CPE Facility Operations & Maintenance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which predictive maintenance technique uses lubricant analysis to detect internal machine wear?
- Vibration analysis
- Thermography
- Oil analysis (Correct answer)
- Ultrasonic testing
Correct answer: Oil analysis
Oil analysis detects metallic particles and chemical changes in lubricant that indicate internal wear before failure occurs.
Question 2: A facility's HVAC system is experiencing high energy consumption. The FIRST diagnostic step should be to:
- Replace the compressor
- Check and replace air filters (Correct answer)
- Install a new thermostat
- Upgrade to a VFD on the fan motor
Correct answer: Check and replace air filters
Clogged air filters are the most common and easiest-to-fix cause of increased HVAC energy consumption.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure during maintenance?
- To track equipment repair costs
- To prevent accidental equipment energization during service (Correct answer)
- To schedule preventive maintenance intervals
- To document equipment failure history
Correct answer: To prevent accidental equipment energization during service
LOTO procedures ensure energy sources are isolated and cannot be re-energized while personnel are performing maintenance.
Question 4: A boiler's flue gas analysis shows high CO2 and low O2 levels. This indicates:
- Excess air in the combustion process
- Insufficient air causing incomplete combustion (Correct answer)
- Proper combustion efficiency
- Water contamination in the fuel
Correct answer: Insufficient air causing incomplete combustion
Low O2 in flue gas indicates insufficient combustion air, leading to incomplete combustion and potential CO formation.
Question 5: Which maintenance metric is defined as the average time between consecutive failures of a repairable system?
- MTTF (Mean Time to Failure)
- MTTR (Mean Time to Repair)
- MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) (Correct answer)
- OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
Correct answer: MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures)
MTBF measures the average operating time between failures of a repairable system, indicating reliability.
Question 6: In a compressed air system, which component is MOST responsible for reducing moisture-related equipment damage?
- Pressure regulator
- Air dryer (Correct answer)
- Pressure relief valve
- Flow control valve
Correct answer: Air dryer
Air dryers remove water vapor from compressed air, preventing corrosion, freezing, and contamination in pneumatic equipment.
Question 7: What does a high vibration reading in the axial direction of a rotating machine most commonly indicate?
- Unbalance
- Looseness
- Misalignment (Correct answer)
- Bearing wear
Correct answer: Misalignment
High axial vibration is a classic signature of shaft misalignment between coupled rotating components.
CPE Facility Operations & Maintenance 2
Which predictive maintenance technique uses lubricant analysis to detect internal machine wear?