RTD Failure in Hydrodynamic Thrust Bearing

Abstract

The Waukesha Bearing Corporation in 1997 introduced a researche about thrust pad flutter and mention that: Tilting pad thrust bearings are commonly used on both the active and inactive (loaded and unloaded) sides of thrust collars of turbo machinery rotors. Fatigue failure of temperature sensor lead wires to the inactive thrust pads are due to abnormal wear at the pad contact points. This case study will show how the repeated damage of RTD elements of hydrodynamic thrust bearings (JJ type) can occur in both the active and inactive side. We try to determine the main reason causing this failure, many trials had been done, and all of it failed. After deep analysis we discovered the main reason causing the failure, it was related to oil flow inside bearing housing. We try to avoid this by modifying the RTD element shape to override the repeated failure.