4 COMMON COUPLING be shut down in time.

Knowing why a coupling fails is the first step

to preventing it from occurring again in the future.
ISSUES AND HOW TO
PREVENT THEM
Coupling Fundamentals
Misalignment
Couplings are typically passive components compared to the other
drivetrain equipment. They do not input any power or provide a There are several reasons why a coupling will operate in a
process output, but simply connect the driving and driven misaligned condition. A few of the most common include:
equipment. The coupling may act as a “litmus test” and provide an
 Installation / Human Errors
early warning to a more significant problem if the equipment  Thermal Growth
experiences an issue.

While designed for infinite life, couplings must be operated within

their intended design limits in order to achieve optimal
 Worn Bearings
performance. Due to installation issues and unforeseen events, a
coupling may be subjected to loading greater than its rated
capacity while in service. The modified Goodman diagram is
created by modeling the theoretical mean and alternating stresses
 Dynamic Twist of Skid
the coupling is subjected to at its maximum allowable ratings.
When a coupling is subjected to a torque and/or misalignment
exceeding its rating, the stresses typically cannot be quantified
accurately.  Settling Bases / Foundations
The difficulty in quantifying stresses, either due to shifting
equipment or transient torque spikes make it difficult to predict a
coupling’s remaining service life. Although technological advances
 Pipe strain
in condition monitoring have decreased unanticipated failures, they
may occur without warning or so rapidly that the equipment cannot
The axial alignment, or correct spacing between the flanges, Possible Symptoms:
ensures the coupling is being operated in a neutral position rather
 High axial vibration at 1x, 2x and 3x (2x may be higher than
than under tension or compression. High performance couplings 1x)
are typically provided with axial thermal growth values, which
consider the thermal expansion of the equipment, allowing the
coupling to be installed in a prestretched condition. Disc
couplings are designed to accommodate this axial misalignment,  Phase relationship across coupling typically ~180°
but incorrect axial alignment or thermal growth values may impart
an additional mean stress on the coupling or the equipment,
adversely affecting performance.
 1x radial vibration trends up over time due to “unraveling” of
The maximum continuous axial misalignment rating of the coupling disc pack
is determined from the geometry of the disc pack and listed on the
coupling drawing. For optimal service life, it is recommended that
the coupling be shimmed and installed to operate within 10% of the
General appearance
maximum axial alignment rating of the coupling.
 Fracture near bolt hole
When a coupling is subjected to angular misalignment, the highest
stresses will be found in the outermost discs near the disc pack
bolt hole. This is the location of the highest bending stresses and
where disc couplings typically fail from cyclic fatigue due to high  Fretting at fracture location
misalignment. Fretting, which can be mitigated using a low friction
coating on the discs, may also be present at the failure location
due to movement between the discs. The failure of a disc coupling
due to axial misalignment will show similar signs as angular  Fracture may occur through bolt hole
misalignment. The discs may crack on both sides of the disc pack
bolt hole, since the coupling is in compression or tension.

Typical causes

 Thermal movement
Coupling Issue #1: Angular Misalignment
 Coupling Issue #2: Axial Misalignment

 Foundation setting Possible Symptoms:

 Elevated axial vibration and fluctuation in motor current if

motor rotor off magnetic center

 Pipe strain

 Increased thrust bearing temperature

 Loose anchor bolt/ studs

 Can see a “pulsing effect” in axial readings due to thrusting

 Poor initial alignment

General appearance

Corrective actions  Fracture near bolt hole

 Check parallel offset AND face runout on each side as the

angularity (offset + face runout) may be different between
ends.
 May occur on both sides of bolt hole

 Review thermal growth values of equipment (if applicable) and Typical causes
perform hot alignment.
 Incorrect thermal growth

 Equipment not on mag. center

 disc pack and may result in the deformation of the flanges due to
contact from the disc pack hardware.
 Incorrect magnetic center
Failures due to torsional fatigue are becoming more common due
to the increased use of variable frequency-controlled drives on
motors which can excite damaging resonant frequencies.
Additionally, synchronous motor driven trains may experience high
 Poor initial alignment
torsional oscillations during startups, so equipment that is subject
to frequent startups is at higher risk.

Corrective actions

 Check axial spacing, coupling axial capacity, and equipment

end play Coupling Issue #3:Torque Overload

Possible Symptoms:

 Verify motor rotor is on magnetic center  Typically instantaneous failure, difficult to predict

 Review thermal growth values of equipment  Imbalance created from buckled disc packs

Torque  Audible noise due to yielding of disc pack

The torque capacity of the coupling is typically determined during

the design and selection phase. Since this is generally a well
understood quantity, torque related failures frequently coincide with General appearance
an atypical event, such as the ingestion of a liquid slug in a
 Buckling of disc pack
compressor or a hot shut down following an equipment trip. Torque
related failures typically exhibit severe spreading or buckling of the
 Corrective actions

 Inspection for crack initiation, replace coupling elements at a

 Severe spreading minimum immediately.

 Spreading in consecutive links  Check sizing and Service Factor of Coupling – possible
application for shear pin/shear spacer design.

 Disc pack bolts may contact clearance holes

 Review operational history for any atypical events.

Typical causes

 Electrical fault
Coupling Issue #4: Torsional Oscillation

Possible Symptoms:
 Liquid slug in compressor
 Difficult to detect without torque measurements

 High start up torque

 Correlation between vibratory torque frequency and radial
vibration may be present in geared trains

 Operation/process event

 General appearance
  Fracture in center of disk link  Review VFD drive parameters (if applicable).

 Fretting at clamping area and in the center of the link

Typical causes

 Excitation from VFD drive

 Torsional issue

 "Whipping action” on start due to motor slip

Corrective actions

 Review system torsionals and tune coupling stiffness/ inertias,

if necessary.

 Troubleshoot with torque monitoring system.