Question 696Steam Plants - Assistant Engineer

The correct answer is A) wiping. The splits located in the halves of main reduction gear bearings are aligned at an angle to the horizontal in order to resist wiping, which is the uneven wear or scraping of the bearing surfaces. Aligning the splits at an angle helps to maintain the proper oil film between the bearing surfaces and prevent direct metal-to-metal contact, which can lead to wiping and damage to the bearings. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not directly address the purpose of the angled bearing splits. Steam loss, axial stress, and oil loss are not the primary reasons for the angled bearing split design.