Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Volume I
Part 8
by
• "The Running and Maintenance of Marine Steam Turbines." In "The Running and Main-
tenance of Marine Machinery," Fifth Edition. Marine Media Management Ltd., London.
1
1. EVOLUTIONARY CHANGES AND
GENERAL BACKGROUND
The evolution of the marine steam turbine over the last twenty years
has brought about significant changes, not only in physical appearance, but
also in ratio of power to weight, in steam inlet conditions, in efficiency and
fuel consumption, in reliability, in the change from manual to remote control,
and, very significantly, in the time taken to reach full operating power after
starting from cold conditions.
In general, the principles governing the correct maintenance and
operation of the machinery are unchanged, with differences in emphasis and
time scale arising from increased knowledge and differences in detail designs.
These principles are:
1) Cleanliness of the machinery and its connecting pipework;
2) Avoidance of contamination of the working fluids, namely water,
steam, fuel and lubricating oil;
3) Adherence to makers' recommendations on type of lubricating oil
for initial fill and make-up purposes, and attention to fine filtering
and water removal;
4) Orderly procedures for warming through, start-up, manoeuvring,
full away and closing down to avoid distortion;
5) Attention to drainage facilities during critical periods to avoid carry-
over of water into the turbines;
6) Avoidance of rust or other corrosion-promoting conditions;
7) Orderly recording and analysis of instrument readings in comparison
with trials figures; check on power and fuel consumption;
8) Attention to auxiliary machinery to ensure correct movement of
fluids to and from the engine;
9) Attention to boiler cleanliness and efficient combustion to ensure
optimum overall efficiency and minimum fuel rate;
10) Where automatic controls are incorporated, periodic attention and
servicing to ensure reliable operation.
It is important to consider these points in more detail, but before doing
so, it is necessary to review th,' nasic design principles and illustrate the
present state of the art.
2
2. THE MODERN TURBINE
The even higher powered MST 19 standard range covers powers from
33556 kW-89 484 kW (45000-120000 shp) with a selection from two H.P.
turbines and three L.P. turbines in both non-reheat and reheat forms. It is
of interest to note that all of these have dual tandem gears and that the L.P.
turbines exhaust downwards into underslung condensers.
The Pametrada standards (Refs. 5 and 6) retained the orthodox arrange-
ment of gearing, with dual tandem above 18643 kW (25000 shp), and in all
cases have the L.P. turbine exhausting downwards into an underslung
FIG. 3.-Stal-Laval advanced propulsion machinery in a tanker.
condenser (Figs. 7 and 8) (Ref. 6). The major overall dimensions and weights
for this standard series are given in Tables I and II of Ref. 6.
Figure 9 shows a 14914 kW (20000 shp) set of machinery from the
standard range-later installed in s.s. British Cmifidence-erected on the test
stand at John Brown Engineering. Figure 10 shows a 19760 kW (26 500 shp)
set with dual tandem gearing in s.s. Ottawa. Figure 11shows the Pametrada
Prototype 1 machinery on the test bed at Wallsend Research Station. This
operated at 55 bar (800 Ib/in2 g) and 557°C (1035°F) and completed an
extensive series of trials in 1963. Figures 12 and 13 show the H.P. turbine
from this set.
8 MARINE ESGIN' ~:RING PRACTICE
THE MODERN TURBINE 9
10 MARINE ENGINEERING PRACTICE
Main glands and diaphragm glands are of the solid type, with the fine
fins turned as an integral part of the rotor shaft, which has the advantage of
reducing the amount of heat transferred to the rotor surface in the event of a.
rub.
The L.P. turbine is also of double casing construction, the ollter casing.
being fabricated, and inner casings of cast steel. The first five ahead stages
are of impulse type, and the last seven are reaction. The L.P. astern turbine
has two Curtis stages. A unique feature is the inward turning deflector
attached to the astern casing exhaust, which not only protects the ahead
blading from direct impingement of hot astern steam, but also guides the
ahead steam clear of the astern blading. The exhaust is downwards to an
underslung condenser.
