A Study On Failure of Mechanical Pump

A Study on Failure of Mechanical Pump and other Equipments
Submitted by Azif Ali S MM08B027 Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Indian Institute of Technology
This report was submitted to AstralPool India Pvt Ltd, Chennai, Tamil Nadu as a part of Internship offered by Fluidra.
Preface
This report titled A Study on Failure of Mechanical Pump and other Equipments was submitted to AstralPool India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, Tamil Nadu a division of Fluidra group. For this venture, I associated myself with AstralPool India Factory and Warehouse at Coimbatore. It is a compilation of information collected from the technicians and other people there and Product Data base available on the AstralPool website. Credits have been given to all other information sources.
Acknowledgement
Contents
Introduction Failure in Mechanical Pumps
Parts and Materials Used Pump failure Identification Methodology
Visual Inspection Preliminary Tests and Checks Inspection of Sounds Universal Pump Testing Machine
Different types of stresses acting on motor parts
Cases of Failure in Mechanical Pump A Part by Part Analysis

Motor Shaft
Corrosion
Reasons for Corrosion of shaft Measures for combating Corrosion
Shaft bend
Bearing Stator Rotor Fan and Fan cover
Terminal Box Pump body Pump foot Pre-filter Assembly Front and rear Motor Covers Motor Bridle and Mechanical Closure bridle Impeller Mechanical Seal - Diffuser Assembly
Metallurgical failure Analysis

Methodology
Analysis of Service Data from 2008-2011*

Year by Year
Appendices
Suggested Methodology for Motor Failure Analysis
Introduction
AstralPool Pvt. Ltd, one of the worlds largest suppliers of equipment for private and public swimming pools and spas produces wide range of equipments including Mechanical Pumps, Filters, Heaters etc. The theme for this report is to understand the reasons of failure of different Mechanical pump parts and other associated equipments. Root cause failure analysis (RCFA) scheme is used to identify the causes of the failure.
Services data for the past 3 years have been compiled and failures are categorized based on different parts. A basic data analysis also has been done at various parts of the report and conclusions have been reported.
Failures in Mechanical Pumps

Astral-Pool produces three types of pumps for swimming pools:I. II. III. Plastic Self priming Pumps Cast Iron Self priming Pumps Bronze Self priming Pumps
Astral Splash Pump

Astral Splash Pumps are built using state of the art thermoplastics. The pumps are of self-priming type from Hp to 3 Hp and are provided with single phase and three phase motors. All Pump metal parts that come in contact with water are made of stainless steel (AISI 316). A pre-filter has been incorporated into the pump body to prevent the foreign bodies to enter the pump hydraulic parts. The motors are supplied with the motors pump unit which has been protected by Thermal Overload Protector (TOP).
Fig 1: Astral Splash Pump (1 Hp) The present study does a study on the reasons of failure of different pump parts of both cast Iron and Plastic Self Priming Pumps. It does a part to part analysis of different suppliers, different materials used and the design of the materials.
Parts and Materials Used (Plastic Self Priming Pump)

Part
Shaft Rotor Impeller Diffuser Other Plastic Pump body parts
Material Used
Stainless Steel (AISI 316) Silicon based alloy Noraiy with FRP Luranye Engineering Plastic
Pump failure Identification Methodology (Currently in use)
Visual Inspection
Using the Pump Testing Machine
Preliminary Tests
Checking for Sounds
Fig 2: Process tree for Pump Failure Identification (Currently in Practice)
Visual Inspection
Visual Inspection is done to know whether there is any external body damage on the pump. Issues like fan not running bending of the fan cover, motor not priming due to clogging of pre-filter basket, breakage of pump body or foot can be found out by visual inspection.
Preliminary Tests and Checks

