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ME214
Turbo Generator Turbine Rotor Breakage
Technical committee

1. Failed equipment

Engine for turbo generator

SHINKO IND. LTD
Type: DNN-3, 600 kw x 3600 rpm

2. Outline of breakdown

When at sea, turbo generator tripped suddenly, resulting in blackout. The stand-by diesel generator
took over, enabling continuation of voyage without difficulty. However, inspection of turbine power
generator revealed that turbine rotor had been severed between turbine casing and governor side bear-
ing housing. The form of the damage is as illustrated in Fig. 1 and 2. The shaft that was initially
φ125mm was worn down to φ38mm, which led eventually to a breakage. This is a very exceptional
case.

3. Cause of Incident

The oil that leaked from oil guards turned into hard carbon, which accumulated and came into contact
with shaft and wore it down. Presumably, iron particles resulting from the process got attached, in-
ducing further wear down of shaft.
The root cause for this failure is oil leakage. The cause for oil leakage is presumed to be the following.
1) There was an abnormal vibration (due to influx of drain into entrance steam, etc.) in the past,
when oil guard and shaft came into contact and increased clearance between shaft and oil guard,
which caused oil leakage.
2) The oil tank degassing pipe is as long as several 10m, and runs up to the upper deck. Since it also
includes horizontal piping, degassing became difficult due to piping resistance, which increased
pressure within bearing housing and eventually caused oil leakage.
3) Overhaul inspection of the bearing revealed a pool of sludge like substance. This substance might
have clogged the oil drain hole of the oil guard, leading to oil leakage.

4. Countermeasures

1) To prevent drain from flowing into turbine and causing abnormal vibration, sufficient drain dis-
charge during warming-up is required and drain stopping is recommended during use of saturated
steam, at low load, and at sudden load fluctuations.
2) The oil drain hole of oil guard, φ4mm, was changed to an elliptic shape to facilitate escape of oil.
See Fig. 3.
3) After recovery, degassing pipe of oil tank was separated during operation to investigate degassing
and oil leakage of bearing housing. If there is a malfunction, piping layout will be changed.

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Fig. ５