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Main Steam Generator Turbine Rotor Damage

1. A main steam generator turbine rotor was damaged when a high-pressure drain entered the turbine driving steam pipe, imparting an excessive impact force onto the rotor. This caused burn damage to the thrust bearing and moved the rotor axis. 2. Inspection found burn damage to the thrust bearing, cracks in various turbine components, and contact abrasion on the rotor blades and casing nozzles. 3. The drain buildup is believed to have occurred after an insufficient draining following a hydrostatic test of the boiler superheater tubes, causing drain to remain undischarged in the desuperheater line until an increase in steam load and closing of a temperature regulating valve pushed it into the turbine.

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69 views2 pages

Main Steam Generator Turbine Rotor Damage

1. A main steam generator turbine rotor was damaged when a high-pressure drain entered the turbine driving steam pipe, imparting an excessive impact force onto the rotor. This caused burn damage to the thrust bearing and moved the rotor axis. 2. Inspection found burn damage to the thrust bearing, cracks in various turbine components, and contact abrasion on the rotor blades and casing nozzles. 3. The drain buildup is believed to have occurred after an insufficient draining following a hydrostatic test of the boiler superheater tubes, causing drain to remain undischarged in the desuperheater line until an increase in steam load and closing of a temperature regulating valve pushed it into the turbine.

Uploaded by

Rani Nouman
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ME166
Main Steam Generator Turbine Rotor Damage
Technical committee

1. Turbine, Main Data

Name: Transverse mounted multistage impulse turbine with single-reduction gear


Speed: 9,669 rpm
Steam: 65 kg/cm² x 515ºC (at outlet of superheater)

2. Outline of breakdown

As T/G chattered during operation and its RPM reduced with rear bearing high temperature alarm,
generator was immediately changed to diesel generator.
Each section of T/G was inspected while operating it unloaded, but no abnormality was found. Thus, a
1/4 load was shifted back to T/G. Then, labyrinth of turbine front bearing came into contact with rotor
resulting in heat emission. At this point, thrust bearing damage was determined to be the cause, and
operation was stopped.

3. Damage

1) Burn in thrust bearing pad and bearing


2) Abrasion and crack in thrust collar
3) Crack in front/rear oil guards for front and rear rotor bearings
4) Crack in bearing metal at rear rotor bearing
5) Contact abrasion in entire labyrinth packing ring
6) Rotor-side damage
1st, 2nd, and 4th stage blade outlet-side contact abrasion
2nd and 3rd stage desk outlet-side full-face contact abrasion
7) Casing-side 1st to 4th stage nozzle contact abrasion

4. Cause

Influx of a high-pressure drain that had remained in T/G driving steam pipe imparted an excessive
impact force to rotor (rotating blade), which led to a burn in thrust bearing and moved rotor axis,
eventually causing the above damage.

1
5. Observation

Up to the previous day of the incident, the boiler maker contractor repaired the leakage points of
seal-welded section of No. 1 boiler superheater tube header, and completed a hydrostatic test. The
drain build-up in pipe system, which is the cause for the above-mentioned problem, is presumed to
have been caused by an insufficient water draining after hydrostatic test.
Normally, incidents due to drain attack often happen immediately after T/G start, because of insuffi-
cient warming-up and insufficient draining.
Also, the ship has a previous record that the T/G tripped at drain influx when preparing to leave pier in
dockyard.
This incident can be considered as a special case since both boilers had been steamed up the day be-
fore, and T/G had been operated with steady load for over 10 hours until the incident happened.
This is a ship that had its main engine replaced, but the boiler in use is one that had been used when
main engine turbine was still in operation. Superheated steam for boiler feed pump is supplied through
desuperheater of steam drum, and the steam for T/G, through desuperheater of water drum.
The temperature regulating valve connecting to 3rd-4th Pass (inlet/outlet of desuperheater) of super-
heater is open when steam flow is small, i.e., since 4th Pass (superheater final stage) outlet tempera-
ture is high. The superheated steam pressure at inlet/outlet of desuperheater line was in equilibrium,
and undischarged drain still remained in desuperheater line. It is presumed that, as load was increased,
temperature regulating valve was closed, which pushed out the drain.
Thus, for the incident that happened this time, a structural issue in the drain discharge line within the
water drum desuperheater, as well as the fact that the T/G, which had been operated under steady load
for navigation, encountered a large fluctuation in load as a result of deck work for stand-by on enter-
ing port, and with it, steam consumption increase and action of temperature regulating valve causing
an influx of all the steam into the desuperheater, can be cited as major factors.

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