CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

In recent times we are facing a spate of incident on electric motor failure.

Despite various barriers we have in preventing such failures we are still experiencing
such failures.

This CAMPAIGN intends to Prevent Future Motor failures by

1. Taking inputs from the vessel end.
2. Give some basics on the different failure modes.

The front line of defence who actually in the war zone and facing the situation is YOU
so you should be in a better position to give us the input on how to reduce or prevent the
failure, what difficulties or problems you are facing in achieving this GOAL.

I hope this campaign will be a learning tool for Both of us.

 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

Let me start with the major causes of motor failure so that we can focus more on these
issues.

1. Bearing Failure
2. Overheating
3. Vibration
4. Low resistance
5. Contamination
6. Single Phasing due to improper or non-maintenance of starter panel.
 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

Bearing Failure

Motor failure due to bearing failure is the leading cause in our fleet and it breaks the age
old myth that motor failed because long time running or it has become old(aged).

Let’s explore below questions.

1. Why the bearing fails?
2. How to predict the bearing failure beforehand?
3. What tools we have to predict the bearing failure?
4. What is the life cycle of a bearing?
5. What factors affect or reduce the bearing life cycle?

Why the Bearing fails?

1. Insufficient lubrication
Re-greaseable bearings need regular greasing. Sometimes not all the times we
“FIT and FORGET”.
Check your motor maker manual to get the re-lubrication interval.

General guideline

It’s always good to check the

name plate of the motor to
get the details, most of the
time on ship we won’t be able

to see the name plate .

It is a good practice to record
the name plate of all the
machineries if it is a yard
delivery vessel.
 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

2. Excessive Greasing - Very detrimental to bearing.

Overheating of bearing will lead to failure.

During the re-greasing process allow excess grease to

purge from the bearing housing.

A bearing lip seal will typically fail at 500 psi, yet grease
guns can produce up to 1500 psi

Add each shot of grease slowly to avoid pressure build-up

What is the Best way to control over greasing?

1. Always make sure relief valves are cleaned out of any

dirt or hardened grease
2. Remove grease outlet plug or open outlet valve
where fitted
3. Slowly pump grease into the bearings every few
seconds (avoid quick-lever actions as pressure will build
and damage seals)
4. Discontinue greasing if any abnormal back pressure is
felt

What is a grease relief valve?

Some motors will be fitted with this valve.

The valve opens typically at 1 to 5 psi.

 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

3. Selection of wrong lubricant

Do not mix different types of grease.

Incompatible grease may cause bearing damage.

Grease is a “DIRT MAGNET” keep the surrounding clean.

Especially important is to periodically clean the motor fins, end cover, cooling fan.

Use soap water with paint brush and dry cloth to clean the motors.

Do I have to re-grease permanently sealed bearings?

it’s a BIG NO.

Never grease fully greased bearings.
These bearings are permanently greased and sealed.

Bearing Life time?

The bearings are supposed to be renewed at an interval of 8000 to 10000 hrs,

In a year if the motor runs continuously it will be reaching 8760 hours and technically we
should renew it every year.
But this is were our condition monitoring system will help in predicting the motor
condition based on which we will be carrying out the maintenance.
 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

Mis-Alignment

Why mis-alignment takes place?

What is to be done to prevent mis-alignment?
What tools we have to prevent mis-alignment?
In which all planes mis-alignment takes place?

It’s essential that the motor and load be correctly aligned

under actual operating temperatures and conditions.
Machines that are correctly aligned at room temperature
may become badly misaligned due to deformation or
different thermal growth associated with temperature
change. The alignment must be checked, and corrected, if
necessary, after the motor and driven machine have reached
their maximum temperature under load

Reasons:
1. Soft foot – One of the main cause of mis-alignment.
Common causes of soft foot
- Bent or deformed shim
- Bolt hole with bur
- Bent motor foot
- Deformed machine base

2. Improper tightening
When torqueing use cross-torque pattern.

3. Shaft Overload – We all know excessive loading will also cause failure.

This phenomena is more common in belt driven motors.

How to identify this?

Rapid wear of the belts.

 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

Equipment’s used for Alignment.

1. Straight edge and feeler gauge.
Straight edges are used to determine the OFFSET between
the coupling halves.
Feeler gauge used to measure the gap between top and
bottom of coupling halves.

2. Cross dial method

Two dial indicators mounted at 180 degree.
Both angular and parallel alignments can be done.

3. Reverse dial method.

Exactly same has cross dial but the dial gauges used in the same
plane.

4. Laser Alignment
Very expensive instrument.
Very simple and accurate.
TRAMMO series ships are supplied with this instrument.
 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

“VIBRATION”

At present all of our vessels are equipped with Vibration analyser.

Diligent use of this equipment will give us a very precise indication of the equipment
condition.
The TE-10 form is used in our company with the standard values based on the motor
rating.

