Abstract
The paper presents an analytical assessment of vibration isolation of centrifugal pump units installed on foundations using polyurethane elastomer damping plates. The proposed approach models the pump-foundation system as a single-degree-of-freedom oscillatory structure with a series connection of the foundation stiffness and the elastomer plate stiffness. The analysis demonstrates that the application of the damping plate shifts the system out of the resonance region and reduces the transmitted dynamic load to the foundation by up to 5.4 times under under-loaded flow conditions. The strengths of the study lie in its transparent analytical formulation and engineering applicability at the preliminary design stage. The main limitation of the model is that it does not explicitly account for complex three-dimensional geometry and local structural modes, and therefore requires further experimental and FEM-based validation under realistic layouts. Nevertheless, the obtained results provide a reproducible engineering methodology for the selection of damping plates to improve pump vibration reliability and compliance with ISO 10816-based vibration limits.