Bearing Maintenance

Centrifugal Compressor
Maintenance
Bearing Assemblies
Summary
Journal Bearings
u Construction & features
u Maintenance
u Installation Tips
u Troubleshooting
Thrust Bearings
u Rotor Axial Thrust
u Thrust Bearing Assembly
u Lubrication
u Maintenance
u Troubleshooting
Journal Bearing – Principle
u On the bottom half
of the bearing, the oil
film thickness
decreases in the
direction of the shaft
rotation
u A pressurized oil film

wedge forms to support
the rotating shaft
u The shaft will attain equilibrium position in the bearing when the oil film
forces will balance in both horizontal and vertical direction
Dresser-Rand Journal Bearing
Conventional: Load on pad, 5 pads up to 12”
DATUM :
u Load on pad, 5 pads up to 9”
u Between pad, 4 pads from 10” to 14”
Type: Kingsbury LEG direct lube
Load: 200 psi breakaway & 500 psi rotating
Pad contact:
u Line contact for small & medium weight rotor
u Ball in socket for heavy rotor(high bearing stiffness)
Damper bearing:
bearing based on rotor stability analysis
Construction: Axial split
5
•© 2007 by Dresser-Rand
Dresser-Rand Tilt Pad Radial Bearing
Oil Control
Ring
Alignment
Dowel
Oil Supply
Hole
Oil Supply
Groove
Anti-Rotation
Dowel
6
Tilt Pad Radial Bearings
RTD
Wires
Bearing
Housing
7
Journal Bearing - Flooded Lubrication
The lubricant in tilting pad bearings

serves two primary functions:
§ to lubricate the bearing
§ to carry away heat generated during
operation
Two commonly used methods of

lubrication are:
§ flooded lube, where the bearing
inner cavity is completely filled with oil,
§ non-flooded lube, where the oil is
fed directly in the front of each pad
Note: Orion bearing
u In the flooded design the bearing pads obtain their lubrication from the
surrounding oil bath
8
Journal Tilt Pad Spring
u Tilting pads are made of steel Sensor
backing with a babbitted surface

in the rotor area Retainer
u The babbitt layer is centrifugally

cast with uniform thickness of Pad (Shoe)
about 0.015 of an inch

u Chrome –Copper (ampcolloy) material (instead of
steel) used to reduce the white metal temperature
u The Chrome –Copper backing material has extremely
high thermal conductivity that absorbs the heat from the
white metal face
u Greater heat dissipation - increase bearing load -
carrying capability
9
Resistance Temperature Detector
(RTD)
Babbitt
Spring
Sensor
Retainer
Steel Backing
Pad or Shoe
10
Orion Journal Bearing
u Journal shoe are positioned by cylindrical grooves in the retaining ring
u The backs of the shoes

are machined cylindrically
and radial for a free fit in
these grooves, assuring
good tilting action
u “floating “ seal ring with

small clearance between
seal and shaft minimize the
leakage between shaft and
seal
11
Orion Style Journal Bearing
Babbitt
Pad Pivot
Sockets
Anti-
RTD’s Rotation
Dowel
12
Leading Edge Groove (LEG)
Oil Distribution
Grooves
13
•© 2004
2007 by Dresser-Rand
Journal Bearing -LEG
u The bearing pad incorporates
inlet spray bars for direct
lubrication, which increases the
effectiveness of cool inlet oil
u The open lube oil drain allows

hot oil to easily escape from the
bearing housing reducing
churning losses found in the
earlier flooded-oil bearings
design
14
Journal Bearing -
LEG Design
Leading Edge Groove
Trailing Edge
u Grooves located on both sides of the pad directly into the babbitted
surface are capturing and redirecting side leakage back into appropriate
areas of the shoe
u By reintroducing oil to the pad, the grooves recycled side leakage and
lowered the amount new oil needed to maintain the "critical oil level".
15
Journal Bearing – Pad Preload
u“Preload” describes the relationship between the pad
diameter, shaft diameter and bearing diameter
u Bearing clearance and shaft

diameter are held at fixed values,
changing the shoe diameter will
change the preload value
a) A shoe diameter larger than the
shaft diameter provides larger
preload value
b) As the shoe diameter approaches
the same diameter as the shaft, the
preload value approaches zero.
Note: Orion bearing