It may be of interest to note that, as a result of experience in the Second
World War, all of the Pametrada turbines were designed to resist the effects
of accelerations and decelerations arising from und6rwater explosions, a
fact that was often overlooked when comparisons were made.
The H.P. rotor shaft diameter is such that the first critical speed cal-
culated on rigid bearings is actually below the normal running speed. This,
of course, reduces gland and diaphragm leakage, but requires extreme care
in maintaining a progressive state of balance as the blading operation
proceeds. The axial entry roots, in the accurately spaced slots, facilitate this.
Stal-Laval have a test pit which enables such rotors to be check balanced at
full revolutions, which is desirable for rotors which normally run above the
first critical speed.
Spring-backed gland segments are used throughout, for main glands
and diaphragm glands, and for both RP. and L.P. turbines. Small helical
springs are used (Fig. 45).
The cross-over pipe from H.P. exhaust to L.P. inlet is accommodated
between the bottom halves. Flexible bellows pieces are fitted, but there is a
pressure thrust tending to separate the two turbines, which has to be accom-
modated by the side keys and chocking arrangements.
It is again instructive to compare these modern designs with the De
Laval turbines of 1956 (Ref. 8) Figs. 46 and 47, showing a distinct family
resemblance as far as the H.P. turbines are concerned, but with marked
differences in concept for the L.P. turbines. Notable points are the separate
keyed-on discs for the L.P. turbine, the opposing exhaust ofthe astern turbine,
and the downward exhaust to the condenser.
The layout of such machinery, e.g. in s.s. World Sincerity (shown in
Fig. 29 of Ref. 8) is interesting when compared with the modern arrangement
of Stal-Laval Advanced Propulsion machinery.
The first stage nozzle valves are operated by hydraulic ram supplied by
a variable displacement pump worked by the control system (Fig. 49).
The L.P. turbine casing is of fabricated construction with inlet on the
top and downward exhaust to thecondenser (Fig. 50). Generous bleed belts
are provided, and an interesting innovation is the conical piece extending
beyond the plane of the last blade with the intention of reducing exhaust
losses. The astern turbine is housed within the exhaust space at the forward
end, with its exhaust end facing the ahead exhaust in the orthodox manner.
Good features are the all-round admission belt of the astern first stage and
the piston-type connecting tube between outer casing and inner. An arrange-
ment of struts stiffens the exhaust space and provides support and location
for the astern cylinder.
THE MODERN TURBINE 53
The rotor is a solid forging with all discs machined integrally. All blades
are of robust proportions, tapered and twisted* in the later stages. Also, in
the later stages, are elaborate water drainage arrangements with the object of
reducing the rate of erosion on the blade inlet edges.
Details of the earlier (1959) General Electric designs can be found in
Ref. 10 and the newer reheat H.P. and J.P. turbine is shown in Fig. 51.
57
4. AVOIDANCE OF CONTAMINATION
OF THE WORKING FLUIDS
4.1. INTRO!)
Inevitably, after all the scouflng, :.L;;am cleaning and oil flushing carried
out by the manufacturer, there will be some dirt particles which will only be
dislodged by a period of actual running. Filters are therefore necessary.
4.3. THE hc .!
Modern boilers demand a high degree of water punty, and methods of
water treatment have been firmly established to keep the water at the correct
pH value. Nevertheless, accumulations of oxides and sediment can occur
and should be controlled by boiler blow down. It has been known that
excessive boiler compound and dissolved -lids could be carried 01';, tliLO
the turbine either in priming, or in fact dissolved in the steam. This causes
build-up on turbine nozzles and blades to such an extent that power and
efficiency could be seriously affected; Fig. 56 shows such an example. It has
also been known that such build-up of solids could lead to thrust overload
because of the restriction of flow area through the blades. It can also lead to
rough running due to imbalance caused by unevenness of deposits. Another
method of controlling suspended solids is to fit a condensate filter in the feed
system, either before the L.P. heater or between the heater and de-aerator
(Ref. 17).
62 MARINE ENGINEERING PRACTICE
11) Verify that all turbine casing drains and bleed pipe drains are open.
