Pump Vibration

Related Considerations and

How Much is Too Much?
Steve Fehniger, P.E.
MWEA Collection Systems Seminar
October 12, 2017
 Agenda
 Presentation Focus Areas
 Pump Vibration Considerations
• Operating region review
• Why do pumps vibrate more than acceptable levels?

 Pump Vibration Standards (How much is too much?)

 Vibration Testing
 Dynamic Vibration Analyses
 Case Study: Marter Road Booster PS

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 Presentation Focus Areas
 Centrifugal (subset of rotodynamic)
pumps
• Excludes positive displacement pumps

 Wastewater and combined sewage

pumping applications
• Solids handling pumps (non-clog)

 Constant and variable speed

 New and existing pumping systems

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 Pump Vibration Considerations
 Pumps are rotating machinery
 Pumps will vibrate if operating – to certain level,
acceptable and expected
 Challenges:
• Minimize vibration to extent feasible
• Understanding if a pump is vibrating too much
• Do not want to take good equipment out of service or
create acceptance limits that are overly constraining
• Understanding why a pump is vibrating

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 Pump Operating Regions
 Defined in ANSI/HI 9.6.3
 Preferred operating region (POR)
• Includes BEP
 Allowable operating region (AOR)
• Beyond POR
 KEY: As move away from POR pump vibration increases

 Where is your pump operating? How “happy” is it?

 If change operating conditions will pump be happier?

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 POR & AOR for Pump in Dynamic Headloss
Dominated System

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 POR & AOR for Pump in Static Head Dominated
System

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 Why do pumps vibrate?
 What operating region?
 Inadequate pump support &/or pipe support
 Poor installation – level, uniform support, adequate anchorage
 Pump internal issues – misalignment, imbalance, bent shaft,
etc.
 Poor intake conditions
 Resonance
• Need to avoid

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 Inadequate Pump Support/Installation
 Major contributor to pump
vibration
 Steel frames provided by many
manufacturers lack adequate
stiffness
 Addition of steel cross members
effective for vibration control,
but limits access
 Installation of support base is
critical to minimizing vibration –
leveling, proper grouting,
securing anchor bolts, etc.

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 Inadequate Pipe Support = Nozzle Loading
Flexible Couplings & Pipe Supports
 Reduce rigidity of system
 Support pipe
 HI requires that loads
on suction and discharge
nozzle be minimized

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 Resonance
What is a “Critical Speed”?
 Where a system natural frequency can become resonant
if various excitation sources are in close proximity to
natural frequency. Excitation sources include:
pump speed, 2x pump speed, vane-pass frequency, etc.
• Variable speed systems
are especially vulnerable
to this problem
• Often system is
modified to move
natural frequency
out of operating range
• Can also speed limit
or exclude speeds

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 Resonance: Vibration and Critical
Speed Limitations – Tools to Predict
 Finite Element Analysis
• What is a Finite Element Analysis (FEA)?
Computer model of mechanical equipment to predict natural
frequencies of equipment or structure behavior when excited
• FEA should normally be performed for pumps greater
than 100HP and for critical pump applications
• FEA should only be performed by qualified firms
• Investment in FEA is a proactive approach similar in
philosophy to Physical Intake Model

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 HI Pump Vibration Standards
 Standards and guidelines for how much is too much?
 Standards available
• ANSI/HI 9.6.4
‐ Rotodynamic pumps – vibration measurements and allowable values
• ANSI/HI 9.6.5
‐ Rotodynamic pumps – guideline for condition monitoring
• ANSI/HI 9.6.8
‐ Rotodyamic pumps – guideline for dynamics of pumping machinery
‐ Provides background theory on analysis methods for vibration and
recommendations for levels of analysis from simple to complex

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 Pump Vibration Standards –
How much is too much?
HI Pump Vibration Standard
(ANSI/HI 9.6.4-2016)
 Depicts maximum allowable
vibration levels for different
pump designs (new installation)
 Specifies how field and factory
vibration tests are to be
performed

Image courtesy of the Hydraulic Institute www.pump.org

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 Pump Vibration Standards –
How much is too much?
Pump Condition Monitoring
(ANSI/HI 9.6.5-2016)
 Recommended vibration
velocity limits for alarm and
shutdown
 Alert: 130% of baseline
measurement
 Alarm: 150% of field
acceptance level
 Shutdown: 200% of field
acceptance level

