10+ Pump Vibration Issues Examined Along with Their Solutions

Vibration in mechanical equipment, and especially pumps, is not new or a recent discovery. However, the damage caused by vibration is being recognized and documented more often. Vibration has been brought to the forefront as more facilities are doing condition assessments and determining the root cause of non-performing or marginally performing equipment. Coupled with the technical expertise of engineers trained in the finite-element, modal analysis, and vibration field curriculums plus the sophistication of vibration instruments and equipment, vibration is being recognized in many cases as the root cause and/or symptom of frequent maintenance and equipment rebuilds. Variable-frequency drives have been used in the wastewater industry since the 1980s; however, the implications on pump vibration and natural frequency have been extensively recognized only in the last 15 to 20 years. Several vibration issues are reviewed in this paper.