An engine driven compressor was mounted on a steel skid and secured to a concrete inertia base. An excessive and unexplained vibration was noted near the coupling between the engine and compressor. In 2018, GES Tech Group was retained to investigate the field vibration data and computer modeling done by others and employed in the design of the mounting skid. A much more accurate computer model generated using the Autodesk Mechanical Event Simulation suite of programs revealed a fundamental design error in the supporting skid. The exceptionally large unbalanced couple generated by the compressor (33,000 ft-lbs), had not been considered in the original design. This resulted in an unusual resonance enhanced vibration spectrum and distress in the engine mounts.
