THE 43TH TURBO MACHINERY

SYMPOSIUM CASE STUDY

CGC LARGE STEAM TURBINE VIBRATION RESONANCE OF PEDESTAL
AND LINKAGE SYSTEM RCA, DETAIL VIBRATION
INVESTIGATION/MEASUREMENT AT SITE AND COUNTERMEASURES
The 43th Turbo machinery Symposium Case Study

CGC Large Steam Turbine

Vibration Resonance of Pedestal and Linkage System
RCA, Detail Vibration Investigation/Measurement at Site and
Countermeasures

Makoto Katagake
Kyoichi Ikeno
Satoshi Hata
1. Specification of Steam turbine with Gov, side pedestal
E/H actuator
TTV(Steam inlet)
HP Casing

HP/LP casing
Pilot valve

BRG
pedestal
BRG pedestal cover

Rotor BRG pedestal

E/H actuator
Contact / Casing support
Slide surface
BRG pedestal
Base plate
Gov, side brg, pedestal with cover assembly
Section drawing of 9EH model turbine
Major specification of bearing pedestal with
Turbine specification ; cover assembly;
Max, power ; 60MW
1) Fabricated welding structure
Speed ; 2830 rpm – 3845 rpm
Plant start ; from 2002
2) Separated casing support
3) Material is Carbon steel (Eq, ASTM A36)
2.1 Background Historical of bearing pedestal vibration phenomenon at site
Historical events at field ;
Turbine start up in 2002
Gov, side pedestal Vibration increase from around 2005
Vibration up to 20 mm/s in 2012 by turbine load/speed up
Vibration causes linkage wear and required control limit

Y3

Vibration [mm/s] (0-P)

X1

X2
Y6
X3

Z1

Site measurement points Pedestal vibration record from 2005 to 2012

(View from Gov, side)
2.2 Background Historical of bearing pedestal vibration phenomenon at site

Steam flow map

Feedback lever

Inlet Steam flow

Impossible control area

GV linkage damage condition

Operation condition ;
It was shifted actual inlet steam
flow against E/H actuator signal.
Rotating speed
2.3 Background Historical of bearing pedestal vibration phenomenon at site
Site measurement record ;
One sensor is fixed and the sensors(for H, V, A direction) are removed to the points together.
Each vibration phase is evaluated by transfer function from the fixed point to each points.
0.5

435
in mm/S
0.4 Bump test result ; 73 Hz(Natural frequency)

in mm/s
0.3 Rotating speed
PK Velocity
Velocity
0.2 (48.8 to 64Hz(2830 to 3845rpm))
0.1

0
0 8000 16000

Bump test resultFrequency in CPM

of pedestal
06
Power cylinder The out-of-phase mode

E/H actuator

Original position
Exh,side
Measured vibration mode at 3555 rpm (59Hz)
The main characteristic of the vibration mode is an
out-of –phase (counter-motion) mode between main
Pedestal pedestal and casing support
Measured vibration mode under operation
(View from Exh, side)
Site measurement points diagram
3. Root Cause Analysis for Bearing Pedestal Vibration

RCFA ;

Root cause failure analysis found on 3 main items as below;

1, Excessive external force

2, Increase of modal mass on bearing pedestal

3, Decrease of dynamic stiffness

Foundation degradation

Bearing pedestal stiffness

Natural frequency excitation

4.1 Response analysis of 3D Full modeling
In order to clarify the vibration mechanism, it performed vibration 3D response
analysis(cod-Nastran) with current bearing pedestal incorporate measurement result of
site condition.

3D full FEM modeling

Rotor modeling with

exciting force

Mass data with Boundary

condition

Dynamic response
analysis

Original pedestal New pedestal

 4.2 Response analysis of 3D Full modeling
Rotor modeling with excitation force calculation
 5.1 Analysis result of original pedestal in hot condition
Final analysis results of fabricated pedestal type

Result
X3 Natural frequency 61.8Hz is in to the turbine operating
speed range.
Vibration level in analysis is 10 to 30mm/s 0-P
around normal to max speed.

61.8 Hz

Operation range ; 48.8 – 64.0 Hz

Full contact blue

colored only

View from pedestal lower side

5.2 Analysis result of original pedestal in hot condition
Comparison between Measurement data and
Analysis result by animation mode.
View from TOP View from 3D Result
3D response analysis method is almost
suitable for site operating condition.
The out-of-phase mode between main
pedestal and upper casing support under.

View from front side View from side

Analysis vibration mode result

Measured vibration mode at site (View from Exh, side)
 6. Comparison of original and improved pedestals
Requirement for new pedestal design
1) Applicable full contact condition of pedestal surface.
2) Rigidly connection between pedestal body and casing
support without freestanding.

Old fabricated type New casting type

Casting pedestal type has more high stiffness than current fabricated type
7.1 3D analysis result of improved pedestal in hot condition
Final analysis results of Casting pedestal type
Result
a) Natural frequency 40.7Hz to be satisfied with API
X3 standard (less than 41Hz), and out of operation range.
b) Vibration level in operation to be much lower at
0.3 to 1 mm/s 0-P even by 5-time of API limit

40.7 Hz

Operation range ; 48.8 – 64.0 Hz

7.2 3D analysis result of improved pedestal in hot condition
Following shows vibration mode of animation for improved pedestal and original.