16
Journal Bearing – Pad Preload
Note: Orion bearing
u The purpose of preload is to increase the oil wedge

uThe preloading of a bearing increases the bearing stiffness
while decreasing damping effect
17
Journal Bearing Carrier
uCheck carrier ID and OD to confirm is round

uCheck bore and face–end plates for nicked edges, deep scratches, scoring
uCheck split lines surfaces for full contact. Stone / lap burrs or raised edges
18
Inspect Journal Bearing Oil Feed Tubes
u The oil feed tube

carriers (tube & o-
ring) must be
removed prior to
installing lower half
of bearing assembly
over the shaft
u After upper and lower halves of bearing assembly are

screwed together, reinstall the oil feed tube carriers
u Small amount of Loctite 242 (thread locker) shall be used
19
Check Journal Bearing Housing Run Out / ID
u LOCTITE 515 is to be used as sealant on split lines

u This material provides a thinner seal than RTV and HYLOMAR
u LIQUID CHISEL is to be used to remove the LOCTITE 515 each time
the assembly is torn down
20
Measure Journal
Tilt Pad Thickness
u Measure the radial

thickness of each
bearing pad
u This dimension should

be taken on the pad
centerline, ball mikes
21
Use Mandrel for Journal Bearing Clearance
u Measure and record the clearance within 0.0001” from the pivot
through the centerline of the bearing for each of the bearing shoes
uAverage the clearance readings found and multiply result by 0.894 to
obtain actual clearance of journal bearing
22
Record Journal Bearing Clearance
u As a "rule of thumb",
centrifugal compressor
bearings run about 1.5 mils of
diametral clearance per inch of
bearing diameter
u Example: a 4 inch bearing

runs around 6 mils diameteral
clearance
u Measure clearance from the

pivot through the centerline of the
bearing for each of the bearing
shoes
23
Journal Bearing – Inspection
u Four places shall be checked for wearing during the
inspection:
§ Babbitted shoe surface
§ Pivoting shoe surface and seat retaining ring
§ Seal ring bore / end plates
§ The shoe thickness at the pivot point or across ball
and socket
u Journal Shoe NDT Inspection:

§ Dye penetrant inspection at the bond line between
babbitt facing and steel or other metal backing
§ Ultrasonically examining babbited bonds for lack of
bond at the interface
24
Journal Tilt Pad – NDT Inspection
25
Damper Bearing
u A damper bearing is an additional spring/damper element that is placed in

series with the tilt pad bearing (itself a spring/damper element). It connects
the tilt pad bearing to the bearing housing (ground)
u Damper bearings consist of placing a squeeze film damper and support
spring in series with a tilting-pad journal bearing
26
O-Ring Damper Journal Bearing
O-Rings
Confined
Oil
Oil Supply u Damper bearings have a strong stabilizing influence.

Groove The rotor-support system is tuned for optimum rotor
dynamic characteristics. Like a tilt pad bearing, it is
tunable for each particular application 27
Spring Damper Bearings
Do Not
Remove
Spacers
The spring functions to support the cage in the middle of the clearance
between the cage and the housing when the half-weight of the rotor is
included
28
Damper
Bearing
u The stiffness of the damper in the vertical direction is

primarily from the spring but also from the o-rings that seal
the ends of this gap
u The stiffness in the horizontal direction is from the o-rings
29
Journal Bearing – Damper Bearing
u Pressurized lube oil is supplied into this annular gap through a feed
groove at the midpoint between the o-rings
u The oil functions in the gap between the cage and housing much the
way the oil in an automobile shock absorber performs

u The only difference is that while a shock absorber is an uni-directional
device; the damper annulus works in all directions of motion to provide

additional damping to the compressor rotor/bearing system
30
Damper Bearing –Installation Tips
u For a compressor equipped with damper bearings a

standard lift-check will indicate both the journal bearing to
shaft clearance plus a portion (up to the damper radial
clearance) of the damper bearing clearance. Thus the
results must be used with caution
uNo sealant is ever used between the two halves of the
bearing cage (cage is the part that holds the pads)
u With split-lines clean, perform a split-line gap check of
the cage and housing to verify no raised metal exists that
could hold the parts apart during re-assembly. This can be
done using a light shined through the splits, a .0015"
feeler gage;
31
Damper Bearing –Installation Tips
u Photograph shows excessive split-line sealant application

u NO sealant must be allowed to enter the gap between the bearing
cage and the bearing housing

