2024 Symposium Presentations

Presentations for the 2024 Calgary Pump Symposium are set! Thanks to all who submitted presentation abstracts through our website, we appreciate the time and effort that went in to each and every one of them!

The FREE Symposium Presentation day of the Calgary Pump Symposium will be held on May 10th, 2024 at the Carriage House Inn.

Please REGISTER NOW to attend the event, and be sure to check out the details of the free Trade Show which happens from 11:00am till 1:00pm on the same day. The final schedule will be posted closer to the event.

The 2024 Symposium presentations are as follows:

Group 1 - End-User

Asset Health Monitoring - An End User's Perspective

Pump Several Shaft Fatigue Failures Case Study on a OH2 6x8x28 HR

Comparison Between Contacting Wet and Dry Gas Seals for Natural Gas Liquids NGL Pipeline Pump Service

Case Studies in Motion Amplification

Group 2 - Design

Evaluating Reciprocating Pump Valve Operation to Solve Piping Vibration

Use of Broadband Wire Rope Isolators / Mass Dampers in Vertically Suspended Pumps - Structural Resonance Prediction, Prevention and Mitigation

Considerations in Design and Operation of API 682 Piping Plan 53B

Slurry Pump IIoT and Automation

Group 3 - Projects

Another Case of Gas Charged Dampeners Not Controlling Pressure Pulsations

LDAR 2026: Navigating Compliance and Meeting Underwriter Demands with Mechanical Seals

Understanding the Risks of Improper Pump installation. Ensuring Efficiency, Safety, and Longevity

Update on the Unusual Challenges with Minimum Thermal Flow in Centrifugal Pumps

Group 1 - End-User

Description:

The following presentations are geared towards professionals working at owner/operator companies or as an end-user of rotating equipment.

Group 1 - End User

Asset Health Monitoring:
An End User's Perspective

Pembina has recently launched an initiative to maximize the value of its operating installed base (> 1200 pipeline pumps) through development and progression of real time fleet management, KPI Dashboarding, Issue identification & Case study resolution.

Presenter:

Chris Hobbs

Sr. Staff Rotating Equipment Engineer, Pembina Pipelines

Chris Hobbs is a Sr Rotating Equipment Specialist with Pembina Pipeline and has over 22 years experience in the energy transportation and petrochemical refining industries. He specializes in maintenance program development, asset troubleshooting and reliability as well as the application and diagnostics of condition monitoring programs and technologies.

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Comparison Between Contacting Wet and Dry Gas Seals for Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Pipeline Pump Service

Recent incident reports and studies of pipeline equipment indicate that pump seal performance is likely at the root of a significant increase in releases to the environment. Although these releases are small compared to a breach in a pipeline, they are of great concern to pipeline companies.

Within this paper we discuss the general design aspects for two different sealing technologies, in particular the leakage and friction behavior in NGL services. The impact of critical operating parameters like vapor pressure and temperature margin, flush flow rates, solids handling, axial shaft shuttling is assessed.

Presenter:

Andreas Pehl

Senior Expert Application Engineer for Mechanical Seals, EagleBurgmann Germany

Andreas Pehl is Senior Expert Application Engineer for Mechanical Seals. He joined EagleBurgmann Germany in 2010. His responsibilities include sales support, application engineering, and project fulfillment. He covers the upstream, midstream and downstream in Oil and Gas, the Petrochemical and Chemical market, in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2004 he completed a 3-year apprenticeship in mechatronics. In 2010 he got a Diploma in Industrial Engineering at the Munich University of Applied Sciences and holds a Pump Engineer Graduation from the University of Berlin (Germany)/Graz (Austria).

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Pump Several Shaft Fatigue Failures:
Case Study on an OH2 6x8x28 HR

This case study is about a motor driven centrifugal OH2 type pump that suddenly started to experience repeating shaft failure almost 4 years following its commissioning. We will present the systematic approach that we took to identify and understand this failure mode from a pump operation and mechanical perspective. The result of a metallurgical failure analysis of this cracked shaft will be presented, RCA and a FEA as well. We will discuss the modifications that have been implemented and how the asset is performing since then. Solving this type of complex problem is seldomly a straight line and I want to share this unique experience with our lessons learn to help another pump end user to understand their assets and how each detail is important.

Presenters:

Alexandre Gauthier

Rotating Equipment Engineer, Suncor

Alexandre Gauthier has been working in the oil and gas industry since 2005. Along his journey, he gets specialized and developed a strong expertise in rotating equipment’s health condition monitoring, advanced vibration analysis, troubleshooting and assets repair. He is currently working at Suncor Energy in a centralized Remote Assets Monitoring team as a Senior Rotating Equipment engineer. He graduated from Sherbrooke University in 2005 with a mechanical engineering degree. He is registered as a professional engineer with APEGA and OIQ. He is also a CMVA member since 2009 and holds an Expert Vibration Analyst Category 4 certificate with Mobius Institute, since January 2021.

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Case Studies in Motion Amplification

This presentation dives into the practical applications of motion amplification through compelling case studies, focusing on troubleshooting vibrations in rotating equipment, their structures, and piping systems. Local examples across diverse scenarios illustrate the versatility of this technology. Attendees will gain insight into the types of applications where this technology excels and discover how it complements traditional methods.

