Hydrodynamic Tilting Pad Journal Bearings:
An Inspection Guide
1. Hydrodynamic Tilting Pad Journal Bearings
We all have heard the adage `If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.` However, in todays environment, it
is common in industry to incorporate a preventative maintenance inspection plan for
machines in operation. Scheduled maintenance of these machines does not have to be a
Plant Engineer‘s nightmare. Based on Miba’s collective experience, the following information
will help keep your machine and the hydrodynamic journal bearings inside it in working order.
There are many types of bearings developed over the years based on application and the
manufacturer. Our discussion will focus on U.S. style hydrodynamic pivoted shoe journal
bearings. Hydrodynamic pivoting shoe journal bearings are widely used in machines,
particularly in power plants. For our discussion the journal bearing consists of a rotating
journal inside the bore of a hydrodynamic bearing. The pressure developed in the variable-
shaped converging wedge filled by a lubricant film supports the load between the rotating
journal and the pivoting journal shoe. Components of a typical hydrodynamic journal bearing
are shown as follows:
Fig. 1: Pivoted Shoe Journal Bearing
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Operation of the hydrodynamic pivoted shoe journal bearings begins with supplying lubricant
to the bearing. Lubricant is circulated through the bearing. The lubricant exits the bearing to
the sump through holes in the retainer or in special designs between the shaft and seals. Any
change in the lubricant inlet pressure, inlet temperature, type of lubricant, or change in speed
or load or load direction will require a design review by the manufacturer of the hydrodynamic
bearing.
Maintenance of the hydrodynamic pivoting shoe journal bearing begins before the bearing is
removed from the machine. If available, locate the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s, OEM,
Installation and Operation Manual and the associated bearing drawing. Given the number of
OEMs and the number of hydrodynamic journal bearing designs styles available in industry,
it is impossible to cover all the design variations in this guide. Consult the OEM’s
recommended maintenance instructions before beginning if available. General instructions
for the pivoting shoe journal bearing depicted in the figure are provided to guide the
technician through the maintenance procedure.
Once the pivoting shoe journal bearing is accessible in the machine a visual inspection
should occur. Look to establish the location of the anti-rotation pin, the lubricant inlet location
and the lubricant drain before removal of the bearing. Look for evidence of rust on the
retaining ring. This may indicate the presence of entrapped water in the lubricant during the
operation of the machine.
Depending on the time and expertise available, a crush check to quantify the bearing to case
fit and a field lift/bump check to quantify existing bearing clearance can be performed.
Consult your OEM for guidance. After the visual inspection and field checks are complete
prepare a work area that is free from debris with adequate space to lay out the bearing and
components. Set the bearing flat on a clean towel or piece of cardboard to protect surfaces.
The hydrodynamic pivoting shoe journal bearing depicted is split into two halves and features
split line hardware. For bearings of this type, remove the joint hardware. Carefully separate
the top half from the bottom half to prevent damage to the joint surface or dowel. Set the top
half on the prepared surface. Inspect the half for markings. The bearing pivoting journal
shoes may be match-marked to a location on the retaining ring. Note: If the journal shoes are
match-marked to a retainer location, the journal shoes must retain their respective location
during re-assembly. Remove the floating seal rings. If the shaft is not being removed, slightly
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raise the shaft to roll out or lift out the lower half of the bearing out of the machine. Set the
lower half on the prepared surface. Continue visual inspection and note any findings.
Findings to note include identifying if journal shoes have offset pivots. Typically journal shoes
with offset pivots are marked with direction of shaft rotation.
Journal shoes are held in place by the journal shoe retaining pin. Turn back the setscrew in
each journal shoe retaining pin and remove retaining pin to release journal shoe. Use care
when handling journal shoes to prevent nicking and scratching. Use extreme care when
handling journal shoes equipped with temperature sensors.
Wash all components in a petroleum solvent and blow or wipe dry with a lint-free cloth. Use
care in handling all components, especially components with babbitt, the pivoting journal
shoes.
Four places should be checked for wear during inspection:
1. Inspect the babbitted surface of the pivoting journal shoe. Replace any pivoting
journal shoe if babbitted face appears scored, has deep scratches, or in the leading
or trailing surfaces of pivoting journal shoe show signs of wear. If no wear is detected,
scrape lightly with a sharp, straight-edged scrapper (plate type) to remove any
upsetting caused by scratches. Replace temperature detectors if temperature
detector wires indicate signs of wear in the wire coverings.
