Bearings failure

The most common maintenance problem with centrifugal pumps is with the seals. Mechanical seal problems account for most of the pump repairs in a chemical plant, with bearing failures a distant second. The absence of an external motor (on canned pumps) and a seal is appeahng to those experienced with mechanical seal pumps. 

Pump is operated Match pump capacity to the service at a fraction of, Install minimum flow recirculation line to heat capacity. Possihil- ensure adequate cooling of the pump ities of excessive internal interlock to shutdown pump on mini-recirculation, fre- indication quent seal and Implement procedural controls to avoid operat-bearing failure ing at too low a flow resulting in loss of, Provide deadhead protection containment. CCPS G-23 CCPS G-29... 

In the third e.vample, the line terminates at 53%. This means DO NOT run this pump at less than 53% of the BEP. 53% of 4500 gpm is 2385 gpm. Because this is a firewater pump and because firemen need to throttle the nozzles on their fire hoses, then we need to install a pressure relief valve on this system with a discharge bypass line so that the pump dumps the restricted water (less than 2400 gpm) back into the suction tank or lake. If not, this firewater pump is likely to suffer bearing failure during an emergency. 

Pump operators and pumping systems are plagued by unexpected premature bearing failures. Even if the cost of the bearing is small, the... 

Among the most common causes of premature bearing failure are the following ... 

EiTatic high-frequency vibration amplitude and possibly an audible sound. Rotor mb Labyrinth mbs generally self-comect Disc mbs due to thrust bearing failure often self-comect temporarily through wean steel on steel shrill noise during wear Rotor deflection is critical speed... 

The axial transducers should have one probe sensing the shaft itself within 12 inches (305 mm) of the active surface of the thrust collar with the other probe sensing the machined surface of the thrust collar. The probes should be mounted facing in opposite directions. Temperature probes embedded in the bearings are often more useful in preventing thrust-bearing failures than... 

Most hydrocarbon gases are more soluble in cold oil than in hot oil and may lower the viscosity to a dangerous level. The problems of thrust-bearing failures during startup due to low-viscosity oil can be eliminated by equipping the reservoir with oil heaters to raise the oil to the normal operating temperatures before starting the machine. 

Bearing failure. The symptoms of bearing problems for a turbine are the same as for a eompressor. 

Bearing failures are one of the major eauses of failures in turbomaehinery. The ehanging of various types of radial bearings from eylindrieal and/or... 

Cleaning also prevents failures due to abnormal operating modes. Fouling of the rotor blades on turbines can cause thrust-bearing failures. Deposits on... 

A thrust-bearing failure is one of the worst things that ean happen to a maehine, sinee it often wreeks the maehine, sometimes eompletely. To evaluate the reliability of a thrust-bearing arrangement, we must first eonsider how a failure is initiated and evaluate the merits of the various designs. 

A critical installation should have the metal temperature sensors in the thrust pad. Axial proximity probes may be used as a backup system. If metal temperatures are high and the rate of change of those temperatures begins to alter rapidly, thrust-bearing failure should be anticipated. 

Other items unique to steam turbines that must be considered are water carryover and fouling. Carryover can leave deposits on the blading, causing loss in performance and increased thrust loads. If carried to an extreme, thrust bearing failure could occur. If a large amount of water is carried over as a slug of liquid, catastrophic failure can occur. 

Shorted winding Bearing failure can be detected by test... 

The principal failure modes of bolted joints are (1) bearing failure of the material as in the elongated bolt hole of Figure 7-44, (2) tension failure of the material in the reduced cross section through the bolt hole, (3) shear-out or cleavage failure of the material (actually transverse tension failure of the material), and (4) bolt failures (mainly shear failures). Of course, combinations of these failures do occur. 

Elimination of potential thrust bearing failure due to failure of the large diameter balance piston labyrinth. 

It is important to seal the glands on the turbine shaft, and a typical arrangement is illustrated in Figure 14-24. Thrust bearing failures can be serious problems for steam turbines and other mechanical drives, as well as the bearings used on the driven equipment. 

Antifriction bearings play an important part in the safe performance of the tool. The most likely requirements for bearing placement are very loose or bent cages (retainers), corrosion, abrasion, inadequate (or improper) lubrication, and spalling from fatigue. Excessive clearance may indicate improper adjustment or assembly and should be corrected. Repair of antifriction bearings should not be attempted by field or shop personnel. Consultation with the equipment manufacturer is recommended in case of unexplained or repeated bearing failure. 

Always select the best bearing design for the application and not the cheapest. The cost of the original bearing is usually small by comparison to the costs of replacement components and the down-time in production when premature bearing failure occurs because an inappropriate bearing was used. 

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