Main Bearing Analysis and Signatures for Waukesha Engines

Four Corners Analyst Group, Farmington, NM 15 Nov 2011

Previous Data Research Summary

Previous paper written by Warren Laible
Early Detection of Connecting Rod Bearing Impact Vibrations in High Speed Industrial Gas Engines 2011 GMRC & WRI Users group When the bearing material and the crankshaft crankpin journal come in contact with each other in the absence of an effective oil cushion, an impact occurs which generates a resonant ringing of the impacted parts. When rod bearings knock, the impact event frequency is 2 times RPM (CPM). The ringing frequency is usually in the 2.5 KHz to 5 KHz range (150,000 to 300,000 RPM (CPM). Use acceleration measurements for early detection and trending of the impacts. When velocity amplitudes increase because of a rod bearing knock, severe damage is occurring. Oil analysis may help determine the extent of damage and the components that are affected (bearing or bushing).
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Minimal Test Equipment

Encoder or OPT

Synch Light

Indicator / Storage device

Accelerometer

Vibration Test Points At Each Main Brg

Courtesy of Dresser Waukesha

Vibration vs. Crank-angle Display

Crank-angle related parade of all bearing test points

Crank Phased Data With Cylinder Mechanical Events

5L TDC

C Y L E V E N T S

M A I N B R G

FFT Acceleration data

Jennings C-9-E brg prob Eng Mn Brg 5 Accel
0.5

Run 1 Channel 1 FF 1.411

Overall = X: 3198.242 Y: 0.21384

3.198 KHz 191,880 CPM

g's

Wide bottomed, bell shaped curve

0 0

1000

2000

3000

4000

Frequency (Hz)

Waukesha Main Bearing Normal Trace

Waukesha 7042 RC-Cap#3

Abnormal impacts seen in data for #2 main bearing

Abnormal impacts seen in data for #6 main bearing

SERVICE BULLETIN
TOPIC: Crankshafts IDENT NO: 5-2328F SUBJECT: Crankshaft, Main Bearing, And Connecting Rod
Identification And Replacement MODELS AFFECTED: All VHP Gas/Diesel And VHP Series Four All current production VHP series 6, 12, and 16 cylinder engines are manufactured with: Tee-drilled crankshafts Ungrooved lower main bearings Fully counterweighted crankshafts On-center connecting rods The VHP engine has evolved through a number of different stages. It was originally manufactured with an angle-drilled crankshaft. A teedrilled crankshaft was introduced with oil passages to provide and maintain continuous connecting rod bearing lubrication.
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Angle-Drilled Crankshafts (Original style) The change in crankshaft drilling, together with ungrooved lower
main bearings, provides an uninterrupted oil supply to the connecting rods. The main bearing journals of the angle-drilled crankshaft supply one lube oil passage to each adjacent connecting rod.

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Tee-Drilled Crankshaft (current style) The main bearing journals of the Tee style cross-drilled crankshaft
supply lube oil to only one connecting rod. This maintains continuous connecting rod bearing lubrication.

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Fully Grooved Vs. Ungrooved Lower Main Bearings All main bearings for angle-drilled crankshafts are fully grooved and
have a single locating tang

The groove has been eliminated from lower main bearings used with
tee-drilled crankshafts and a second locating tang has been added
NOTE: The current ungrooved lower
main bearings actually have two small partial grooves located next to the locating tangs of the bearing

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Load bearing effect on bearings

Ungrooved lower main bearings have more bearing surface. More
surface area provides lower unit loading and greater oil film thickness. The result is an increased load-carrying ability

The ungrooved lower bearings cannot be used with angle drilled

crankshafts or with main bearing caps that have not been modified.

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Main Bearing Selection - 6 & 12 Cylinder Angle drilled crankshaft - Front, center, and rear main bearings
(upper and lower) are identical. Intermediate main bearings (upper and lower) are identical. The same upper main bearing is used for angle-drilled crankshafts and early tee-drilled crankshafts (grooved, one locating tang, and with two standard oil holes). The current upper main bearing for teedrilled crankshafts is grooved, has one locating tang, and an elongated oil hole. Tee drilled crankshaft - The ungrooved front, center, and rear lower main bearing have two locating tangs, plus the short grooves and oil hole, to permit oil flow to the oil pump idler gear spindle mounted in the front main bearing cap. The intermediate lower main bearings also have two locating tangs and are ungrooved except for two small partial grooves near the tangs.
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Main Bearing Selection - 16 Cylinder Front and rear main bearings (upper
and lower) for angle-drilled crankshafts are identical. Intermediate main bearings (upper and lower) are identical. The same upper main bearing is used for angle-drilled crankshafts as well as for the early tee-drilled crankshafts (grooved, one locating tang, and with two standard oil holes). The current upper main bearing for tee-drilled crankshafts is grooved, has one locating tang and an elongated oil hole. All the lower main bearings for the teedrilled crankshafts have two locating tangs and are ungrooved except for two small partial grooves near the tangs
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Waukesha Main bearing normal trace

Angle drilled Crank shaft

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Waukesha 7042 #2 bearing impacts

Tee drilled Crank shaft

Abnormal impacts seen in data for #2 main bearing

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Waukesha 7042 FFT Data

Tee drilled Crank shaft
1.21 Accel Run 1 Channel 1 FFT at 1200.0 RPMEng 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 Eng Mn Brg 08/23/2011 Mn Brg 16:12 2 Accel Run 1 Channel 1 FFT at 1200.0 RPMEng 08/23/2011 Mn Brg 16:13 3 Accel Run 1 Channel 1 FFT at 1200.0 RPMEng 08/23/2011 Mn Brg 16:14 4 Accel Run 1 Channel 1 FFT at 1200.0 RPMEng 08/23/2011 Mn Brg 16:15 5 Accel Run 1 Channel 1 FFT at 1200.0 RPM 08/23/2011 16:16 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 0 200000 400000

