Identifying the primary failure modes of the molten salt pump will help define the predictive maintenance program requirements needed to ensure a trouble-free system.
    All systems are different. An evaluation of the pump design used in the system, what the operational sequence is and the gen - eral site condition will define the failure modes. The major areas needing to be evaluated are the bare pump, coupling, motor, VFD drive, discharge assembly above the mounting plate, and the seal - ing area of the pump to the tank. Once failure modes for each of these areas are identified, a stocking program should be put into place so that spare parts are on-site to minimize repair time and lost production.
    It is important to evaluate each of these components for their ease of maintenance. One example on the bare pump is the thrust bearings. A well designed molten salt pump will permit the thrust bearings to be replaced without removing the hot pump to save many hours of lost production.