A Pump FMEA Approach to Improve Reliability Centered Maintenance Procedure: The Case of Centrifugal Pumps in Onshore Industry

In the reliability centered maintenance (RCM) methodology, the reliability estimates of the system are used to provide a cost-effective & satisfactory maintenance schedule. In this paper, a new framework for improvement of the RCM procedure based on the failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is developed. In order to achieve the objective, first based on the OREDA handbook classification the critical failure modes of centrifugal pumps & causes of these failures are identified. Then through the FMEA, the interactive impacts of these failure causes on both hydraulic & mechanical operating parameters of the centrifugal pumps (e.g. flow rate, discharge pressure, vibration) are indicated in linguistic variables. Next, based on the obtained failure information, the linguistic rules for failure diagnosis are extracted, and moreover based on the failure analysis the maintenance intervals are determined. The ability of the proposed approach to identify and classify faults, which result in correct and timely diagnosis, will increase the reliability of the system by maximizing the equipment availability, and consequently the system performance is improved.