Booster Bearing Failure Reduction Through a Novel Thermodynamic Analysis

Abstract The gas booster station of a steel works has experienced excessive bearing failures since commissioning over two decades ago. This was designed with redundancy, allowing for automatic switch-over between fans. Bearing were observed, on average once every 15.7 days, instances where both fans simultaneous downtime. Booster resulted in regular downtime, preventing Coke Oven Gas (COG) transport to an end user. flammable by-product is used as heat source and all unutilized volumes are flared, resulting energy wastages. Furthermore, the absence COG increases Natural (NG) usage, procured at cost. Traditional root cause analysis techniques failed identify these failures. However, multiple in-depth data studies thermodynamic investigation, exposing liquid solid particles within be responsible allowed design in-line particle collector, eliminating Following collector installation, only strategic changes took place next 41 weeks, reduced vibration levels compared before. no failure downtime during this period, flaring thus improved utilization.