A method for establishing a bearing residual life prediction model for process enhancement equipment based on rotor imbalance response analysis

Abstract

A rotating packed bed is a typical chemical process enhancement equipment that can strengthen micromixing and mass transfer. During the operation of the rotating packed bed, the nonreactants and products irregularly adhere to the wire mesh packing in the rotor, thus resulting in an imbalance in the vibration of the rotor, which may cause serious damage to the bearing and material leakage. This study proposes a model prediction for estimating the bearing residual life of a rotating packed bed based on rotor imbalance response analysis. This method is used to determine the influence of the mass on the imbalance in the vibration of the rotor on bearing damage. The major influence on rotor vibration was found to be exerted by the imbalanced mass and its distribution radius, as revealed by the results of orthogonal experiments. Through implementing finite element analysis, the imbalance response curve for the rotating packed bed rotor was obtained, and a correlation among rotor imbalance mass, distribution radius of imbalance mass, and bearing residue life was established via data fitting. The predicted value of the bearing life can be used as the reference basis for an early safety warning of a rotating packed bed to effectively avoid accidents.