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23/11/2011
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A design fault on a large centrifugal fan that could have caused Hanson Cement's plant in Clitheroe to stop production, due to a failure to comply with emission regulations, has been resolved by Brammer.
 The problem was traced to the bearing assembly of the fan on a wet gas scrubber, the unreliability of which was preventing the plant from burning alternative fuels, forcing it to use expensive fossil fuels.
Material build-up on the impeller was causing increased vibration, which was damaging the non-drive end bearing and its housing.
Wendy Taylor, regional key account executive for maintenance, repair and overhaul specialist Brammer UK, explains that the solution involved replacing the non-drive end bearing with an SKF CARB toroidal roller bearing, and introducing a regular cleaning routine.
No bearings or housings have needed to be replaced since the change, and David Holgate, engineering manager at Hanson Cement, estimates cost saving of £15,000.
"The design of the fan assembly meant the bearing was allowed to float within its housing," states Holgate.
"In theory, this design has an internal clearance between the outer diameter of the bearing and the bore of the housing, for expansion. But, due to the imbalance of the fan impeller whilst in operation, the resulting vibration caused wear in the internal bore of the housing."
Brammer's solution was to install a fixed housing with a tight fit, with expansion taken care of through the internal design of the bearing itself.
"Previously we were cleaning the fan impeller on a weekly basis and changing the bearings around every six months" says Holgate. "Since the retrofit, we have not had to replace the bearings."
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Author
Brian Tinham
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