Preliminary tests/Checks include 1. Checking the terminal box:- Checking whether the connections are intact or whether there is any capacitor damage 2. Checking the shaft rotation:- Improper shaft rotation might be due to any of the following reasons:-
a. Shaft getting bend b. High bearing friction c. Motor Coil getting short d. Contact between the impeller and the diffuser. 3. Checking the continuity of the circuit:- This is done using the digital multimeter. This passes very high voltage current through the circuit. This can also identify presence any short in the motor. 4. Check the pre-filter basket for clogging of any impurities which prevent water flowing in.
Inspection of Sounds
Any abnormal sound coming from the motor is due to malfunctioning of it. Different types of sound produced by the motor include:1. Bearing Sound: This is due to high bearing friction or failure. Bearing friction increase in the course of time due to vaporization of the grease in the bearing. This can be also due running the rotor in unbalanced condition in which the load on the motor shaft is not evenly distributed. This can lead to war of the bearing and in long run can cause bearing failure. 2. Touching sound: This due to the touching of the rotor with stampings in the motor hindering the smooth rotation of the motor. This will damage the rotor and the stampings. 3. Fan Cutting Sound: Fan cutting sound is due to the unbalanced rotation of the cooling fan. This doesnt have much consequence but can affect the cooling of the motor. 4. Vibration Sound: This is again due to unbalancing. This happen in equal frequency during testing of new pumps. This is basically a design problem. It is due to the play of the rotor bearing assemble in the motor casing. This can also happen due to over-tightening front and back covers. 5. Air Sound: This happen due to air choking 6. Over-tight Sound: This happens due to over-tightening front and back covers which restrict the rotation of the motor shaft. This can be costly as it leads to high motor current which in-turn can result in motor coil burning and rotor damage.
Checking using Universal Pump Testing Machine

Universal Pump testing machine is an instrument used for Pump testing. Every pump supplied by AstralPool India is Tested for verification of the performance. This is machine is also used for finding the reasons of failure of Pumps coming there for service. The machine basically consists of different meters which can measure and set the following operating conditions:-
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Current in Amperes Pressure in bars Flow rate m3/h Voltage Vacuum Motor rpm
Each pump will be having a specification which describes different operating conditions and different min and max values. Example of a specification of a 1 Hp motor (Supplier: Sabari) is given below:Specification Power(KW/Hp) Input Voltage (MAX) Input Frequency Rotation Speed(MAX) Input Current (MAX) Capacitor Pressure Head (H) Flow Rate (Q) Value 1/0.75 230 V 50 Hz 2800 rpm 4.9 A 25 pF 10 m.c.a 16 m3/h
Fig: Universal Testing Machine for testing motor
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Different types of stresses acting on motor parts 1
Type of stress Thermal Electrical /dielectric Mechanical Dynamic Shear Vibration/shock Residual Electro-magnetic Environmental
Stator winding
Rotor assembly
Bearings
Shaft
Table 1: Types of Stresses on Motor
A.H. Bonnett, Root Cause AC Motor Failure Analysis with a Focus on Shaft Failures, IEEE Trans. Industry Application, 36(5), 11971209, 2000
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Cases of Failure in Mechanical Pump A Part by Part Analysis

Motor Shaft
Motor shaft failure happen due to several reasons. Table 1 summarizes the different types of stresses acting on the motor shaft. The following table2 shows the general frequency of shaft failure due to different reasons:-
Cause of shaft failure

Corrosion Fatigue Brittle fracture Overload High-temperature corrosion Stress corrosion fatigue/hydrogen embitterment Creep Wear, abrasion and erosion
Percent
29% 25% 16% 11% 7% 6% 3% 3%
Table 2: General Frequency of different causes of shaft failure
No. of Failures associated with Motor Shafts

