Bearing Failure Modes Page 1 of 2

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Vibration Sensors
STI Field Application Note
Mounting Hardware Bearing Failure Modes
Eddy Probe
Accessories
Cables & Connectors
This application note presents specific OIL WHIP
NEMA Enclosures failure modes associated with machinery
having journal bearings. Signal Oil whip occurs during the later stages of
BNC Junction Boxes measurements presented here are time an oil whirl condition and it has a
BNC Switch Boxes
waveforms that are collected with two distinctive orbital display. The display,
orthogonally located Eddy Probes, or with the phase input superimposed on the
Data Collector
proximity type sensors. Although certain display, appears to have several phase
Accessories
faults can be analyzed with spectrum marks. This display will be round in shape
Transmitters analyzers, the majority of these faults can and the
2-Wire Transmitters be diagnosed using orbit analysis alone. amplitude will
greater that the
Monitors amplitude noted
BALANCE
Monitoring Systems during oil whirl.
Diagnosis of a degrading balance
HMI Systems condition is performed by concentrating The size of the orbit be will larger because
Tachometers
on the synchronous amplitude which the shaft uses up the entire bearing
coincides with clearance as an oil wedge can no longer
Field IO the rotor speed. be established by the rotor and the shaft
This can be is in direct metal-to-metal contact with the
Industrial Radios accomplished by bearing. The orbit display will no longer
Balancing Kits
viewing the rotate because the oil whirl frequency has
spectra from any coincided with the first natural resonance,
TSI Systems single Eddy or critical speed, and has "locked" onto
Probe sensor. A similar diagnosis can be this frequency. Oil whip is a dangerous
Demonstration Kits made by viewing the filtered signals from condition because the rotor uses up the
Training Seminar
two orthogonally mounted Eddy Probes entire bearing clearance and is in direct
sensors as orbits. As the balance metal-to-metal contact that will wear away
Used Equipment condition deteriorates the size, and the bearing rapidly and destroy the rotor if
sometimes the shape, of the orbit will not corrected.
STI Warranty grow larger until the peak-to- peak
amplitude exceeds acceptable limits.
Links EXCESSIVE PRELOAD
Sales Tools CRACKED SHAFT All journal bearing machines have some
amount of preload so that a stable oil
A crack in a rotor, or shaft, can generate wedge can be established. The preload
several different effects on how the may be internally or externally produced.
machine behaves: a change in the Internal sources of preloads are from gear
vibration level, a change in the operating meshing or hydraulic loading during
phase angle, and/or a change in the pumping actions. External preloads may
resonance frequency as the machine be from coupling misalignment or piping
starts or stops. Spectral analysis can be and support system thermal changes.
used to identify this fault, but observing These sources of preload create an
filtered, elliptical orbit that is flattened in the
synchronous direction of the preload vector.
orbits with the
phase angle
superimposed on As the preload increases the orbit is
the orbit allows further flattened. As excessive preload
rapid increases further the orbit begins to
identification of collapse to form
this condition. a "banana"
shape as the
shaft tries to
Changes in the filtered amplitude can be continue its
determined using orbits analysis. By normal rotation
superimposing the phase angle input pattern and
signal onto the orbit a shift in this direction.
parameter can be easily determined. By
noting the operating speed at which the
resonance frequencies occur, a change in After the orbit
this frequency may indicate the has been flattened into the "banana"
"possibility" of a crack existing. shape a 2X frequency is present on
spectra displays. Heavy preloads further
distort the orbit into a figure eight shape.
The "possibility" must be emphasized and As preload increases the shaft centerline
carefully analyzed because many other will shift in the direction of the preload
causes can produce these changes, such vector.
as, a damaged or loose bearing support,
foundation problems, loose rotating
parts...basically anything that can RUB
influence the "system" mass, damping,
and/or stiffness. A common problem in newly rebuilt or
modified rotors is a slight rubbing
condition as the rotor is initially operated.
LOOSE ROTATING PART Rotor rubs are not a phenomenon which
continues over an extended period; they
A loose rotating part can generate usually increase the clearances until the
unusual vibration signals. They may rub has been cleared or, if not corrected,

