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“High Vibrations & Component Failure In

Turbomachinery Due to Magnetic Currents”
: Its Detection, Diagnosis & Correction
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Objective : To share with users of Turbomachinery the fact

that High Speed Turbomachinery with components possessing
Residual Magnetism produces high shaft voltages & high
current, which can lead to severe problem like high Vibrations,
damage to the machine components and can cause heavy
production loss.
Scope : The Case Study details this typical problem due to
residual magnetism in Synthesis Gas Compressor at National
Fertilizers Limited, Panipat Unit, INDIA, in which the problem
lead to repeated overhaulings of compressor, replacement of
three numbers of rotors, damage to number of bearings & Oil
film seal rings . It details work associated in diagnosis of the
problem, measure taken for temporary relief, so as keep
machine running and final work done for permanent solution of
the problem.
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Result of the Case Study:

The machine behaved normally after the rectification job, at low
vibration levels.

Lesson Learnt :
The Residual Magnetism can cause typical problems in Turbo
machines, like High Vibrations, Component Failure, causing
severe limitations in machine. Its early detection is typical but
ways are there to detect it. The users of Turbomachinery & the
Maintenance Team have to take precautions so as to prevent
introduction of Residual Magnetism in the machine
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Type: Centrifugal, Barrel type casings Speed: 11,000 RPM

Steam Ist Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Turbine Compressor Compressor Compressor
With Recycle

End shaft Seals: Floating type Oil Barrier Seals

Journal bearings: Tilting pads type
STAGES Ist 2nd 3rd and recycle stage

Model BCL-507 BCL-407a 2BCL-407b

Gas Handled Syn. Gas Syn. Gas Syn. Gas Recycle Gas
(H2+N2) (H2+N2) (H2+N2)

Capacity (Dry) Nm³/ Hr. 99,960 99,960 99,960 4,64,300

Intake Conditions:
Pressure (kg/cm² abs.) 37.5 80 146 219
Temperature (Deg.C.) 33 41 41 34
Discharge Conditions:
Pressure (kg/cm² abs.) 81.6 148.5 221 235
Temperature (Deg.C.) 144 133 113 43.5
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High vibrations used to appear on Intake end of second

stage of Compressor, BCL-407a.

Vibrations used to attain high value of 5 mills / 125

microns (shaft vibration as on monitor)
Whereas shaft vibration on discharge end was normal
(0.4 mills)
Inspected bearings and observed rubbing / babbit
removal in bottom tilting pads of Intake end journal
bearing

Replaced the journal bearing with new one

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•Vibrations at intake end decreased to 2 mills (50 microns) &

at discharge end was 0.4mills.
•But again within a span of one to two months the vibrations
used to increase to 4.0 mills at intake end whereas the
discharge end it was normal .
•Vibration magnitude:
First stage Second stage Speed/ load
Discharge end Intake end Discharge end Intake end
0.7 mills 1.2 mills 0.4 mills 4.0 mills 11200 RPM / 100%
load
•The clearance of journal bearing at Intake end used to
increase to 0.20 to 0.22mm against maximum allowable value
of 0.15mm.
•We could not increase the machine load beyond 100%as
beyond this load, vibrations used to increase further on
second stage
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The second stage of compressor was opened for overhauling in plant

turnaround
Observations: Corrosion (metal removal) marks were observed on
rotor shaft at the seat of thrust collar.

Work Done: Rotor replaced with spare rotor

Assembly was made with new journal bearings & oil seal rings

Normal vibrations upto 66% load

High vibrations at discharge end beyond 66% load
Normal Vibrations on intake end
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First stage Second stage Speed/ load

Discharge end Intake end Discharge end Intake end
0.6 mills 1.1 mills 0.4 mills 0.3 mills 3000 RPM
0.6 mills 1.4 mills 0.7 mills 0.4 mills 9000 RPM
1.0 mills 1.3 mills 0.9 mills 0.4 mills 10580 RPM / 66% load
0.8 mills 1.3 mills 4.5 mills 0.6 mills 11200 RPM / 100% load

Vibrations Signatures on Second stage, Discharge end

Machine load 66%

Machine load 100%

Observations:
At 100% load peak component appeared at 0.44 times the running speed
At 66% load this component at 0.44 times RPM disappeared
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We kept running the machine on low load & then again opened the second
stage for overhauling.
Observations:
The labyrinth seal of balance drum was rubbed / damaged & rubbing on
gas seal & balance drum seal area on rotor

The alignment was checked & found to be within design limits.

