Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T05:19:43.376Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Correlation of centrifugal pump vibration to unsteady flow under variable motor speed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2014

Get access

Abstract

Although condition monitoring of centrifugal pump bearings to infer faults is common practice, the relationship between a pump’s vibration level and the unsteady flow within has not been extensively researched. The latter, however potentially provides the foundations for further developments in, pump design to increase performance, advanced predictive maintenance programs and, vibration monitoring techniques that can permit inference of pump efficiency states. This paper investigates the correlation between pump vibration and unsteady flow at different motor speeds. A test rig and a numerical CFD model were employed. It was found that flow-induced vibration in general increases with pump speed and was clearly linked to pump efficiency. It therefore seems possible to construct a model to deduce a pump’s efficiency from its pressure and vibration levels, if the efficiency curve is known a priori. However, as the vibration levels are also dependent on the system’s structural natural frequencies and modes, it seems that knowledge of these may also be needed in some instances. The work confirms that utilising a variable speed pump at lower pump speeds allows greater deviations from the design BEP without jeopardising the safety of the pump and should be considered for industrial use.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© AFM, EDP Sciences 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

US DOE, 2004, “Variable Speed Pumping - A guide to Successful Applications”, US Department Of Energy
B.P.M. Van Esch, “Simulation of three-dimensional unsteady flow in hydraulic pumps”, Enschede, Netherlands, 1997
UNEP, “Electrical Energy Equipment: Pumps and Pumping Systems”, United Nations Environmental Programme, 2006
T.F. Kaiser, R.H. Osman, R.O. Dickau, Analysis Guide for Variable Frequency Drive Operated Centrifugal Pumps, Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth International Pump Users Symposium, 2008, pp. 81–106
González-Pérez, J., Parrondo, J., Santolaria, C., Blanco, E. Gonzales, J., Steady and Unsteady Radial Forces for a Centrifugal Pump With Impeller to Tongue Gap Variation, ASME J. Fluids Eng. 128 (2006) 454462 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
C.E. Brennen, “Hydrodynamics of Pumps”, Cambridge University Press, 2011
E.B. Marigorta, Fluid-Dynamic Radial Forces at the Blade-Passing Frequency in a Centrifugal Pump with Different Impeller Diameters, 2006, ASME J. Fluids Eng.
J. Yuan, Y. Liang, S. Yuan, H. Xiong, J. Pei, Analysis of Flow-Induced Vibration of the Volute of a Centrifugal Pump Based on Finite Element Method, Jiangsu University China, 2010
J. Gonzales, C. Santolaria, Unsteady Flow structure and Global Variables in a Centrifugal Pump, 2006, ASME J. Fluids Eng
G. Rzentkowski, Generation and control of pressure pulsations emitted from centrifugal pumps: a review, ASME-PUBLICATIONS-PVP, 1996
A.L. Guzzomi, J. Pan, Correlation of pump efficiency and shaft torsional vibration using torsional laser vibrometry, Acoustics 2012 Fremantle: Acoustics, Development and the Environment, Fremantle, Australia, 2012, pp. 1−6
A.L. Guzzomi, J.-C. Cheng, D. Reeve, Rotating Machinery Health Manager (UWA Pump Stethoscope System), Project Report, Cooperative Research Centre for Infrastructure and Engineering Asset Management, 2013
H.K. Versteeg, W. Malalasekera, An introduction to computational fluid dynamics The finite volute method, 2nd edition. Essex, UK, Pearson Education Limited, 2007
ANSYS, CFX-Solver Theory Guide, 2011
S. Johnstone, The vibration of a centrifugal pump, School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, The University of Western Australia, Honours thesis, 2012