HPDGA 1000 KW Centrifugal Pump High Shaft

Vibration Resolved with Vibration & Root Cause Failure

Analysis
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter & Keith Brashler 2017

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 HPDGA 1000 KW Centrifugal Pump High Shaft
Vibration Resolved with Vibration & Root Cause Failure
Analysis
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter & Keith Brashler 2017

1000 KW x 3575 RPM HPDGA David Brown Union DVSS 10x10-14 MF 2-stage design with
hydraulic rating of 2797 GPM at 1239 Ft Total Dynamic Head TDH. Outboard bearing had
4.0 mills shaft vibration while inboard was 1.80 mills in 2017.
Vibration Analysis alone will not resolve deep technical issues in machinery. The combination
of Root Cause analysis with Vibration analysis is required to uncover all the forces and defects
causing high vibration of machinery. This pump example illustrates the various
troubleshooting applied, the relatively small success arising, and then major reduction in
vibration with comprehensive root cause analysis. Machinery bearings and supports are
designed to keep the static and dynamic forces under control. However, engineers take too
many issues for granted without delving into deeper design and manufacturing issues. This
case history of a HPDGA two stage pump installed in 2009, shares the extensive field
experience identifying the root cause of failures as well as successful solutions. The overall
reduction in pump outboard vibration from 4.0 mills down to 1.60 mills was a team result.
The pump vibration Alarm limit is 2.75 mills and shutdown 3.50 mills.

Background:

Three 1000 KW centrifugal AP Horizontal split process pumps were installed as part of a gas plant
expansion project in 2009. The pumps are direct driven by the motors and skid is mounted on
Concrete foundations. After several years in operation, the pumps started to experience steadily
increasing vibration levels, see trend chart. The G-501B machine had highest vibration at 4.0 mills
on outboard bearing, above shutdown level of 3.50 mills and the highest inboard channel was
1.80 mills. The G-501B pump was then sent to shop and overhauled in 2017 due to high vibration
levels, and returned to service with little change in vibration amplitude it had dropped from 4.0
to 3.20 mills. The pump was inspected again at shops, and all bearing fits, shaft run-out, and
bearing to shaft concentricity was found to be normal. The frequency with highest amplitude in
the vibration spectrum of the pump outboard was 1X shaft rotating frequency and was the main
contributor to the vibration level. No rubbing indication or other significant frequency peaks.

Initial Problem Analysis & Resolution

Pump specialists and Vibration engineers visited the site to inspect the pump system. Preliminary
vibration analysis indicated that a contributing factor to the overall vibration levels was related

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 HPDGA 1000 KW Centrifugal Pump High Shaft
Vibration Resolved with Vibration & Root Cause Failure
Analysis
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter & Keith Brashler 2017

to external forces acting on the pump and subsequent pump casing distortion. Pipe strain was
highly suspected. Pump soft was checked but found satisfactory.

Pump and Skid Installation Factors: Piping Strain: Shaft deflection was checked with dial
indicators on the pump shaft to determine shaft deflection response to both attachment of the
piping in the cold condition, and response to shaft deflection during the warm-up process of the
pump. Response to shaft deflection was within allowable limits less than 0.002” during the
attachment of the piping. No serious piping issues found but shims placed at needed locations.

HPDGA G-501B Circulation Pump Outboard Vibration 2014 to 2017

4

3.5

3
Vibration (Mils)

2.5

1.5

0.5

Pump Outboard X Pump Outboard Y Alarm Shutdown

Pump Bearing Housing Impact testing: For resonance was applied but no natural frequencies
were found within 10% of operating speed or double operating speed. Pump Rotor critical speed;
No vibration was expected from pump rotor critical speed because design is already proven since
2009 when at same speed and conditions it operated relatively well at 1.50 mils vibration.

Shaft coupling alignment was checked and no significant findings were noticed, but pump
specialist recommended a hot alignment check be applied preferably with laser gear.

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 HPDGA 1000 KW Centrifugal Pump High Shaft
Vibration Resolved with Vibration & Root Cause Failure
Analysis
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter & Keith Brashler 2017

Pump Operating Regime Hydraulics: The pump operating points during normal parallel two
pump operation were within the preferred operating region, therefore pump hydraulic operating
point did not appear to be a contributing factor to the high vibration levels.

Pump Skid Foundation: Severe grouting voids were identified around both pump pedestals,
based on some sounding inspections of the baseplate. The actual severity became clear after
cores were made of the foundation concrete. These voids were suspected of being a contributing
factor to the flexibility of the piping/pump system and subsequent casing distortion. The concrete
foundation below pump skid was found cracked, and as a temporary repair, epoxy repair was
injected into the voids. However, after pump startup, the vibration remained above 3.0 mills.

Final result: Pump vibration at outboard remained at 3.20 mills, and inboard 1.50 mills. The initial
team decided that present vibration must be due to the cracked concrete foundation and nothing
remaining but to wait until a new concrete base is poured.