10 8 6 4 2 0 8
0 2008
0 2009 Year 2010
1 2011*
Graph: Year by year rate of Shaft failures during 2008-11
Root cause AC motor failure analysis with focus on shaft failures, Intelligent Mechanics Lab, Department of Mechanical Design, Pukyong National University, South Korea
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Out of these the major shaft failure modes are:a. Corrosion b. Fatigue c. Overload
Corrosion
The above table says that corrosion is the most critical reason of shaft failure which accounts for 29% of all Shaft failure cases. Wear pitting, fretting and cavitations are the corrosion most common corrosion modes found in shaft. This increases the chances of fatigue and brittle failure of the shaft.
Reasons for Corrosion of shaft
a. Absence of Rust-off Coating Rust-off coating is a layer of plastic like coating which cuts the atmospheric contact of rotor-shaft assembly. In course of time the coating gets removed due to the variation in the temperature.
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b. Damage of the mechanical sealing Mechanical sealing is a very integral part of the Motor which lies in between Motor Bridle and the Impeller. Its damage gives opportunity for water to leak into the shaft area and can cause corrosion. c. Environmental Conditions The service conditions also play an important role in corrosion. Eg: Installation at Coastal Regions, Flooding of Pump room etc. aid the corrosion damage tendency
Measures for combating Corrosion
1. Using AISI 416 or other 400 series of stainless steel for shafts in corrosive environment. 2. Use of Rust-off coatings.
Shaft bend
Shaft bend mainly occurs due to uneven distribution of load along the axis. A uniform distribution of load around the axis is necessary for the free rotation of the motor. This can be result due to several reasons:1. Due to Off-centered hole in impeller:To counter this weight imbalance material is usually removed from the heavier sides by punching. But this is not very efficient in restoring the balance. 2. Lack of intimate contact of bearing with the shaft or due to defect in bearing. 3. Due to play in the bearing and bearing seating in the motor flanges.
Fig: Off-Centered hole in the impeller
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Bearing
Bearing used in the Astral Motors are ball bearings. It provides constrained motion of the rotor along the shaft axis without touching the stator or the motor chase. The bearing is seated on the space provided in the front and rear motor cover. Intimate contact is necessary to prevent the bearing from rotating itself. Fig: A Typical motor bearing Table 4: Failure Modes and Failure Pattern in Bearings
Failure Mode
Fatigue spalling Fretting Smearing Skidding, wear Lubrication failure Electric pitting Fluting Crack and Seizures
Failure Pattern
Thermal Vibration & noise Lubricant quality Mounting/fits Contamination Mechanical damage Electrical damage Load pattern
Failures in Motor Bearings
Smear Marks due to presence of impurities on bearing
Metallic Contamination in the Raceaway
Damage caused by water Intrusion
Fretting Corrosion due to vibration and loss of fit
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Pitting caused by electrical currents
Fluting caused by internally generated current
Advanced stages of spalling
False brinelling and fretting caused by vibration in a non-operating condition
Table: Conventional failures in a typical Electric motor bearing
Causes of Failure (Focus on Astral Pumps)

1. Over-tight front and rear cover:- Over tightening can increase the friction between the bearing the shaft core hindering the free rotation of shaft. 2. Due to dry up of grease:- Similar to over tightening it leads to increase in friction between the shaft and bearing. 3. Thermal expansion of front and rear cover:- Earlier the front and rear cover of the motors where made of Cast Iron. Subsequently it was changed to Aluminum to make it cost lower and lighter. As the thermal expansion of Al is more than that of the Cast-Fe, at higher temperature during functioning of the motor, the front and rear cover expands and the intimate contact of bearing and the covers are lost which reduces the relative motion of bearing and the shaft. 4. Astral pump uses wave washers between the bearings and the bearing seating. This gives better friction between the bearing and motor cover gives tolerance for slight differences in the depth of the bearing seating. In long run due to fatigue, these wave washers lose their elastic property and the tolerance is lost and the seating wouldnt be as effective as before. Using better quality of wave washer can help us in this account.
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9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2008 2009 Year 2010 2011*
Graph: Year by Year analysis of bearing failures during 2000-2011
Stator
No. of Bearing Failures
Fig: Stator of 1 Hp astral pump
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The stator is the stationary part of a rotor system. It consists of:a. Stampings: - A premium steel frame encloses a hollow cylindrical core. It is made of laminations of silicon steel. Silicon laminations reduce hysteresis and eddy currents. Astral Motors uses electromagnetic stators. b. Stator windings: - A stator winding is simply the stationary winding over the stampings framework.
Stator
Stamping
Fig: Stator and Stampings
Cases of failure due to stator