The assembly was made with spare repaired rotor, new bearings & oil
seal rings
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•On restart after overhauling the vibrations were:

First stage comp. Second stage comp. Machine
Discharge End Intake End Discharge End Intake End Load

1.5 mills 1.7 mills 0.5 mills 0.4 mills 106%

1.2 mills 1.3 mills 2.1 mills 0.4 mills 106%
1.0 mills 1.4 mills 2.9 mills 0.8 mills 108%

• Slowly within few days seal drain rates in second stage

compressor started increasing, indicating high clearance in
floating type oil seal rings
• Decided to inspect the oil seal rings & bearings of first &
second stages
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• Frosting, grooving & burning marks & spark damage was

observed on babbitt of H.P. seal rings with deep babbitt removal

Heavy frosting on rotor shaft journal on half of circumference

Frosting on Frosting on
Shaft Journal Journal Bearing
Pads

Thrust bearing pads (first stage) had deep grooves , frosting and burning marks
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The pattern of damage was giving clear symptoms & evidence

The frosting on half of shaft circumference, burning marks, repeated
failure of oil seals, bearings, high vibrations, which persisted even
after change of rotors, oil seal rings & bearings were showing high
probability of high electromagnetic current discharge through these
components.
Melting pits &
arcing Frosting & burn
grooves on spots on Thrust
Babbitt of seal Bearing Pads
ring

Spark tracks on
back seating area
of journal bearing
pad
All above were distinctive features & indicators of Electromagnetic
shaft currents.
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We decided to fix shaft grounding brushes in second stage of

compressor (as these were not provided initially on compressor or
turbine ), for following reasons:
• To detect the presence of shaft currents & voltages & to measure
them
• Shaft grounding brushes could help us in providing relief to some
extend in case of presence of high shaft currents .
•Carbon Bronze spring loaded sticks in stock (provided by OEM of
oxygen compressor for their machine) were fitted in in-house
fabricated holder & was installed on second stage compressor on
upper half of journal bearing cap of intake end (in plane of vibration
probes).

Vibration probes

In Shaft
house
Carbon bronze grounding New installed
made Bearing Bracket
brush with spring grounding brush
holder
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Measured Shaft current by connecting Oscilloscope. High voltage

spikes were observed. Indicated presence of High electromagnetic
shaft currents From shaft
grounding brush
Resistance R: 1 ohm

Oscilloscope

Current I=V/R
Earthing

Vibration magnitude:
First stage comp. Second stage comp. Machine Speed
Discharge End Intake End Discharge End Intake End Load

0.8 mills 3.0 mills 1.2 mills 1.3 mills 106%/ 11280
Result: The vibrations of second stage came down. But vibrations on first
stage started increasing.
Action: We installed similar shaft grounding brush on First stage.
Result: The vibrations on First stage came down.
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• As shaft grounding brushes can help in milder cases , but are

not permanent solution to the problem of electromagnetic in
nature.

• The complete relief from problem was only by degaussing of

magnetized parts, which could include rotors and static
components (of compressors and turbine).

• During plant turnaround all the three stages of compressor & its
drive steam turbine was opened.

• Magnetic survey of all internals like rotor, diaphragms, turbine

glands blade carriers , bearing, bearing casing, couplings, seals
etc. was done .
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Residual magnetism found before degaussing:

Rotor 120 Gauss Against allowable

Casings 60 Gauss value of max. 3 to
5 Gauss.
Bearing casing of second stage 200 Gauss
Seals 15 Gauss
Coupling 35 Gauss

These residual magnetic field levels were brought down to below

acceptable levels by demagnetization using Auto Demag machine i.e.
less than 2 gauss in close clearance areas like bearings, Journals &
seals and 8 gauss in other areas
Result: Machine behaved normally with low vibrations
levels after this.
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Flux Strength
C
Lets review ‘HYSTERISIS’ Phenomenon D

