Case Study: Consecutive Failure of Lube Oil Cooler Fans Coupling

Do we analyze on why can even the most reliable turbomachinery are getting failure and stopped? In some cases, it's all about bad installation or design literally. This paper explores the challenges one site had with repeated failure of lube oil fin fan coolers coupling which caused the unit availability of more than 3 months. It outlines the troubleshooting attempts made to remedy this issue, its root cause, and the resulting solution. This issue occurred at a site with a train configuration of motor driven centrifugal compressors. The plant lube oil system has been configured with 3 trains. Each train has been configured with Main electric motor + Vorecon Gearbox + Low Pressure centrifugal compressor + High Pressure centrifugal compressor. Lube oil system of the train has been configured as 2 lube oil coolers and 2 working oil coolers. Lube oil coolers are having fins with air cooler type. Air is supplied by fin fans and each train has 2 lube oil cooler fans and 2 working oil cooler fans. In total site has 3 trains x 4 fin fans so it has 12 fin fan cooler fans. All cooler fans are driven by electric motor which is coupled with gearbox and gear box is connected with cooler fan. During normal operation of working oil cooler fan A- stopped rotation suddenly from normal operation. During investigation, motor shaft was found running freely. No movement was seen on cooler fan. Coupling between motor to gearbox was inspected. Coupling is shear plate coupling. Its spacer flexible element were found broken into several pieces. Further investigation revealed that motor coupling hub was moving free axially back and forth due to clearance between motor shaft to coupling hub internal diameter. Motor side Coupling hub bolt hole was found with loss of material and ovality in shape. Hub locking Allen screw was found in damaged condition. Missing materials were noted and broken shear plate materials were found around coupling guard area. While site team was conducting the investigation on the unit A, similar incident occurred in next unit and other 3 units with 2 days difference between them. During detailed investigation it has been noted that all motor to gear box coupling are shear plates and shear plates were broken. Coupling hub was found loose and coupling hub locking screw was found broken or partial damage.