11 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2008 2009 2010 2011* 3 1 1 3 0 7 2 Short Motor Burn Motor Burn Short
Graph: Failures due to Stator during 2008-2011
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Stator failure
The first source of startup failure is the stampings touching the rotor. This causes a touching sound and also leads to damaging of the rotor. Second source is the stator winding. If there is any shorting in the stator copper winding due to a cut or loss of insulation coating, this leads to shorting of the motor. The motor in this case would draw high current and can get burned. This can be diagnosed by checking the continuity between the motor body and one of the terminals. If positive there is motor short. If the pump shows some humming sound and rotates with jerks, it is expected to have problems associated with the coil. Coil might be burned or one of the coils might not be working. Also if the input current is too high, then there is a short inside the pump. Stampings in the motor need to be cold rolled. Only then it can sustain large number of heat and reheat cycles.
Rotor
The rotor is the non-stationary part of a rotary electric motor which rotates because the wires and magnetic field of the motor are arranged so that a torque is developed about the rotor's axis. It is the most crucial part of the motor. The rotors in Astral Pumps are made of Cu-Si-Fe alloy which are joined together by induction brazing. The rotor end rings are made of pure aluminum to give electrical connection.
Fig 13: Damaged motor Rotor (1Hp)
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Causes of Failure
1. End-Rings: - The end rings in motors delivered to Astral India are made of Aluminum. The international norm for end-rings to use Cu instead of Al so as to give better conductivity. Also as Cu is stronger than Al, the chances of breaks in the end-rings are also less. 2. The rotor central part in motors delivered to Astral India is made of Cu-Si-Fe alloy. From the preliminary observation the percentage of Fe in the rotor is more in case of motor supplied to Astral India than the international norms. This leads to failure of motors due to rust formation on the surface if serviced under Corrosion prone condition. Additional Rust off coating is recommended for such rotors.
To improve motor energy efficiency, the following strategies may be adopted: 1. 2. 3. 4. Using of improved magnetic materials (e.g. Premium steel) Replacement of Aluminum cage with Copper end-rings. Using high Cu and Si alloy in rotor. Silicon steel to prevent eddy current loss.
Fan and Fan cover

