Centrifugal Pumps in Petrochemical Refinery

Large primary pumps were having unacceptably low MTBF (Mean Time between Failure) – approximately less than two years, in spite of a conscientious preventive maintenance program and regular vibration monitoring.

The refinery had at least two pumps per month coming out of service and into the shop for repairs, usually involving wear of bearings or moving components. The shop was so backlogged on major pump
repairs that they could not keep up with routine maintenance items in the rest of the plant.

Installation and alignment problems were ruled out through vibration analysis and also by teardown and inspection.  Regular product quality tests showed that the lubricant met or exceeded all current specifications and standards for commercial grade lubricants.  An oil analysis program was implemented on refurbished pumps to diagnosis the problem.  The outcome and overall impact have been documented in this application note.