Smoke coming from the pump bearing
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This post was last edited by Catalyzing a Grain on 2018-5-3 at 10:47. A few days ago, when the pump had been in operation for 80 days. Smoke is coming from the pump bearing housing bearings. The final analysis indicated that the bearing failed due to fatigue; after disassembly, it was not caused by a lack of oil. In several cases where bearings were damaged, the cause was identified as fatigue failure. I hope fellow sailors can use some easy-to-understand examples or analyze it from an atomic perspective. The concept of fatigue failure means that under alternating pressures, metal can crack even if it has not reached its breaking limit. It’s a bit hard to understand; from an atomic standpoint, metal is composed of metal atoms arranged in layers. Could it be that under alternating stresses, the layers of metal become more prone to cracking, i.e., suffering from fatigue? ! ?
It is recommended to check the level of equipment installation, whether the process control meets the required standards, and whether the quality and type of lubricant fit the requirements of the equipment.
From an atomic perspective, metals are composed of metal atoms arranged in layers. So, does it mean that under alternating stress, it is easier for these metal layers to break apart, resulting in fatigue? The concept of fatigue fracture suggests that metals can crack even if they have not reached their breaking limit under alternating pressures; this is a bit unclear ! ?
How should we understand the concept of fatigue?
Since there is no issue with lubrication, then we should look for the reasons below. One reason is a processing problem: the two support bearings are not aligned, which causes excessive stress on the bearings and leads to their damage. Another reason is a design issue – the bearings are not capable of handling the load of this pump, which results in bearing damage
“\"Bearing fatigue fracture\" is just a descriptive term. Let’s still test the several possible methods suggested by everyone. The term “fatigue” seems a bit inappropriate when applied to rigid bearings.
Determining \"fatigue damage\" is a rather general conclusion; for bearing damage, the specific causes need to be discussed in terms of the stress analysis of the rotor, the appropriateness of the selected bearings, the proper installation of the bearings, and the choice of lubricating oil.
It’s not a lack of oil; you can also check whether the bearings have been damaged due to wear.
Could some of you who are familiar with this topic explain to me in simple terms how metal undergoes fatigue fracture? Thank you all.
Check whether it is operating due to high flow rate and low pressure; the large axial force can cause the bearings to get damaged over time.
It’s definitely because the bearings aren’t arranged properly, which results in excessive load on them