Root Cause Failure Analysis:

The author was contacted by the gas plant reliability team to provide a separate analysis of the
problem. After reviewing the past six months troubleshooting history it was clear that Several
issues were identified but these were not major contributors to the high vibration. Also, it was
determined that no Root Cause Analysis was applied, it was only a general troubleshooting
procedure but lacked systematic analysis.

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 HPDGA 1000 KW Centrifugal Pump High Shaft
Vibration Resolved with Vibration & Root Cause Failure
Analysis
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter & Keith Brashler 2017

What does systematic analysis mean with regard to machinery fault finding?

Systematic methods are those which demand comprehensive analysis of all possible contributors
to a problem, with detailed analysis of each possible contributor. For the root cause analysis of
bearing shaft high vibration of 3.20 mills it was evident that many possible causes were “assumed
correct” without evidence finding. For example the following five possible contributors to
vibration were not identified:

1. Pump sleeve radial bearings clearance to shaft may be excessive giving poor oil film damping.
Radial Bearing to shaft clearance will have major impact on vibration. For the 3.50-inch shaft
OD on pump, using formula of Total Clearance= Shaft OD x 1.5/1000 + 0.001 inch= 0.006 inch.
Do not exceed 0.006 to 0.007 inch diametric to have highest oil film damping. The actual
clearance found was 0.008 inches. This was just above the acceptable range so it was kept as
is as spare part bearings had same clearance.
2. The pump radial bearings design: These were not conventional sleeve type, they are Self
aligning sleeve bearings which means they are spherically seated and given extra diametric
clearance in bearing housing by manufacturers. This is a mistake; such bearings are not
automatically self-aligning; this must be done manually when machine is down. Next, any
diametric clearance is housing greatly reduces damping power of radial bearings. For such
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 HPDGA 1000 KW Centrifugal Pump High Shaft
Vibration Resolved with Vibration & Root Cause Failure
Analysis
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter & Keith Brashler 2017

bearings they are aligned to shaft manually by placing bottom half in housing and using plastic
hammer on split line to align bearing to shaft. This was applied.

3. Looseness of bearing in housing Bearing to bearing housing crush should be exactly 0.001 to
0.002-inch positive crush. Do not use a zero or positive clearance, it will allow vibration. The
spherical bearing was found to have 0.003-inch clearance vertically and horizontally in the
bearing housing. We applied a long shim of 0.003-inch thickness to extend on both sides of
bearing so as to clamp it horizontally [0.006 inch total horizontal] and vertically 0.003 inches.
After shim installation, vibration dropped from 3.2 mills to 2.30 mills.
4. Incorrect Probe reading: The vibration probes may be reading wrong, as the shaft is stainless
steel so could be a wrong reading as proximater may be calibrated for medium carbon steel
shafts. Other possibilities include wrong wiring length for shaft proximity probes, damaged
cable or faulty proximater; these were then changed with new parts and the vibration
dropped from 2.4 mills to 1.90 mills.
5. Shaft Coupling unbalance vibration contribution. The coupling is a flexible shim pack spacer
coupling with 12.0-inch spacer. The pump drive end bearing was reading 1.50 mills, however
this does not mean that the coupling is not contributing to pump NDE bearing and shaft

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 HPDGA 1000 KW Centrifugal Pump High Shaft
Vibration Resolved with Vibration & Root Cause Failure
Analysis
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter & Keith Brashler 2017

vibration. It was recommended to remove the complete coupling assembly of both hubs and
spacer to shops to improve concentricity of spacer fit to hub flanges, and balance each part
alone then as complete assembly. The coupling was repaired and balanced at shop, and pump
realigned to the new thermal growth readings shown in figure. Drive end vibration dropped
from 1.50 to 0.75 mills, and NDE Vibration dropped further to 1.60 mills.
6. Shaft Coupling accurate alignment: The sixth item was identified during original
troubleshooting, but was not carried out to the correct precision. The below explains how
this was done as the past alignments all used OEM figures that were wrong.

Conclusion:

The combination of resolving the six items mentioned, caused a large drop in G-501 B Pump NDE
shaft vibration, from 3.20 mills down to 1.60 Mils and DE from 1.50 to 0.80 mills. The pumps are
still operating smoothly since 2017 to 2020 with no new concrete base installed, it will be done
in future for all three units. In 2019 the G-501 A NDE bearing shaft vibration also increased

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 HPDGA 1000 KW Centrifugal Pump High Shaft
Vibration Resolved with Vibration & Root Cause Failure
Analysis
By Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter & Keith Brashler 2017

gradually to 3.0 mills and similar treatment was applied as in sister pump and highest vibration
dropped to 1.50 mills maximum.

Machinery X-Section Drawings as illustrated in the case history are a valuable tool for Root Cause
Failure Analysis. Notice:

1. Design of pump shaft diameter is good, high rigidity compared to bearing span.
2. Bearing Housing and casing supports are heavy duty with rigid construction.
3. Radial Bearings are of Spherically seated type.
4. Bearings are using self-lubricated housings with oil rings.
5. Shaft coupling is taper fit on shaft with key.
6. No visible pump design issues can be seen in this case.

The above allowed us to rule out several design related possible deficiencies.

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