Suggestion
For proper analysis WE suggest to group the motors as per the rating K/M/G/T.
Most of the time the motors are jumbled and it becomes tedious to co-relate with the
standard values.
Mark the points at which the vibration sensor is placed so it should be taken at the same
place.

Prior starting this let’s ask below question’s,

1. What are the reasons for Vibration?
2. What equipment’s we have onboard to check vibrations?
3. What is the industry standard against which we can compare the values we have
taken?
4. Who takes vibration onboard our vessel?
5. Who compares the vibration values with the industry standard as given in TE-10?

Causes
1. Electromagnetic
2. Mechanical imbalance
3. Rubbing parts
4. Bearing failure
5. Resonance

How to measure vibration?

It should be measured in all 3 planes.

ISO 10816 issued guidance with tolerances.

 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

OVERHEATING

A very simple but effective method used has a predictive maintenance.

We do this has an everyday routine, by taking the infrared temperature sensor to monitor
the motor temperature or the OLD SCHOOL TYPE we feel it with the back of our hands.
A 10 degree reduction in operating temperature will double the motor life.

Do you have Infrared temperature sensor?

Whose responsibility it is to check the temperature daily?
How to know the motor is not overheated?

Infrared temperature sensor

Thermal imaging camera.

Expensive but versatile

Suggestion

1. If the bearing housing is more than 80 degrees we need to cautioned.

Start greasing by keeping the grease relief valve or drain plug open.
Monitor the temperature after applying fresh grease it may take several hours
to stabilise.
If the temperature is still high then we need to start preparing a plan of action.
 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

Motor Overheating

Overloading
Low resistance
Contamination
Start-Stop frequency
Vibration

Insulation class

Acceptable temperature based on the insulation class.

How can we identify the motor is overloaded?

What is the method used to check the resistance?
How to check and reduce contamination?
What is start-stop frequency?

Overload can occur due to Locked rotor due to mechanical failures.

Sudden increase in temperature while starting with reduced air flow.
Undervoltage.

This were the “OLD TRIED AND TESTED” proper rounds comes into picture.
Check the motor current every day.
Never adjust the overload setting.
Feel over the motor housing with hand.

Every quarterly check the motor IR diligently.

Never paint the motor the fins and cooling fans to be cleaned with paint brush dipped in
soap water followed by dry wiping.

Broken fans, clogged vents and blocked or damaged cooling fins can cause excessive heat
build-up.
 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

Blower ducts facing motor should not be closed.

We are aware that motors should not be start-stopped continuously. All the big motors
comes with a template attached on the with minimum number of repeated start and
cooling down time and also with an interlock.

Where can we see this START-STOP phenomena regularly which we usually ignore?

1. Hydrophore pump due to insufficient air.

2. VRCS pump if there are leaks or the accumulator bladder is faulty.
3. Main air compressor.
4. Ref plant and AC motor due to short cycling.
5. Boiler FD fan due to steam leak and frequent cut in-cut off.

Can we avoid above issues?

Your inputs are MOST WELCOME.

In spite of all the automations and AI’s human brain remains the most complex.

Suggestions
1. Regular usual rounds OLD SCHOOL TYPE.
2. Following the manufacturer maintenance schedule.
3. Some times out GUT feeling and logical reasoning.
4. Do not rely 100% on automation.
 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

HUMIDITY & ENVIRONMENT

Electricity and water are a bad mix; high humidity can allow moisture to enter the motor
and cause damage and corrosion.

Prevent water ingress

Electrical officer always has this concern during deck wash people hosed down on the
motors or electrical fittings.

It’s a genuine concern this were daily management meetings comes handy to discuss the
issues.

Galley hot plate is another place where we have low insulation problem due to cleaning
and spilling of water on the hotplate which may find its way below causing issues.

Heaters are installed on motors and alternators to prevent condensation.

Motor IP rating
 CAMPAIGN ON REPEATED MOTOR FAILURE

Let’s discuss one major external factor which may affect the MOTOR and we also had few
failures due to below.

Starter Panel

So many wires, fuses, contactors, relays What needs to be

done?

Starter panel is the starting point and it should be looked

after by Electrical officer has his own baby.

If we neglect it over a period of time it will turn HOSTILE and

cause us trouble.

For the fact all the machineries, give them the required maintenance and you take care of
them and in return they will give you “PEACE OF MIND”.

The basic routine we do in Starter panel is contactor cleaning, tightness checking of all
connections.

Suggestion:
- Carry it out frequently on motors that starts and stops frequently.
- Do not use rough emery or file, use soft cloth and zero emery.

AC-3 application is nothing but motors that require 6

to 8 times of starting current.

Case Study

While carrying out maintenance on control air compressor contactors ETO missed the
moving contact spring and this in turn caused single phasing and the Motor was burnt.

A small spring caused us USD 3000 loss, so while carrying out maintenance look into the
finer details and be extra vigilant when opening the contactor because some of the parts
are so small it may go missing un noticed.