Mechanical Engineering Failures;

The Role of Design Reliability

Abdulrahman Alkhowaiter, Saudi Aramco April 24, 2018

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

 Mechanical Engineering Failures: Reliability
Engineering Principles-1
• The majority of machinery have not been
designed for high reliability as a design objective
and users must separate good designs from bad.
• Failure Mode Avoidance: Improve machinery
reliability by utilizing plant experience with past
failures. In our companies consulting services
department, we are exposed to machinery
failures from 200 facilities.
• Improving reliability by integration and reducing
parts count on non-redundant components.
• Improving reliability by selecting the highest
possible reliability in component design. For
example, mandating Non-lubricated couplings.
• Improving reliability by implementing design
changes in parts to resist common failure modes.
• Improving the environment and process that the
machine is exposed to by system design.
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 Mechanical Engineering Failures: Reliability
Engineering Principles-2
• Failure Versus Operating Time Chart.
• Conventional reliability analysis is based
upon theoretical principles which do not
necessarily pave a path forward for the
reliability professional.
• This chart holds true for random failures.
But does not explain how to extend life by
500% for example.
• Detail analysis of all machinery failure
modes is absolutely necessary to uncover
the roots of failure.
• Weibull Analysis is a statistical method
that has no ability to explain the expected
reliability of untested components. It is an
after the fact indicator.
• The Mathematical Reliability law: R [total]
= R1 x R2 x R3 x R4………is invaluable.
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 The Swiss Cheese Model Is Applied To Machinery
Reliability & Design
• Notice that First Blockage to Failure is In
Design of Machine & Standards. If the first
and second Cheese have zero holes; can
failures occur?
• The answer is no unless extremely harsh or
abusive operation and maintenance is
applied.
• Notice that inherent resistance to
operational and maintenance deficiencies
can be implemented through improved
standards.
• Root Cause Analysis leads to finding various
failure modes and roots of failures.
• Next step is to develop Root Cause
solutions applied in Standards-Design to
increase reliability. This is not an easy task.
• Must understand design, failure analysis,
reliability, and study industry wide failures.
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 Mechanical Engineering Failures: The Role of Design
In Machinery Reliability
• Example of 15 MW High pressure
Water Injection Pump 3600 RPM.
• How can such machine’s reliability
be increased at Design stage?
• The first step is to study
numerous failure incidents of
similar pumps at your facilities &
Worldwide. Analyze: Materials,
Shaft Stiffness, Fluid Dynamics,
Impeller Manufacturing Process,
Bearings, Couplings, Vibration
Sources, Rubbing & Wear Sources.
Fit tolerances.
• Then Root Cause Analysis is
applied. Should not only focus on
failures but also the full
maintenance experienced. The
goal should be 100% reliability or
zero maintenance.
• Manufacturer design must be
reviewed during bidding stage.

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 Real World Case Histories: Reciprocating Gas
Compressors Reliability Improvement Methodology
• The author revised the Saudi Aramco
Reciprocating Gas Compressor standard in
2003 & 2006 to achieve high reliability. It is
based upon API-618.
• Revision relied on comprehensive inhouse
study of reciprocating compressor failures at
Saudi Aramco & Worldwide.
• Machinery Failure modes were designed out
of standard. Additional Reliability
enhancements were added such as Design
of valves, Piston rod materials-hardening,
piston rod to crosshead connection, reduced
Discharge Temperature limits, Solenoid
ratings, Cooling system materials. Online
vibration system is required above 750 KW.
• The manufacturer’s modern improved
designs after year 2005 also contribute to
higher reliability.
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 Detail Analysis of High Stress Points, High Wear Points,
Frequent Failure Components
• Tools for Reliability: Cross
section drawings are an
invaluable tool to make
mechanical engineering
analysis of machinery to
study how to improve
reliability.
• Machinery Failure Modes:
Should be written down,
listing all experienced failure
mechanisms.
• Manufacturer Design: We
are indebted to the
compressor designers who
have improved crankshaft,
bearings designs, piston
designs, connecting rods,
materials, control devices.
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 Unexpected Success: Reciprocating Gas Compressors
Operate Without Failure For MTBF of Eight Years
• Reliability improvement: 1000%.
• Yanbu Refinery V-05-K001 A,B,C DHT H2 NP
Make-Up Compressors: Three stage, Three
cylinders designed to 31-SAMSS-003 Year 2003
Edition. Motor rated 3500 KW. 3 x 50% units.
Gas is mostly Hydrogen. Discharge 100 Bar.
• Installed late 2006 and operated to 2016
without any failures or new spare parts on two
machines. In 2016 a lubricator injector failed on
st
the K-001A machine 1 stage; liner damaged.
• Manufacturing Defect: Third machine
experienced damage on K-001C first stage
cylinder liner in 2012; liner had insufficient
shrink, rotated and blocked oil lubrication hole.
No other failures. Zero valve failures.
• Yanbu Refinery V-11-K106 A,B NEA 650 KW 2-
Stage H2 Make-Up units installed 2006. MTBF is
6.0 years on A machine & 10.0 on B machine.
The A had packing gland and coupling failure.
• High reliability also attributed to non-design
factors such as High Quality Installation,
Maintenance Lubrication, and no foreign
object damage liquid-solid from process piping.
Saudi Aramco: Company General Use
 A Failure of Design & Maintenance: Boiler 2000 HP FD
Fan Steam Turbine Overspeed Incident 2001
• The turbine was installed in 1983. The
overspeed control system uses both
conventional mechanical trip and a single
electric trip solenoid triggered by speed probe.
Speed Governor is shaft mounted hydraulic.
• During maintenance event in year 2001, the
mechanical overspeed lever was either not
latched, or the spring loaded button would not
trip due to binding inside shaft.
• The electronic trip solenoid was tested but
speed signal from speed probe was faulty.
Speed probe was installed incorrectly.
• Operation division decided that they needed
the FD fan so no time to make further repairs.
One hour after startup, the turbine lost control
and over speeded. Turbine and Gearbox flew
off foundation!!
• Majority of GP turbines do not have a high
reliability trip system.
• GP turbines worldwide are high maintenance
machinery with typical MTBF of 6 to 9 Months.
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 Major Revision of 32-SAMSS-009 General Purpose
Turbines Standard Using Reliability Principles In 2009
Earlier Standards Before 2003 Revised 2009

