SeaWater lift pumps – identification of previously undetected marine fouling problem
For this North Sea oil and gas production platform, tests were carried out on a wide range of machinery using the Faraday Predictive P100 Portable Equipment Health Assessor. The platform has three SeaWater lift pumps, which are essential to ongoing safety and operation of the asset. Comparison of the spectra for the three pumps showed a distinct difference in one of the pumps, with two key features: one was a pattern related to significant flow turbulence, which would be consistent with a roughened and restricted bore of the pump; the other was a reduction in the frequency of a peak related to the response of the pipework on which the pump is mounted, indicating a change in the ratio of stiffness:mass of the system – which is consistent with a mass of marine encrustation built up on the pipework. Subsequent investigation revealed that the dosing valve controlling the antifouling system was not operating correctly. Resolving this problem avoids the risk of restricted water for the platform, and reduces the risk of damage from cavitation caused by the flow restrictions.
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