NATIONAL THERMAL POWER CORPORATION OPERATION DIVISION FORMAL DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM OPERATION DIRECTIVE - OD/OPS/SYST/001

Issue No. : 1 Date : December 1993

BARRING OF TURBINE GENERATORS

All locations are required to comply with this Directive

Approved for Implementation by ........................................................ Director (Operation) Date :.................................... Enquiries to : Executive Director, Operation Services

BARRING OF TURBINE GENERATORS

CONTENTS Page Nos. 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.0 INTRODUCTION SUPERSEDED DOCUMENTS SCOPE DIRECTIVE Cause of Permanent Bending of Turbine Rotors Purpose of the Turning Gear Implementation REVIEW 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 5

Page 1 OD/OPS/SYST/001 Issue - 1 Dec-93

BARRING OF TURBINE GENERATORS 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Directive draws attention to the need to exercise great care in the use of Turning Gear on a Turbine Generator if there is any indication or suspicion of transient or permanent bending of the turbine rotors. Because severe damage can occur during turning, all stations shall review their turbine turning procedures and, if not in compliance with this Directive, prepare suitable operating instructions in conjunction with the turbine manufacturer. 2.0 3.0 SUPERSEDED DOCUMENTS- None SCOPE Applicable to all steam driven prime movers provided with Barring Gear. 4.0 4.1 DIRECTIVE Cause of Permanent Bending of Turbine Rotors Permanent bending of a turbine rotor is invariably the result of a selfsustaining rub between the rotating element and the fixed glands. The continuation of heavy rubbing causes local heating over a certain area of the rotor periphery, tending to maintain the bend and leading to further bending in the same direction. The material adjacent to the self-sustaining rub is subject to high compressive stress because of the frictional heating of the rotor, in this region some yielding in compression takes place with the consequence that, on cooling down, the bend reverses, invariably leaving the rubbed side of the bend. It follows that the degree of the permanent bend is a function of the severity of the rubbing and the length of time it is sustained. Obviously, any severe rubbing which is likely to cause a permanent bend must be stopped, whether it occurs at barring speed or any higher speed. A transient bend will disappear if the rubbing is so light that insufficient heat is generated to sustain the bend. Note : Thermal bends produced in a stationary rotor never in the past proved to be permanent.

Page 2 OD/OPS/SYST/001 Issue - 1 Dec-93 4.2 Purpose of the Turning Gear The purpose of the Turning Gear is to maintain rotor temperature after shutdown and thus prevent rotor eccentricity from developing. Top-tobottom casing differential temperatures are likely to occur even with high speed barring and it is not possible to be specific on the maximum indicated eccentricity that can be tolerated on Turning Gear because this varies between one type of the machine and another, the manufacturer should be consulted if these figures are required. Eccentricity should fall rapidly after barring commences, and if it does not, the Turning Gear should be stopped and hand turning applied where possible. 4.3 Because of the differences in design and behaviour of rotors and glands and the different Turning Gear and supervisory instruments installed, it is necessary to consider the turning procedure at each power station individually. Power Station General Managers shall review their Turning Procedures, and if found necessary in the light of this Directive, issue new instructions which have the full written agreement of the turbine manufacturer. The following points may be useful in formulating these instructions : If the Turning Gear is not capable of turning the rotors - due to rotor seizure, bearing failure, etc steam MUST NEVER be admitted to the machine for the purpose of `steam barring'. The rotors should be turned by hand barring if possible; half a revolution every 10 minutes, as long as no undue force is required. If excessive force is necessary, indicating seizure, THE ROTORS SHOULD BE LEFT STATIONARY UNTIL, after cooling, they become free. Barring may then by cautiously resumed, initially by hand and thus, having ensured that the rotors are free, power barring may be used. 4.3.2 If when a machine stops, failure of the Turning Gear has occurred , steam MUST NOT be admitted for the purposes of `steam barring' if the rotors have been stopped for more than 10 minutes. Hand barring of the machine should be carried out where possible; half a revolution every 10 minutes. If there is a rising trend of eccentricity or vibration whilst on Turning Gear, power barring MUST BE STOPPED and the rotors turned carefully by

4.3.1

4.3.3

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hand, half a revolution every 10 minutes, unit the trend has been reversed when power barring may be resumed. 4.3.4 If while on Turning Gear a rub occurs followed by an increase in eccentricity or vibration, the procedure outlined in 4.3.3 above should be followed. A rotor rub during Turning Gear operation should be evident from observation of the Turning Gear motor current where this indication is provided, or by local observation for noise. 4.3.5 In case of failure of lub oil or jacking oil and the rotors have come to rest, no attempt shall be made to turn the shafts by either hand or power barring until the oil supplies are restored. In case of failure of generator seal oil supplies and if it is essential to turn the rotors, only the hand barring system will be used. REVIEW The Executive Director, Operation Services will be responsible for reviewing this Directive on a 2-yearly basis.

4.3.6

5.0