CASE STUDY Early Vibration Detection Prevents Motor Failure at Virginia Facility
At a key energy services facility in Ashland, Virginia, the glycol circulating water pump motor plays a crucial role in maintaining cooling systems for solar photovoltaic and grid infrastructure. When Waites' sensors flagged rising vibration levels on the motor’s drive end, it signaled an emerging bearing failure. Without intervention, the facility risked equipment shutdown, potentially interrupting solar energy production, compromising grid efficiency, and causing substantial operational disruptions.
Waites' analysts identified rising acceleration and peak-to-peak vibration levels on the motor’s drive-end bearing. Harmonic frequencies and periodic waveform impacts indicated advancing bearing faults and mechanical looseness. Initial attempts to mitigate the issue through lubrication only marginally improved the readings, confirming a deeper mechanical issue that required bearing replacement and alignment checks.
Sustained acceleration levels reached 4.2641 g on the motor drive end (X-axis), indicating a severe mechanical issue consistent with misalignment.
Peak-to-peak vibration exceeded alarm thresholds for several months, indicating severe misalignment, before repair work reduced amplitudes to stable, acceptable levels.
Responding to Waites' alert, the maintenance team promptly removed the affected motor and replaced it with a spare unit. Further inspection revealed additional damage to coupling shims, which the team also replaced, ensuring proper alignment. Waites' analysts remotely reviewed post-repair vibration data, confirming the resolution and enabling the facility to return the motor to reliable operation swiftly.