Evaluation of FIR bandpass filter and Welch method implementation for centrifugal pump fault detection

Abstract

The motivation for this research is the high vibration observed during the operation of the centrifugal cooling water pump. Our study aims to assess the pump's state and check the vibrations to ensure the factors underlying the fault of the centrifugal pump in the alkaline chlorine factory. While previous studies have primarily used spectral amplitude results from the Fast Fourier Transform to analyze engine vibrations, we propose a different approach in this study. We employ the Finite Impulse Response (FIR) Bandpass Filter and the Welch Method, a practical analytic approach. The ISO 10816-3 standard is a benchmark of the RMS value to determine the pump's condition. The FIR Bandpass Filter and Welch Method prove to be highly effective in describing and modifying the vibrational signals of the centrifugal pump. The approach is particularly beneficial as it is consistent across sample rate settings, reduces the vibration of amplitude low, produces a smoother spectrum with only the primary frequency component, and segments the vibration signal into the frequency band-aids to identify the primary vibration source. The diagnostic results reveal increased vibrations at 1x, 2x, and ball pass frequency (BPF), indicating impeller damage and disappearance. Post-repair, the vibration value experiences a significant drop, as per the fault analysis results, further confirming the high effectiveness of our approach. These findings have practical implications for the maintenance and fault diagnosis of centrifugal pumps, providing a reliable and effective method for identifying and addressing issues.