32
Bearing Split Line Sealant
Issue:
D-R FSR found excessive application of bearing split line
sealant, Loctite 515.
Problem arising from this is the potential for sealant to occupy

the critical clearance space between bearing cage and bearing
housing. Also the damper spring function within the housing.
DR document FSM-CNT-008 titled “Journal Bearing Assembly

Sealant” states ~ “The sealant can be squeezed into the critical
clearance areas resulting in high vibration or rotor instability”.
33
Bearing Split Line Sealant
This entire surface was found to be
covered with sealant upon disassembly
Correct application of
bearing split line sealant
34
Damper Bearing – Centering Verification
35
Damper
Bearing
Test
36
•©
© 2007
2000 by Dresser-Rand
Damper Bearing Test
37
Journal Bearing Installation Layout
Coupling Guard
to Bearing
Housing Adapter
& Labyrinth Seal
38
Journal Bearing Adapter Installation
39
Journal Bearing – Condition Monitoring
u Proximity probes transducers are used to measure the

shaft dynamic motion
u Shaft centerline position- parameter to determine the
mechanical integrity of a rotating system

40
uProximity probe gap is typically 1250 micrometers (50

mils), which corresponds to 10 volt, DC
41
Condition Monitoring -Temperature Probes
u If the length of diameter ratio (LD) is greater than 0.5, two sensors shall
be installed, each located at a distance of 0.25L from the end of the
bearing running face
u If the length of diameter ratio (LD) is less or equal to 0.5, a single
sensor shall be axially located in the center of the bearing
42
The transducer system provides the following signal components:
u AC signal (negatively fluctuating) - provides shaft dynamic motion
relative to the probe mounting
u DC signal – provides the average radial shaft position relative to the
probe mounting
Note : the radial proximity probe shall be used to measure radial shift
position within the bearing (similar to axial position probe)
“Shaft Centerline Position” – determined by compiling of X&Y
signals and the known radial bearing clearance. An initial “zero gap” is
required to obtain accurate data (rotor at rest/ turning gear)
Shaft Centerline Position, provides valuable information:
u Coupling and bearing alignment
u Rotor preload
u Oil film thickness
u Bearing wear
u Attitude angle
43
Bearing wear – Babbitt wear

can be monitored by trending
the shaft centerline for a
known bearing configuration
(i.e. electrostatic discharge)
During compressor start up, the average

shaft centerline position indicates the
formation of oil wedge, thermal effects
and loading effects
44
Eccentricity ratio- indicates

how close the shaft is to the
center of the bearing or to
the Babbitt
Decreasing eccentricity
values can lead to instability
issues
45
Thrust Bearings
46
Thrust Bearings
u Rotor Axial Thrust

u Thrust Bearing Assembly
u Lubrication
u Maintenance
u Troubleshooting
47
Thrust Bearings
u Axial thrust is generated in a centrifugal compressor by
the pressure rise through the impellers
u The major portion of the thrust load is compensated by
either :
§ balancing drum ( straight through compressors)
§ placing the impeller in back to back configuration
u In either case, the relatively small residual load is carried

by the thrust bearing
u Thrust bearing shall be design to withstand additional
load and thrust reversals which may occur during
abnormal operating conditions
48
Rotor Thrust
Return Bend P
2
Diaphragm Bulb
Diffuser Cover Area
Return Channel
Impeller Eye Laby Unbalanced

Area
P 1
OD (Eye Area)
DIMPELLER EYE
Impeller Spacer Impeller Interstage Laby DINTERSTAGE