Ov erall =

2.908 g (rms)

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 0

Ov erall =

1.313 g (rms)

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2

Ov erall =

0.8434 g (rms)

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2

Ov erall =

0.8843 g (rms)

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2

Ov erall =

0.8106 g (rms)

200000

400000

200000

400000

200000

400000

200000

400000

CPM

CPM

CPM

CPM

CPM

Eng Mn Brg 1 Accel 1200.0 MnRPM Brg 08/23/2011 2 Accel 16:12 1 Channel 1 Time Wav eform at Eng 1200.0 MnRPM Brg 08/23/2011 3 Accel Run 16:13 1 Channel 1 Time Wav eform at Eng 1200.0 MnRPM Brg 08/23/2011 4 Accel 16:14 1 Channel 1 Time Wav eform at Eng 1200.0 MnRPM Brg 08/23/2011 5 Accel 16:15 1 Channel 1 Time Wav eform at 1200.0 RPM 08/23/2011 16:16 28 Run 1 Channel 1 Time Wav eform at Eng 29 Run 12 Run 11 Run
24 20 16 12 8 4 -0. -4 -8 -12 -16 -20 -24

100

200

25 21 17 13 9 5 1 -3 -7 -11 -15 -19 -23 -27 -31

100

200

7.2 5.6 4.0 2.4 0.8 -0.8 -2.4 -4.0 -5.6 -7.2 -8.8

9 7 5 3

1 -1 -3 -5 -7 -9

100

200

100

200

10 8 6 4 2 -0. -2 -4 -6 -8 -10

100

200

Time (milliseconds)

Time (milliseconds)

Time (milliseconds)

Time (milliseconds)

Time (milliseconds)

1.26 Accel Run 1 Channel 1 FFT at 1200.0 RPMEng 1.2 Eng Mn Brg 08/23/2011 Mn Brg 16:16 7 Accel Run 1 Channel 1 FFT at 1200.0 RPM 08/23/2011 16:17 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 00 200000 400000

Ov erall =

0.6266 g (rms)

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 00

Ov erall =

0.5893 g (rms)

Clear once per revolution seen in waveform data

200000 400000

CPM

CPM

Eng Mn Brg 6 Accel 1200.0 MnRPM Brg 08/23/2011 7 Accel 16:16 1 Channel 1 Time Wav eform at 1200.0 RPM 08/23/2011 16:17 13 Run 1 Channel 1 Time Wav eform at Eng 6.8 Run
11 9 7 5 3 1 -1 -3 -5 -7 -9 -11 6.0 5.2 4.4 3.6 2.8 2.0 1.2 0.4 -0.4 -1.2 -2.0 -2.8 -3.6 -4.4 -5.2 -6.0 -6.8

However the Spectrum does not show excessive energy, and should be trended over time

100

200

100

200

Time (milliseconds)

Time (milliseconds)

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Waukesha 7042 - #6 bearing impacts

Tee drilled Crank shaft

Abnormal twice per revolution impacts seen in data for #6 main bearing

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Waukesha 7042-GL
Tee drilled Crank shaft

Abnormal once per revolution impacts seen in data for #5 main bearing
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Review of Event crank angle vs model

Engine type 3521 GSI 2895 GU Location Conoco EOG # of Cyls. 6 6 Bearing # 5 5 2 5790 GL Conoco 12 4 5 Conoco 7042 GSI Conoco Polar Star EOG Conoco Conoco 7042 GL Exterran Exterran Red Cedar Aera Galleon 7044 GSI Conoco Galleon 12 12 12 3 4 5 2 2 2 4 5 2&6 6 2 3 4 Event degree 345/705 345/705 215/575 315/675 290/650 300/660 320/680 290/650 215/575 215/575 215/575 310/670 290/650 300 / 660 80/251/440/610 205/565 300/660 300/660
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Impact degree delta

360

Summary of bearing testing

Waukesha angle drilled crank shafts exhibit the normal bearing
characteristics Waukesha Tee drilled crank shaft main bearings can have both once per turn and twice per turn impacts on newly overhauled engines The Tee style crank impacts may decrease over time, but will not fully disappear The bearing impacting impacts can be normally seen in mains #2 through #6 Normally only one bearing will have impacting Impacts will be observed at exactly 360 degrees apart The first impact will be between 200 and 345 degrees The second impact will be between 560 and 705 degrees RPM does affect the impacting and can move it from bearing to bearing The Impacting will reduce as oil pressure is reduced.
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Waukesha Bearing characteristics

These impacts do not seem to be due to a bearing fault Current thinking is that as the oil hole in the crank rotates from
the grooved part of the bearing into the solid part a hydraulic shock is present. This also happens when oil hole moves from solid bearing to the grooved hole. Hydraulic shock of the bearing shell is caused by compression or contraction of the lubricating oil being squeezed after the groove closes and pushes back against the crank. These knocks have been seen to lower in amplitude over time. Always follow up with oil analysis for any suspect bearing Reducing oil pressure can eliminate impacting, but will not have an affect on a real bearing failure event Reducing RPM can also change events

Windrock thanks E.Clark (Signet), D.Robbins (Exterran), C.Ricord & A.Althoff (Red Cedar), J Lewis (Conoco) and Warren Johnson (TF Hudgins) for their help with this study.
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