A fan is provided at the rear end of the motor with the sole purpose of cooling the motor. Fan is made of engineering plastic and the fan cover is made of mild steel. The two major issues associated with these parts are: Bend in the fan cover Breakage of fan
25 20 15 10 5 0 2008 2009 2010 0 0 6 3 10
22 19 Defected part: Fan 5 Defected part: Fan Cover Note: 2011 data value is estimated
Graph: No. of defected fans and fan covers during 2008-2011
2011*
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Breakage of fan
Bend in the fan cover Fig: Defective fans and fan covers
Using sheet metal of greater thickness than the present for making fan cover can go a long way in reducing the number of cases of fan cover bend.
Terminal Box
Terminal box contains a condenser (capacitor), which controls spike or surges in input AC. Cases associated with the terminal box are bulging of capacitor and missing of terminal box cover. Astral uses Siemens capacitor.
No. of cases assocaited with Terminal BBox 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2008 2009 Year 2010 2011* 1 6 7* 13
Fig: Failure cases associated with Terminal Box during 2008-11
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Pump body
The pump body of Astral Splash pumps is made of engineering plastic. The most prominent Engineering plastic used is called ABS(Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) which is a thermoplastic material. It can be used between -25 and 105 0 C. These are made by high pressure injection moulding process. The major types of failure in Pump body are : As it is made of a hard plastic material, there are chances of pump getting cracked/ broken during transit or improper usage. Fig: Pump Body Loss of threading in the drainage plug. This leads to leakage. Over-tightening of the screws can also result in the cracking of the pump body. Similarly undertightening result in leakage.
Failure of the bottom of pump body
Loss of threading in the drainage plug
Breakage of pump body foot
Chipping off the side edges
Table: Different types of damages of Astral Splash Pump body
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Pump Foot/Body Failure
14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2008 2009 Year 2010 Pump Body Failure Pump Foot Failure Estimated foot failure by EOY
2011*
Graph: Service summary of Astral Splash Pump body and foot during 2008-11
Pump foot
It is the part on which the pump body rests. Pump body is attached to pump foot with good care. It is done so using pairs of distancing washer, nuts, silent blocks, foot screw and anti shake washer. The lack of any of the above components causes vibration and unusual sound from the motor. The main type of failure found in pump foot is breakage which mainly happens during transit. This has decreased in the recent years with better packing methods using thermocole cushioning.
Fig (a): Pump foot
Fig (b): Pump foot-Pump body assembly Fig: Damage of Astral Splash Pump foot
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Pre-filter Assembly
Pre-filter as the name suggests removes the initial debris from the input water supply. Sizes of the debris depend on the grit size of the pre-filter basket. Pre-filter consists three parts Pre-filter basket Pre-filter cover Pre-filter cover joint
Failures in Pre-filter basket
Fig: Failed of Astral Splash Pre-Filter Baskets
More than 3/4th of cases noted till date associated with the pre-filter baskets are due to breakage of prefilter basket handle. Other problems found at the project sites are due to clogging of it with debris. This result in the closing of the grits in the pre-filter basket which in-turn lead to reduced inflow of water into the pump. Motor dry run has several bad effects on the motor like motor burning caused by drawing large currents from the supply line. So it is really important to clean the pre-filter basket at regular intervals.
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Front and rear Motor Covers
Front Cover (Cast Iron Made)
Front Cover (Cast Iron Made)
Fig: Front and Rear motor covers It is usually made of Cast Iron. But recently, to reduce the weight of the motor Aluminum and steel have also found place. The front and rear covers seats the entire motor between them. It has a slot for seating the bearing. The intimate contact between the bearing and the cover help in the relative motion of the rotor and the motor body.
The major types of defects found in motor covers are: Corrosion of front and rear cover. Specification: - If the dimension of the slot for the bearing does not exactly match the size of the bearing, the relative motion is not possible. Cast Iron when compared to Aluminum has an advantage as motor cover. As the coefficient of thermal expansion of the Al is more than Cast-Fe, there would be more variation in the slot size for the bearing from the specification in case of Al motor covers than Cast-Fe based motor covers.
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Motor Bridle and Mechanical Closure bridle
8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
5 4 1
6 4 Mechanical Closure Bridle 2 Motor Bridle
0 2008
2009
2010
2011*
Note: 2011* is estimated
Graph: No. of cases of failure of Mechanical closure bridle and Motor bridle during 2008-11
Marks on the mechanical closure bridle due to diffuser touching it
Motor Bridle attached to front motor cover
Fig: Mechanical closure bridle and Motor bridle Other bridle defects are non-matching of the holes bridle with the motor cover. This can lead to crack in the bridle and also unbalanced running conditions.
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Impeller Mechanical Seal - Diffuser Assembly

