM PP
\\RTIS67\92VI6810AA.P
8.1319
UM PP
\\RTIS67\92VI6810AB.P
8.1319
UM PP
14 \\RTIS67\92VI6810BA.P
Pump N.D.E 6.2027
UM PP
radial vibration \\RTIS67\92VI6811AA.P
8.9133
UM PP
9 \\RTIS67\92VI6811AB.P
Turbine D.E & N.D.E 7.7411
UM PP

radial vibration

4
2/1/2012 7:45:40.602
4:39:46 PM AM 7.00 days 2/7/2012
2/8/20125:34:00
7:45:30.806
PM AM
92P261A PMP NDE VIB X
92P261A PMP NDE VIB Y
92P261A PMP DE VIB X
Turbine D.E/N.D.E VAH&VAHH is 25/37 Mm PK-PK
92P261A PMP DE VIB Y
92P261A TURB DE VIB X
92P261A TURB DE VIB Y
92P261ABTURB DE VIB X
92P261A TURB NDE VIB X

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 Unit 92-A261A –Failure

Thrust Bearing failure signs:

Scoring and smear on thrust pads Smeared Journal pads

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 Unit 92-A261A –Failure

Cavitation damage on 1st stage

Casing erosion

Cavitation damage

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 Unit 92-A261A –Failure
RCFA initiated August 2011 and completed October 2011

Casing erosion

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 Performance Deterioration

5
e r
s
th p
O um
p

Pump A

Optimum performance Deteriorated performance Other pumps performance

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RCFA-Unit 92-P261A

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 RCFA-Unit 92-P261A

RCFA – Findings
• Root Cause (Human) - Incorrect material specification of the
pump casing for boiler feed water service led to major damage
of casing inner walls and rotor parts
• Contributing Factor 1 (Latent) – Insufficient online monitoring
of pump performance due to inadequate instrumentation
prevented effective pump health monitoring
• Contributing Factor 2 (Latent) – Inadequate surveillance
program for boiler feed water conditions led to a possible
corrosive environment within pump flow path

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 RCFA-Unit 92-P261A

RCFA – Recommendations
• Immediate action: Purchase x6 new BFWPs with 12%Cr Stainless
Steel casings and replace the existing pumps with carbon steel
casing
• Medium action: Revise the Equipment Strategy to perform a
bi-monthly online performance monitoring task including steam
condensate dissolved oxygen and pH levels to ensure they
remain within specification
• Long term action: Improve online monitoring by installation of
the following:
-Digital discharge pressure transmitter
-Install flow measurement devices on the discharge and
recirculation line

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 Operational Risk Mitigation

Contracts Dep. Electrical and Instrumentation Eng.

Manufacturing Dep. Rotating Machinery Eng.

Recovery TEAM

Maintenance Process Eng.

Asset Management Supply Dep.

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 Operational Risk Mitigation

Integrated Repair plan

• x3 pumps repaired between October 2011 and March 2012
• x2 pumps were repaired used spare parts manufactured by
third party as fast track repair to save time

• System reviewed for equipment reliability

(Turbines, Automatic Recycle Valves, Instruments etc.) and
corrective actions taken as appropriate

• Close monitoring and measurement of discharge and recycle

flow using clamp flow meter to assess pump performance

• Long term - Installation of x6 new BFW pumps with stainless

steel casing (procurement and installation during 14 months)

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 Recommendations Results

• Performance for the repaired 3 units as interim solution was

similar to OEM design.
• Ultimate replacement of all pumps by new stainless steel
casing's units results in operating the BFW system with reliable
units as per OEM design.

Optimum performance

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 Lessons Learned

• Follow API610 guidelines during equipment procurement

(material specifications versus fluid service)
• Improve datasheet and specification review during project
FEED and procurement
• Improve online monitoring instruments required during plant
design

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 Questions?

Authors:
Amr Mohamed Gad – RasGas
Dr. Nicholas White - RasGas
Arbain Mahmood – RasGas
asmohamedgad@rasgas.com.qa

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 Backup

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23 | RasGas classification/title heading | December 12
24 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss | March13
 Operational Risk Mitigation

Integrated Repair plan

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