Alignment
Alignment
By:
Stanley R. Bognatz, P.E.
President
Our customers often seek help achieving precision alignment of their
critical machinery when standard alignment techniques do not provide
satisfactory operation.
While helping them achieve the simple goal of good hot alignment,
we ve identified many mechanical issues using Optical Alignment
( OA ) that were not intuitive to those involved, and were not previously
solved using vibration analysis or other techniques.
Combined Misalignment
Shaft deviation is
1.8
calculated for each side
of the coupling (h & v) 1.6
2
and plotted as a SHAFT = h v2
SHAFT DEVIATION (MILS/INCH)
1.4
DEV. P.T.
function of speed to 1.2
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
SPEED (RPM / 1000)
Alignment of gearbox
bearings to extruder bore
V-B
H-B BM-2 BM-4
2 Motor 4 6 Pump 8
1 3 5 7
H-A
BM-1 BM-3
V-A
V-C
Diagram showing dowel-pin measurement points (1,2,3, etc.),
benchmarks (BM-x), and jig-transit locations used.
© 2007 M&B Engineered Solutions, Inc. Optical Alignment, Thermal Growth 22
& Machinery Movement
Case Study #1, continued
Alignment Study Results #1 BFP Vertical Data
The pump pivoted very nearly about the outboard pedestal, causing the inboard
bearing to go upward, likely due to pipe strain, thus loading the bearing & seals. The
inboard bearing moved upward 0.023 , while outboard went down 0.017 . The motor
moved upward 0.002 on the outboard bearing, 0.013 inboard. This required the
motor to be set nearly 0.060 high on the outboard bearing, and 0.032 on the inboard
bearing. Not your typical motor alignment .
As-L
eft H
ot
As-
Lef Vertical
Col t
d Alignment
As-Found Hot
Data
As-Fo Pu
und C mp
old Ho
tP osi
ton
Dowel Pin
Motor #1 Boiler Feed Pump Foot Centerline
20"
0.020"
As-Left Cold
Pump - Hot/Standby
Horizontal
As-Foun Pump-Hot/Full Load Alignment
d Cold
Data
A s - Fo
und H As-Left Hot
ot
iton
As-Left Pump Hot Pos
Cold Vertical
Alignment
dcp Data
ot
dH
-F oun Pump Cold Position
As
d
Col
nd
F ou
As -
Dowel Pin
Motor #2 Boiler Feed Pump Foot Centerline
20"
0.020"
ot Pump-Hot/Full Load
eft H Horizontal
A s- L
Alignment
d
Col old Data
Left dC
As- o t Fo u n Move inboard motor feet 0.008-0.010" to right
dH As-
F oun (as viewed looking motor to pump)
As -
The required offsets, especially on #1 BFP, were far outside the values recommended
by both the OEM and a pump repair specialist that was on site.
Following realignment to the required position, and re-adjustment of the inboard bearing
seal, the #1 BFP ran without alignment-related seal problems for over 18 months. #2
BFP was later realigned and has run very well.
Prop
osed
H ot Ali
gnm
ent
Dynam
ic Align
ment a
t7 5 MW
Load
H -A H B M -1 H B M -3
13 15
9 11 HP CMPR
E 3 5 7
1 LP C M P R .
G B -201 TURB. GB 2 9M 6I
11 ,04 7 R P M
HORZ. 4,83 1 R P M 14 16
10 12
2 4 6 6 0M 8I 8
H -B H B M -2 H B M -4
V B M -1 V B M -2
V -A 13 15
V -C V -B HP CMPR
9 11
3 5 7
1 LP C M P R .
G B -201 TURB. GB 2 9M 6I
11 ,04 7 R P M
VERT. 4,83 1 R P M 14 16
6 0M 8I 10 12
2 4 6 8
y 2006
ent - Ma
Alignm HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT DATA
D y namic
nment 2002
As-Left Cold Alig
Dynamic
Alignmen
t - May 20
06
VERTICAL ALIGNMENT DATA
As-Left Cold Alignment 2002
2.0
1.8
HP CMPR / GBX
1.6
2 2
SHAFT = h v
DEV. P.T.
SHAFT DEVIATION (MILS/INCH)
1.4
1.2
1.0
TURB / LP CMPR
0.8
REALIGNMENT REQUIRED
0.6
0.4
ACCEPTABLE
0.2
VERY GOOD
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
SPEED (RPM / 1000)
Alignment changes were recommended to the customer, but the site has yet to shut
down the process to allow corrections to me made.
V-E
BM-8 BM-6
BM-2
BM-4 H-B
8 6 4 2
LP-B Generator
Exciter V-B
7 3 1
5
BM-3 H-A
BM-1
BM-7 BM-5
V-A
V-C
V-D
© 2007 M&B Engineered Solutions, Inc. Optical Alignment, Thermal Growth 37
& Machinery Movement
Case Study #4, continued
Alignment Study Results
Using a 0.007 parallel offset alignment, as supplied by the customer, and adding the
thermal growth for the generator and exciter bearings, we have the hot alignment
shown below. It was interesting to note nearly equal vertical thermal growth on the
generator and exciter bearings.
HOT ALIGNMENT
HOT ALIGNMENT
COLD
GENERATOR (STATIONARY)
VERTICAL ALIGNMENT DATA
Note:
For counter-clockwise rotation (viewed
from generator to exciter), we normally
expect the shaft to rise and move to the
right due to the lubricating oil forming a
wedge in the lower-left quadrant of the
bearing beneath the shaft. As the shaft
rotates, this wedge creates direct and
quadrature stiffness components that lift
and push the shaft toward the lower-right
bearing quadrant.
COLD
GENERATOR (STATIONARY)
VERTICAL ALIGNMENT DATA
The customer indicated the large disc-pack coupling was not loosened during the last
alignment check. Due to its size, it will have an impact on the exciter s alignment
readings, especially any offset readings at bearing 9.
We have recommended a coupling inspection, including runout checks of all hubs, and a
re-check of the cold alignment with the disc-pack bolts loosened. This will allow an
accurate indication of the exciter shaft alignment. Soft-foots checks of the exciter frame
will also be performed to reduce frame foot vibration.