-

GE Hydro Thrust Bearings Applying development work to upgrading existing bearings

Jim Ferguson
GE Hydro, Generator Engineering, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B5,Canada

Abstract: To improve the performance of thrust bearings

we need both an understanding of the physics and an
analysis capability. Recent development work has
focused in on both of these needs. We are using this
new work to improve the performance of thrust bearings
that have been in service for many years. Examples of
some of the modification that have been carried out
together with the improvements in performance will be
described.
I.

INTRODUCTION

Hydro machines are typically large, low speed, and with a

vertical axis. The weight of the rotating parts and the
hydraulic thrust are supported on a thrust bearing. These
thrust bearings are fluid-film bearings, i.e. the rotating and
stationary surfaces of the bearing are completely separated by
a film of oil. The bearings operate submerged in a bath of oil
in an oilpot. The only external connection that they require
is a supply of water to cool the oil in the oilpot.
There has been a gradual evolution in the design of thrust
bearings on hydromachines over the last 100 years [l]. All
modem designs have separate segments with some form of
flexible support so that the segments can be self aligning.
General Electric adopted this design with a spring support in
1946. The spring support has an additional advantage in
controlling the deflection of the segments. This feature is
very important on the increased size of bearings that are
required on units with large ratings. This spring support has
been used in approximately 900 hydro machines supplied by
General Electric.
These spring-supportedthrust bearings have earned a
reputation for high reliability. Failure of the thrust bearing is
hardly ever the cause of an unscheduled outage of a hydro
machine.

11. DEVELOPMENT
A.

Need for development work

In spite of this excellent record of operational performance,

there is still a need to carry out development work on the
bearing. The following four needs were identified:
need to operate at higher speeds and loads
need to reduce losses
need to improve accuracy of prediction of performance
need to improve understanding of oil flows
It was considered very important to maintain the high
reliability of the bearing while addressing the above needs.
The development work is divided into two categories,
analytical and experimental, for the discussion in the
following sections.
B. Analytical development
0-7803-5293-9/99$10.00 0 1999 IEEE

The design for the older bearings was highly empirical.

No analysis was available for the hydrodynamics of the
oilfilm that could properly take into account all the nonlinearities in the system. Therefore, the design of each
successively larger bearing was based on extrapolations from
the design of previous bearings that were in operation.
Although this design approach was successful in producing
bearings that had high reliability, it did not allow us to
predict the influence of variables like the thickness of the
segment or the arrangement of the spring support.
The frst thermoelastic solution for the spring-supported
bearing was developed by Jack Vohr. This analysis was
presented in 1981 [2]. The results were correlated with
temperature measurements made on actual operating
hydrogenerators as well as measurements from a smaller
laboratory model.
Improvements in the analysis, particularly in the method
of calculating the deflection of the segment, were
implemented by Chris Ettles in his GENMAT software.
This was presented in 1991 [3]. The output of the
GENMAT analysis includes the 3-dimensional temperature
distribution in the bearing as well as the static pressure and
oilfilm thickness contours. We have been working with
Chris Ettles on the development of this software to improve
the accuracy, to improve the capability, and to make it more
user friendly. The calculated GENMAT results have been
correlated with measurements on a large number of actual
machines and with a much more comprehensive series of test
measurements on a shop test rig. The experimental program
is described in the next section.
C. Experimental development
The objectives for the experimental work were as follows:
to determine the boundary conditions for the analysis
to provide test data for the correlation, or the
calibration, of the analysis
to increase our understanding of, and to improve, the
oil flow throughout the bearing system
to prove or validate new concepts
to determine the limits of operation or factors of safety
A test rig was built in our shop facility in Lachine,
Quebec. This test rig is a complete thrust and guide bearing
assembly. The diameter of the thrust bearing is 1.17 m.
Reference [4]gives a more complete description of the test
rig. A photograph of one of the test bearings mounted in the
test rig is shown on figure 1.

809

Rotntion

Fig. 1. Photograph of test bearing mounted in test rig

Tests have been carried out on six different test bearings.
Measurements include temperatures, oilfilm pressures, power
loss, and oilfilm thickness. Steady-state measurements were
made over a series of loads, speeds and oil temperatures and
with different oil grades. Tests were also carried out at very
low speeds to determine the limits of hydrodynamic
lubrication. Some of the test results are presented in
References [4], [5] and [6].

Fig. 2. Oilfilm thickness contours with original design

'

Katntion

111. APPLICATIONS OF UPGRADING

The GENMAT analysis software is now used in the

design of new thrust bearings. In addition, it has proven to
be very useful in the upgrading of existing thrust bearings.
Our first application was with BC Hydro at their Kootenay
Canal station. The thrust bearing had operated without
difficulty for 20 years. While the unit was disassembled for
turbine replacement the thrust bearing was left in the lower
bracket on the station floor. This allowed easy access to the
thrust bearing. An analysis of the bearing revealed that the
profile of the oilfilm was less than optimum. Further
investigation showed that a significant improvement was
possible by revising the spring arrangement. These
modifications were carried out and after the unit had been
returned to service the measured temperature dropped as
predicted. The oilfilm thickness contours for the original and
modified designs are shown on figures 2 and 3. The large
areas of the oilfilm with low convergence have been
eliminated. There is now a much more uniform convergence
over the whole area, and the film thickness at the leading
edge has been dramatically increased. There is more than a
50% increase in the minimum film thickness at the design
load.

