Common Sources Of Vibration

In Centrifugal Fans

Neel Rao
Writer at Reitz India, writes on
Reitz India forced draft fan technology and
Reitz India Induced draft fan technology
One of the significant risks to the performance and life-cycle of
a fan system is vibration of the equipment. The vibration level
of a centrifugal fan will determine its mechanical condition. If
the vibration is too intense then it can become serious threat
to fan operation causing forced shutdown. There could be
many reasons for a centrifugal fan to have vibration issues,
from a simple mechanical defect such as mass unbalance to
more complex shaft misalignment, bearing failures or
resonance problems. A fan system requires regular checking to
determine the right acceptance limits of vibration. If the
vibration is above acceptance level, then the fan system needs
an analysis to look into the problem for rectification.
Rotating devices such as fan systems suffer unequal
distribution of mass due to their mechanical design, installation
and operating conditions. Centrifugal fans can have some
minor imperfections that can cause vibration to the equipment.
Even small changes such as debris buildup, rotating part
distortion or blockage can induce imbalance in the system
leading to problems in fan components. Vibration is always
present as a result of one or more exciting forces. If there are
no exciting forces, there will be no vibration. The cause of
vibration in a rotating equipment may be due to : 1) Unbalance
2) Looseness of parts 3) Misalignment 4) Bend shaft 5) Bend
bearing, gear or belts 6) Weak support.
Mechanically loose connections
Centrifugal fans can have loose mechanical connections
between bearing housing & pedestals or between the fan rotor
& shaft. When centrifugal fans have higher rotation speeds,
they exert force on the bearings due to unequal distribution of
weight. In other cases, the fan may experience loosening of
the setscrews due to fretting or corrosion. This will make the
hub and the impeller to become displaced relative to the axis
of rotation, resulting in extreme fan imbalance. To avoid this
condition and ensure proper fan functioning, an interference fit
is typically used between hub and shaft connections.
Cracks in shaft or impeller
A shaft or impeller crack is very common in centrifugal fans.
The typical reasons for cracking of mechanical parts is the age
and fatigue. When crack occurs in shaft or rotor, it can
propagate and can cause imbalance in the components
causing threat to fan operation. Fan systems that are
suspected of having a crack in shaft must be treated in a
timely manner before they propagate and become intense.
Rotor mass imbalance
Imbalance in rotor occurs when the center of rotor mass does
not coincide with the center of rotation. The uneven
distribution of rotor mass or the deterioration of fan rotor due
to extreme operating conditions can cause misalignment
resulting in fan imbalance and vibration. One way to reduce
the level of vibration is by adding a weight to outer diameter of
the rotor.
Motor shaft misalignment
Misalignment between a drive motor shaft and a fan shaft
typically occurs during new fan installation or when shaft/rotor
assembly is replaced with a new equipment. When shafts are
not straight, it can cause an unbalance and may force the
bearings to twist in an oscillatory manner. This can lead to
bearing defects, shaft breaking or cracking, coupling failures or
excessive vibrations. Shaft misalignment can deteriorate the
operating life span of a fan system. Hence it is important to
have regular checks on alignment before startup of the fan and
subsequently few months after installation.
Critical speed
There exists for any rotating shaft, rotor and bearing
combination, a certain speed at which resonant vibration
develops. The slightest unbalance will cause the shaft to bend,
increasing the unbalance and bending without limit except for
damping effects and loss of exact resonance. This is a
dangerous condition and causes intense vibration so that the
critical speed must never be held for any length of time.
Defective bearings
Bearings are the critical components in the fan operation. The
bearings that are used in fan system should be selected
properly. Any flaw or defect in bearing can result in system
imbalance affecting the fan performance. There are many
reasons that can reduce the life span of a bearing. If the
bearing mounting surfaces are not flat, then it can cause a
twist or distort in bearings. Similarly, if bearings are forced to
pass through non-symmetric surface then it can cause
premature failure resulting in system vibration.
These are few common reasons that can cause vibration in a
centrifugal fan system. Sometimes, small sources of vibrations
from individual components can have cumulative effect
resulting in larger movements. It is important to investigate
into each of these isolated issues before they become intense
problems resulting in system failure. The different types of
vibration can be differentiated by their frequency or signature
analysis.
About REITZINDIA

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