Pumps Fail Vibration Specification During Commissioning Of An RAS Pump: A contractor putting together a water treatment facility for a large city in Colorado encountered vibration issues with various pumps during commissioning.  An independent opinion was required after multiple failed attempts by the OEM to fix the problem.Secondary-Waste-Activated-Sludge-Pump-1024x576

  • Problem Statement (Challenge)
  • Work Performed
  • Results/ Solution
    • Findings: The root cause for the elevated vibration in the PEPS pumps was a pump bearing frame and shaft lateral resonant condition within the operating speed range at vane passing frequency. The RAS pumps had the first shaft lateral bending mode excited by vane pass frequency near the upper end of the speed range.  The SWAS pumps suffered from excessive flexibility between the bearing frame and the stuffing box leading to a bearing frame natural frequency in resonance, and also piping structural natural frequencies within the running speed range.
    • Impact: The contractor presented MSI’s findings and recommendations to the OEM to try and find mutually agreed upon solutions to the problem. The contractor avoided costly delay penalties by finding the root cause and not continuing to pursue the cut and try method.
                                                                             
                      Secondary-Waste-Activated-Sludge-Pump-Operating-Deflection-Shape-ODS-300x240
                                                                                                      
                                      
iso-view-VPF-ODS-300x183
                                                   
Primary-Effluent-Pump-Operating-Deflection-Shape-ODS-266x300                                                                                     
 
 
Primary-Effluent-Pump-Suggested-Modification-292x300                
                PEP suggested modification
Return-Activated-Sludge-Pump-169x300                                                          
  RAS pump with OEM bracing modification
                                 Secondary-Waste-Activated-Sludge-Pump-Suggested-Modifications-Bearing-Tower-300x235                                           
           MSI suggested bearing tower modification     
                     Secondary-Waste-Activated-Sludge-Pump-Suggested-Modifications-Discharge-Pipe-300x235                                      
   MSI suggested discharge piping bracing

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