Original pedestal analysis in hot condition Improved pedestal analysis in hot condition
8. Site verification result for permanent solution
Result for applying of new improved pedestal
Governing valve

Vibration [mm/s] (0-P) E/H actuator with linkage

20 01/24/12 3505rpm
Improved pedestal, cover
04/06/13 3540rpm
18
16
14
12
10
8
6 Outline of application to similar 9EH turbine

4
Result ;
2 Vibration level in rotating speed to be much
0 reduced to less than 3.0 mm /sec (0-P) ,
X1 X2 X3 Y3 Z1 Y6 which means reduction of 80% compare
Vibration record improved pedestal in 2013
with the existing pedestal vibration level.
9. Conclusion
1) Summary of analysis result
Pedestal Natural Vibration level in Note
frequency operation
Casting type 40.7Hz Less than 17% separation margin against
(Improved 1mm/s 0-P 48.8Hz (Min. speed) satisfied with API
design) (H-direction) standard of more than 16%
Fabricated type 61.8Hz Less than Almost same as site bump test (73Hz)
(Original design) (Hot 30mm/s 0-P with cold condition 69.2Hz.
condition) (H-direction)

2) 3D response analysis was carried out using field measurement data.

- Analysis was confirmed root cause of vibration.
- Model used to design new bearing pedestal and confirm vibration
include separation margin.
- Bearing pedestal retrofit to similar machines.
- Field record verified improved vibration response.
Thank you for your attention
Author’s biographies ; Makoto Katagake

Makoto Katagake is the Senior Mechanical Engineer of the

Turbine Design Section, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Compressor Corporation, in Hiroshima, Japan.
It has experience detail design of mechanical components
with R&D for mechanical drive turbines for 20 years.
Back up materials
 3.1 Root Cause Analysis for Bearing Pedestal Vibration
PHENOMENON ANALYSIS OF POSSIBLE CAUSES HOW TO RESULT OF POSSIB
VERIFICATION VERIFICATION ILTY*
High vibration of Governing valve due Lower level compared to
Excessive to steam flow turbulence
Vibration
pedestal
measurement
external
Increase of rotor unbalance Rotor vibration Lower level
force (Less than 20μmP-P)
level check
Self-excited vibration of E/H actuator
Vibration Lower level compared to
Unstable supply control oil pressure measurement pedestal

High Pressure level

Stable and suitable
check
vibration Decrease of
of GV dynamic Deterioration of concrete Alignment check
Alignment change
foundation
linkage stiffness
parts with
Lift up pedestal Improper deflection of
pedestal Decrease of
Deflection check
spring hunger of steam
by external of spring hunger
bearing pedestal force for steam piping piping before TTV
stiffness
Misalignment
of pedestal Alignment check Alignment change

Decrease of Looseness of
GV linkage tightening Bolt tightening No looseness
stiffness bolts check
Natural frequency close to
Natural frequency of pedestal Vibration measurement rotating speed due to
to be changed and close to related to turbine change of stiffness and
rotating speed speed modal mass
Increase of Change of connect Deflection check of Improper deflection of
modal mass condition of steam piping spring hunger for spring hunger of steam
See Next slide steam piping piping before TTV
on bearing
pedestal
possible cause Not cause Not confirmed
4.3 Response analysis of 3D Full modeling
b) Turbine structure modeling with loading data

LP casing

Base plate fix condition Stiffness

(kgf mm/rad)
Casing support Mx 2.1 1010
11250 2 kgf My 2.8 1010
Pedestal Gov. side rotor
4000 kgf Mz 5.6 1010
Exh. side flexible plate
(Without wedge plate) 13167 2 kgf
Casing
HP casing side Exh. side rotor Exh. side pedestal
=Infinite rigidity 4000 kgf 2767 kgf
LP casing side
=Finite stiffness Base plate

Excitation force:
BRG reaction force based on 5
Full contact condition
times API limit unbalance
Vibration analysis 3D-model
5.3 Analysis result of original pedestal in cold condition
Final analysis results of fabricated pedestal type

Result
X3
Almost matches analyzed natural frequency result
69 Hz with bump test result 73 Hz.
Vibration level would be increased to 8 mm /sec
(0-P) with Max, rotating speed.

69 Hz

Operation range ; 48.8 – 64.0 Hz

5.4 Analysis result of original pedestal in cold condition
Summary of Analysis result
Vibration mode (69.2Hz) of fabricated pedestal in final analysis
Before vibration
After vibration

The out-of-phase
(reverse phase vibration
mode) between main
pedestal and upper
casing support under
rotating speed

Analysis vibration mode result of current pedestal

Original pedestal outline
7.3 3D analysis result of improved pedestal in hot condition
Summary of Analysis result

No out-of-phase mode

Analysis vibration mode result of new pedestal