Extreme thermal piping displacements were thought to be the root cause for the observed failures at a large refinery, namely 9 mechanical seal failures in 3 months. Optical Metrology methods were used to identify failure modes of critical service vacuum bottoms pumps. The testing involved the use of both photogrammetry and digital image correlation to show how the large thermal displacements of the piping contributed to the mechanical seal failures. A high speed optical metrology rotodynamic study was also performed to observe the effects of the piping displacements on the operation of the pump.

Dale is an accomplished Technical Manager with a diverse background in a variety of disciplines that include 10 years in nuclear power generation, 15 years in petroleum refining, and 5 years in fine chemical production. He is technically proficient in the installation, operation, and maintenance of a diverse selection of both fixed and rotating equipment and has proven track record in equipment reliability, maintenance optimization, and utility efficiency enhancement projects. Currently Dale is the Manager, Technical Solutions for the Tier 1 Reliability Team within the Flowserve Services and Solutions group. He concentrates in providing value to clients through comprehensive field reliability audits and by resolving critical and/or complex system problems through the execution of technically challenging and unique field assessments. Dale has had a lead role in the development and application of Flowserve’s IPS Wireless Technology . He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and specialized in direct energy conversion processes.

DJ is a disciplined Applications Engineer specializing in the use of digital image correlation to solve complex problems in the Aerospace, automotive, power, and oil refining industries. He focuses on collecting data in support of customer need for complex analytics. Routinely works to resolve production concerns to validate design in real life field scenarios. He has developed testing methods for long term structural monitoring. DJ holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a concentration in nano-technology from Shippensburg University.