Pumps and compressors

Pumps and compressors suffer from the same faults as fans, the main ones being imbalance, incorrect alignment, bearing faults and looseness. However, pumps and compressors may also be subject to specific fault patterns such as cavitation and turbulence.

Cavitation

Cavitation occurs if the suction pressure becomes too low. What happens is that if the fluid pressure in the pump is lower than the vapour pressure at a given temperature, part of the fluid turns into vapour bubbles. If the pressure rises, the vapour bubbles will burst with great force. This is called cavitation and is very damaging to the pump and impeller. Cavitation can be difficult to hear in large factory plants due to ambient noise, but by measuring vibrations, we can listen to the pump.