SOP: MAIN BEARINGS & COOLING | FRANCIS UNIT 1
SOP-ROT-001 REV 3.1

MAIN BEARINGS & COOLING

BACK TO DASHBOARD

OIL FILM IS THE BEARING

The heavy rotating mass floats on a microscopic film of oil. If temperature exceeds 60°C, viscosity drops—thin oil cannot carry the shaft.

Danger

Metal-to-metal contact leads to catastrophic babbit melting.

Result

Prolonged outage and extremely expensive repair costs.

HEAT EXCHANGE LOGIC

1.1 Intake Filtration

  • Inspect mesh filters daily for river silt.
  • High differential pressure (dP) means flow blockage.

1.2 "Backflush" Protocol

  • Reverse flow direction for 5 minutes every week.
  • Eject deposited sediment acting as insulator.

2.1 Water Contamination

Symptom: Milky Oil

Oil in sight glass looks cloudy or mliječno.

ACTION: EMERGENCY STOP. Centrifuge or replace oil.

THERMAL OPERATING LIMITS

Condition Temp Range Action Required
NORMAL 18°C - 55°C Routine monitoring.
ALARM 60°C Check cooling water flow & clean filters.
TRIP (SHUTDOWN) 70°C Emergency Stop.

Inspect for babbit damage before restart.

MAINTENANCE CYCLE

Daily

Scrub mesh filters on intake lines.

Weekly

5-minute backflush of all exchangers.

On Alarm

Immediate sight glass audit for water ingress.