Failure Analysis

Topic H -

Turbocharger failure
 TURBOCHARGER FAILURE
MAINTENANCE / OPERATIONAL LAPSES

• Probable cause • Minimum points to be checked in the

field

• Use of non-recommended oil • Sludge formation on the oil baffle

plate, diffuser plate, bearing housing,
thrust bearing.
(Refer photo H1-II&III)
• Extended the ‘B’ Check period • Scoring of seal ring of wheel and
shaft
• Floating bearing excessive worn out.
• Choking of oil feed hole of thrust
bearing. (Refer photo H1-I)

E4
 TURBOCHARGER FAILURE
MAINTENANCE / OPERATIONAL LAPSES
H1-I

Choking of oil feed hole of thrust bearing

 TURBOCHARGER FAILURE
MAINTENANCE / OPERATIONAL LAPSES
H1-II

Sludge formation on the oil baffle plate, diffuser plate,

bearing housing, thrust bearing
 TURBOCHARGER FAILURE
MAINTENANCE / OPERATIONAL LAPSES
H1-III

Sludge formation on the oil baffle plate, diffuser plate,

bearing housing, thrust bearing
TURBOCHARGER
FAILURES
 Turbocharger Failures
Complaint Observations/Minimum
Points to be checked in
Intake Seal Leak field

a) Choked Precleaners.
b) Choked Air cleaner elements.
c) Improper previous repairs.
d) Leakage evident only behind
compressor wheel and not on fins.
e) Choked breather / collapsed
hoses.
f) Excessive idling/operation at very
low loads.
Photograph showing intake seal
leak on compressor casing
Another case of intake oil seal
leak & its effect on casing
 Turbocharger Failures
Complaint Minimum Points to be
checked in field
a) Restricted oil drain in Turbo Housing
Turbine end seal due to Sludge.
Leak b) Collapsed/Restricted Turbo oil drain
hose.
c) High engine blowbye.
d) Excessive crankcase back pressure
due to choked breather element.
e) Excessive dirt/carbon build up on
compressor wheel/turbine wheel.
f) High exhaust temperature/Hot shut
down.
g) Oil starvation.
Turbo drain blocked due to poor
quality of oil & sludge
Heavy sludge on turbine end seal -
results in leakage
 Turbocharger Failures
Complaint Minimum Points to be
checked in field
Turbine Shaft a) Foreign Material entry in intake or
Breakage exhaust.

b) Failed material form combustion

chamber passing through exhaust.

c) Improper previous repairs.

d) Excessive axial play.

e) Bush seizure due to poor quality of

oil or oil starvation.
Damages to Fins of compressor due to foreign
material entry. Notice damages to tip of fins.
Damages to compressor housing
due to foreign material entrapment.
Progressively broken Turbine shaft.
Result of foreign material entry in intake
Effect of broken turbine shaft
on thrust plate
 Turbocharger Failures
Complaint Minimum Points to be
checked in field
A. Excessive smoke
a) History of engine operation with
(Excessive
restricted air for long periods.
endplay/Radial
Play)
b) Indication of dirt in oil.
B. Turbo hard to
rotate/Bush c) Extended oil change periods/heavy
seizure. sludge in oil/poor quality of oil.

d) Operational practice of hot

shutdowns.

e) Coolant passages blocked.

(Water cooled turbochargers)
Coolant passage of Turbo bearing housing
blocked due to heavy scale formation
Connectors coolant supply and drain
completely blocked by dirt / mud / debris
Effect of chocked coolant supply & hot shut
down on Turbine shaft & bushes etc.
Scoring on turbine shaft due to
dirt in oil
Effect of dirt in oil on Thrust
collar
 Turbocharger Failures
(Excessive smoke Continued)

NOTE:

Apart from the checkpoints mentioned in the previous

page for excessive endplay, it essential to keep in mind
that excessive axial / radial play indications are advance
Symptoms of seal leakage and turbine shaft breakage
failures; hence it is mandatory that all checkpoints
suggested for Shaft Failures & Seal leakages be
checked to ascertain the correct cause of failures.
 Turbocharger Failures
Caution:
In addition to cause of failures listed in earlier sample
cases, extensive analysis of failed turbochargers
received from field over last few years indicate following
reasons contribute substantially for initiation of failure
and are often overlooked while analysis.
1. Hot shut down practices.
2. Scale formations on water passages of
turbocharger housings.
3. Heavy sludge formation in Bearing housings.
4. Dirt in oil.
5. Applications where sudden loads are applied.
Illustrations of above cases clarify the resultant effects.
 Turbocharger Failures
Complaint Minimum Points to be
checked in field
Abnormal sound a) Air leakage from turbocharger to
Not taking load intake piping joint.
b) Air leakage from intake manifold to
turbocharger crossover
hose/connection
c) Exhaust gas leak from turbo to
exhaust Piping joint.
d) Foreign particle in turbine of
compressor casing.
e) Excessive radial play leading to
vanes touching housing.
f) Compressor / Turbine housing crack.
 Turbocharger Failures

Caution

The most important and complex aspect of failure is not repairing or

correcting the problem noticed on the failed component but
correcting the root cause which has resulted in failure of the
component. In addition to cause of failures listed above failures
can also occur due to welding defects of shafts and imbalancing of
compressor & turbine wheels, however to establish such cause an
additional in-depth analysis of metallurgical aspects related to
manufacturing techniques need to be done. Interpretation of
fracture surfaces and progressive damage to other components is
complex to relate hence correct rootcause analysis of such failures
can be done only by extensive lab analysis.
 Turbocharger Failures
Complaint Minimum Points to be
checked in field
A. If the complaint is combined with not
Turbocharger
taking load, Check for
Glowing/Red hot. 1. Restricted Air to Turbo.
2. Improper valve / Injector setting.
3. Overloading of engine.
Important note: 4. High Exhaust temperatures.
Turbo glow at
load operation B. If the complaint is only of Turbo
with Exhaust temp glowing, Check for
within is normal 1. High exhaust temperature.
phenomenon. Correct exhaust temp. by correcting
Air/Fuel system problems.
2. If exhaust temperatures are in limits no
action required.
Case of heavy sludge in oil in
Bearing housing
A typical extreme case of turbine casing
crack due to high exhaust temp./Notice
the brownish colour of turbine wheel
A typical case of installation
problem. Air piping not aligned
Progressive damage to compressor fins
& housing due to above misalignment