Water treatment plant detects anomaly in pump

A water treatment plant, located in Florianópolis, detected the presence of anomalies in the motor and water pump set through the graphics available in the Dynamox Web Platform.

Motor and water pump set

You may not know this, but after being collected the water from the dams eventually needs to be pumped to the treatment plant, because of elevations in the terrain.

During this step, a motor and pump combination is required. The electric motor provides enough mechanical energy to drive the pump, which in turn forces the water to move on its way to the treatment plant through the pipes.

Two motor and pump sets were monitored at the Florianópolis water treatment plant. Through online monitoring, it was possible to follow the history of evolutions in the vibration and temperature levels of the set. 

Notice the significant rise in the vibration levels of the drive motor in the graph, indicating the existence of an evolving anomaly.

To facilitate the understanding of the unfolding of this case, we will separate it into three stages of intervention. Check out the text below!

First intervention

After observing the increased vibration levels of the set, the first intervention was performed. In order to obtain better information about the cause of the anomaly, an analysis of the pump was necessary.

In an initial diagnosis step, it was possible to see two harmonics in the spectrum graph (1xRPM and 2xRPM), an indication that the set could be misaligned.

In addition, the set also lacked stiffness at the base. Therefore, the first intervention was requested and the set was realigned.

Second intervention

A few days after the first intervention, the amplitude values of the acceleration and velocity graphs rose again. However, with a lower amplitude peak rise compared to that of the first occurrence.

In the graph below, you can compare the spectrum of the two periods. As a consequence of this repeated increase in vibration patterns, a new intervention was required to repair the misaligned set. After the intervention, the amplitude values decreased again.

Third intervention and prognosis of the pump fault

With the return of the increased vibration levels in the equipment on June 29, pointing to an even greater failure trend than the first correction, the third intervention was requested and during the adjustment process it was found that the pump’s elastic coupling element was damaged. 

Upon inspection, it was possible to notice accentuated wear on the elastic coupling, which further evidenced the presence of the anomaly. 

The customer chose to call Dynamox’s online remote prognosis service to get a more precise report of what was causing the coupling problem. And, from this occurrence our analysts dedicated themselves to a deeper analysis of the case.  

As you can imagine, it was again recommended to adjust the set that was out of alignment and to change the elastic coupling for a follow-up. In the graph below, you can see the reduction in vibration levels after the third repair one more time.  

As a conclusion, after the technical report was pointed out, a typical misalignment behavior of the complementary piping lines was evidenced. With this, a future action plan was created by the company. 

Dynamox at the service of maintenance

Misalignment is an anomaly responsible for premature wear of components of the set. Therefore, it implies in damages such as a reduction in the useful life of assets and an increase in the incidence of unscheduled downtime.

To avoid losses caused by misalignment or other failure modes, get to know the Dynamox Solution.

And find out how predictive maintenance can support the universalization of sanitation.