By Reitz Ina Fans
We received a service call from Lafarge Cauldon Cement Works in the UK for a high vibration problem at the intermediate speed of the Precip Fan. They were facing high vibration of 5.5 mm/sec. in between 775 and 835 rpm.
Above and below this speed range, the vibration readings were quite low. But as per the operational requirement, this fan needed to be run around 790-800 rpm to get perfect operational performance of the fan.
During the visit, our engineer noticed that the final grouting materials underneath the DE side pedestal were completely damaged and had relieved the bonding between main foundation and fan pedestal. The engineer also noticed that the main foundation was soaked with lubrication oil which had been leaking from the bearing housing.
Our engineer explained to the team of Lafarge Cauldon Cement Works about the root cause of the high vibration and corrective measures needed. Dhamodaran Kumar, maintenance manager of Lafarge Cauldon Cement Works, and his team gave great support and cooperation to attend this job successfully.
There were lots of challenges, especially the ambient temperature, which was in the negatives and not suitable for recasting final grouting materials of the fan pedestal. However, the following are the chronological steps we took while addressing the problem.
1. After removing the Fan DE Pedestal, it was clear that final grouting materials had been completely damaged.
2. The foundation was soaked with oil due to the leakage from the bearing housing over the period of 35 years.
3. After blasting the foundation to clean up the oil, we noticed that the oil had damaged the foundation pockets.
4. We jointly decided to replace all the foundation bolts with new sets and recasting of the pockets. During removal of the foundation bolts, it was clear that the oil had soaked below 1 meter of the foundation.
5. We used new foundation bolts and pocket grouting by Epoxy Reign. As the ambient temperature was -3°C, we heated up the foundations using a propane gas heat blower to maintain the foundation temperature above 10°C.
6. Before final grouting, we heated-up the foundation by propane gas heat blower and used the heating torch for burning the oil, which came to the surface.
7. Final grouting was done by Epoxy Reign.
8. We made a trial run of the fan at all the intermediate speeds and found that the looseness frequency was completely eliminated and the vibration readings were well within the range. The Lafarge Cauldon team was satisfied and happy after the trial run of the fan.
Reitz India
Reitz India is dedicated to producing highly engineered modular fans with power ranging up to and beyond 12,000 kW. Reitz is a quality fan for uncompromised high efficiency, reliability and performance.
The company invests significant resources in research and development to improve blade shapes and introduce new designs to the market, constantly pushing the boundaries of fan performance. Its commitment to innovation is reflected in its ability to adapt local innovations to produce technologically superior products that out-perform its counterparts in terms of quality and efficiency.
“We have been certified for quality and safety standards which are evident in the numerous certifications. We are ISO 9001 and 14001 certified, and ATEX certified for gas tight constructions, thus meeting all the international requirements. These certifications confirm our ability to fulfil the requirements of various industries across the globe,” said Prasad Rao Kotagiri, founder, Reitz India.
