Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) Practice Exam

Does vibration monitoring effectively detect uniform impeller wear?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Only under certain conditions

4. It depends on the frequency used

The correct answer is: No

Vibration monitoring is primarily effective in detecting changes in the condition of rotating machinery and identifying faults such as misalignment, imbalance, and bearing failures. However, when it comes to uniform impeller wear, the detection becomes more complex. Uniform wear is characterized by a consistent degradation of the impeller surfaces that may not produce significant alterations in vibrational characteristics since the functionality of the impeller remains largely intact. In contrast, vibration analysis is designed to highlight abrupt changes in dynamic behavior, which may not be as pronounced in cases of gradual uniform wear. Therefore, standard vibration monitoring methods are less likely to indicate issues related to uniform wear effectively. In this scenario, other monitoring techniques, such as performance monitoring (measuring flow rates or efficiency) or visual inspections, are typically required to detect uniform wear more accurately. This illustrates that while vibration monitoring serves as a powerful tool for identifying certain types of mechanical issues, it does not adequately capture the subtleties involved in uniform impeller wear.