INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS

BALANCING THE ROTOR OF TURBOCHARGERS BY REORIENTING THE ROTOR COUPLES

PROJECT MEMBER : RUTURAJ BARGAL

GUIDE : Mr. A. GOPALAKRISHNAN

Problem Statement
To reduce the initial imbalance present in the turbocharger by reorienting the rotor couples.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PROJECT
The initial imbalance in the turbocharger can
be reduced
It will reduce the amount of material to be
removed from the turbocharger core.
The number of cuts and correction runs will
decrease.
The cycle time of balancing the turbocharger
can be reduced.
The number of rejection will decrease.

Explanation for Imbalance

A Turbocharger consists of three major components: Turbine wheel, Rotor shaft, Compressor
wheel. Apart from these components Housing, Bearings are the important parts of turbocharger
assembly.
Almost all rotors of automotive turbochargers exhibit strong sub synchronous vibrations, as well
as the more common unbalance vibrations found in other rotating machinery. These vibrations
are undesirable because they generate noise, and can have large amplitudes that cause rotorstator rub.
Unbalance vibrations are harmonic, or synchronous, with shaft speed and generally arise from
two main causes: mass eccentricity and shaft bow.
Mass eccentricity is a natural phenomenon in all rotors due to the offset of mass centroid, and
shaft bow is commonly caused by thermal effects.

Method of balancing followed at TEL

The turbocharger being studied is KP35 MSIL (Maruti Swift)
Only the compressor wheel, turbine wheel and the turbocharger core are balanced in the
turbocharger.
The compressor wheel and the turbine wheel are balanced individually.

The parts of the turbocharger are assembled at arbitrary positions to form the turbocharger core.
The entire turbocharger core is balanced in a High Speed Core Balancing machine until the balancing
values are within the limits.

COMPRESSOR WHEEL BALANCING

Plane 1

The compressor wheel is balanced to the limits of 0.1 MMG.

The imbalance mass and angle of the compressor wheel are
measured at planes 1 & 2.

Plane 2

TURBINE WHEEL BALANCING

Turbine wheel

Plane 3

The Turbine wheel is balanced to the limits of 0.1 MMG. The

imbalance mass and angle of the Turbine wheel are measured at
planes 3 & 4

Plane 4

Turbocharger core assembly

Benchmark Data
Using the above mentioned procedure for balancing, I have taken the benchmark
readings for 150 turbochargers and the observations were :
1. Rejection rate : 24/150 = 16%
2. Average cycle time : 109 seconds per turbocharger
3. Average correction runs : 1.8 runs per turbocharger
4. Average number of cuts: 3.2 cuts per turbocharger

Reasons for Rejection

INITIAL LIMITS : This is the scenario in which the incoming imbalance in the turbocharger is too
high(M > 150mmg). It is not possible to remove so much material. This turbocharger is rejected
immediately.

MANUFACTURING LIMITS: When the depth of cut of the material to be removed is too high, the
machine rejects the turbocharger.

NUMBER OF CORRECTION RUNS: The company has set the maximum number of correction runs to
6. if the turbocharger is not balanced within 6 correction runs it is rejected.

Rotary components taken into consideration

Plane 1

Plane 2

Plane 3

Plane 4

SOLUTION- Balancing of Rotating Masses

M2
MA
M3

M1

M4
MB

Reference
for angle

Solution
Plane 1 : Compressor wheel nut plane
Plane 2 : Compressor wheel hub plane
Plane 3 : Turbine wheel nut plane
Plane 4 : Turbine wheel hub plane
Plane A : Balancing plane A on the compressor wheel nut plane
Plane B : Balancing plane B on the compressor wheel hub plane
M1, R1 & 1 : Imbalance mass, radius and its angle at plane 1
M2, R2 & 2 : Imbalance mass, radius and its angle at plane 2
M3, R3 & 3 : Imbalance mass, radius and its angle at plane 3
M4, R4 & 4 : Imbalance mass, radius and its angle at plane 4
MA, RA & A : Balancing mass, radius and its angle to be placed at plane A
MB, RB & B : Balancing mass, radius and its angle to be placed at plane B
L2, L3, L4 : Dimensions of the turbocharger
Let plane A be the reference plane.

