Monitoring of 1 MW hydroelectric generator

The challenge: detect bearing wear in turbine and inform operator

PROBLEM

Turbine bearing wear

2011 addition to the original power plant built in 1934 is a small 1 MW hydroelectric generator. Main issue comes from variable flow of water. This is negated by a control valve at the intake of the Francis turbine, but the vibration from the turbulent water causes increased bearing wear and the operator previously had imbalance issues. Shortage of skilled workers and long waiting periods for material mean 2 month long outages at minimum.

SOLUTION

Sensors located at
the bearing housings

Sensors located at the bearing housings and intake valve help determine bearing health. This helps customer in scheduling maintenance, ordering material and hiring external workers. 24/7 monitoring and nGuard platform offer more flexibility than standard vibrodiagnostics solutions on the market.

Benefits