Failure Case Study Series Part One: Analysis of Oxygen Compressor Shaft Breakage

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a failure analysis of an oxygen compressor shaft using seven basic steps. The findings of this work form the basis for corrective and preventive actions to enhance equipment reliability and prevent future recurrence. The paper also offers a simple and direct approach to determine the root cause of structural component failure.
Visual inspection, specimen selection and preservation, high-stress area identification, chemical analysis with comparison to standards, hardness testing, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and EDS analysis were performed. A comprehensive metallurgical analysis of the oxygen compressor shaft failure provided substantial insights into the underlying mechanism, indicating shaft misalignment and bending-induced fatigue as the primary causes, with poor steel quality contributing to faster crack initiation and propagation.