A Technical Publication for the Advancement of Machinery Protection, Management, and Rotor Dynamics

Protecting Your Machinery

Bently Nevadas business was born by offering a superior way to measure machinery condition. So accurate and reliable was that method, that customers soon began connecting our systems to automatically shut down their machinery when vibration, temperature, or axial position measurements moved beyond acceptable limits. While weve moved well beyond just protecting machinery, it still forms the very core of our business. Like painting San Franciscos famous Golden Gate Bridge, its a job that never finishes. As soon as you get to one end, you start again at the other end. In the same way, the need to continually educate and assist the new personnel that use and rely on our systems for machinery protection is a never-ending job; but, its one we enjoy. In this issue of ORBIT, we return to those roots with a number of articles pertaining to machinery protection. From Roger Harkers article on page 5, discussing the importance of making certain your systems are up-to-date, to a review of the worlds most widely used machinery protection standard, API 670 on page 30, to an article dealing with the fundamentals of thrust position measurements on page 51, this is an issue that focuses on the most basic purpose of our products and services: to protect critical machinery. In addition to machinery protection content, youll also find plenty of other informative reading. Don Bently addresses initial skepticisms about the technology of our new ServoFluid Control Bearing, and what it can do for the stability of rotating machinery, in Look Under the Hood on page 22 and in The Death of Whirl on page 10. Electrostatic discharge (ESD), another damaging phenomena found on many machines, is discussed on pages 19, 23, and 25. The usual assortment of new product announcements, case histories, and news from around Bently Nevadas world is included in this issue as well. We hope you find the content useful and enlightening. Steve Sabin

First Quarter 2001 Vol. 22 No. 1

ORBIT is published quarterly by Bently Nevada Corporation. Questions, suggestions, and letters to the editor may be addressed to: ORBIT 1631 Bently Parkway South Minden, Nevada 89423 Phone: (775) 782-3611 Fax: (775) 782-9253 e-mail: orbit@bently.com

Publisher: Bently Nevada Corporation Corporate Marketing Manager: Steve Sabin Managing Editor: Joy Curtis Technical Editor: Scott Meikrantz Art Director: Dennis Hammer Corporate Photographer: Jim Reed Graphic Illustrator: Jeanie Nelson Production Artists: Jay Everett Teri Broad Circulation: Clydie Costa Printer: Craftsman Press West

SM , Actionable Information to the Right People at the Right TimeSM, ADRE, Because Better Machines Start With Better BearingsSM, Because the Right Results Require the Right KnowledgeSM, Because You Depend on Your MachinerySM, Bently ALIGN, Bently BALANCE, Bently DOCUVIEW , Bently LUBE, Bently PERFORMANCE, Bently Nevada, CableLoc, ClickLoc, Data Manager, Decision SupportSM, DemoNet, Dynamic Data Manager, Dynamic Transmitor, Engineer Assist, FieldMonitor, flexiTIM, flexiTAM, FluidLoc, Helping You Protect and Manage All Your Machinery, HydroScan, HydroVU, Key , Keyphasor, Machine Condition Manager 2000, MachineLibrary, Machine Manager, MicroPROX, Move Data, Not People, Move Information, Not Data, NSV, Preformalign, Prime Spike, PROXPAC, Proximitor, REBAM, SE, Seismoprobe, ServoFluid, Smart Monitor, Snapshot, System 1, System Extender, TDXnet, TDIXconnX, Tecknowledgy, TipLoc, TorXimitor, Transient Data Manager, Trendmaster, TrimLoc, VAM, Velomitor, XLerometer

Credits Actionable Information

Over 43,000 copies distributed worldwide

ISO-9001

The Bently Nevada Corporation Orbit Design, Bently Balance and Design, System 1 Enabled and Design, and M-Squared and Design are all trademarks or registered marks of Bently Nevada Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Modbus is a registered trademark of Schneider Automation, Inc. Viton is a registered trademark of Dupont. PLC is a registered trademark of Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.

This publication is printed on recycled paper.

CERTIFICATED FIRM

QSC-3101 Copyright 2001 Bently Nevada Corporation All rights reserved. L8065-00 (02/01)