These would normally be left open at "Finished with Engines" but it is
essential to check this.
12) Open all manoeuvring valve drains. Where provision is made for
remote control of turbine drains, satisfactory operation must be proved.
13) Open all main steam line drain valves. Prove satisfactory operation of
all bled steam valves and then shut them again.
14) Contact bridge and check that propeller is clear for turning. Engage
turning gear and rotate. Check that all parts can rotate freely in both
directions then turn engine ahead. Any upsurge in turning motor
current reading should be investigated at once as this in an indication
of interference. Any unusual noise should also be investigated.
NOT E: If the bridge does not permit CONTI N U 0 US rotation of the
main shaft then permission should be obtained to rotate it by the gear
a fraction of a revolution every 3-5 min. If this is not permitted, adopt
the emergency procedure (Section 5.15).
15) Check that manoeuvring valves are free to operate by opening and
closing them. It is essential that there should be no steam in the line
between the main stop valves and the manoeuvring valves when this
step is taken.
8) Open the warming through bypass steam line to allow steam flow to
the H.P. turbine ahead nozzles. The rate of flow of warming through
steam should be adjusted according to experience to obtain a tempera-
ture of 82°C (180°F) at the L.P. turbine inlet after 25-30 min.
9) Open up the gland steam supply and check that the trapped drain is
bypassed. Adjust the controller to maintain pressure 0·05-0·1 bar
aIt Ibjin2 g) at the gland steam reservoir.
NOTE: In setting this pressure the proximity of the gauge to the gland
steam reservoir should be taken into account and allowance made for
any "built-in" water leg.
to) Commission the air ejector. Raise the main condenser vacuum to
10-15 in Hg. Start the glands condenser aspirator. Shut down the warm-
ing through bypass after about 15 min.
11) Stop the turning gear and disengage. Continue raising vacuum. Ensure
that trapped air is released from the condenser water boxes. Open the
ahead manoeuvring valve to admit just enough steam to turn the
turbine rotor. Close the ahead valve and repeat the operation using
astern manoeuvring valve to check rotor and turn in the astern direction.
Do not exceed 5-7 revjmm of the main shaft.
In some installations, normal operation of the manoeuvring valves
is governed by lever or push-button control. At this stage ofthe warming
through procedure it would be advantageous to test the facilities pro-
vided for direct hand operation of the manoeuvring valves as would
be required in the event of failure of any remote control apparatus
fitted.
12) Continue to admit short gusts of ahead steam, braking with astern
steam, at three minute intervals while raising vacuum. Time required
for "puffing" ahead and astern will be about to min.
13) Test the system by raising to full vacuum then report engines ready for
sea. Reduce the .acuum to 25 in Hg, and continue to puff ahead and
astern at three minute intervals.
14) On receipt of "Standby" signal increase vacuum to design pressure.
The time for the warming through sequence from admission of warming
steam to reporting engines ready for use should be not less than 20 min.
Do not attempt to warm through with the turbine rotors stationary.
Procedure
1) Observe the movement of the sliding feet at regular intervals.
2) With the manoeuvring valves shut and interlocks on put the turning
gear into continuous ahead operation.
3) Open all the nozzle control valves.
4) Check that the trapped drain is bypassed. Open up the gland packing
steam supply to maintain 0·05-0·1 bar
reservoir sealing pockets.
aIt Ibjin2 g) at the gland steam
OPERATING PROCEDURES 71
5) Cammissian the air ejectar and raise vacuum to' 5-10 in Hg.
6) After 10-15 min with anly gland steam supplied disengage the turning
gear. Maintain the candenser vacuum at 10 in Hg.
7) After 2-3 min, admit gusts af steam via the ahead manaeuvring valve
to' turn the rotars. Repeat this aperatian with gusts af astern steam.
Do. nat allaw the propeller shaft speed to. exceed 5-7 rev/min.
8) Cantinue to. admit shart gusts af ahead steam, braking with astern
steam, at intervals af 2-3 min far a periad af 10-15 min. At the same
time, raise the vacuum slawly to. full far testing purpases. Then reduce
the vacuum to. 25 in Hg after which the turbines may be reparted
ready far use.