49
Rotor Thrust
∆ P = P2 - P1 P2
PIMP ≈ P1 + .75∆ P
≈ PIMP
≈ PIMP
P1 ≈ PIMP
F
50
Impeller Pressure Loading & Forces
P3
Diffuser
Diaphragm Diaphragm P4
P2
Impeller Eye
Labyrinth Impeller Eye
Seal Labyrinth
Seal
Spacer Labyrinth
Seal
Spacer Labyrinth P1 P3
Seal
Impeller Impeller
Spacer Spacer
51
Balance Piston Function
P5
P3
Balance Piston
P2 P4
P1
P3
P1
52
Balance Piston Labyrinth Seal
Balance Piston
Labyrinth Seal
53
Straight Through Configuration
Balance
Inlet
Connector
Impellers Disch
Balance
Piston
Thrust Bearing Seal
Active Inactive
F1 F2 FC
F3
FBP
Positive Load Direction Disch

Thrust Coupling
Inlet Journal Journal
Disc Balance Piston
Thrust Bearing Load = ( F1 + F2 + F3 + ... ) - ( FBP ) - Cplg Thrust
Impeller Thrust = Fx = ( Pd - Ps ) x Unbalanced Area x Thrust Factor
B.P. Thrust = FBP = ( Final Pd - P BAL ) x Unbalanced Area 54

Balance Piston Sizing-Straight Through
Last Stg. Ps
+ (0.75 x Last Stg. ∆P) Leakage To Inlet Piping
Last Stg. BP Area

Impeller Balance Piston
Laby Leakage
Ps
Last Stg. Ps
FBP = BP
Compensating DBAL PISTON
Force DINTERSTAGE
FBP = Area x ∆P 55
Balance Piston
56
Effect of Balance Piston Laby Wear
Last Stg. Ps Pressure drop increases in
balance connector line.
+ (0.75 x Last Stg. ∆P)
Balance Piston
Laby Leakage
Increases
Ps + Bal. Conn. Press. Drop

Last Stg. Ps
FBP BP ∆P decreases as
balance connector
pressure drop
increases.
FBP = Area x ∆P 57
Back To Back Configuration
1st 1st 2nd 2nd
Inlet Disch Disch Inlet
Impellers
Division
Impellers
Wall
Thrust Bearing
Active Inactive
Coupling
F1 F2 F4 F3
Thrust 1st Sect. Shaft

Journal Division Shoulder 2nd Sect.
Disc
Wall Thrust Journal
Positive Load Direction Seal
Thrust Bearing Load = ( F1 + F2 ) - ( F3 + F4 ) + ( Shoulder Thrust ) + ( D.W. Thrust )
Impeller Thrust = Fx = ( Stg Pd - Stg Ps ) x Unbalanced Area x Thrust Factor

58
Shaft Shoulder Thrust
( Always Toward 1st Section )
Ps1 Ps2
Division
Shaft Wall Shaft
Shoulder Stg.1 Stg.2 Stg.4 Stg.3 Shoulder
Area Area
(SSA) (SSA)
Impeller Impeller FSS

Spacer Spacer
Shaft Shoulder Thrust = FSS = ( Ps2 - Ps1 ) x ( SSA )

59
Thrust Bearing Sizing Criteria
u API 617th 7 (2.7.3.1) requirements:

• Thrust bearings shall be steel backed, babitted
multiple segments designed for equal thrust capacity in
both axial directions;
• Thrust bearings shall be arranged for continuous
pressurized lubrication to each side;
• Both thrust disc sides shall be tilting pads,
incorporating a self – leveling future, which ensures
each pad carries an equal share of the thrust load even
with minor variation in pad thickness
60
Thrust
Clearance
Thrust Bearing
(Float) Assembly
Active Inactive
Thrust Thrust Thrust
Bearing Bearing Journal Bearing
Disc
Lock
Nut Shaft
Shoulder
Hydraulic Fit 61
Michel Thrust Bearing Construction
Inboard
Thrust
Outboard Bearing
Thrust
Bearing
Compressor
Rotor Shaft
Thrust
Bearing
Cover
Thrust
Thrust Bearing
Rotor Pad/Shoe
uHydraulic fit thrust disc – to prevent fretting of the shaft material

