Centrifugal

Pumps TroubleShooting
Prof. Dr. Eng. Maher
Higazy
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

Two Basic Requirements for

Trouble-Free Operation of
Centrifugal Pumps:

In general there are two basic requirements that

have to be met at all the times for a trouble free
operation and longer service life of centrifugal
pumps. The first requirement is that no cavitation
of the pump occurs throughout the broad
operating range and the second requirement is
that a certain minimum continuous flow is always
maintained
during
operation.
A
clear
understanding of the concept of cavitation, its
symptoms, its causes, and its consequences is
very much essential in effective analyses and
troubleshooting of the cavitation problem.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

(contd)
Just like there are many forms of cavitation, each
demanding a unique solution, there are a number of
unfavourable conditions which may occur separately or
simultaneously when the pump is operated at reduced
flows. Some include:
Cases of heavy leakages from the casing, seal, and stuffing
box
Deflection and shearing of shafts
Seizure of pump internals
Close tolerances erosion
Product quality degradation
Excessive hydraulic thrust
Premature bearing failures
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

(contd)
Each condition may dictate a different minimum
flow low requirement. The final decision on
recommended minimum flow is taken after careful
techno-economical analysis by both the pump
user and the manufacturer. The consequences of
prolonged conditions of cavitation and low flow
operation can be disastrous for both the pump and
the process. Such failures in hydrocarbon services
have often caused damaging fires resulting in loss
of machine, production, and worst of all, human
life. Thus, such situations must be avoided at all
cost whether involving modifications in the pump
and its piping or altering the operating conditions.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

(contd)
Proper selection and sizing of pump and its
associated piping can not only eliminate the
chances of cavitation and low flow operation
but also significantly decrease their harmful
effects.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

Introduction
Troubleshooting is the art of applying engineering
principles to pump maintenance. Many engineers
consider maintenance to be based on industrial
mythology or folklore. Therefore good engineering
guidelines for determining the causes of many
problems are not available. The basic questions of
where to start and how to conduct the problem
analysis must be addressed.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

Components of a Pumping
System
Methodical investigation will help to identify the
sources of pump problems. Before you start to
troubleshoot the system, take time to review
maintenance records. Go to the pump and have the
operator explain what was seen. If possible, run the
pump and demonstrate the problem. A typical
pumping system can be divided into eight
component areas for investigation:
The foundation : Poor foundations, grouting, and
flexible base plate designs can cause many
problems.
The driver: Excitations from the vibrations of the
driver (motor, steam turbine, gearing) can be
transmitted to other components.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

(contd)
Mechanical power transmission: Excitations from the
coupling area, especially due to misalignment of the
driver or eccentrically bored coupling hubs, can be
transmitted. Beware of incorrect positioning of the driver
and pump such that the distance between shaft ends
(DBSE) exceeds the axial flexing limits of the coupling.
The driven pump: The design of the pump can greatly
influence the hydraulic interaction between the rotor
and the casing and thus the problems encountered.
Pump thermal-growth misconceptions can create
problems.
The suction piping and valves: Unfavourable incoming
flow conditions such as cavitation, intake vortex, or
suction recirculation due to poor design and layout of
suction piping and valves can cause flow disturbances.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

(contd)
The discharge piping and valves: Unfavourable
dynamic behaviour of piping because of loads
from dynamic, static, or thermal causes, including
resonance excitation, can cause trouble.
Instrumentation for control of pump flow: Control
system-pump interaction during start-ups or other
periods of low flow can produce pressure
pulsations. High-pressure pulsations can result
from the hydraulic instability of the entire
pumping system.
Failure to maintain the alignment: Once the
alignment is established, dowels into the
baseplate must hold the pump alignment.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

Vibration-Monitoring Basics
Predictive maintenance in the form of vibrationmonitoring trend analysis is important in the
hydrocarbon processing industry. The technique is not
widely used for determining many potential pump and
motor problems. Many technical papers have been
published on vibration monitoring to evaluate
performance problems on steam turbines and
turbocompressors. There are few similar guidelines for
pumps. The smaller size and the less critical nature of
pumps are factors that cause this disparity. Another
factor is that turbines and turbocompressors are
pneumatic. The fluid flowing through the machine has
relatively little mass compared to the rotor weight.
The compressible fluid has only a small impact on the
vibration patterns of the rotor.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

10

(contd)
Most of the vibration problems in pneumatic
machines are mechanical. A pump, however, is a
hydraulic machine. The fluid handled has
considerable mass and transmits any pressure
pulsations throughout the system undiminished.
The interaction between the rotor and casing
becomes very important and can be a point of
confusion about the vibration patterns of the rotor.
Interpretation of vibration data is very difficult.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

11

Figure Rotor vibration frequency/Machine speed

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

12

(contd)
In every pump, dynamic forces of mechanical and
hydraulic origin are present and must be separated
and evaluated before solutions can be developed.
There are many potential causes of vibration. Some of
the causes are shown on the vibration spectrum of
above figure. The hydraulic forces are as numerous
and as great in magnitude as the mechanical forces.
In any analysis program, a distinction between
vibrations that are mechanical or hydraulic must be
made. A detailed knowledge of the pump's design
features as well as its present mechanical condition is
necessary to accurately evaluate any vibration data.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