Presenters:

Austin Hunter

Reliability Engineering Lead, Westpower Group

Austin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of British Columbia. He joined Westpower as an EIT working as a project manager in the repair center, and has spent over 7 years in roles of increasing responsibility with the company. Now the Operations Lead for Westpower’s Reliability team, Austin has been leading a team to provide rotating equipment troubleshooting services, and condition monitoring program implementations with our customers.

Josh Begin

Commercial Lead - Reliability Engineering, Westpower Group

Josh is a mechanical and mechatronics engineering graduate from the University of British Columbia. With experience in process control systems, manufacturing, and environmental services, he joined Westpower as an EIT in 2016 and has held diverse roles within the company. Now as the Commercial Lead for Westpower’s Reliability team, his charge is to help sites find ways to improve reliability of operating equipment, using the best products, services, and technology available.

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Group 2 - Design

Description:

The following presentations are geared towards professionals working in the design department, or interested in the specifics of rotating equipment and their accessories.

Evaluating Reciprocating Pump Valve Operation to Solve Piping Vibration

Reciprocating pumps (comprising of piston, plunger and diaphragm pumps) are commonly used pumps in industrial process. These type of positive displacement pumps achieve high discharge pressure while providing a nearly constant flow rate over a wide range of pressure and fluid viscosity. The reciprocating motion of the piston, plunger or membrane acting in combination with the check valve in the pump fluid end on the suction and discharge (pump valves) create the high-pressure delivery of fluid by the pump. Proper operation of the pump valves is key to the reciprocating pump meeting the application requirements.

Presenter:

Nathan Cameron

Design Engineer, Wood

Nathan graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2012. He has been a professional member of APEGA since 2016. Nathan is a Design Engineer with Wood’s vibration, dynamics and noise team (formerly BETA Machinery Analysis) since 2018. His experience includes acoustical simulations for reciprocating compressors and reciprocating pumps. Prior to joining Wood, Nathan worked as a Project Engineer and Applications Engineer with a compressor packager where he gained experience in reciprocating compressor performance, package design and field troubleshooting.

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Considerations in Design and Operation of API 682 Piping Plan 53B

API 682 first introduced the Plan 53B type support system in the second edition of the standard in 2002 and even though it has been in use for over 20 years, the Plan 53B system is not well understood throughout the industry. While the components and concept of pressurization are not complex, the methods of operation, monitoring, and maintenance can be complicated, particularly related to the impact of ambient temperature on the bladder pressure.

Presenters:

Mike Rusthoven

Technical Sealing Specialist, Flowserve Corp.

Michael is an Aftermarket Support Engineer with Flowserve Corporation. He began his career with AlliedSignal Aerospace (now Honeywell) providing technical engineering support for design, manufacturing, and test development of aerospace fuel control systems. He has over 28 years of experience working with design management, sealing solutions, mechanical seal design and applications, sealing systems, and technical training. Mr. Rusthoven earned his BSME from Purdue University.

TJ Abbott-Gobeil

Technical Sealing Solutions Engineer, Flowserve

TJ Abbott-Gobeil began his career in 2014 after completing his diploma in Mechanical Engineering Technology from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton, AB. TJ has held positions in Application Selection, On-Site Mechanical Seal Reliability, and Advanced Technical Solutions within Flowserve. TJ currently supports a wide customer base within Canadian territory including, but not limited to: bad actor resolution, investigation into advanced technical inquiries, seal selection for unique applications, and custom seal design.

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Use of Broadband Wire Rope Isolators / Mass Dampers in Vertically Suspended Pumps
Structural Resonance Predictions, Prevention and Mitigation

Vertically suspended pumps are used in many industries in a wide range of applications. Their typically slender design make them subject to structural resonance and amplified vibration levels.

Presenters:

Thomas Kaiser

Supervisor Design Analysis, Sulzer Flow Equipment

Bio is TBD.

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Slurry Pump IIoT and Automation

As the device that adds energy to the pipeline system, slurry pumps often see accelerated wear rates and frequently determine the process maintenance cycle. Tracking and optimizing pump wear performance becomes a critical activity for the Reliability Engineer. Unfortunately, the most important wear parts are not easily accessed between inspections and operators often “run blind” for long periods of time. This leads to the under-utilization of parts through conservative replacement practices, and to occasional, unexpected failures and downtime when conditions change.

Presenter:

Robert Visintainer

VP Engineering and Research & Development, GIW Industries

Robert has worked in the design, testing, sales and manufacture of centrifugal pumps since 1981, with special focus on slurry pump hydraulic and mechanical design. He currently serves as V.P. of Engineering and R&D for GIW Industries, Inc., a world leader in slurry pump and solids transport technology, with responsibility for product design, materials development, and GIW’s unique Slurry Hydraulic Test Lab.

Robert has contributed to many developments and innovations in slurry pump design and wear prediction technology, takes an active role in GIW’s industry leading Technical Training Program, and contributes to scientific conferences, journal papers and short courses on a regular basis. An honors graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, he holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics.