under the thrust disc
62
Michel Thrust Bearings
Thrust
Housing
Base Ring
Oil Pad
Thrust Disc
Babbitt
Rotation
Oil Pad
Base Ring
Thrust Cover
Machined
Recess 63
Michel Trust Bearing Features
u The shoes are steel with babbit face
u The line of contact with the base ring is past the centerline
of the shoe in the direction of the rotation
uThe “offset” causes a lower pressure at the leading edge
and a higher pressure at the trailing edge – optimum oil
wedge
u The shoe support with the base ring is a line contact
(instead of point contact) which reduces the specific load on
the back of the shoe
u The base ring is made of alloy steel:
§ The thickness of the span allows it to deflect at a
predetermined load
§ This provides more uniform load distribution on the
bearing 64
Kingsbury Load Equalizing Mechanism
u Each thrust shoe sits atop an upper leveling plate

uThe upper leveling plates are supported by the radial edges of the
adjacent lower leveling plates
u A rocking strip on the lower leveling plate contacts the base ring
floor and allows these plates to pivot to either side
1) Load applied to a thrust shoe cause the shoe to press against the
upper leveling plate behind it
2) the upper leveling plate move inward , the lower leveling plates
reacts and forces the adjacent upper leveling plates (and shoes)
upward 65
Self-Leveling Thrust Bearings
Thrust Disc
Lower
Leveling Plate
Babbitt on
Thrust Pads Shim Area
Upper
Leveling Plate
Thrust
Housing 66
Base Ring
Kingsbury
Thrust Bearing
1 – CW base ring
2 – Leveling plate dowel
3 – Lower leveling plate
4 – Upper leveling plate
5 – Leveling plate set screw
6 – CW LEG shoe
7 – Shoe support
8 – Oil feed tube
9 – O-ring
10 – Anti-rotation key
11 – Key screw
12 – Collar
13 – CCW bearing assembly
67
Self-Leveling Bearing Pads
Inboard
Bearing
Thrust Disc
Outboard
Bearing
Lower Bearing
Housing
68
Directed Lubrication, Self-Leveling
Thrust Bearing
u Direct lubrication of tilting shoes is

accomplished by holes provided in
blocks between the bearings shoes
u Target is to allow the bearing running cooler –

increasing the load capability as well as reducing the
total amount of oil required for lubrication 69
Directed Lubrication Thrust Bearings
Oil Inlet
Pad Spacing Channels A
Stop
View A-A
Oil
70
Trust Bearing Pad LEG Design
u A double thrust bearing assembly consists of two identical thrust

subassemblies. The subassemblies typically have six pivoting shoes,
although they may have eight or more;
u Lubricant is admitted at the leading edge of the bearing and shaft
rotation carries away the lubricant across the shoes;
u LEG thrust shoes are design for specific shaft rotation;
71
Thrust Disc Mounting Components
Set Screw
Disc Retainer Nut
Split Ring
A thin sleeve is
mounted to the shaft
Shaft with a loose fit
The outside surface of the sleeve is cone shaped or tapered

72
to allow the thrust disc to be mounted by hydraulic pressure
Thrust Disc Mounting Components
73
Polygon Fit
u Three- lobe shaft polygons and mating bores
are produced by precision grinding techniques to
close tolerances
uThe thrust disc is mounted by hand
onto the shaft in the assigned position
without use of heat or force
u The thrust disc polygon bore shall
be aligned to the polygon journal of
the shaft
u Once the disc is in position, it is hand torque onto the shaft producing
a three line contact to lock the impeller
u The locking force is sufficient enough to withstand main drive torque
as well as transient forces
uAll polygon fit rotor assemblies are match marked for proper
positioning allowing field assy / disassembly without re-balancing
74
Thrust Disc Polygon Fit
u The thrust disc is pressed up against the shaft shoulder by axial set
crews contained within a locknut
u Removal of thrust disc from the shaft is accomplished by merely
reversing the self looking feature of the lobe contour
75
Thrust Bearing Maintenance
There are seven wear points in the bearing. All these points shall be
checked for wear:
§ Soft babbited shoe face
§ The hardened steel shoe insert face ( 30-35 Rockwell hardness)
§ The face of hardened steel upper leveling plate (47-50 Rockwell )
§ The outer edge of the upper leveling plate
§ The upper edge of lower leveling plate (47-50 Rockwell)
§ The pivot point of the lower leveling plate
§ The inner face of the base ring (25-27 Rockwell)
76
Thrust Bearing Inspection
u The base ring is the softer
component, it is likely to show
the most wear
u By experience, a wear of 6
mils will cause a” lock up” of
the leveling plate
Base ring
Lower leveling plate