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 Reliability Achievement: Eight New Yasref GP Turbines
Purchased in 2010 Operate 4.0 Years With Zero Failure
• Reliability Improvement is 800% so far.
• The biggest offender is steam leaks from the shaft
carbon rings, and the resulting bearing
contamination and damage. Standard changed to
require mechanical face seals of wavy face design.
• The next offender is the unreliable mechanical trip
mechanisms, levers, springs, trip valves. These are
mandated out; the standard requires an electronic
overspeed trip system with a pneumatic loaded trip
valve, globe type with SS internals. Also dual fail
safe solenoid air trip valves.
• Full Stainless Steel GP lube Oil System required
above 1000 HP. Circulating Oil Systems prohibited.
• Mandatory Shaft coupling spacers of 12.0 Inch
length with 2.0 design factor reduce misalignment.
• High reliability is also attributed to non-design
factors such as high quality Installation, Lubrication.

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

 Reliability Improvement by Soft Couplings: Think of
Solid, Dry Flexible Metal, and Extremely Flexible
• Normal couplings transfer alternating
misalignment forces to pump shaft. Also if
motor driven, a very high startup inertial
shock occurs to M-Seals.
• If a Fluid or Magnetic coupling coupling is
used, then pump bearings & mechanical
seal maintenance is reduced by 50% to
75% on both driver and driven machine.
• Saudi Aramco is beginning to install such
couplings primarily on non hazardous
pump services and fans.
• The magnetic couplings are two types,
fixed or variable speed. Both use
permanent magnets with no windings.
• No precision alignment is needed: Only
using a metal ruler.
• Manufacturer sizes : 5 to 2000 KW.
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 Fan Drive Reliability Improvement by Eliminating
Mechanical Components: The Integral Design Principle
• Fan Drivetrain Reliability improvement at
user sites is 400%.
• We are commissioning first units in 2019.
• Integral Design improves reliability
automatically. This means part or
component integration. With low speed
direct drive motors: No gearboxes, shaft
couplings, alignment, or oil lubrication is
needed.
• Direct Drive Low Speed fan motors operate
at fan speed utilizing VFD control.
• Drivetrain MTBF is recorded as 7.0 years
compared to 2.0 for conventional. Total
maintenance cost is reduced by 75%.
• Motors are designed waterproof, suitable
for cooling towers or process heat
exchangers as forced draft fans. Bearings
are greased type.
• Revise fan standards to require direct drive
motors without gearboxes or belt drive.

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

 We Can Always Fix It: Reliability is Cheap While
Disasters are Expensive
• The Sayano Shushenskaya Power
Plant Disaster in Russia year 2009. The
Hydroelectric plant total loss was
caused by a single 660 MW failing unit
out of ten. Heavy vibration broke the
machine from its foundations.
• The cost of failure was over USD 4.0
Billion due to massive power station
damage and loss of electrical power
production.
• Failure Mode Avoidance: The apparent
root cause of failure was high vibration
severity. The deeper root causes were:
Quality control in manufacturing, lack
of design optimization to resist
vibration, lack of optimum
maintenance, and low technical staff
capabilities.
Saudi Aramco: Company General Use
 Mechanical Engineering Failures;
The Role of Design Reliability

Old Does Not Mean

Unreliable
Design……Fordson
Model N of 1934

Thank You
Any Questions?

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use