3) Do not open the astern valve fully while the shaft is rotating ahead or
rotating at low astern revolutions.
4) Do not allow ahead and astern throttles to remain open simultaneously
under any condition of operation.
5) Check the lubricating oil pressures and temperatures.
Circulate the lubricating oil cooler, if the lubricating oil is warming
up, to maintain an oil outlet temperature of 46--49°C (l15-120°F) from
the cooler.
Procedure
1) Shut the turbine drains and the recirculating valve.
2) Check that the astern manoeuvring and double shut-off guardian valves
are tightly closed.
3) Adjust the first stage nozzle control valves, which should have remained
open during manoeuvring, to meet the desired steady steaming power
conditions.
4) Examine the astern casing instrumentation. A continuing rise in
temperature beyond 260°C (500°F) is indicative of steam leakage past
the astern valve. The vacuum gauge will also indicate the occurrence of
steam leakage. Signs of leakage must be viewed seriously and measures
must be taken to correct the condition.
5) Increase the boiler superheat to give design temperature at the turbine
inlet. Under normal circumstances, full power and temperature should
be reached 50 to 60 min after "Full Away".
6) Open up the turbine bled steam valves as required.
7) Carry out all round check of entire instrumentation.
8) Investigate any unusual noise or vibration (see Section 6.3).
5.10. ON VOYAGE
Procedure
1) Check the lubricating oil system regularly, examining lubricating oil
filter pressure drop, bearing temperatures and pressures, sight flow
indicators, etc. Run the centrifuge regularly, and check for presence of
water.
2) Maintain oil temperature at cooler outlet at 46-49°C (115-120°F).
However, it may be necessary to modify this temperature if the bearing
temperatures are not within the usual operating range.
3) Maintain the turbine steam inlet pressure and temperature and the
main condenser vacuum at the design values.
4) In the general interest of economy, it is important that auxiliary
machinery having a controlled speed should not be run faster than is
necessary for the purpose it is fulfilling. In particular, the main circu-
lating water supply should be regulated to avoid undercooling of the
condensate below the temperature corresponding to the vacuum.
Procedure
1) On receipt of "Standby" reduce speed to full speed manoeuvring
revolutions.
2) Reduce the superheat over the period of time recommended by the
boiler manufacturers.
3) Before manoeuvring open the astern guardian valve, shut down the
bleeds in use, open all turbine drains.
4) Open the recirculating valve at the commencement of manoeuvring.
Procedure
1) Close the manoeuvring valves, astern guardian and bulkhead stop
valves.
2) Open the manoeuvring valve drains, check that the turbine drains are
fully open.
3) Engage the turning gear and rotate ahead continuously. If this is not
possible, turn the propeller shaft a part revolution every 5 min, lengthen-
ing the interval as the machinery cools.
4) Maintain the lubricating oil service.
5) Release the vacuum when the turning gear is engaged. Leave the main
circulating pump in use.
6) Shut down the gland steam system. Maintain reduced ejector steam to
dry out the internals.
7) When the turbines and main steam system are drained and dry shut
off the air ejector. Shut down the main circulating and condensate
pumps.
8) Maintain the lubricating oil services until the return temperatures
indicate that the rotors are cool. This will take approximately 4 to 5
hours. Towards the end of this period turning may be intermittent, say
every 15 min.
9) Stop and secure the turning gear.
10) Close the gravity tank valves and stop the lubricating oil pump.
11) For prolonged shut-down the lubricating oil coolers should be drained
on the water side. Rotate the turbines part of a revolution per day.
OPERA TING PROCEDURES 75
Procedure
1) Reduce the superheat as far as possible.
2) Reduce the gland steam to a minimum.
3) Reduce the ejector steam pressure and allow vacuum to fall to 10--15 in
Hg (with attention to the low vacuum alarm).
4) If permissible, admit a series of short bursts of steam at intervals of
3-5 min or as convenient to the bridge in preference to continuous low
running.
