As we’re sure you are aware, turbochargers are comprised almost entirely of high speed moving components, and when coping with demands of up to 65,000 RPM (that’s 3.9 million rotations an hour!) and potential blade speeds of 600mph, bearings must be considered as one of the most important!
In order to extend the operating lifetime of your bearings and potentially prevent expensive damage to your turbochargers, we thought we’d share with you a few simple pieces of advice:
1) Avoid Sub-Standard Lubrication Oils – due to high temperatures, lub oil can age very quickly. It is important to use oils recommended by the manufacturer to get the best performance.
2) Reduce Contamination – particles in lub oil can physically damage the bearings and eventually caused rotor imbalance. Make sure you check your oil and clean your filters as per the recommended guidelines.
3) Upgrade to New Design Bearings – with the advances in engineering technology, many turbochargers are still operating with obsolete bearings. If given the opportunity, these turbochargers can be upgraded to new design bearings with a few simple modifications.
4) Regular Maintenance & Inspections – you should regularly maintain and inspect your turbochargers as per the manufacturers recommendations. Even if your turbocharger is in perfect condition, the components should be cleaned and well looked after to prevent contamination. This will ensure that bearing loads are minimized.
We hope these points prove useful to you or maybe act as a gentle reminder to take a look at your turbochargers.
If we can assist you with any of your ABB (VTR, VTC, TPS, RR), MAN (NR & NA Models), Napier (NA) or Mitsubishi (MET) Turbocharger requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us on info@bartechturbos.com or call on +44 (0)1206 225240.
