RIGHT: The pump was removed and transported to Sulzer’s service centre in Jänschwalde to enable the necessary repairs to be completed Focus on: Plant & Asset Management Maintenance Matters April/May 2023 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 19 The project in numbers: 10-tonne pump Up to 12 personnel involved Time to complete repair: 9.5 weeks Profit lost during downtime: Multi-million euro per week during the project. Although the operator had initially suspected that the pump might be at fault, it was concluded that the incorrect start-up procedure was responsible. The additional training and the checks that were carried out on the second pump have ensured that the scenario will not be repeated and that both pumps will continue to deliver reliable service. Claudia concluded: “We regularly support the plant with annual shutdowns and communication between us is open and transparent, which is essential for a rewarding relationship.” Following the successful completion of the project, the original rotor will be refurbished by Sulzer with a new balance piston being fitted along with refurbished impellers. This will enable the power plant to restock the spare part in case it should be needed in the future. For more informa琀on call 0121 601 6691 scan code for the training guide or email: training@bpma.org.uk Can You Join the Elite? Do you have a strong knowledge of pumps, their di昀erences, uses and a good understanding of Pump Systems. This is an NOCN Level 4 course with a comple琀on 琀me of 90 hours. Essentials of Pumping Technology inspection. All the additional spare parts required for the repair were also on-hand having been ordered for urgent delivery. “Due to the important role of the pump, the power plant needed to have extensive documentation completed detailing all of the work carried out. This included independent checks and x-ray inspection of the new welds when the pump was reinstalled. The complex details involved in the repair of key pieces of equipment go far beyond the physical repair work, but Sulzer’s experience in maintaining all rotating equipment means that every aspect is covered in a turnkey project.” The root cause With the power plant running two of these pumps, the operator was very keen to identify the root cause of the initial problem to enable any additional preventative measures to be taken. During the inspection, there was evidence that a steam bubble was present in the area around the balance piston, indicating a lack of cooling and lubrication, which led to a massive rise in temperature. Some information that was missing during the initial investigation was that the plant suffered an unexpected shutdown two or three days before the pump failure took place. Once the reason for the shut-down was resolved, the pump was restarted, however, during this process a procedural issue was determined as the root cause of the subsequent pump failure, confirming the operational reliability of the pump. As a result, having reinstated the pump and recommissioned it, Sulzer offered additional training for the plant personnel to try and prevent any reoccurrence in the future. Stopping pump failure In total, from the initial stoppage of the pump to recommissioning, the whole project was completed in nine and a half weeks. In contrast, the alternative would have been to order a new pump, but typically such a highly engineered asset would have considerably longer lead time. Once the pump was reinstalled and operational, a review meeting was held to assess the performance of Sulzer’s team and the results achieved
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