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Group 3 - Projects

The presentations below are geared towards the spectrum of projects in Western Canada's Oil & Gas industry.

Group 3 - Projects

Another Case of Gas Charged Dampeners Not Controlling Pressure Pulsations

Pressure pulsation generated by reciprocating pumps can generate high shaking forces that put the pump system at risk of vibration and fatigue failures. Piping designers are often unaware of the specific requirements for fatigue and vibration control in a vibratory service such as piping in a reciprocating pump installation

Presenter:

Kelly Eberle

Principal Consultant, Wood

Kelly is a Principal Consultant with Wood’s vibration, dynamics and noise team (formerly BETA Machinery Analysis) since 1988. Kelly graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1986. He has been a professional member of APEGA since 1991. Kelly has accumulated a wide range of design and field experience, particularly in the area of pressure pulsation analysis and mechanical analysis of reciprocating compressor and pump installations. The scope of his design experience includes acoustical simulations, thermal flexibility studies, dynamic finite element analysis, structural analysis and foundation analysis.

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Understanding the Risks of Improper Pump Installation
Ensuring Efficiency, Safety, and Longevity

Improper pump installations can lead to various operational and safety hazards as well as lost productivity. Alternatively, proper installation of industrial pumps is crucial for several reasons including performance, efficiency, and reliability of a facilities pumping system and potential revenue stream.

Presenter:

Eric Smith

Field Manager, Vibe.FX

Born and raised in North Central Alberta, Eric spent his youth learning the importance of hard work and communication while traveling abroad on missions to provide support to underprivileged and impoverished communities. After graduating high school, Eric made the decision to pursue the Industrial Mechanic (millwright) trade while working at Weatherford Amscot at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology where he achieved his Journeyman certification in 2017. In 2018 Eric joined Vibe.FX full time where he was eventually promoted to the role of Field Manager while also obtaining his certification as a Vibration Analyst Category 2. As a millwright and vibration analyst, Eric has learned the importance of properly installing a facility’s valuable rotating assets and is happy to share this informatoon with industry professionals and colleagues alike.

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LDAR 2026: Navigating Compliance and Meeting Underwriter Demands with Mechanical Seals

Regulatory requirement for VOC reduction has been in force in the USA for several decades. In Canada best in class users have voluntarily adopted similar practices.

Both American and European case studies for applications where technology has been applied to legacy pump with minimal intervention will be presented. Case studies of large fleets of legacy pumps that have been upgraded to dual seals will be presented. Some of these fleets have seen little or no improvement in MTBR. Whereas some now enjoy best in class reliability.

Presenter:

Richard J Smith

Technical Director (Oil & Gas) & API 682 Task Force Member, AESSEAL

Richard Smith trained as design engineer with the Ford Motor Company working in both production and product development. For the last 38 years Richard’s has focussed on sealing technology. Joining AESSEAL in 1989, Richard and has worked within the application engineering of sealing technology. Richard became a Director of AESSEAL in 1998 and for the past 19 years has been at the company’s forefront of the Oil Gas and Petrochemical industry sectors being involved with the development of products for both upstream and downstream applications. Richard is currently AESSEAL’s representative on the API 682 Task Force. Richard has had many papers published at international rotating machinery events and numerous articles published in international journals. These have mainly been on the practical application of mechanical seal technology in Industry. Richard is 61 years old, lives near London England.

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Update on the Unusual Challenges with Minimum Thermal Flow in Centrifugal Pumps

This is an update to the 2019 Calgary Pump Symposium Paper which addresses when and why minimum thermal flow (MTF) is an issue in centrifugal pump. The focus of this update is to provide an additional robust method for calculating a pump’s MTF. In the 2019 paper, the method for calculating MTF is derived from several equations taken directly from Hydraulic Institute (HI) 1.3-2013. This new method uses the vapor pressure curve of the fluid combined with known fluid properties such as the inlet temperature and flow rate to determine the MTF for the pump.

Presenter:

David Skinner

Chief Engineer, ITT / Goulds Pumps

Senior Chief Engineer for ITT Goulds Pumps responsible for hydraulic design and multistage barrel pumps. David has 26 years of experience in pump design, manufacturing, testing, and troubleshooting. In addition, he possesses a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University at Buffalo. David is an active member with Hydraulic Institute (HI) representing ITT Goulds Pumps in the development and revision of standards and guidelines. He currently serves as the chair for HI 9.6.4 Rotodynamic Pumps for Vibration Measurements and Allowable Values.

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CALGARY PUMP SYMPOSIUM

2024 Symposium Presentations

Group 1 - End-User

Group 2 - Design

Group 3 - Projects

Group 1​ - End-User

​

Description:

Asset Health Monitoring: An End User's Perspective

Group 2 - Design

​

Description:

Evaluating Reciprocating Pump Valve Operation to Solve Piping Vibration

Group 3 - Projects

​

​

Another Case of Gas Charged Dampeners Not Controlling Pressure Pulsations

Group 1 - End-User

Asset Health Monitoring:
An End User's Perspective