During commissioning of a large petrochemical plant in the UK, two electric motor-driven pumps were damaged overnight. Data from continuous online monitoring systems linked to GE's System 1 software showed the pumps had run at extremely high speeds in the reverse direction, likely caused by backwards fluid flow due to faulty check valves. Without this data, the pumps would have been replaced without identifying the root cause, risking further damage costing $40,000. Continuous monitoring helped identify the issue and avoid unnecessary costs and downtime.

1. GE Energy
Oil & Gas – Petrochemical Production
Customer Success Story
Bently Nevada* Asset Condition Monitoring
Condition Monitoring Proves Essential
During Plant Commissioning
Bently Nevada 3500 machinery protection systems and GE’s System 1*
Condition Monitoring and Diagnostics Software demonstrate their value,
helping a plant to address root cause and avoid further costly damage
rather than blindly replace damaged equipment.
Problem
During the commissioning phase of a large petrochemical complex in the UK, routine overnight
testing of several process loops was conducted. The following morning two electric motor-driven
pumps were found completely wrecked.
Solution
The plant employs continuous online monitoring for its critical assets via four Bently Nevada 3500
Series machinery protection systems linked to System 1 software.
System 1* Software
Payback
Data captured by System 1 software during the overnight testing indicated the machines had run
at 7000 RPM in the reverse direction. The customer concluded that fluid must have run backwards
through the pumps, causing this reverse rotation, and immediately suspected the check valves as
the probable cause. When the check valves were inspected, the customer found the housings were
empty. Without this essential information, both pumps would have been replaced with spares from
stock, without addressing the root cause. A second set of pumps would have been wrecked at an
estimated cost of 40,000 Euros.
Benefits 3500 Series
• C
aptures vital information that may otherwise be missed unless continuous on-line Monitoring Systems
monitoring is used. The subsequent delay or inability to determine root cause often results
in further machine damage when equipment is returned to service prematurely.
• R
educes maintenance and operating expenses by providing data on actual machine condition,
helping maintenance teams fix problems before serious and costly damage occurs.
• P
rovides advanced information to help maintenance teams anticipate what and where
the problems are prior to opening the machine, minimizing costly downtime.
As seen in
Learn more by reading the
Synopsis of Savings article
in ORBIT magazine Vol. 24,
© 2008 General Electric Company, all rights reserved.
No. 1, 2004 at
* Trademarks of Bently Nevada, LLC, a wholly owned www.orbit-magazine.com
subsidiary of the General Electric Company.
GEA17167 (10/08) www.ge-energy.com/ocsuccess