A vibration cavitation sensitivity parameter based on spectral and statistical methods

• Published in: Expert systems with applications Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 67 - 78
• Main Authors: McKee, Kristoffer K., Forbes, Gareth L., Mazhar, Ilyas, Entwistle, Rodney, Hodkiewicz, Melinda, Howard, Ian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2015; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acoustics; Applied sciences; Cavitation; Centrifugal pumps; Computer science; control theory; systems; Condition based monitoring; Data processing. List processing. Character string processing; Drops and bubbles; Exact sciences and technology; Flashing; Fluid dynamics; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Impellers; Memory organisation. Data processing; Nonhomogeneous flows; Octave band analysis; Physics; Principal component analysis; Pumps; Software; Solid mechanics; Statistical methods; Structural and continuum mechanics; Underwater sound; Vibration; Vibration, mechanical wave, dynamic stability (aeroelasticity, vibration control...); Volutes; Centrifugal pumps; Octave band analysis; Vibration; Condition based monitoring; Cavitation; Principal component analysis; Modeling; Adaptive method; Turbine wheel; Bubble; Efficiency; Classification; ISO standard; Monitoring; Damaging; Implosion; Flash evaporation; Spectral method; Statistical analysis; Probabilistic approach; Octave; Durability; Pipe; Longevity; Experimental study; Operating conditions; Centrifugal pump; Piping
• ISSN: 0957-4174; 1873-6793
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eswa.2014.07.029

•Octave band analysis and PCA used on RMS velocity to obtain key indicators.•Mahalanobis distance is used to set thresholds since data is normally distributed.•Pump health separated into no cavitation, incipient, and fully formed condition.•Method works on a range of types and sizes of centrifugal pumps. Cavitation is one of the main problems reducing the longevity of centrifugal pumps in industry today. If the pump operation is unable to maintain operating conditions around the best efficiency point, it can be subject to conditions that may lead to vaporisation or flashing in the pipes upstream of the pump. The implosion of these vapour bubbles in the impeller or volute causes damaging effects to the pump. A new method of vibration cavitation detection is proposed in this paper, based on adaptive octave band analysis, principal component analysis and statistical metrics. Full scale industrial pump efficiency testing data was used to determine the initial cavitation parameters for the analysis. The method was then tested using vibration measured from a number of industry pumps used in the water industry. Results were compared to knowledge known about the state of the pump, and the classification of the pump according to ISO 10816.