Faulty Generator

[kaajem]

Please what can cause the Turbocharger (the two sides) of CAT generator engine to be extremely RED HOT while in operation? And while would the engine exploded while running on low load. i.e Crankcase bursted and one of the connecting rod coming out?
Engine details:
Present running hour: 4420hrs
Engine Model: 3516B CAT Diesel Genset
Mode of Operation: Standby

 

[MikeHalloran]

Ooooh, that's an expensive engine to frag.

Air cooled turbos normally run visibly red at high loads.

Did you mean to say that the turbo was hot at low load? That would be not good.

Are there any indications that the control system was trying to shut it down when it blew? Like, cutting off the fuel supply? That might suggest that the engine was burning its own lube oil in a 'runaway'.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[catserveng]

Well, sounds like you may have stuck a piston. red hot turbo's not uncommon, better if someone could have red the exhaust temps going to the turbo's, those are standard monitoring points on most 3500 package gen sets.

4420 hours on a standby set, sounds like a lot and depending on rating may have been due for some major work. How about posting the serial number? Or since this is a CAT specific issue, maybe use the CAT forum website,

http://forums.cat.com/

Mike L.

 

[JohnMcNutt]

It sounds like there might be a language issue here: "the Turbocharger (the two sides) of CAT generator engine"

If I recall correctly this engine has 2 turbos, one for each side, so if they were both glowing then there must be some major systemwide malfunction.

In my experience exhaust components do not normally glow "extremely RED HOT" except at extreme loads. Maybe a very dull red that can be seen at night.

 

[kaajem]

Thanks to you the two mikes and John.
The case of engine turbocharges extremely RED HOT was not the issue of overloading or running it at night because at low loads its normally happen on this particular engine. We have the same model of the engine that we do compare them and that other engine is still working fine.Although we have done some major work on the engine before i.e changing the two cartridges of the turbochargers. The issue of crankcase explosion,I think piston issue is more closer because there was a time we experience VALVE DROP on two of the cylinder and we also retify that