[2E7] Condition monitoring of liquefied natural gas plant and failure analysis of gas turbine 4B bearing sump B
E Pereira
Glasgow Caledonian University, UK
Maintenance and safe operation of gas turbines are critical for ensuring reliability, efficiency and longevity of equipment. Due to the hot section high temperature, pressure and rotating speed involved, proper maintenance practices such as level one borescope inspection and level two routine component replacement are vital to avoid breakdowns, minimise downtime and maximise operational performance. The operation of a gas turbine also requires a careful condition monitoring and control system to optimise performance and prevention of sudden equipment failure. Condition monitoring techniques, such as vibration analysis, oil analysis and thermography, help detect early warning signs of equipment degradation, lubrication issues or potential component failure. This paper investigates gas turbine 4B bearing failure, on a sump B scavenge chip detector, in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant. Cause and effect analysis (five whys and fishbone) was conducted and the main root causes were identified as external hard particles contamination (Al and Si oxides), which includes spalling in bearing components, as confirmed by laboratory analysis, chip detector alarm and sump B scavenge oil high temperature. Metal shavings were found on the sump B chip detector, the strainer was found with metal flakes and inside the strainer bolts, nuts and looking wire were found. Condition monitoring trends were critically analysed and presented.