5) On increasing power, operate at moderate power for some time (say
30 min) before increasing vacuum. This will allow the L.P. rotor to cool
off and reduce the differential expansion. Check the differential expan-
sion and casing temperature indicators regularly, if fitted.
76 MARINE ENGINEERING PRACTICE
3) Install the emergency receiver between the H.P. turbine exhaust flange
and the condenser emergency flange.
4) Blank off the L.P. turbine inlet flange and the gland steam connexions.
The above values are expressed as root mean square (RMS) values,
denoting an averaged value rather than a peak value.
Vibration is usually caused by temporary distortion of the main turbine
rotors resulting in out of balance.
The following action should be adopted.
1) Reduce speed until the vibration becomes tolerable.
2) Maintain the reduced speed for 15 min.
3) Increase speed slowly and check for vibration.
4) If vibration is still present reduce speed for a further period.
5) Again increase speed slowly and recheck for vibration.
6) If vibration persists, suspect machinery damage and if conditions allow
disconnect the suspect turbine. If this turbine may not be disconnected
maintain a speed at which the vibration is tolerable.
If the supply of oil should fail due to breakdown of the service pump, the
standby lubricating oil pump should start automatically and restore the
supply. In the case of total failure of lubricating oil, the bulkhead emergency
stop valve will close. Modern practice is that this closure will only operate
on the ahead steam, leaving astern steam available to bring the shaft to rest.
If astern braking steam is not available, the forward motion of the ship will
keep the propeller turning for 30 min or more, and will prejudice the safety
of the bearings if the oil is not available. In this event, every effort should be
made to maintain a state of oiliness in the bearings, by hand supply, during
the running down period. In the case of designs with engine driven pumps,
this situation is unlikely to arise.
Measurements should periodically be taken at the finger pieces to
verify that the rotor is in its correct position in relation to the cylinder, and
to ascertain whether wear is taking place in the thrust blocks. A differential
expansion indicator is titted for the purpose of indicating the axial position
of the rotor relative to the casing.
If the thrust failure indicators go to a state of alarm, immediate action
should be taken to reduce the steam flow and bring the turbines to rest.
7.2. IN PORT
The rotors should be turned each day-by means of the turning gear-
through about one half of a revolution of the main shaft. Oil should be run
through the bearings at the same time.
All oil strainers should be examined and cleaned where necessary. Oil
sprayers for the gearing should be removed and cleaned as experience
indicates. Oil wells in way of all bearings should be examined and cleaned,
as sediment collects in these parts.
At the first opportunity, a quantity of lubricating oil should be drawn
from the bottom of the drain tank to ascertain its condition, and if becoming
thick it should be removed. If it is still serviceable, it should be pumped into
the settling tanks and allowed to stand for at least one day or as long as
possible and then the water and sludge may be drained off to bilge. Full use
should be made of the centrifuging and treatment plant to cleanse the oil of
impurities and water. The oil should regularly be tested by an oil chemist as a
check on deterioration.
The gear case access doors should be removed at three monthly intervals
and the gearing examined for wear or deterioration, great care being taken
that no foreign bodies are allowed to fall into the gear case.
No Naked Lights must be used because of the danger of explosion.
Steam strainers should be opened out and examined annually. Before
closing them up it should not only be seen that they are clean, but it should
also be ascertained that no parts of them are liable to become detached and
carried into the turbine.
When any part of the machinery is opened up, the openings should be
immediately blanked off and so maintained until fittings are replaced, in
84 MARINE ENGINEERING PRACTICE
order to ensure that no loose materials such as waste, studs, nuts, wood
blocks, etc. are allowed to enter tl "I king parts.
Bridge gaugings of all tm L bearings should be taken at yearly
intervals to ascertain the actual wear down, and the particulars so obtained
should be noted for further reference and guidance. The oil clearance of the
adjusting blocks should also be checked to see that no undue wear has
taken place in the blocks. Any black markings on the pads should be viewed
with suspicion.
