Root Cause Analysis
AI-assisted RCA grounded in failure history, SOPs, and survey data.
RCA-2026-014 · Asset P-101
Pump P-101 recurring mechanical seal failure
Pump P-101 has experienced three mechanical seal failures in 14 months, the most recent causing 14 hours of unplanned downtime on the crude charge train.
Event Timeline
2025-03-27
Seal weep observed, faces replaced
2025-11-02
High vibration trip, coupling realigned
2026-05-18
Full seal failure, 14h downtime
5 Whys
- 1Why did the pump trip? — Mechanical seal failed and leaked.
- 2Why did the seal fail? — Seal faces overheated and lost lubrication.
- 3Why did faces overheat? — Flush flow was insufficient.
- 4Why was flush flow insufficient? — Flush line orifice was fouled.
- 5Why was the orifice fouled? — No strainer / quench on a fouling-prone service.
Identified Root Cause
Inadequate seal flush design for a fouling-prone service: API Plan 11 alone cannot maintain flush flow once the orifice fouls.
Recommended Actions
| Action | Owner | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Add API Plan 62 external quench | Reliability Eng. | high |
| Install flush line strainer with DP monitoring | Maintenance | high |
| Re-baseline vibration after next seal change | Condition Monitoring | medium |