FEBRUARY 2009

FEEDBACK - 1

Project : SIPAT 2X500MW

Problem: BOWL MILL-XRP 1003 PROBLEMS FACED AND
REMEDIAL
MEASURES TAKEN

1. Mill Labyrinth seals failure:

BHEL Hyderabad supplied 10 numbers of XRP 1003 mills for
each of the unit. The grinding of coal is being carried on
bull ring segments assembled on the bowl and retained by
retainer ring with the hub of the mill. The hub in turn
mounted on planetary gear box driven by bevel pinion
arrangement. This bevel pinion shaft is being driven by
motor. Refer Fig.1 & 2

Hot primary air of about 320 C enters at the bottom of
the mill, moves upwards around the periphery of the bowl
through the air port assembly lifting the pulverized fuel on
the bowl and escapes through the classifier assembly,
enters into the coal pipes, finally reaches the furnace. To
avoid hot air coming in direct contact with the hub and
heating hub shaft, which in turn will transfer heat to the
planetary gear box, upper and lower skirts are fixed on the
hub forming a hollow chamber to be pressurized with cold
seal air supplied through seal air pipe provided below
bottom liners of the mill. To sweep the spilling coal through
air port assembly into tramp iron port two swinging
scrappers are provided with the lower skirts at 180
apart. Between the mill bottom insulation cover plate and
scrapper bottom an axial gap of around 16 to 19mm is
maintained. Between bottom skirt plate and mill bottom
insulation a vertical gap of 19 to 21 mm is provided. To
maintain minimum radial running clearance for mill bowl hub,
two labyrinth seals are provide above (inside the hot air
box) and below the mill bottom plate for maintaining a
radial clearance of 0.30.05mm.
Cold seal air enters through seal air pipes provided below
bottom insulations at 180 and maintains a higher pressure
than mill inlet pressure inside labyrinth seals, small quantity
of air escapes constantly into hot air and at the bottom of
the mill. Thus seal air prevents coal dust entering into the
labyrinth seals and damaging the mill shaft and labyrinth
seals.

Small iron filling, iron rods and other small solid particles
escaped through the bottom skirt clearance and entered
the labyrinth seal and machined the mill bowl hub and
damaging the labyrinths seals as well. Thus mill 4E and 4J
small iron rods have entered and damaged the seals.

To over come above problem a mall ring was formed to
match inner radius of bottom skirt with a 5X50mm iron
strip and welded to both the halves of bottom skirts to
maintain a axial gap of around 5mm between ring and the
mill bottom insulation (liners) and then lower skirt were
bolted to the upper skirts. Refer 2

This was carried out in all mills and no subsequent failures
of labyrinths seals were reported.

Conclusion: The Axial clearance may be reduced in
consultation with BHEL/Hyderabad by decreasing the Gear
box pedestal casting by 16mm or suitably so that this
problem may be avoided.









2. Failure of Planetary Gear box Bevel Pinion Shaft of
Mill-5F:

The Pulveriser lube oil system (PLOS) consists of an oil
tank, 2X100% Screw pumps & motor filter, oil cooler etc.
Lube oil pump capacity is 150 LPM. Filtered and cooled oil,
to the required temperature range of 30 to 50 deg C, is
supplied to the gearbox thrust pad bearing, input shaft
bearings and gears. The return line from the gear box is
connected to the tank. A heater provided in the oil tank
keeps the oil temperature in the required range, provided
the pump is ON.

Lube oil supply line to the above three points is coming as
header in assembled condition with a dummy at the supply
end. Oil lines after flow meter of the lube supply skid to
this supply line point and return line from the planetary
gear box to the tank were site fabricated, dismantled acid
cleaned, passivated, dried, wetted with oil and reassembled
prior to oil flushing of the lines.

During oil flushing, the end supply connection to input shaft
bearing, thrust pad bearing and gears were disconnected
and ensured oil flow through the lines. After completion of
oil flushing, the old oil was removed and new oil was filled.

After checking all interlocks, all six RTDs of Planetary gear
box, Mill motor BEARING RTDs and winding temp RTDs
healthiness were checked, trip was confirmed by bringing
trip value less than cold temp readings of these RTDs.
After moralizing and ENSURING all protection, Mill-5F lube
oil pump was started and flow was maintaining around 130
LPM (Adequate flow is 118 LPM) and oil was vented from
the line supplying oil to the bevel pinion shaft. Mill-5F was
started from remote. After few minutes, there was heavy
rattling sound heard from the planetary bevel pinion shaft
end. So the mill was tripped from local. Mill was decoupled
to open planetary gear box for inspection. When the oil
supply line removed from the nipple of the supply end point
to pinion shaft, it was noticed was like material blocking
the hole (3 to 4mm) of the nipple. It was noticed that
Paired taper roller bearing 31324 crushed due to poor oil
supply to the bearing while spherical roller bearing towards
gear box end was intact.

New bearing was received from the customer and replaced
in the Bevel pinion shaft. Lube pump was started and
flushed the line supplying oil to pinion shaft through the
nipple end and through vent for few minutes. Small hole
was again cleaned in the nipple with a wire and connection
was reestablished. Mill was taken trial run successfully.
Since the line supplying oil to the pinion shaft was is about
10mm having an ID of around 6mm, end supplying oil to the
pinion bearings less than 4mm, any blockage of this will not
affect the total flow of lube oil to the planetary gear box.
Conclusion: Hence we made it a procedure to open the line
to this connection and clean the nipple with a small wire
before first start up and during starting of the mill after a
prolonged shut down to ensure oil flow through this small
line.