This article will define a business case for achieving significant rotating equipment maintenance and energy cost reduction at industrial and municipal facilities.
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On July 16 last year, a high-speed centrifugal pump failed catastrophically at a large refinery in South America, causing production losses and costing a substantial amount of money for repairs. The inboard bearing of the pump lost lubrication, overheated, and seized up.
Since municipal codes frequently deal with the most crucial areas of public life-covering the safety of life and property-it is understandable that preference is given to tools and methods that are "tried and true" over ones that are untested. The challenge becomes how to take advantage of new advances in technology while recognizing the importance of maintaining an uncompromising level of safety and security. The answer can lie in close cooperation between officials who champion the integrity of the municipal code system and individuals experienced in the implementation of innovative technologies.
Joseph Gallo Farms in Atwater, Calif., uses captured methane gas from its 5,000 dairy cows to run up to 50 percent of the electricity for its cheese factory. Using well water and recycled water, cow manure is periodically washed away for processing. In covered lagoons, natural bacteria break down the manure, and the resulting methane gas is eventually turned into electricity.
Picture a manufacturing enterprise with plants in multiple locations around the world. Using a single automation platform that handles discrete, process and motion control with common programming, human machine interface (HMI) and standards-based networks, a night shift operator gathers and logs data on product quality from his production line.
You have probably noticed that there are several camps out there when it comes to centrifugal pump applications involving variable frequency drives (VFDs). One group believes that every pump should have one, while another thinks that they should be banned altogether. And, of course, there is the middle ground that says it depends upon the pump and application.
With the old mechanical displacers, level fluctuations ran 4-in to 5-in with a lot of hysteresis and frequent failures, causing operators to control at much higher levels than were optimal. New magnetic technology is changing all that. Here's how.
Vibration monitoring of rotating equipment and analysis of the resulting data are effective ways to evaluate the health of production machinery in order to achieve best maintenance practices, extend equipment longevity, and avoid unplanned shutdowns. Plant equipment seldom fails without giving signals well in advance, so breakdowns can normally be predicted by listening for the warnings and passing that knowledge on to those in a position to prevent such problems.
Here is a primer on the proper locations for surge protection in water and wastewater facilities.
For controller-to-controller coordination, wireless Bluetooth is an excellent alternative to Class 3 radios.
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This article will define a business case for achieving significant rotating equipment maintenance and energy cost reduction at industrial and municipal facilities.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" may have been coined by process and plant engineers tired of repairing or replacing pumps. Pumps are often the most under-serviced pieces of equipment in process automation when it comes to maintenance and prevention best practices. Unfortunately, nothing moves without the humble pump, and a process becomes inefficient when a pump doesn't operate properly or completely shuts down. Many times the pump manufacturer is seen to be the problem, when in fact the process or the surrounding equipment configuration is the cause.
Monitoring motor-pump combinations for signs of impending problems provides useful information to prevent pump failure and minimize costly downtime. Since rotating machines exhibit recognizable failure modes that are revealed by their vibrations, analysis of vibration data can identify changing conditions and diagnose an evolving problem. This can be the difference between a plant or mill continuing to operate or having to shut down for unscheduled repairs.
The details of a mass-based chemical injection system for an application that requires critical dosing of a trace chemical into a continuous flowing fluid.
The installation of an AC drive with an advanced software tool has dramatically cut call-outs for blockages at an Irish county council pumping station.
Why question the PLC? For many, questioning the application of a PLC to the pump station panel is surprising. After all, the pump station panel was once controlled with a range of relays, timers, and other devices - the exact type of application where the PLC has had such success in industrial automation.
Yuba County Water Agency in Marysville, Calif., recently chose a wireless system as a solution for a water pump problem. Here are some of benefits they discovered.
When measuring vibration, one of the most important factors in obtaining accurate information involves selecting the proper vibration transducer. Selecting the wrong vibration transducer can yield results that are misleading or, worse, mask a problem.
Explore differential pressure, electromagnetic, vortex and swirl, and variable area (rotameters).
Although the use of transmitters in pressure measurement is growing, mechanical pressure gauges are still used on most systems as local pressure display to back up electrical readings. The selection and installation of these gauges can be difficult in certain locations. Harsh conditions that can require special consideration include vibration, pressure pulsation, overpressure, corrosive media and extreme process and ambient temperatures. This article is designed to address harsh conditions with best practice recommendations to extend gauge life and provide for the safest installation possible.
Columns and Blogs
In this multi-part series, we will investigate several aspects of centrifugal pump efficiency.
First of Five Parts
Since the original publication of this draft standard in the January 2008 issue of Pumps & Systems, I have received feedback, encouragement, numerous questions and criticism. The draft listed three basic levels of repair.
The McGraw-Hill scientific dictionary [5] states that a volute is "a spiral casing for a centrifugal pump... designed so that speed will be converted to pressure."