13

Power Transmission Vibrations

A major source of externally induced vibration is
misalignment between the pump and its driver. This
misalignment can result in an axial vibration reading
as much as 1.5 times the vertical or horizontal
readings. Vibration generally occurs at the running
speed of the pump, although it may also occur at
multiples of the running speed. Vibration caused by
misalignment can be distinguished from a resonance
disturbance by monitoring the pump during a coastdown period. Misalignment vibration will shift in
frequency directly with the rotational speed. Shaft
critical speeds or resonances will not shift.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

14

(contd)
Machines that normally operate at elevated
temperatures must tolerate vibration during a
temporary cold misalignment until the normal
operating temperature is reached.
Flexible couplings will accommodate sizable amounts
of misalignment without the life of the coupling itself
being affected. That same amount of misalignment
may cause damage to pump or driver bearings and
mechanical seals. A gear-type coupling will transmit
axial thrust imposed upon it and normally give twice
the running speed.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

15

(contd)
A membrane or disk coupling gives little likelihood
of the vibration caused by misalignment being
twice the running frequency due to the axial
softness of the coupling.
Bearing Half-Frequency Vibration: Oil whirl
may occur in lightly loaded (under 90 to 100
Ib/in2) journal bearings at a frequency of about 40
to 49 percent of running speed. It is a selfsustaining type of rotary motion and is highly
destructive.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

16

Internally Induced Vibrations

Vibrations can also be produced by mechanical and fluidrelated problems within the pump itself. Typical vibration
problems internally induced by the pump include the
following:
Unfavourable dynamic behaviour of the rotor due to
excessive wear ring, bushing, or other leakage clearances.
Poor support of the rotor because of loose fits on the
shaft or housing in the case of ball bearings. Excessive
bore clearance or lack of "clamp" on the shell OD of sleeve
bearings causes the same effects.
Mechanical imbalance of the rotating parts due to poor
balancing or careless assembly. Operational influences
including cavitation, erosion, deposits, corrosion, damaged
impellers, galled parts, and abrasion can also cause
imbalance.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

17

(contd)
Increased axial and radial hydraulic forces when the
pump is operated outside of the design flow range.
Some increase in vibration is normal when departing
from the best efficiency flow rate due to suction
recirculation.
Pump manufacturer casting and/or machining defects.
Radial hydraulic interaction between the rotatingimpeller liquid channels and the stationary channels in
the casing. This is called the vane passing frequency
and is strongly influenced by gap "B.
The following is a table of common vane interactions
from a paper by James Corley, presented at the Fourth
Texas A & M Pump Symposium in 1987.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

18

Vane passing frequencies for impeller-vane

combinations

Number of
diffuser
vanes

8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

16/12/15

4
*
8
6
12
*
12
6
16

Number of impeller vanes

5
6
15
9
10
4
*
6
10
12
25
*
25
12
15
6
*
6
Prof. Maher Higazy

7
7
28
21
21
35
14
3
14
19

Vane Passing Frequency

The vane passing frequency is a hydraulically induced
vibration at a frequency determined by the number of
impeller vanes, number of stationary vanes, and pump
rotational speed. The vibration is created by the
momentary disturbance of the wake of the liquid exiting
the impeller liquid channels by the stationary diffuser or
volute vane tips. gap "B" has been discussed in detail in
Chaps. 4 and 8. In summary, the larger the gap, the more
the flow can smooth out before it contacts a diffuser vane
or volute tongue. Determination of the vane passing
frequency sounds easy but can be confusing. The most
common pump design has an impeller with an odd
number of impeller vanes and a double volute in the
casing. The vane passing frequency is the rotational
speed times the number of vanes.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

20

(contd)
For diffuser-type pumps, the larger number of
diffuser vanes coupled with the closer gap "B"
than hat of a volute pump causes a different
interaction of the rotor and casing. The match-up
of stationary and rotating vanes has a different
frequency. This will give a vane passing frequency
that does not correspond to the number of vanes
in either the impeller or the casing.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

21

Random Positioning of Impellers

In the diffuser style pump, a complete set of hydraulics
can be created specifically for each pump application
because the diffusers- are cast separately from the case
and the vane angle and location can be readily changed.
In the volute design, the volutes can be relocated only by
a very expensive pattern change. In multistage volute
pumps the degree of positioning of the volutes is severely
limited by case design. It is necessary to randomly cut
the keyways in the impellers to ensure that vanes on
adjacent impellers are not aligned and do not pass volute
tongues simultaneously. Frequently, this random keyway
positioning is not done when manufacturing the impellers
and the vanes on the impellers line up, producing a high
vane passing frequency vibration.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

22

(contd)
The alignment of impellers and volutes in each
stage should be carefully observed during witness
testing, and reassembly on a new pump or when
replacing the impellers during maintenance.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