2. Inspect the bore of the seal rings. Replace seal rings if bore diameter is oversize.
Check seal ring bore and face before re-installing for nicked edges, deep scratches or
scoring. Polish with fine aluminum oxide polishing paper or equivalent if burrs or
raised edges exist.
3. Inspect the pivoting surface of the journal shoe and seat in the retaining ring for
scratches, scoring or erosion. Polish with fine aluminum oxide polishing paper or
equivalent if necessary. After fully inspecting the bearing components and
maintaining your hydrodynamic bearing, carefully re-assemble bearing halves in
reverse order. If the journal shoes were match-marked with retainer location, the
journal shoes must retain their respective location during re-assembly. Journal shoes
with offset pivots are marked with direction of shaft rotation and must be installed
accordingly. Do not install floating seals at this time.
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4. Inspect the running diametral clearance. Replace the bearing if the running diametral
clearance exceeds the maximum design clearance obtained from the OEM or
hydrodynamic journal bearing drawing. Dis-assemble bearing to separate upper half
of bearing from lower half of bearing.
Prior to re-installation of the bearing assembly, inspect the bearing cavity and cover for
cleanliness. Remove any debris or dirt from the journal area, the bearing fit and the lubricant
sump areas of the bearing case. Coat the journal and the bearing fit in the lower half of the
case with lubricant.
Final inspect the bearing assembly. Check each journal pad for freedom of movement. If
binding is experienced with any of the journal pads, eliminate the cause of the binding.
Primary causes of the binding are issues with temperature detector leads and debris behind
the journal pad. Inspect all lubricant inlet holes for restrictions. Lubricant inlet holes are
located in the retaining ring between the journal shoes. The lubricant inlet holes must be free
of obstruction.
Place lower half of bearing assembly with lower half of seal rings and open garter springs in
bearing housing or on top of shaft and roll into place. Be sure lubricant inlet hole in housing
lines up with lubricant inlet groove of bearing. If the seal ring contains an anti-rotation device,
be sure the seal ring is correctly located.
Lower shaft into place. Hook seal garter springs together. Snap upper half seal in place
under garter spring. Place upper bearing half assembly over shaft. Insert and tighten split
line hardware carefully. Rotate bearing such that the bearing anti-rotation pin is aligned with
the slot in the bearing casing. Check all lubricant supply and drain lines for possible
obstructions. Proceed with installation of outer bearing covers, thermometers and lubricant
supply and drain pipe work as required. Circulate lubricant and check drain flow if possible.
Check for lubricant leaks.
In summary, hydrodynamic bearing scheduled maintenance can be performed with
confidence by either yourself or your bearing OEM to reduce or eliminate unplanned
downtime due to bearing failure.
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2.Author
Thomas Stietz is the Engineering Manager at the Grafton facility of Miba
Industrial Bearings U.S. LLC. He has worked in the turbomachinery industry
for the last 24 years providing technical support for the development,
design, and analysis of fluid film journal and thrust bearings. He received
his B.S.M.E (1994) degree from University of Wisconsin, Platteville. He is
the co-inventor of U.S. Patent titled Hydrodynamic Bearing With Adaptive
Displacement Control.
3. Miba Industrial Bearings
The Industrial Bearing Branch produces hydrodynamic bearings and labyrinth seals for use
in critical rotating equipment, such as turbines, compressors, generators, motors and
industrial pumps. Our fluid film bearings are used in power generation as well as in the oil
and gas industry and the petrochemical industry.
4. Contact links:
https://www.miba.com/en/product-areas/industrial-bearings/
Disclaimer
We kindly want to remind you that the given statements and information herein are recommendations for the use of our products and are based on our experience in
combination with applicable technical standards. They are for guidance only and do not represent any assurance of characteristics or warranty commitments for the products
or their suitability for specific applications. The suitability of the products for the intended use by the user depends on different boundary conditions and influencing factors
and is to be assessed exclusively by the user. Directly contact us, so we can support your specific needs.
No warranty or guarantee, express or implied, is made with respect to the products, designs, data, the information described, or any intellectual property contained therein.
Any warranty or guarantee of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose is also excluded. The given statements and information herein reflect the current status at
the time of publication. Typing or printing errors cannot be excluded. This publication shall not be reprinted or reproduced in whole or in part in any form or by any means
without the express written permission of Miba.