Flexible couplings should be examined to ensure that they are receiving
ample lubrication, that they have their full designed fore and aft play and
that they are free to move. '1he couplings are normally fitted with tooth
back-lash of 0·2544)·381 mm (10-15 thousandths of an inch). Much larger
clearances are not necessarily detrimental but a watch should be kept for
signs of rapidly increasing back-lash. Inspection of the teeth should be done
at three monthly intervals, and signs of surface deterioration reported.
7.3.1. Procedure
The inner Cel .gs of some L.P. turbines are arranged to lift with the
outer casings and require the removal of all internal joint nuts.
The guide columns for use when lifting should be screwed into place.
Before lifting L.P. top halves, the top, bottom, and side tip clearances of the
last ahead moving blades should be checked.
Starting screws are fitted and should be made use of until the joint is
clearly open. Care must be taken that the cover is lifted equally at all corners,
the guide columns being graduated for this purpose.
When the cover has been lifted and propped up by the support columns,
the side tip clearances of the rotor blades should be measured to ascertain
whether the rotor is central in the turbine casing, and leads taken of the
bottom clearances as a check on bridge gauge readings.
Palms, keys, etc. should be inspected for positive signs of free movement
arising from thermal expansion.
To lift the rotor, remove the bearing and thrust block keeps. Fix into
place the rotor guide columns and lift rotor until clear of the bearing. Take
care that the rotor is lifted evenly. When high enough, place the cotters
provided for supporting the rotor in the guide columns and lower the rotor
into place.
The blading of casings and rotors may now be readily examined, Special
care should be taken to ascertain whether there are any cracked blades,
MAINTENANCE
ANDADJUSTMENT 85
loose or distorted shroud bands, signs of casing rubs, gland and diaphragm
rubs, foreign bodies, etc.
The gland strips should be carefully examined for freedom of movement
and a check should be made to see that all drain holes and connexions are
clear.
The cylinder and all pockets should be searched for foreign matter, and
all dirt, scraps of jointing, etc. which may have fallen into the cylinder casing
should be cleaned out.
Remove the bottom half of the rotor bearings and thrust bearing and
clean out all oil wells and passages, taking care not to force any dirt into the
oil supply connexions.
7.3.2. List of Drawings to be referred to when opening up Main Machinery
for Overhaul
The procedures to be carried out when overhauling and lifting main
machinery items should normally be detailed on the following typical
dra wings:
Arrangement of main engine lifting gear;
H.P. turbine rotor lifting guides;
H.P. turbine arrangement and details of inner casing guide brackets;
L.P. turbines tie plate for lifting top half casing;
Details of lifting guides and support columns for L.P. turbine;
Main engine lifting gear-details of shackles, slings, etc;
Arrangement and details of lifting gear for primary wheels;
Arrangement and details of lifting gear for primary wheels and secondary
pInIOns;
Removal of main wheel bearing keeps and covers.
Note: Attention should be paid to the instruction plates on the turbines
which indicate the positions of any internal bolts which must be removed
before lifting the top half casings.
It is imperative that the relevant drawings be consulted before any part
of the main machinery is lifted or removed from the ship and that the slings
labelled for each lift be used only for the appropriate lift.
of the glands will be noted on the turbine basis plans and should be adhered
to when any work is done on the glands.
If any correction is necessitated by wear of the turbine block the rotor
should be drawn hard forward and a gauge reading taken at the finger piece.
Should the reading not correspond to the given reading, the rotor should be
moved aft and the adjusting block keeps removed and new liners of suitable
thickness fitted at the forward end of the block.
If necessary, the after liners should now be corrected in thickness to give
an oil clearance of 0·254--0·381mm (1(}-15thousandths of an inch). The type
of adjusting gear supplied is shown in Fig. 62 and comprises a screw jack
device which may be set up on the forward pedestal of the L.P. turbine and
the after pedestal of the H.P. turbine. The purpose of the gear is to enable
the rotor to be moved positively through small distances in the fore and aft
direction for the purpose of adjusting axial clearances, etc. as above.
88 MARINE ENGINEERING PRACTICE
feelers are inserted to determine the amount of wear. Label plates are
stamped with the clearances observed on assembly of the turbine in the shop.
