Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Author: Ahmed Al Dossary

1 © Copyright 2012, Saudi Aramco. All rights reserved.

Background

Pump location

2 Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Background (cont.)

Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Vertical pump with enclosed shaft tube.

Flow rate 35,000 GPM. Over than 50 years old. Obsolete and no spare parts

available.

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Problem Frequent pump seizure. Enclosed tube oil sealing failure and seawater contamination. Repeated failure in the bushings. Enclosed shaft tub difficult to fill due to improper venting. Pump head weak base plate.

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Findings after Dismantling Excessive rubbing on all bushings. Damaged O-ring at lower side of enclosed tube. Oil leak between enclosed tubes. Lack of lube oil at enclosed tube.

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Failure Root Causes

Insufficient oil flow in the stuffing box. Upper bushing is not totally submerge

in the oil. Oil leak between enclosed tubes

segments. Insufficient oil flow between un-

grooved bushings. Repetitive oil leaks from lower side

tube O-ring.

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Recommended Upgrades

Split base platform pump head and increase plate thickness. Upgrade upper stuffing box and bushing. Improve shaft tubes joint sealing. Improve enclosed tube lower side sealing.

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Pump head split and increase plate thickness for better maintenance and stability.

Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Before After

Implementation

Joint flange

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Redesign upper stuffing box for better lubrication and oil flow.

Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Before After

Implementation

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Implementation

Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Redesign upper stuffing box for better lubrication and oil flow.

Packing Lip seal

Oil reservoir

Before After

Oil inlet

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Install O-ring between tubes to ensure seal between them.

Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Implementation

O-ring groove O-ring face

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Bushing modification for better lubrication and oil flow.

Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Implementation

Oil groove

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Lower tube sealing modification.

Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Implementation

O-ring grove

Bowel

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Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Lower tube sealing modification to double lip seal.

Implementation

Lip seal housing

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Outcome of Upgrades Cost avoidance. Improved pump MTBF. The pump has been running for two years. Spare parts availability and local fabrications. Lube oil filling period reduced from days to

hours. Air pockets elimination. Simplicity to maintain and handling.

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Large Seawater Intake Pump Upgrades

Thank you

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