Image courtesy of the Hydraulic Institute www.pump.org

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 Vibration Testing
 Key drivers for testing: Tri-axial
• Acceptance of new pumps accelerometer
• Condition assessment of existing pumps
• Historical monitoring to allow identification of change
(written records or historian)
• Determine natural frequencies of system

 Major instruments
• Laptop with data acquisition software
• Data analyzer with sufficient channel count
• Tri-axial and uni-axial accelerometers
• Instrumented impact hammer

Photo courtesy of Mechanical Solutions, Inc. (MSI)

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 9.6.4 Guidance –
Where to Measure Vibration

Image curtesy of the Hydraulic Institute www.pump.org

17 Courtesy of the Hydraulic Institute, pumps.org

 Vibration Testing –
ANSI/HI 9.6.4 Acceptance Criteria
 For pump type groupings provides overall vibration velocity
acceptance criteria (ips RMS)
 For solids handling pumps acceptable values dependent on:
• Pump power (BHP)
• Vertical vs. horizontal orientation
• Operating region (POR or AOR)

 For operation below 600 rpm add allowable displacement (mils)

• Factory vs. field
• AOR vs. POR
• Adder for height above foundation
• Adder for solids handling

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 Dynamic Vibration Analysis
 What?
• Methods to calculate/model pump system to determine if will be
a problem – various levels of analysis

 When applied?
• Guide to equipment selection and system configuration
• Evaluation of system when problems identified or failure occurs

 Conversion from constant speed to VFD speed control

• Caution: much broader range of operating frequencies (speeds)

 ANSI/HI 9.6.8 provides system risk evaluation method and

guidance on analyses required

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 Example of Failure Due to Resonance
 Vertical turbine in resonance due to
1x full speed rpm excitation
 Shaft fatigue failure and weld cracking
just below foundation

Broken 5.5-in
diameter shaft

Photo courtesy of MSI

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 Example of Failure Due to Resonance

Column gusset Discharge head and

weld failure close-up top of column

Post-installation FEA
Analysis output (ODS)

21 Photos and graphic courtesy of MSI

 Case Study:
Marter Road Booster PS (MRBPS)
 Owner/operator: Wayne County
 Location: St. Clair Shores, MI
 Function: Booster to combined sewage during high flow
conditions
 Project goals: Rehabilitation of pump, increase capacity and
added speed control to cover range of conditions
• Include considerations to avoid resonant condition
 Pump type/No.: Three vertically mounted end-suction
 Manufacturer: 30-in Fairbanks Morse model 5710 angle-flow
New rated point: 22,890 gpm (33 mgd) at 20.5 ft TH
 Flow rate range: 22,890 – 6,300 gpm (51 to 14 cfs)

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 MRBPS – Lower Level Plan

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 MRBPS - Section

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 MRBPS –
Vibration Testing and Dynamic Analysis
 Vibration testing of existing pump system to establish
natural frequencies
 Dynamic vibration analysis (FEA) utilized to guide shafting
and motor criteria to minimize potential for resonance
 Validation dynamic analysis for selected equipment –
confirmed acceptable
 Post-installation validation testing – acceptable vibration
levels and demonstrate not in resonance

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 MRBPS –
Location of Tri-axial Accelerometer Vibration
Sensors for Existing Pump System

Vertical

Vertical
Perpendicular
Parallel Perpendicular
Parallel
Vertical
Parallel
Vertical
Perpendicular
Vertical
Perpendicular
Parallel
Parallel

Perpendicular

Intermediate bearing
Motor and drive shaft Pump

26 3D views courtesy of Mechanical Solutions, Inc. (MSI)

 MRBPS –
Existing Pump System Equipment

Pump support base

Vertically mounted solids handling pump

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 MRBPS –
Existing Pump System Equipment (cont.)

Extended shafting Original 125 HP motors

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 MRBPS –
Vibration Testing

Laptop and data analyzer Pump instrumented with shaft

proximity probes and accelerometers

29 Photos courtesy of MSI

 MRBPS –
Vibration Testing (cont.)

Accelerometers to determine structure

Accelerometer on vibration characteristics
bearing frame

30 Photos courtesy of MSI

 MRBPS –
Pump System After Improvements

Rehabilitated pumps Rehabilitated pump

and extended shafting
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 MRBPS –
Pump System After Improvements (Cont.)

New 150 HP motors and motor bases

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 MRBPS –
Pump System After Improvements (Cont.)

Motor instrumented with vibration sensors

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 Acknowledgements
 Hydraulic Institute (HI)
 Mechanical Solutions, Inc. (MSI)
 Wayne County Department of Environment
 Julie Aichler, CDM Smith

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