ICONE24-60890
Use of FEA Software in Evaluating Pump Vibration and Potential Remedial Actions to Abate Resonance in Industrial Vertical Pump/Motor Combinations
Author: Michael Tompkins, Robert Stakenborghs, Gregory Kramer
Reactor recirculation motor generator lube oil twin screw pumps are commonly found in nuclear power plants and throughout industry. In a vertical mounting configuration in which the electric motor is bolted atop the twin screw pump in an unsupported manner the natural frequency of the pump/motor structure can be quite low, resulting in damaging vibration. When a structure’s natural frequency coincides at or near the operating speed, or multiple thereof, a phenomena known as resonance can occur. Resonance can occur when a driving force, in this case minor imbalances in either the motor or pump, begins to vibrate and excite the structure resulting in greatly amplified levels of vibration.
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In this paper, finite element analysis software is utilized to first calculate the natural frequency of the pump/motor structure, and then potential modifications are modeled to determine their impact on eliminating harmful resonance.