Solution
Plane

Imbalance
Mass

Radius

Imbalance
(m*r)

Length from
reference plane
(l)

Couple

(m)

(r)

M1

R1

M1R1

MA

RA

MARA

M2

R2

M2R2

L2

M2R2L2

MB

RB

MBRB

L2

MBRBLB

M3

R3

M3R3

L2 + L 3

M3R3L3

M4

R4

M4R4

L2 + L3 + L4

M4R4L4

Let the force F = M*R

(m*r*l)

Solution
BALANCING THE COUPLE:
Summation of Horizontal components:
FL Cos()

FBL2 Cos(B)

FBL2 Cos(B)

Constant

FB Cos(B)

C1

FBL2 Sin(B)

FBL2 Sin(B)

Constant

FB Sin(B)

C2

Equation1

Summation of Vertical components:

FL Sin()

Equation2

Solution
(Eqn 2) divided by (Eqn 1)
tan(B)

C2/C1

tan-1(C2/C1)

C1/ Cos(B)

Substitute B value in Eqn 1

FB
BALANCING THE FORCE:
Summation of Horizontal components:

F Cos() + FA Cos(A)
FA Cos(A)

C3

Equation 3

Solution
Summation of Vertical components:
F Sin() + FA Sin(A)
FA Sin(A)
Equation 4 divided by Equation 3

=
=

0
C4

tan(A)
A

=
=

C4/C3
tan-1(C4/C3)

FA

C3/ Cos(A)

Equation 4

Substitute A value in Equation 3

The values FA, A and FB, B of are known for a particular orientation of the compressor wheel with the turbine
wheel. The Objective is to find the optimum orientation at which the resultant FA and FB of is the least.

Solution
The value of FA and FB needs to be calculated for every orientation or position of the compressor wheel with
respect to the turbine wheel. Then the orientation/position at which the resultant of FA and FB is the least needs
to be picked
Rotate the compressor wheel by 1o with respect to the turbine wheel. This will result in the values of 1 and 2
change by 1o each.
Calculate the new FA and FB values for the new 1 and 2 and check if the resultant of the new FA and FB is lower
than the previous resultant of FA and FB. If the new resultant is lesser than the old resultant, then the old
orientation of the compressor wheel is replaced with the new orientation.

Now repeat the above method by varying 1 and 2 from 0-360o and choose the 1 and 2

TESTING THE METHOD ON KP35 TURBOS

Test was being conducted on 10 KP35 Turbochargers. 9 of the turbochargers were assembled in the optimum
orientation and one was assembled at a position 180o opposite to the optimum orientation.
The individual imbalance values of the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel are noted and substituted in the
program. The program provides the optimal orientation for the particular compressor wheel and turbine wheel
combination.
The reference of the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel are aligned. Then the compressor wheel is rotated
by the suggested angle and the turbocharger is assembled at that orientation. The turbocharger is then sent into
the high speed core balancing machine and the readings were noted.

INDIVIDUAL COMPRESSOR WHEEL AND TURBINE

WHEEL BALANCING VALUES - KP35
BALANCING M/C-Chiron ( TEL-1980-048)

MEASURING M/C -Kokusai-016

MEASURING M/C Kokusai-015

COMPRESSOR WHEEL (Balancing Spec: 0.1 MMG)

S.NO

PLANE 1

ANGLE

PLANE 2

ANGLE

F1

F2

0.014

286

0.010

69

0.012

10

0.024

134

0.025

88

0.106

259

0.022

75

0.034

0.007

10

0.014

TURBINE WHEEL (Balancing Spec: 0.1 MMG)