An impeller is a rotating component of a centrifugal pump, usually made of iron, steel, bronze, brass, aluminum or plastic, which transfers energy from the motor that drives the pump to the fluid being pumped by accelerating the fluid outwards from the center of rotation. Impeller is the part attached to the shaft which is threaded in. Diffuser consists of a stationary vane that surrounds the impeller. The purpose of the diffuser is to increase the efficiency centrifugal pump by allowing a more gradual expansion and less turbulent area for the liquid to reduce in velocity. It also prevents debris going into the impeller. In Astral splash pumps, impeller is made of Noraiy with FRP and diffuser is made of Luranye. Mechanical shaft seal forms a barrier between what is inside the pump and the atmosphere Mechanical seal consists of a carbon ring, spring and a ceramic. The ceramic is made of extremely hard materials which are highly wear resistant material is of very high finish.
Fig: Pre-Filter Baskets clogged with debris
Failures associated with Impeller Mechanical Seal - Diffuser Assembly
Shaft hole off-centered
Weight balancing by removal of material Fig: Defects in Astral motor Shafts
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1. Off-centered hole in impeller for shaft causes unbalanced distribution of mass around the shaft axis and lead to bend in the shaft. This in long run can cause wear of the bearing. This also can lead to the detachment of the impeller from the shaft
Fig: Mechanical seal: Rubber ring (bottom) and Ceramic Fig: Marks in Astral motor mechanical closure bridle made by diffuser
2. Defects as shown in the above figure happen due to either over-tightening of the diffuser or defect of non-returnable valve. 3. If the non-returnable valve doesnt function as expected there is a chance for the impeller to detach itself from shaft and get attached to the diffuser. The figure shows scratch marks on the diffuser due to this.
Fig: Mechanical seal: Spring
Fig: Mechanical seal: Spring
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14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2008 2009 2010 Failure due to Impeller Failure due to Diffuser Failure due to Mechanical seal
2011*
2008 Failure due to Impeller Failure due to Diffuser Failure due to Mechanical seal 2 0 0
2009 4 4 5
2010 14 7 12
2011* 7 11 11
*Failures in 2011 EOY is estimated
Graph: Failures due to Impeller-Mechanical seal-Diffuser Assembly
4. Mechanical Seal failures can be caused due to: Lubrication failures. Contamination failures: - If sand/debris which is filtered gets into the mechanical seal it can damage the mechanical seal which can result in the entry of water into the motor core. Chemical and physical degrading and wear. Systems failure: -If the motor is run without water, mechanical seal heats up and gets damaged. From the above chart we can easily make it out that Impeller-Diffuser-Mechanical Seal is the most fault prone part of the entire pump. All the three are very much interconnected that, failure of any of them can lead to failure of others. Hence they were analyzed together. For Ex: - The presence of sand or any other particle in the region between the impeller and the diffuser can damage the entire assembly.
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Fig: Scratch marks on the Impeller due to diffuser
Note: All the plastic parts are associated with plastic self priming pumps are replaced by CastIron in Cast Iron self priming pumps.
30
Metallurgical failure Analysis

Methodology
Fig: Methodology of Metallurgical failure analysis3
The Metallurgical failure analysis can be applied to all cases of failure due to metal material. It uses different techniques like Chemical Analysis, Mechanical Testing, Metallographic Examination, NonDestructive Testing etc. This technique is versatile in identifying the root cause of failure and finding the failure mechanism. It guides you to find whether the failure has occurred due to metallurgical deficiencies or mechanical overload or service environment etc. The methodology of metallurgical failure analysis has been given in the Diagram above. Metallurgical failure analysis has been implemented in understanding failure of different parts like shaft, bearings, rotor etc. In this report a complete metallurgical analysis couldnt be undertaken due to the lack of necessary testing facilities. But however metallurgical analysis has been made in some parts of the report based on the physical observation.
Derrick Sarafinchan, M.Eng., P.Engg., Ludwig & Associates Engineering Ltd.
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Analysis of Service Data from 2008-2011*

