BOILER FEED WATER PUMPS PERFORMANCE LOSS

AMR MOHAMED GAD– RASGAS

DR.NICHOLAS WHITE – RASGAS

29TH INTERNATIONAL PUMP USERS SYMPOSIUM

HOUSTON SEPT.30TH -OCTOBER 3RD
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 6 major worldwide
conferences

1 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

Index
• RGX2 Steam Condensate System
• Problem Summary
• Troubleshooting History
• Unit 92-P261A –Failure
• Performance Deterioration
• RCFA-Unit 92-P261A
• Operational Risk Mitigation
• Recommendations Results
• Lessons Learned

2 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

RGX2 Steam Condensate System
Steam condensate system set up at RGX2:
• Total of x6 Boiler Feed Water Pumps (x4 steam turbine
driven pumps and x2 motor driven pumps).
Operating philosophy N+2:
• x4 in service and x2 Stand by operation.

x6 No. BFW

3 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

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

4 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

RGX2 Steam Condensate System

New pump before installation Old pump at skid in RGX2

5 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

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

• During the 25 months of operation, thrust bearing

temperature again reached high alarm level and
pump was found seized upon inspection

6 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

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 reached ( 85 deg C )

Plot-0

120 92TI6864AA.PV
32.137
92TI6864AB.PV
100
28.376
92TI6864BA.PV
65.055
80
92TI6864BB.PV
58.462
92TI6865AA.PV
60
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

7 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

 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

Pump D.E
8.1319 7.7411 \\RTIS67\92VI6808AB.P
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
Pump N.D.E 14 \\RTIS67\92VI6810BA.P
6.2027
UM PP

radial vibration \\RTIS67\92VI6811AA.P

8.9133

Turbine
UM PP
9 \\RTIS67\92VI6811AB.P
7.7411

D.E & N.D.E

UM PP

radial vibration 4
2/1/2012
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 Turbine D.E/N.D.E VAH&VAHH is 25/37 Mm PK-PK
92P261A PMP DE VIB X
92P261A PMP DE VIB Y
92P261A TURB DE VIB X
92P261A TURB DE VIB Y
92P261ABTURB DE VIB X
92P261A TURB NDE VIB X

8 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

Unit 92-P261A –Failure

Thrust Bearing failure signs:

Scored and smeared thrust pads Smeared Journal pads

9 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

Unit 92-P261A –Failure

Cavitations' damage on 1st stage

Casing erosion

Cavitations'
damage

10 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

Unit 92-P261A –Failure
RCFA initiated August 2011 and completed Oct. 2011

Casing erosion

11 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

 Performance Deterioration

Pump A

Optimum performance Deteriorated performance Other pumps performance

12 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

RCFA-Unit 92-P261A

13 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

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
14 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss
RCFA-Unit 92-P261A
RCFA – Recommendations:
• Immediate action: Purchase x6 new BFWPs with
12%Cr Stainless Steel casings (A487CA6NM) and
replace the existing pumps with carbon steel casing
(A216 WCB )
• Medium action: Revise Equipment Strategy to
perform bi-monthly online performance monitoring
task including steam condensate dissolved oxygen
and PH levels to ensure remaining within specification
• Long term action: Improve online monitoring:
-Digital discharge pressure transmitter
-Install flow measurement devices on
the discharge and recirculation line
15 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss
Operational Risk Mitigation

Contracts Dep. Electrical and Instrumentation Eng.

Manufacturing Dep. Rotating Machinery Eng.

Recovery Team

Maintenance Process Eng.

Asset Management Supply Dep.

16 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

Operational Risk Mitigation
Integrated Repair plan:
• x3 pumps repaired between Oct. 2011 and March 2012
• x2 pumps were repaired used spare parts supplied
from third party as fast repair.
• System reviewed for equipment reliability (Turbines,
Motors, Automatic Recycle Valves, Instruments etc.)
and corrective actions taken as appropriate
• Frequent measurement of discharge and recycle flow
using clamp flow meter to assess pump performance
• Long term - Installation of x6 new pumps with
stainless steel casing (procurement and
installation time-14 months)
17 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss
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

18 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

 Lessons Learned
• Follow API610 guidelines during procurement
(material specifications versus fluid service)

• Improve datasheet and specification review during

project FEED and procurement

• Improve online monitoring instruments required

during plant design

19 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss | October13

 Questions?

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

20 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

 Backup

21 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss

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23 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss
Operational Risk Mitigation
Integrated Repair plan

24 / Boiler Feed Water Pumps Performance Loss