Failure cause analysis: fans. Final report
Surveys by the Edison Electric Institute have identified power plant fans to be a significant cause of plant failures. This report contains the results of a study to identify fan problem areas, their causes and their effects. A data base of 743 fans was prepared from questionnaires distributed to US utilities and to the Tennessee Valley Authority. Additional information was obtained from personal contacts with various power company personnel, station records and reports, and EPRI files. The great majority of fans studied were centrifugal units used in forced draft, induced draft, primary air, and gas recirculating applications. As controllable-pitch axial fans have seen service only recently in the United States, the number of such fans available for study is relatively small. Data analysis resulting clearly demonstrates problems with draft fan systems and their components which contribute to the unavailability of generating units. Seventeen specific problem components are identified for centrifugal fans; bearings, blades, and foundations account for more than 54% of the centrifugal fan problems. Nine specific problem components are identified in the case of axial fans; blade, shaft bearings, and blade thrust bearings account for over 52% of the axial fan problems. The indicated causes and effects are documented. Recommendations are made to improve the reliability of existing fans, and generic problems requiring future research and application of existing technologies are identified. It is also recommended that users place less emphasis on the initial costs of fans and more emphasis on those design features that improve reliability to encourage manufacturers to accelerate their efforts to improve the technology and correct critical problems. Implementation of the recommendations could substantially improve the availability of fans.
- Research Organization:
- Fan Systems Co., Sun City West, AZ (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6616133
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-CS-1693
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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