An IoT vibration sensor enables users to monitor the condition of equipment on a

continuous basis. The key data provided from the vibration sensors at the wellhead

of a Smart Water system allows operators and analysts to identify trends and

abnormalities, and then take corrective action if equipment repair is indicated.

The monitoring process helps by pre-empting unscheduled equipment failure and costly system downtime and repairs.

Vibration sensors provide key data such as machine temperature, acceleration, frequencies, velocity and displacement. Vibration Severity Charts, for example, plot vibration frequency vs acceleration, velocity and displacement as well as the acceptable operating ranges. The metrics allow the analyst to uncover the causes of change in vibration trends, including misalignment in rotating shafts; loose bearings and connections; equipment imbalance; and worn bearings from heavy use, insufficient lubrication or poor installation. 

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Thus, for example, you may check changes in vibration frequency as a useful indicator of the source of the problem. Low frequency vibration is associated with imbalance, misalignment and loose bearings; mid frequency vibration points to pumps and blades; high frequency vibration suggests rotor blades and gears; and very high frequency is associated with bearings, lubrication and pump cavitation. Once the pump starts to fail, problems cascade quickly to water production failure.

The collection and analysis of this data enables machine learning of trends in your well environment, pattern recognition, and early corrective action to forestall systemic failure. The UAM Smart Water system provides a dashboard that alerts users to changes in system health, time series and analytics to help diagnose the source and the scope of problems. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let us turn to a real example to illustrate the value added by continuous vibration monitoring. The graph below shows the changes in displacement (inches per second) of an irrigation district’s water well motor over 5 consecutive weeks. 
High levels of motor pump vibration - associated with poor installation of a new well pump in November the previous year - became evident but corrective action was delayed. The delay resulted in pump failure, costly repairs and downtime over 2 weeks - valued at over $21,000 - that could have been avoided. After a first round of repairs, the vibration plot informed the well owners that the first stab at corrective action was not complete, and a second correction action was needed.

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To learn more about how you can improve your water system’s performance, please visit us at www.uamllc and book a demonstration of our Smart Water Solutions.

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