A total of 98 pumps had been serviced in Astral India Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore warehouse during 20082011*. The pump had been received here from different project sites all over India. Each of these pumps undergoes a thorough checking procedure (Checking/testing methodology already described) and possible corrections are made. If any issue related to the motor is pertaining in the pump it is send to the supplier. The pumps during the period have been supplied by majorly by either Sabari Motors or Sharp Motors.
A detailed data has been compiled in pump service has been categorized based different pump parts. Failure of the pump has been associated with 23 different pump parts. Following analysis give some insights and patterns pump failure based on the data taken during the period.
Year by Year
19*
Note: 19* is estimated no. of cases in 2011
Graph 1: A year by year analysis of pump failure during 2008-11
From the above graph it can be seen that the number of pump failures is remarkably high during 2010. The increase in the number of failures during this period can be attributed to the______. There has been a decreasing trend in the number of failures in 2011 during which 8 pumps have been serviced till date and no. of service pumps is expected to be 19* by the end of the year.
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Appendices
1. Suggested Methodology for Motor Failure Analysis
1. Checklist for evaluating assembly conditions i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x. xi. xii. xiii. Is there any sign of moisture present on the stator, rotating assembly, bearing system or any other parts? Are there any signs of movement between rotor and shaft or bar and lamination? Is the lubrication system as intended or has there been lubricant leakage or deterioration? Are there any signs of stalled or locked rotor? Was the rotor turning during the failure? What was the direction of rotation and does it agree with the fan arrangement? Are any mechanical parts missing? such as balance weights, bolts, rotor teeth, fan blades, etc., Has any contact occurred between rotating parts that should maintain a clearance? What is the condition of the coupling device, driven equipment, mounting base, and other related equipment? What is the condition of the bearing bore, shaft journal, seals, shaft extension, keyways, and bearing caps. Is the motor mounted, aligned, and coupled correctly? Is the ambient usual or unusual? Do the stress risers show signs of weakness or cracking?
2. Checklist : Appearance of motor and system Does the motor exhibit any foreign material? Are there any signs of blocked ventilation passages? Are there signs of overheating exhibited by insulation, lamination, bars, bearings, lubricant, painted surfaces, etc.? iv. Has the rotor lamination or shaft rubbed? Record all locations of rotor and stator contact. v. Are the top-sticks, coils, or coil bracing loose? vi. Are the rotor cooling passages free and clear of clogging debris? vii. What is the physical location of the winding failure? viii. Is it on the connection end or opposite connection end? ix. If the motor is mounted horizontally, where is the failure with respect to the clock? x. Which phase or phases failed? xi. Which group of coils failed? Was the failure in the first turn or first coil? xii. Are the bearings free to rotate and operate as intended? 3. Checklist : Application considerations i. ii. iii.
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i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x. xi. xii. xiii. xiv. xv. xvi. xvii. xviii. xix. xx. xxi. xxii. xxiii.
What are the load characteristics of the driven equipment and the loading at time of failure? What is the operating sequence during starting? Does the load cycle or pulsate? What is the voltage during starting and operation? Is there a potential for transients? Was the voltage balanced between phases? How long does it take for the unit to accelerate to speed? Have any other motors or equipment failed on this application? How many other units are successfully running? How long has the unit been in service? Did the unit fail on starting or while operating? How often is the unit starting, and is this a manual or automatic operation? Is it part winding, wye-delta, or variable-frequency drive (VFD), or across the line? What type of protection is provided? What removed or tripped the unit from the line? Where is the unit located and what are the normal environmental conditions? What was the environment at time of failure? What was the ambient temperature, at time of failure, around the motor? Is there any recalculation of air? Is the exchange of cooling air adequate? Was power supplied by a VFD? What is the distance between the VFD and the motor? How would you describe the driven load method of coupling and mounting?
4. Checklist : Maintenance history i. How long has the motor been in service? ii. Have any other motor failures been recorded and what was the nature of the failures? iii. What failures of the driven equipment have occurred? iv. Was any welding done? v. When was the last time any service or maintenance was performed? vi. What operating levels (temperature, vibration, noise, insulation, etc.) were observed prior to the failure? vii. What comments were received from the equipment operator regarding the failure or past failures? viii. How long was the unit in storage or sitting idle prior to starting? ix. What were the storage conditions? x. How often is the unit started? xi. Were there shutdowns? xii. Was correct lubrication procedures utilized? xiii. Have there been any changes made to surrounding equipment? xiv. What procedures were used in adjusting belt tensions? xv. Are the pulleys positioned on the shaft correctly and as close to the motor bearing as possible?
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A Study On Failure of Mechanical Pump

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A Study on Failure of Mechanical Pump and other Equipments