Any ideas

  Any ideas as to why a accumulator on the suction side of a pump would blow off the top half shearing 48 1/2" hardened  bolts off in the process. It happened while wireline was equalizing in preparation to making a run down the hole.

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2z248p19vqnh9Permalink Reply by 2z248p19vqnh9 on May 13, 2013 at 2:01am

Again, Jim, Alcoa (AA)...under O'Neill. *Encourage these guys TO read "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg - chapter #4 - concerning Alcoa...

Houston - we've got a problem...sound familiar?

PROBLEMS are NOT acceptable in THIS 'hi-tech' game endeavor...it should NEVER HAPPEN (read that chapter - AA surmounted 'the impossible'). It's NOT 'Mission Impossible'!

As one light lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness. It's NOT 'just about 'the paycheck' anymore, IS it?...it could end up being 'a life & or limb' UNNECESSARILY...and no one wants to hear of THAT happening, anywhere!

Permalink Reply by Tony Yurina on May 13, 2013 at 4:11am

Billy,

If a manual valve closure is part of the wire line process and resultant pumping delay, don't overlook an isolation valve that may have developed an issue.  The valve seats could be compromised and leaking from the HP to the LP side, when closed, if so, the amount of valve seat leakage (water volume) needed to back flow would be minimal to cause static pressure to rise significantly in a small isolated liquid system.  Ball valves are great, but they do have a life cycle and any particulates in the water may over time result in valve seat deterioration then lead to leakage.

I would scrutinize any valve that is a high use / cycle valve in the pumping units that experienced the two failures.

Do you know what type of valves are used on the pumping units to isolate the HP discharge side from the LP side?  Ball, Gate, Plug, Orbit, Hemi  or other designs?  The valves should have a Manufacturer and a figure number ID'ed on them.

Is there any thread o let or tee connection where a high pressure spring gauge can be installed to monitor the pressure on the LP side of the Discharge valve?

Does the Accumulator have a manufacturers pressure rating stamped, cast or tagged on the device?

I do not want to see anyone become injured or worse, or hear of any fatality in the industry.  I offer input to help prevent this possibility, however slim it may be.

Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on May 13, 2013 at 5:02am

 There is suction side monitoring data at each pump and transmitted to the data van pump operator (if you back up the thread you will see that radio communication indicated a pressure discrepancy before the accumulator blew)  if the transducer is working, in some cases inoperative transducers as their are no replacements on hand) but in this case with pressure discrepancy detected It would be my guess that the transducer was operative at that time. However numerous pressures are monitored so their is no knowledge that the individual pump in question was where the discrepancy took place.

For GG West Virginia that's all for now upon the location.

Permalink Reply by John OBrien, landowner advocate on May 13, 2013 at 5:58am

BPW,

I have stayed out of this thread, but here now are my thoughts.

If there is no PRV in the system (why wouldn't there be?), then it is a design flaw, period.  Not necessarily in the pump, but in the design of the system as a whole.

As for the bolts, I don't know well regs. but transmission regs. state the use of B7 studs, and design pressure of ten fold (even though hydrotest is only required to 1.5 times max design).  So, if the regs. are similar, and the bolts were factory, I doubt it was a bolt problem.

Just my two cents worth.  Be careful out there dude.

2z248p19vqnh9Permalink Reply by 2z248p19vqnh9 on May 13, 2013 at 6:51am

WELL, sounds like you're making headway through it all, Billy...that's good.

Here's the crazy side of this 'quickly & easily flipped coin'  (*turn of events?) - that these x2 situations???) will NOW invoke further safety investigations concerning these bolts - THAT you know is simply NOT right...and THAT has to make you WONDER about how SAFE everything else is...it's like telling a 'lie', they tend to snowball...OR go 'pop-pop-pop (x48) bolts that JUST SHOULDn't go 'POP'!!! Hmmm...YOU'LL soon see what happens...just watch & see...

