High Thrust Bearing Temperatures due to Varnish: Kingsbury

search our site

Search

Home
Bearing Services
Applications
Literature
News
About Us
Contact

Fluid Film Bearings

Thrust Bearings

Directed Lubrication

Flooded Lubrication

Advanced Materials

Fixed Profile
Journal Bearings

Directed Lubrication

Flooded Lubrication

Fixed Profile
Specialty Bearings

Bearing Repair & Service

Contact Kingsbury
Get A Quote
Ask An Expert
Locate A Rep
Request Training Aftermarket Contacts
High Thrust Bearing Temperatures Due to Varnish
Bearing Repair & Service
Fluid Film/Babbitted Repair

Bearing Repair & Service

When you hear this question, it is natural to think that there is something
wrong with the thrust bearing. This is not always the case. Bearing

Replacement Parts
performance information can give you the symptoms of what is wrong with
Tech Support/Field Service
your machine or in this case the lubricant.

Aftermarket Contacts
One example is a 7" LEG 6-shoe thrust bearing that over time, had pad

Industries & Applications

Why is my thrust bearing running hot?

http://www.kingsbury.com/...ews6-2013&utm_medium=eNewsletters&utm_content=HighTempsDueToVarnish&utm_campaign=TurboArticles[20/3/2556 14:37:46]

High Thrust Bearing Temperatures due to Varnish: Kingsbury

temperatures increase from 100?C to as high as 140?C. A thrust shoe from

Image Galleries
this bearing is shown in Figure 1. Another example is a 6" LEG 6-shoe

Technical References
thrust bearing that after a few months in operation had a temperature
difference of almost 20?C between two shoes. A thrust shoe from this
Engineering Support
bearing is shown in Figure 2. Note that rising pad temperatures and large
FAQ
differences in temperature readings over time are typical behaviors when

varnish forms on thrust shoes.

Both bearings were installed in compressors and used ISO VG 32 viscosity
oil. Each shoe shows signs of varnish deposits toward the trailing edge of
rotation.

Figure 1. Thrust Shoe #1, CW Rotation

Figure 2. Thrust Shoe #2, CCW Rotation

When reviewing the design conditions, the pad temperatures should have
been much lower. A common thought is that the thrust load must be higher
than expected. Some customers may even ask the bearing supplier to predict
the actual thrust load based on the measured pad temperatures. This value
can be misleading since the predicted thrust load with the higher pad
temperatures does not take into account the effect of varnish deposits on the
shoes.
These bearings were not overloaded. As shown in Figures 3 & 4 below, the
shoe supports are in excellent condition and show no signs of indentation or
hard contact.

Figure 3. Back of Thrust Pad #1

Figure 4. Back of Thrust Pad #2

http://www.kingsbury.com/...ews6-2013&utm_medium=eNewsletters&utm_content=HighTempsDueToVarnish&utm_campaign=TurboArticles[20/3/2556 14:37:46]

High Thrust Bearing Temperatures due to Varnish: Kingsbury

Figure 5.

Figure 6.

Figures 5 and 6 are magnified views of the varnish on the thrust shoes.
Varnish is a hard, solid material that bonds to the babbitt surface. These
deposits alter the surface finish of the thrust shoes by diminishing the
flatness and smoothness of the babbitt surface. With oil film thicknesses
typically in the range of 13 to 51?m (0.0005" to 0.002"), this thin layer of
varnish interferes with the hydrodynamic oil film in the bearing. It decreases
the load carrying area of the shoe and reduces the oil film thickness. The
varnish builds up over time and the pad temperatures rise accordingly.
Eventually, the oil film breaks down and the collar contacts the shoes. The
touch wipe may actually remove enough of the deposits to restore the
hydrodynamic oil film. With a smoother babbitt surface, the pad
temperature readings may be lower than before the wipe. This whole
process can repeat itself periodically.
An FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) analysis was performed on varnish
samples from the shoes and both shoes had similar results. The first FTIR
spectrum was from methylene chloride that was used to extract the soluble
portions of the varnish material. This showed the presence of esters,
carboxylic acids, and unsaturated (or thermal decomposed) acids in the
spectra. The second analysis was performed on a varnish sample scraped off
from the shoes. The major component was a combination of phosphates and
pyrophosphates.
The results from the analysis determined that the root cause of the varnish
deposits is oil oxidation. This permanent degradation of the oil occurs as
additives in the oil become depleted. The antioxidants from the oil are
removed and bigger, less soluble molecules form that will eventually
develop into varnish. These molecules cluster, grow in size and form into a
hard solid material that bonds to the shoe babbitt. As heat is generated from
the shearing of the oil film, the overheated varnish deposits start to "cook"
and decompose. This heating causes the coking of the organic carbon chains
and only the phosphate inorganics remain.
The deposits on the shoes gave the diagnosis of the problem. To resolve the
problem, the oil needs to be analyzed over a period of time. The oil will
provide much more information than is available by analyzing the deposits
on the shoes. The solution may be as easy as replenishing the antioxidants
on periodic basis or more extreme measures such as having to switch to a
PAO (Polyalpha olefin) or PAG (Polyalkylene glycol) synthetic oil.
The varnish potential of the oil can be monitored by additional tests such as

http://www.kingsbury.com/...ews6-2013&utm_medium=eNewsletters&utm_content=HighTempsDueToVarnish&utm_campaign=TurboArticles[20/3/2556 14:37:46]

High Thrust Bearing Temperatures due to Varnish: Kingsbury

Membrane Patch Colorimetry (MPC) and Linear Sweep Voltammetry or

RULer (Remaining Useful Life evaluation routine). Including these tests
with viscosity, total acid number (TAN), ISO particle count and water
contamination analysis is a proactive approach to ensure the lubricant is
"healthy". Consult a Lubrication Engineer or on-line expert for
recommendations on your specific lubrication system.
References:
1. Livingstone, G., Prescott, J., & Wooton, D. (May, 2008), "Soluble
Varnish The Final Piece to the Puzzle", Proceedings Lubricant
Excellence 2008.
2. Gatto, V., Livingstone, G., Moehle, W., & Wooton, D. (May, 2007),
"Practical Approaches to Controlling Sludge and Varnish in Turbine
Oils", Proceedings Lubricant Excellence 2007.
3. Noria Corporation (May, 2003), "The Lowdown on Oil breakdown",
Practicing Oil Analysis.
4. Livingstone, Greg, (January, 2003), "Solving Varnish Problems at
Power Generation Facilities", Practicing Oil Analysis.
5. Wooton, Dave (January, 2012), "Kingsbury Thrust Bearing Shoes
791762-3"

?2011 Kingsbury, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.kingsbury.com/...ews6-2013&utm_medium=eNewsletters&utm_content=HighTempsDueToVarnish&utm_campaign=TurboArticles[20/3/2556 14:37:46]