23

Correction of Vane Tip Shape

Impellers manufactured with blunt vane tips can
cause
trouble
by
generating
hydraulic
disturbances in the impeller exit wake area even
when the impeller is the correct distance, gap "B"
from the cutwater. This disturbance can be greatly
reduced by sharpening the impeller vanes on the
underside or trailing edge of the vane.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

24

Piping Vibration Limits

How much vibration can be permitted in the piping
system of a pump? One rule of thumb states that
permissible unfiltered velocity readings taken on
the piping at the mid-span of its supports can be 3
times the permissible readings taken on the pump
bearing caps. Bearing cap readings in the range of
0.5 to 0.6 in/s are the concern level for a pump,
and 1.0 in/s is the emergency shutdown level.
These pump vibration guidelines then give 1.5 to
3.0 in/s as the limit for piping.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

25

Mechanical Seal Failures

Troubleshooting mechanical seal failures is a complex
task. Vibration analysis does not identify potential seal
failures which often can be the deciding factor leading
to a pump outage. The number of variables that can
affect the seal environment is almost infinite. Many
people feel that any failure analysis must be done in a
shop situation with the seal dismantled. While this
approach is valuable in circumstances where corrosion
is present, it cannot cover many factors present in the
field. Most efforts to increase the mean time between
failures (MTBF) have involved installing a more highly
engineered seal. Many factors other than seal design,
both internal and external to the seal's environment,
lead to shorter seal life.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

26

(contd)
The seal must operate in an environment that can
be variable and influenced by many factors, some
controllable and others uncontrollable. Many are
the same factors that influence the hydraulic
performance of the pump. Vibration effects caused
by poor coupling alignment, shaft run-out, bearing
condition, and dynamic balance and other
mechanical problems are not in the following list.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

27

(contd)
Changes in pump flow rate caused by:
1.Automatic controllers responding to process
demand.
2.Manual adjusting of valves by the pump
operators at the pump site.
Changes in NPSH caused by:
1.Pressure upsets in the suction vessel.
2.Liquid level changes in towers or drums.
3.Pressure or temperature changes in the process
stream.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

28

(contd)
Changes in the characteristic of the fluid being
sealed due to:
1.the Batch processing.
2.System fluid temperature change due to process or
atmospheric changes that alter fluid behaviour.
3.Pressure changes which affect behaviour of the fluid.
External seal flush changes caused by:
1.Changes in demand on the seal flush system due to
bringing other units on- or off-line.
2.Improper manual adjustment of valves in flush lines.
3.Failure of the seal flush system pressure, cooling or
heating.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

29

(contd)
Changes in flush circulated from the pump to
the seal cavity caused by:
1.Throttle orifice washout or plugging.
2.Flush-fluid heat-exchanger failure.
3.Flush-fluid filters plugging.
4.Cyclone separator flow reversals due to system
differential pressure changes.
5.Increased clearance on stuffing box throttle
bushings.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

30

(contd)
Fluid pressure pulsations (up to 10 percent
of headdeveloped) caused by the impeller
vane passing frequency and/or suction
recirculation at the impeller eye.
The effects of utility piping for the seal due
to:
1.Changes in the cooling water flow rate to the
stuffing box water jackets.
2.Changes in the steam quenching, or steam
tracing, of the piping and/or pump

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

31

(contd)
These seven conditions are not always predictable
and, in many cases, are just not known. A historical
record of operating conditions can be used to
correlate mechanical seal performance to increase the
mean time between failure. In some applications even
the most extreme changes in operating conditions
would not be harmful to the mechanical seal life.
Other critical applications may require analyzing and
controlling these variables in a very precise manner.
These factors must be identified and solutions
developed for these environmental problems to
improve the seal life.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

32

(contd)
These recommended solutions may include a seal
design change, pump and process operation
changes, or seal fluid environmental changes. The
pump and seal characteristics that have led to
repeated seal failures must be understood, and
the problems minimized or corrected, so that
trouble-free operation can be achieved.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

33

Evaluation of Pump Operation

The pump operator's descriptions of a problem are rather
cryptic: "The pump is not pumping," "the pump is noisy,"
or "the motor just kicked out." Translating these comments
into engineering concepts and values must be done first.
Approaching the pump operation problem from a
component viewpoint, as outlined in Sec. 12.2, can help in
the solution of the problem. Unfortunately, some
cavitation and performance problems can be solved only
by detailed system calculations. Most troubleshooting
guides are oriented more to technical system analysis. The
following paragraphs are mental checklists to use at the
pump site to observe operating conditions. The list is not
complete by any means, but it is a start.
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

34

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

35

(contd)
Capacity-type problems: Problem: Pump does
not have enough capacity. Background: This is
no significant noise from the pump. Experience
indicates that the majority of the so-called
capacity problems turn out to be a head-limiting
problem.

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

36

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

37

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

38

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

39

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

40

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

41

16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

42

Conclusions: Pump troubleshooting basically consists

of paying attention to a lot of details. These details fit
together to form an overall picture of the operating
problems
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

43

Wish You
Best of Luck
Good Bye
16/12/15

Prof. Maher Higazy

44