Fig. 3. Oilfilm thickness contours with modified design

Subsequent upgrading studies on other bearings have
resulted in similar improvements in the performance. A
summary of these improvements in the performance is given
in Table 1. In every case the convergence in the oilfilm has
been increased and made more uniform. With the original
spring arrangement the thermal crowning of the segment was
an important contributor to the convergence in the oilfilm.
With the modified spring arrangement the increased offset of
the springs becomes the most important contributor to the
convergence in the oilfilm. This change should result in a
much more robust design.
The bearings in the machines listed in Table 1 are typical
of the bearings in many of the older machines that are
performing in commercial operation without any problems.
Therefore, similar improvements should be possible on many
of these older machines.

810

The final step is to complete a report which would

summarize the results of the bearing study, and give
recommendations for actions together with the anticipated
benefits. Drawings of any hardware required to accomplish
the modified spring arrangement would also be included.
The cost of this study is very small in comparison to the
benefits that may be realized.

TABLE 1: IMPROVED PERFORMANCE ON

UPGRADED BEARMGS
Station

Kootenay Canal

Increase in
Minimum Oilfilm
Thickness (pm)

Decrease in
Temperature

12

(c)

V. CONCLUSIONS

Limestone
Chute des Passes

-2

17

Elkem

20

Serra da Mesa

10

10

IV. BEARING STUDY

We recommend that a bearing study be carried out
whenever refurbishing or upgrading is being considered.
This study would identify the possibility of improvements in
the performance of the bearing and define the work required to
achieve these improvements. The following work would be
included in the bearing study.
The first step is to review the operating history of the
bearing. This would include the following:
documenting any problems
identieing any modifications to the bearing
0
establishing trends in measured temperature
0
determining measured temperatures
inspecting the bearing surfaces
The second step is to carry out an analysis of the existing
bearing. This would include a correlation between the
measured and calculated temperatures.
The third step is to repeat the analysis to evaluate the
proposed changes to the bearing to improve the performance.
These changes could include the following:
modified spring arrangement
0
different viscosity of oil
0
revised segment thickness
0
modified oil circulation system
Other refurbishing work would also be evaluated. This
could include the following:
0
the surface of the babbitt could be repaired,
remachined, or even replaced
the surface of the rotating ring could be remachined
0
a split rotating ring could be replaced with a one-piece
ring
0
a high pressure oil injection system for hydrostatic
lubrication at low speed could be installed

New analysis tools are available to predict the performance

of thrust bearings. These tools can be used to determine the
influence of the design variables.
Experimental work on both a shop test facility and on
operational bearings at site has provided valuable
information. This work has been used to calibrate the
analysis, determine the boundary conditions, explore the
limits of lubrication, and to prove new concepts.
The combination of the improved analysis and the
experimental development enables us to improve the
performance of bearings. This can be applied both in the
optimization of new bearings and in the upgrading of existing
designs.
A bearing study has been defined to determine the benefits
that would i e available when upgrading existing bearings.
VI. REFERENCES

111 Ferguson, J. H., Improving the Performance of

Hydrogenerator Thrust Bearings, Presented at the
Uprating and Refurbishing Hydro Powerplants
Conference, Montreal, Oct 1997.
Vohr,
J. H., Prediction of the Operating Temperature of
121
Thrust Bearings, ASME Journal of Lubrication and
Technology, Vol 103, pp.97-106, Jan 1981.
[31 Ettles, C. M., Some Factors AfSecting the Design of
Spring Supported Thrust Bearings in Hydroelectric
Generators, Transactions of ASME, Vol 113, pp.626632, July 1991.
[41 Yuan, J, H., Medley, J. B., and Ferguson, J. H.,
Spring-Supported Thrust Bearingsfor Hydroelectric
Generators: Laboratory Test Facility, STLE Tribology
Transactions, in press, 1999.
[51 Yuan, J, H., Medley, J. B., and Ferguson, J. H.,
Spring-Supported Thrust Bearingsfor Hydroelectric
Generators: Comparison of Experimental Data with
Numerical Predictions, STLE Tribology Transactions,
in press, 1999.
[61 Ferguson, J. H., Yuan, J. H., and Medley, J. B.,
Spring-Supported Thrust Bearingsfor Hydroelectric
Generators: Influence of Viscosity on Power Loss,
Tribology Series 34, Elsevier Science, pp 187-194,
1998.

81 1