Rotor imbalance

Hydrate formation is possible only at temperatures less than 35°C when the pressure is less than 100 bar. Hydrates are a nuisance they are capable of plugging (partially or totally) equipment in transport systems such as pipelines, filters, and valves they can accumulate in heat exchangers and reduce heat transfer as well as increase pressure drop. Finally, if deposited in rotating machinery, they can lead to rotor imbalance generating vibration and causing failure of the machine. 

Transient or chronic rotor imbalance due to cylindrical or splined wheel-to-shaft attachment... 

Transient or Chronic Rotor Imbalance Due to Cylindrical or Splined Wheel-to-Shaft Attachments... 

Mechanical imbalance is not the only form of imbalance that affects rotating elements. It is the condition where more weight is on one side of a centerline of a rotor than on the other. In many cases, rotor imbalance is the result of an imbalance between centripetal forces generated by the rotation. The source of rotor vibration also can be an imbalance between the lift generated by the rotor and gravity. 

As discussed previously, proper liquid distribution on the rotor is critical to performance, but it is also important to prevent rotor imbalance. Rotor imbalance... 

Will tolerance tightening on specific balance toohng decrease rotor imbalance and increase TBOs ... 

Rotating machines subject to imbalance caused by turbulent or unbalanced media flow include pumps, fans, and compressors. A good machine design for these units incorporates the dynamic forces of the gas or liquid in stabilizing the rotating element. The combination of these forces and the stiffness of the rotor-support system (i.e., bearing and bearing pedestals) determine the vibration level. Rotor-support stiffness is important... 

Lift/gravity dijferential Lift, which is designed into a machine-train s rotating elements to compensate for the effects of gravity acting on the rotor, is another source of imbalance. Because lift does not always equal gravity, there is always some imbalance in machine-trains. The vibration component due to the lift/gravity differential effect appears at the fundamental or 1 x frequency. 

Mechanical imbalance is one of the most common causes of machinery vibration and is present to some degree on nearly all machines that have rotating parts or rotors. Static, or standing, imbalance is the condition when there is more weight on one side of a centerline than the other. However, a rotor may be in perfect static balance and not be in a balanced state when rotating at high speed. 

Two major sources of vibration due to mechanical imbalance in equipment with rotating parts or rotors are (1) assembly errors and (2) incorrect key length guesses during balancing. 

Even when parts are precision balanced to extremely close tolerances, vibration due to mechanical imbalance can be much greater than necessary due to assembly errors. Potential errors include relative placement of each part s center of rotation, location of the shaft relative to the bore, and cocked rotors. 

Assembly errors are not simply the additive effects of tolerances, but also include the relative placement of each part s center of rotation. For example, a perfectly balanced blower rotor can be assembled to a perfectly balanced shaft and yet the resultant imbalance can be high. This can happen if the rotor is balanced on a balancing shaft that fits the rotor bore within 0.5 mil (0.5 thousandths of an inch) and then is mounted on a standard cold-rolled steel shaft allowing a clearance of over 2 mils. 

Shifting any rotor from the rotational center on which it was balanced to the piece of machinery on which it is intended to operate can cause an assembly imbalance four to five times greater than that resulting simply from tolerances. For this reason, all rotors should be balanced on a shaft having a diameter as nearly the same as the shaft on which it will be assembled. 

Imbalance often results with rotors that do not incorporate setscrews to locate the shaft relative to the bore (e.g., rotors that are end clamped). In this case, the balancing shaft is usually horizontal. When the operator slides the rotor on the shaft, gravity causes the rotor s bore to make contact at the 12 o clock position on the top surface of the shaft. In this position, the rotor is end-clamped in place and then balanced. 

If the operator removes the rotor from the balancing shaft without marking the point of bore and shaft contact, it may not be in the same position when reassembled. This often shifts the rotor by several mils as compared to the axis on which it was balanced, thus causing an imbalance to be introduced. The vibrations that result are usually enough to spoil what should have been a precision balance and produce a barely acceptable vibration level. In addition, if the resultant vibration is resonant with some part of the machine or structure, a more serious vibration could result. 

With a keyed-shaft rotor, the balancing process can introduce machine vibration if the assumed key length is different from the length of the one used during operation. Such an imbalance usually results in a mediocre or good running machine as opposed to a very smooth running machine. 

In order to prevent an imbalance from occurring, do not allow the balance operator to guess the key length. It is strongly suggested that the actual key length be recorded on a tag that is attached to the rotor to be balanced. The tag should be attached in such a way that another device (such as a coupling half, pulley, fan, etc.) cannot be attached until the balance operator removes the tag. 

In static imbalance, the only force involved is weight. For example, assume that a rotor is perfectly balanced and, therefore, will not vibrate regardless of the speed of rotation. Also, assume that this rotor is placed on frictionless rollers or knife edges. If a weight is applied on the rim at the center of gravity line between two ends, the weighted portion immediately rolls to the 6 o clock position due to the gravitational force. 

Although the definition of dynamic imbalance covers all two-plane situations, an understanding of the components of dynamic imbalance is needed so that its causes can be understood. Also, an understanding of the components makes it easier to understand why certain types of balancing do not always work with many older balancing machines for overhung rotors and very narrow rotors. The primary components of dynamic imbalance include number of points of imbalance, amount of imbalance, phase relationships, and rotor speed. 

The first consideration of dynamic balancing is the number of imbalance points on the rotor, as there can be more than one point of imbalance within a rotor assembly. This is especially true in rotor assemblies with more than one rotating element, such as a three-rotor fan or multi-stage pump. 

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