S.NO

PLANE 1

ANGLE

PLANE 2

ANGLE

F4

F3

0.046

147.300

0.038

194.090

0.049

265.68

0.037

135.14

0.052

163.4

0.039

166.08

271

0.04

152.95

0.039

197.07

0.027

157

0.047

336.9

0.02

288.3

90

0.020

208

0.049

216.82

0.046

169.51

0.011

308

0.030

241

0.046

131.75

0.055

139.34

0.025

300

0.014

28

0.046

7.73

0.040

182.43

0.023

337

0.008

223

0.051

253.45

0.026

292.43

10

0.010

155

0.060

323

0.025

126.03

0.039

240.37

OPTIMAL ORIENTATION FOR TURBOCHARGERS

Rotate

Cycle

No of

compressor

time

correction

wheel by

(Sec)

runs

349

-80

61

176

300

166

60

3-C

202

13

114

74

4-D

178

14

103

63

5-E

62

209

52

70

6-F

204

322

114

56

7-G

132

65

-176

83

8-H

16

104

76

80

9-I

286

172

-51

60

Optimal

Optimal

t1

t2

1-A

206

2-B

Combination

Number
of cuts

RESULTS FROM OPTIMAL ORIENTATION

Assembling the turbocharger at optimum orientation has shown positive results in all the parameters.
Rejection rate

= 0%

Average Correction Runs

= 1 runs per turbocharger

Average Number of cuts

= 2.22 cuts per turbocharger

Average Cycle Time

= 67.44 seconds per turbocharger

Timeline of Project
Period

Task

15th December 1st January

Understanding Turbochargers and their operation

2nd January - 20th January

Understanding balancing procedure at TEL

21st January 6th February

Gathering the Benchmark data for 150 samples

7th February - 28th February

Finding a theoretical solution

1st March 31st March

Implementation of solution and Individual Balancing

1st April - 15th April

Golden Core Testing and Data Validation

15th April 8th May

Final Testing and Data collection

CONCLUSION
It is seen that the results from the project are promising. Assembling the compressor wheel at the angle suggested
by the equation and the program has shown positive results. There is a decrease in the number of correction runs,
the cycle time and the number of cuts on the compressor wheel. Also the rejection percentage for the sample size
is zero.
RANDOM ORIENTATION

OPTIMAL ORIENTATION

Rejection rate = 24/150 = 16%

Rejection rate = 0%

Average Correction Runs = 1.8

Average Correction Runs = 1 runs per

runs per turbocharger

turbocharger

Average Number of cuts = 3.2 cuts per

Average Number of cuts = 2.22 cuts per

turbocharger

turbocharger

Average Cycle Time = 109 seconds per

Average Cycle Time = 67.44 seconds

turbocharger

per turbocharger

FUTURE SCOPE
Another method to consider for reducing the initial imbalance is a matching technique during the
assembly of the turbocharger.
If the imbalance values of all the compressor wheels and the turbine wheels are known and
recorded prior to assembly, then it is possible to find out the compressor wheel and turbine
wheel pair that matches the best amongst all the wheels.
For example, if there are 10 compressor wheels and 10 turbine wheels in a particular lot. It is
possible to find out the compressor wheel and turbine wheel pair (For e.g. Compressor wheel
No1 assembled with Turbine wheel No 6) which will have the least initial imbalance.

REFERENCES
1. Hung Nguyen-Schfer (2012). Rotordynamics of Automotive Turbochargers Springer Publications.
2. ISO 1940/1, "Balance Quality Requirements of Rigid Rotors." International Organization for Standardization.
3. ISO 1925, Balancing Vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization.
4. J.S.Rao, Rotor Dynamics, New Age International (P) Ltd., India, 1996
5. Neville F. Rieger (1986). Balancing of Rigid and Flexible Rotors.
6. R.S Khurmi (2007). Theory of Machines, Chand Publications.