H: Induction force in oersted A

(proportional to Current)
L E K H
B: Magnetic field in Gauss O
Magnetic Field strength
OD: Residual magnetism, when I=0 G
OC: Induced Magnetism -B
F
OF: Induced Reverse Magnetism

If we take a coil with demagnetized closed ring in it & pass an electrical

current through that coil, then it produces a magnetic field perpendicular
to that coil.
If this magnetic induction is quickly removed then the closed ring retains
this magnetism which is called Remanent Flux Density or Residual
Magnetism, which will be proportional to the current that was passed
through this coil.
This phenomenon is known as ‘HYSTERISIS’
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‘HYSTERISIS’ in Turbomachinery:
The phenomenon of Hysterisis can occur in Turbomachinery mainly
due to electric welding carried around the machinery, like on its
pipeline, casing etc.
In case of electric welding we immediately drop the welding holder
away from job which causes removal of current quickly, which is
worst condition for magnetic field and results into residual
magnetism somewhere in its components, which may be rotor,
bearing, diaphragm, gland etc.
When such machines with components that stores a magnetic field
runs at high speed, these machines become generators.
These currents generated in Turbomachinery will discharge through
bearings, seals etc. which have minimum clearance and damage
these components.

Every machine however, has a shaft voltage threshold beyond which

problem will ensure.
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•In our case an Electric Arc Welding was done around the Synthesis Gas
Compressor train , on nozzle of reference gas lines on second stage, just
before start of the problem
•This probably introduced the residual magnetism & caused the repeated
failures of components and high vibrations in the machine due to
electromagnetic currents.

Reason for Increase in problem severity:

Initially we were not getting full symptoms of electromagnetic currents
due to weak voltage.

Finally residual magnetism must have reached a level where the fields
are strong enough to reorient themselves in such a manner as to allow
self excitation in the area.

The vibrations, which in turn resulted into rubbing of rotating parts with
static one e.g. with labyrinth of balance drum which must have resulted
in sudden alignment of all small magnets in steel components, causing
increase in magnitude of field strength .
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High voltage must have been generated thus breaking resistance of oil
film of bearings & oil seal rings.
This results into flow of high shaft currents between static & rotary
parts with which magnetic fields got intensified more with time.

Damages & problem started getting severe with time & clear peculiar
symptoms of electromagnetic shaft currents like frosting , spark tracks,
melting pits & arcing grooves started appearing on oil seal rings &
bearings.

Spark roughening of surfaces of the seal bore (which has design

clearance of 0.06 to 0.08 mm) starts promoting oil whirl.
Spark damages occur on the contact surfaces of these oil seal rings.
This surface roughness created on its face restricts its free floating
action with which it starts behaving like lightly loaded bearings thus
further promoting the severity of oil whirl.
This resulted into increase in vibration level typically with frequency of
0.42 to 0.44 times running speed.
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•Shaft brushes can help to ground shaft currents up to a point.

•They can do nothing about currents which are circulated within rotor
or stator.
•The primary value of brush is that it permits monitoring of current
level traveling between rotor & stator and to warn of current &
voltages built up.
•This makes possible to prepare for thorough demagnetization during
scheduled shutdown before a failure can occur’.
- Sohre, John S.
The only way to eliminate shaft currents is to eliminate the
magnetism, and to keep unit free of magnetic components which
is introduced and place restriction on welding procedures around
the unit. Thorough demagnetizing the complete train and it is
consequently an expensive & time consuming solution,
specifically when in today's era we are moving towards zero
maintenance & no Shutdowns approach.
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In order to avoid such severe problem due to residual magnetism in

Turbomachinery one should take following precautions:

•Weld with precaution around rotating equipment (proper grounding)

•Checking for Magnetism should be mandatory for all overhauls.

•When bearing hubs are heated for shrink fittings on the shaft by
induction heating then its full demagnetization should be ensured

•Discharge of high electrostatic currents through ground brushes

continuously for a longer time should be avoided.

•Rubbing inside i.e. between rotating land stationery parts to be

avoided.