u The upper leveling plates
interact with lower leveling plates
on radiused wings
u Upper wings are hardened /
lower not
uWhen new, the leveling plates
have line contact 77
Inspect Leveling Plates
Leveling plate wear due to
collar wobble
uThe collar faces shall be parallel and

perpendicular to the shaft centerline
u If the collar is not within the tolerance, it will
force the pads and leveling plates to constantly
equalize causing premature wear of the
leveling plates
78
Record Shoe Thickness
79
Measure & Record Thrust Shoe Thickness
Kingsbury thrust shoes
u0.002" tolerance variation up through and including the 10.5" thrust
bearing size;
u 0.004" tolerance variation above 10.5 “ thrust bearing size;
u Shoes with RTD's may have up to 50% greater variation (i.e., .003" or
.006") than above (the shoes are pulled form stock, then drilled and the
pad surfaces re-lapped after machining which can reduce the height
slightly)
Michel thrust shoes

u 0005" height tolerance band (utilize the deflection of a backing plate to
level the load)
Note: Kingsbury bearings accept higher tolerances as they use links and
leveling plates to achieve load sharing between pads and not tight
manufacturing tolerances as Michel
80
Inspect Thrust Shoe Surface
u Discoloration - Tin Oxide damage
• Tin oxide damage is recognized by hard, dark brown / black
film that forms on the babbit surface
• Tin oxide forms in the presence of tin based babbit, oil and salt
water, beginning in areas of high temperature and pressure
• Once formed, can’t be dissolved and it’s hardness will prevent
foreign particles from embedding in the babbit
Recommendations:
• Eliminate some or all contributing
elements
• Replace the lubricating oil
• Reduce the oil temperature
•The lube oil system shall be flushed and
cleaned (bearings, pipes, reservoir) with
mineral spirits
81
Kingsbury Thrust Bearing Shims Adjustment
uBottom & top of each bearing

must be same thickness
Add shims
82
Michel Thrust Bearing
Back of base ring with pad

locating screws
83
Michel Thrust Bearing
Pads can be remove by

loosening screws
Base ring must be flat
84
Michel Thrust Bearing Installation Cross-section
85
Kingsbury Bearing
Wrong installation of the thrust shoes
86
Kingsbury Thrust Bearing Installation
Rotate assembly to seat anti-rotation dowel
87
Thrust Bearing End Play Adjustment
u End play is the axial clearance between thrust collar and
thrust subassemblies
u Clearance is required to allow the oil film formation and
rotor thermal growth expansion
88
Lubrication ISO 32 vs. ISO 46
Dresser-Rand lubrication requirements:

u ISO 32 @ 130 F: 15.7 – 19.2 Cst;
u ISO 46 @ 104 F: 41.4 – 50.6 Cst;
Note: Cst – Kinematic Viscosity
Normal supply temperature:

u ISO 32 : 110 - 125 F (43 -51.6 C);
u ISO 46 : 130 - 145 F (54 -62.8 C);
89
Lubrication
ISO 32
90
Lubrication
ISO 46
91
Thrust Bearing Failure
u Fluid Slugging – passing a slug of fluid through the
machine can increase the thrust to many times its normal
level
u Rotor / stator fouling
u Off –Design Operation – many failures are caused by

