The University of Tennessee Maintenance and Reliability Center Motor Shaft Misalignment Research Project

The Maintenance and Reliability Center (MRC) at The University of Tennessee, performs research and applies cutting-edge technology to help its member companies reduce losses caused by equipment downtime. The first MRC research project dealt with the precision alignment of rotating machinery. Controlled experiments were performed at The University of Tennessee and at the Oak Ridge Center for Electrical Machinery System Testing to clearly discern what relationships exist between motor misalignment and motor efficiency. The results of these tests show no significant correlation between misalignment and changes in efficiency when the tested couplings were operated within the manufacturer's recommended range. On-going research is investigating the relationship between alignment and bearing load.