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Bearing Failure Modes Page 2 of 2

fluctuate in amplitude and the phase they will wear away the internal
angle may shift, also. This fault is clearances until the machine cannot be
diagnosed easiest using filtered, operated. The shape of the orbit display
synchronous orbit analysis. Imagine a will differ depending upon the relationship
mass, such as an impeller, which has of the shaft speed to the first natural
come loose; it can rotate freely on the frequency and the severity of the rub.
shaft independently.
Spectra displays of rub conditions are
As the loose part rotates it influences the characterized by distinct frequencies that
balance condition of the rotor which occur at multiples of a fundamental
appears as a frequency. The
cyclical increase fundamental
and decrease in frequency will
the synchronous depend upon the
amplitude. This is relationship of
observable using the shaft speed
a spectrum to the first
analyzer, but the natural
changes may be too rapid for the resonance frequency. At shaft speeds up
sampling rate of the instrument. An to twice the natural resonance frequency,
oscilloscope set up to observe a filtered the fundamental rub frequency will
orbit will sample continuously so that the coincide with the shaft speed with
changes can be seen. The phase shifting multiples at 2X, 3X, etc. Between twice
can, also, be observed using an and three times the first natural resonance
oscilloscope. frequency, the fundamental rub frequency
will be ฝ shaft speed with multiples at 1X,
The inception of a loose part condition will 3/2X, 2X, 5/2X, etc. Between three and
produce a "nervous" filtered, synchronous four time the natural resonance
orbit. The orbit will appear to vibrate frequency, the fundamental rub frequency
slightly as this condition is created; the will be shaft speed with multiples at 2/3X,
part may be slipping and then sticking on 1X, 4/3X, 5/3X, 2X, 7/3X, etc.
the shaft just prior to becoming a full
fledged loose rotating part. The severity of the rub will affect the
shape of the orbit. A light rub will produce
a "tear drop"
OIL WHIRL shaped orbit,
with the point
Oil whirl and oil whip are sometimes listed
of the tear
as a single machine fault, but closer
drop
observation of the vibration signals and
coinciding with
the machine conditions causing these
the impact
signals will produce different, distinct
spot. As the
signal displays for each condition. This
rub gets
fault is caused by a condition which
heavier the
prevents the rotor from creating a stable
orbit will
oil wedge on which ride. An improperly
flattened and
designed bearing is the usual source for
may appear as an excessive preload.
oil whirl conditions, but a change in the
fluid viscosity or machine alignment state
are other possibilities. At higher machine speeds (above twice
the first natural frequency) the unfiltered
orbits will begin to have internal loops with
Generally, an oil whirl condition precedes
the fundamental rub frequency inversely
an oil whip condition. Spectral and orbit
proportional to the number of internal
analysis can be used to identify either
loops. These internal loops will have their
condition. This phenomenon creates an
own phase marks displayed and the loops
individual sub synchronous frequency
will be located symmetrically on the
which can occur within a frequency range
display.
from 35% to 48% of rotor speed,
depending upon the machine/bearing
design or construction. As the machine Bearing Failure Modes-Journal
accelerates the whirl frequency will Bearings Checklist
increase as machine speed increases.
1. Balance
Observing oil whirl as a filtered,
synchronous orbit produces a distinctive 2. Cracked Shaft
display. The orbit 3. Loose Rotating Parts
will be more or 4. Oil Whirl
less round in
shape with an 5. Oil Whip
amplitude that 6. Excessive Preload
nearly 7. Rub
approximates the
bearing clearance, and when the phase
angle is superimposed upon the display,
the orbit will appear to have two phase
marks on it. This characteristic is due to
filtering at shaft speed and the fault being
generated at a subsynchronous
frequency. The two phase marks will not
be displayed symmetrically on the orbit
because the whirl frequency is not at
exactly ฝ machine speed.

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