...let's play a game, shall we - just made it up - it's called 'Thinking Outside the Box'...or 'SCENARIOS' the GAME, mind you or 'POSSIBLE SCENARIOS'. Pardon me, just working through this one.... Just give me a second to figure out where I put down that Jarlesburg cheese I was happily munching on...AND find a place for my banana's...oh, that's right - oh, yes...there are no bananas. James Burke Connections III #6 - Elementary Stuff - YouTube ... OK, let's get down to business. You can play thins game ALL in YOUR head - even while you're at WORK...

The 'box' are the 'facts according to your universe' - who you are, what you are, what you do, the choices you make...now here we go - gets to be like a 'PERSON MENTAL CHESS GAME'. IF you were where you were 5 minutes earlier (or later...) WHAT may have happened? *WHO (what IF your buddy Joe was still where he was only moments before...?), *WHAT IF things happened worse than what they DID? *WHEN...good thing no one left a wife, child, mother or other family members alone ON Mother's Day...Mother's Day's forever afterward would NEVER be 'the same', *WHERE were you at THAT VERY MOMENT (close enough it spun your head around?...hmmm), now HERE is 'the biggie'...

*WHY? - WHY-WHY-WHY did this happen. YOU can 'fill in a myriad of scenario's' to the 'who's, what's, when's, where's, why's'...thank GOD that you are NOT 'in China' - or else you potentially WOULD be living perpetually inside of a 'CHINESE DREAM' - gets interesting, doesn't it? *CAN you imagine what would happen IF you WERE 'in China' - I'll tell ya', it wouldn't be 'CALIFORNIA DREAMING' on ANY kind of day...but that's for YOU to sort through & make heads or tales of for yourself. Ask Jesse whoever just flew in from sunny California...California Dreaming on such a ...day.

YOU call your ball - you've only got ONE LIFE to live, Billy This Was Your Life - Chick Tract you may want to be sure of a few things in your life - FRACKING is not 'forever'...

As one light lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness.

As on   'life'  lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness.

...this little light of mine...God watch over you & bless you all...

Permalink Reply by Tony Yurina on May 13, 2013 at 8:38am

Billy, I think I would assume the suction pressure transducer that alarmed is indicative of the pressure source that caused the failure.  Until proven otherwise.

If I understand the header piping/pump/valving.......correctly...

If the suction valve was locked open, then any (reverse) back pressure / flow would naturally flow through the accumulator out the suction side into the water lines and dissipate.  Then there would likely be no build up of pressure in the accumulator unit accordingly if the pump discharge side was bled off according to procedure.

I sure sounds like a HP source back flowed through the pump to the accumulator... from the HP discharge source.

The addition of an over pressure relief valve suggested earlier would provide an additional measure of safety "IF" the RV was sized appropriately for the source volume and set at a pressure not to exceed the accumulator unit MWP.   The RV discharge would have to be directed to a safe level and direction away from any potential worker.  

It appears that a short written step by step procedure if followed would alleviate the inappropriate timing / closure of the suction valve until after the pump discharge HP was reduced to a safe level. 

I sure hope no one gets hurt until corrective actions are taken. 

   

Permalink Reply by farmgas on May 13, 2013 at 2:39pm

OK, here is my 2 cents...an accumulator is needed to accumulate liquid with pressure to fill the cylinder on the suction stroke of a positive displacement pump.   It ensures fluid being available to fill the cylinder on the fill stroke.   Since this is the low pressure side of the pump, high pressure can only result if fluid is being pumped to the suction side as in staging pumps or if a pressure relief valve located somewhere in the discharge side piping  of the pump is relieving pressure back into the suction side of the pump causing high pressure at the accumulator.  Is the PRV by-pass line piped directly to the accumulator position or back into the suction side storage tank?  Is there a rubber bladder in the suction side accumulator?  Is it ruptured?  Call Gardner-Denver...they will have the answers for you.

Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on May 13, 2013 at 3:25pm

Rubber bladder was intact.  Think I'll give Gardner Denver a call, thanks for that idea.

2z248p19vqnh9Permalink Reply by 2z248p19vqnh9 on May 21, 2013 at 2:03pm

Get 'er solved, Billy? just askin' - hope so. Blessings to you & yours (and 'your crew'...).

As one light lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness.

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