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Early Imbalance Detection on Silo Depressure Fan Prevents Costly Bearing Failure and Downtime

By:

SKYLER

The Challenge

The fan is installed on top of a cement silo in a high and had-to-reach location, making regular inspection difficult. A feilure could lead to silo overpressure, dust emission, and interruptions in the loading process.

fan-imbalance

What We Detected

Vibration Evidence

  • Overall Velocity RMS levels showed a continuous increase on the trend.
  • The highest values appeared on the motor drive end, reaching around 2.2 in/s in the horizontal plane.
  • The vibration spectrum revealed a dominant 1* running speed peak characteristic of imbalance.

Pattern

The spectral signature indicated a strong imbalance pattern combined with a secondary looseness component, likerly triggered by the unblanace.

Consequence in the Field

Excessive vibration could accelerate bearing wear, loosen mounting points, and cause loss of ventilation in the silo, increasing the risk of dust accumulation or overpressure during loading operations.

Component:

Fan DE & NDE

Speed:

1780 RPM

Pattern:

Fundamental Speed (1x) with 2. and 3. harmonics

fan-imbalance_chart_1

Our Recommendations

  • 1
    Inspect:

    Stop the fan and perform a detailed visual inspection for dirt build-up on the blades.
  • 2
    Clean:

    Clean all fan blades thoroughly to restore balance and prevent uneven mass distribution.

On-Site Findings

The end customer using Skyler carried out a physical inspection of the asset on the same day following our recommendations.
Once completed, the following conditions were documented:
a large amount of dirt was found accumulated on the blades, in line with Skyler’s diagnosis.

The Result?

Outcome

Vibration levels dropped from 2.2 in/s to  normal range.
Imbalance and looseness patterns eliminated, fan returned to stable operation.

$21,800

Early detection prevented brearing failure with an estimated cost of over $11,000.

Risk avoided

Prevented silo ventilation loss, overpressure, and loading operation disruptions.

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