Checking gauges are furnished with the bridge gauges to determine any
change in the gauges. The pin lengths are the lengths from the gauge pin to
a flat checking table.
Great care should be observed in the storage, handling and use of these
gauges in view of their importance.
When using the gauge, the faces of the turbine or gear case should be
carefully cleaned and wiped free of all grit; the base of the gauge should also
be wiped to ensure that no grit is adhering.
After re-metaIling the bearings, a bridge gauge is used to ensure that
the rotor is placed in its correct position relative to the turbine casing. This
will be so when tQe bridge gauge reading of each bearing taIlies with that
taken when the machinery was new.
The bridge gauge can only be used to verify the accuracy of the setting
of the pinion bearings after remetaIling. To ensure that the position of the
MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT 89
pinion in the bearings is always approximately the same the gearing should
be rotated in the ahead direction before readings are taken.
The direction of the resultant load on gear wheel and pinion bearings
diverges from the horizontal and vertical centrelines. Consequently, measure-
ment of wear by means of bridge gauges would not be reliable especially in
the case of bearings where the load normally acts in an upward direction.
In the case of gear bearings it is therefore necessary that bridge gauge
readings be supplemented by measurements made by means of leads. The
leads should be applied to the top half of the journal and should extend
round as far as practicable.
All bearings are originally bored out slightly larger than the journal to
provide the necessary running oil clearance. The amount of wear on the
bearing will therefore be obtained by deducting the thickness of the original
oil clearance from the thickness of the leads taken from the bearings.
7.10.1. Introduction
The gear teeth should be inspected at regular and frequent intervals
through the handholes in the casing, taking great care that only one handhole
92 MARINE ENGINEERING PRACTICE
be open at a given time and this be closed as soon as possible and before the
next is opened.
Burred or roughened tooth surfaces may be honed but this should only
be done under expert supervision.
It is important that gearing should be given a running-in period in
service before full load is applied, both when gearing is new and after any
work has been done on the teeth. The duration of this period should, within
reason, be as long as possible, and no severe manoeuvring be carried out
during it.
The flexible couplings should be examined at least four times a year
and cleaned as necessary, since accumulated sludge will seriously impair
their flexibility and their lubrication. (This does not apply to diaphragm type
couplings, which are sometimes fitted.)
The oil sprays should be inspected regularly and the spray nozzles
should be cleaned at the slightest evidence of obstruction. The importance
of keeping these nozzles open cannot be emphasized too strongly.
of the gears before the gears are run. The marking should be of oilproof type
and not transfer marking, e.g. Tudor Blue is suitable.
In addition to providing evidence of the meshing accuracy on first
installation this permanent marking provides a ready means of observing
that no misalignment has arisen due to gear case distortion, bearing wear,
etc. in subsequent operation.
A permanent record can be retained for future reference by uplifting the
marking by means of transparent adhesive tape and transferring it to plain
white paper.
7.11. LUBRICATION
The life and reliability of the installation depends on good lubrication.
The oil pressure at the bearings should be not less than 0·7 bar (to
lbjin2). The oil temperature should be from 46-49°C (115 to 120°F) at inlet
to the bearings, sprayers, etc. If it is too low, the temperature in the drain
tank will also be too low, and any water which may have entered the lubri-
cating system will not be precipitated. If it is too high, the life of the oil may
be shortened by excessive oxidation. The temperature of oil leaving the
bearings should not normally exceed 89°C (180°F), but it should be empha-
sized that the bearing white metal surface shells themselves may be at a
considerably higher temperature with safety.
Water carried in suspension in the oil causes corrosion offerrous parts
such as bearing journals and gear teeth, and also lowers th~ lubricating value
of the oil. Salt water emulsifies fairly readily with lubricating oil. Fresh water
is more easy to separate from oil.
Care must therefore be taken that no salt water enters the oil via leaks
in the oil coolers. In operation the oil pressure will normally be higher than
the sea water pressure and the tendency will be for oil to be lost to the sea;
but when shut down, the reverse will take place and dangerous quantities
of salt water may enter the lubricating system.
