5. Conclusion

The potential severity of steam turbine accidents calls for the implementation of rigorous monitoring and maintenance measures to limit the risk of shaft line runaway and control the development of rotor integrity defects. However, we must not overlook other failure factors which, even if they are not of a major destructive nature, can lead to significant damage, and consequently to costly repairs and major production losses. These include

• failure of the thrust bearing, which can lead to friction between rotors and stators, necessitating replacement of the moving and stationary blades;

• bearing failure, which can lead to the destruction of the antifriction metal and contact between the rotor bristle and the base metal of the bearing, necessitating machining of the rotor bearing.

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