overload, and flow fluctuations
u Surge Events
u Dirt in Lube Oil
u Momentary Loss of Oil Pressure
92
Thrust Bearing – Temperature Measurement
u A temperature
sensor shall be
located in each of two
shoes in the normally
active thrust bearing
uThese sensors shall

be at least 120
degrees apart
u The sensors shall be located in the lower half of the thrust bearing
assembly to identify the maximum pad temperature
u The temperature sensors shall be placed at 75% of the pad width
radially out from the inside bearing bore and at 75% of the pad length
from the leading edge
93
Thrust Bearing Axial Displacement
94
Axial Displacement Limits
Alarm = (Axial Thrust) / 2 + 5 mils; S/D = (Axial Thrust) / 2 + 10 mils
uThe thrust bearing typically runs either on one side of the thrust
bearing or the other (Rarely does it float in the middle)
u The 5 mils past that point to alarm allows for babbitt wear on the pads
(they have typically 60 mils of babbitt) and for deflection of the base ring
under load
u The Michel bearing deflects only one mil+ for 500 psi loading
whereas a Kingsbury style, with it's pins and linkage bars, deflects 10+
mils under 500 psi loading
Note: DR have recently opened up those AL and S/D values to even
greater numbers than what were the standards at the time these units
were built (the client was experiencing nuisance alarms and trips due to
axial position AND nothing was wrong with the thrust bearings)
95
www.dresser-rand.com
info@dresser-rand.com
96

Bearing Maintenance

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Bearing Maintenance

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Bearing Maintenance

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Centrifugal Compressor

u Construction & features

u A pressurized oil film

The lubricant in tilting pad bearings

Two commonly used methods of

u Tilting pads are made of steel Sensor

backing with a babbitted surface

u The babbitt layer is centrifugally

about 0.015 of an inch

u The backs of the shoes

u “floating “ seal ring with

u The open lube oil drain allows

u Bearing clearance and shaft

Note: Orion bearing

Note: Orion bearing

u The purpose of preload is to increase the oil wedge

uCheck carrier ID and OD to confirm is round

u The oil feed tube

u After upper and lower halves of bearing assembly are

u LOCTITE 515 is to be used as sealant on split lines

u Measure the radial

u This dimension should

u Example: a 4 inch bearing

u Measure clearance from the

u Journal Shoe NDT Inspection:

u A damper bearing is an additional spring/damper element that is placed in

Oil Supply u Damper bearings have a strong stabilizing influence.

u The stiffness of the damper in the vertical direction is

way the oil in an automobile shock absorber performs

device; the damper annulus works in all directions of motion to provide

u For a compressor equipped with damper bearings a

u Photograph shows excessive split-line sealant application

cage and the bearing housing

Problem arising from this is the potential for sealant to occupy

DR document FSM-CNT-008 titled “Journal Bearing Assembly

u Proximity probes transducers are used to measure the

mechanical integrity of a rotating system

uProximity probe gap is typically 1250 micrometers (50

Bearing wear – Babbitt wear

During compressor start up, the average

Eccentricity ratio- indicates

u Rotor Axial Thrust

u Construction & features

u In either case, the relatively small residual load is carried

Impeller Eye Laby Unbalanced

Impeller Spacer Impeller Interstage Laby DINTERSTAGE

Positive Load Direction Disch

Thrust Bearing Load = ( F1 + F2 + F3 + ... ) - ( FBP ) - Cplg Thrust

Impeller Thrust = Fx = ( Pd - Ps ) x Unbalanced Area x Thrust Factor

B.P. Thrust = FBP = ( Final Pd - P BAL ) x Unbalanced Area 54

Last Stg. BP Area

Ps + Bal. Conn. Press. Drop

Thrust 1st Sect. Shaft

Impeller Thrust = Fx = ( Stg Pd - Stg Ps ) x Unbalanced Area x Thrust Factor

Impeller Impeller FSS

Shaft Shoulder Thrust = FSS = ( Ps2 - Ps1 ) x ( SSA )

u API 617th 7 (2.7.3.1) requirements:

uHydraulic fit thrust disc – to prevent fretting of the shaft material