As a precautionary measure, the water in the oil cooler should be drained
if the machinery is idle for a long period, and the drain cocks should be left
open. To check for leaks the oil pump should be started with the oil cooler
in this condition. Should leaks be present, oil will drip from the drain cocks.
Any such leak should be remedied immediately.
Other means by which water may enter the oil are leakage of steam from
glands into bearings (which ought to be eliminated by the proper use of the
glands condenser) and inevitable condensation from the atmosphere.
The oil treatment plant and purifiers provided will largely eliminate the
accumulation of significant amounts of water and sludge in the system.
Any deficiency of oil due to evaporation and leakage should be made
up from a clean oil storage tank.
Full flow filters should be checked daily, and the elements replaced
whenever the pressure drop exceeds the limiting figure. Attention should be
paid to the nature of the dirt filtered out. 'is this may be the first clue to
developing trouble.
94 MARINE ENGINEERING PRACTICE
The physical properties of a typical oil suitable for the turbines and
gears of a marine installation are given below.
b) Air Ejector
Failure of the air ejector will most likely be due to reduction in the
flow of driving steam to th,~ejt ·:lor nozzles. '"nce efficient perform-
MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT 95
and the end of the cooling down period after operation. Both parts contain
most useful background information-including sections on distortion and
on cylinder joint bolt tightening-up stresses-which every operating engineer
would find most useful.
for evaluating the suitability of lubricating oils. This had particular reference
to some scuffing troubles which occurred in double reduction gearing in the
immediate post war years.
Much useful information is recorded giving comparative performance
of through hardened combinations, and case hardened gears, and also for a
standard OM100 specification oil and various extreme pressure oils. Cor-
relation between such tests and full scale reduction gears is shown to be good.
The second part of the paper is devoted to tests for propensity to
machining type thrust failures, using a full scale bearing test machine. The
test results are freely recorded and there are good illustrations of the typical
damage to the white metal surfaces. The conclusions are that the propensity
to machining type failure is a characteristic of the combination of lubricating
oil and thrust collar material, the oil being the preponderant factor.
There is a full and interesting discussion which should be of interest to
all operating engineers.
Since this paper was written considerable advances have been made in
the certainty of the bearing oil film effect and the pedestal flexibility effect
which enable such calculations to be carried out with assurance.
REFERENCES
I. "Advanced Propulsion Systems". 1968. Stal-Laval Publication.
2. Jung, I. 1969. "Steam Turbine Machinery". Trans. I. Mar. E. Vol. 81,
pp. 137-161.
3. "MST 13 Marine Steam Power Plant for Turbine Driven Tanker".
1962. General Electric Company (USA) Publication.
4. Mann, J. W. 1969. "MST 14-A Prototype for Marine Steam Propul-
sion Systems". Proc. IMAS 69, Section 4d, pp. 24-35.
5. "Pametrada Geared Turbines". 1966. Pametrada Publication.
6. Coats, R. 1965. "Pametrada Standard Turbines, Present Position and
Future Outlook". Trans. I. Mar. E. Vol. 77, pp. 327-352.
7. Jackson, G. S. and Winyard, C. 1964. "Northern Star: Evolution and
Operation". Trans. /. Mar. E. Vol. 76, pp. 229-265.
8. Brown, T. W. F. 1957. "Propulsion of Ships by Steam Turbine
Machinery". De Laval Memorial Lecture.
9. General Electric Company. 1972."Marine Propulsion Steam Turbines".
First International State of the Art Seminar.
10. Somes, A. D. 1959. "Advances in Steam Turbines for Marine Propul-
sion". Trans. I. Mar. E. Vol. 71, pp. 211-232.
II. Coats, R. 1971. "Modem Marine Steam and Gas Turbines". MER
Dec., pp. 14-20.
12. Brown, J. F. C. and Goundry, E. E. 1967. "Bearing Whitemetal
Corrosion-An Electrochemical Explanation". B.S.R.A. Report NS
153.
104 MARINE ENGINEERING PRACTICE