Flow Induced Vibration (FIV) Studies

The potential for Flow Induced Vibration (FIV) is a key consideration when optimising plant design for projected process operating conditions.

FIV studies are used for both design validation on new designs as well as for evaluating the capability of existing plant to operate beyond its initial design capacity.

Typical problem areas

• Piping and small bore fitting failures
• Cracking in super heaters and boilers
• Cracking in shell and tube heat exchangers
• Pressure vessel failures in separation processes
• Centrifugal pumps and compressors
• Positive displacement (reciprocating) pumps
• Vibration and failure of suction line strainers
• Two-phase flow exciting piping and small bore fittings
• Thermowell failures

Our Expertise

SVT combines specialist capabilities in the areas of vibration, dynamic stress, pulsation, Finite Element Analysis and modal analysis, transient fluid analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics, fatigue and fracture mechanics - to identify and resolve flow induced vibration problems.

Field testing techniques include:
• Narrow-band noise and vibration testing
• Waterfall spectral analysis
• Time-domain analysis of non-synchronous vibration signatures
• Simultaneous monitoring of vibration, dynamic pressure, temperature, noise and process pressure
• Dynamic strain and stress measurements