Water contamination in bearing oil is a common recurring issue for steam turbines in the oil and gas industry. Labyrinth isolators fail to stop condensate from entering the bearing housing as steam dissipates from the carbon box. A Chevron in Port Arthur, Texas put an end to this issue by replacing the existing labyrinth isolators with Isomag magnetic bearing seals. Since installed in 2014, the end user reports that the seals are running smoothly at low temperatures (120 oF) with no evidence of water contamination. The old practice of evaporating water out of the oil twice a year is no longer necessary.
Application Summary:
Manufacturer: Turbodyne Previous bearing protection: Labyrinth isolators
Speed: 4370 rpm (4900 trip) Problem solved: water contamination
Shaft diameter: 4.000 inch Solution: Isomag MP V9 + Steam deflector
Lubrication: Splash Year installed: 2014
Statement from the End User:
“We are very pleased with the Isomag bearing seal's ability to stop contamination at such high shaft speeds during both dynamic and static conditions.”
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