APPLICATION NOTE

APPLICATION NOTE

Vibration Diagnostics on a Turbo

Generator Train
with Roland Schumann, Rotating Equipment – Diagnostic/Monitoring department, BASF

BASF was founded in 1865.

The original specialty of the
company was tar-derived dyes
from which aniline dyes were
elaborated.
Introduction Today BASF has expanded its
activities (agriculture, dyes,
In order to guarantee sufficient production efficiency of plant assets and plastics, pharmaceuticals,
avoid unplanned downtime, investigating reasons for undesired turbine biotechnology, basic
trips is key in chemical industries. petrochemicals, fertilizers,
paints, gas and oil, construction
The case story describes here the study carried out to determine the products, etc.) and is the
root cause of a blade failure in a turbo-generator machine train. With largest chemical productor in
that purpose, it is necessary to analyze machine vibrations with flexible the world.
and controlled tools providing all details of the rotor dynamics. Based
on proximity probes, accelerometers, as well as other data such as www.basf.com
rotating speed fluctuations, vibrations are carefully analyzed to obtain
typical graphs allowing diagnosing the machine issues leading to blade
vibrations and failure. In particular, the unexpected shape of the shaft
centerline obtained after a machine run-up was studied to have a better
understanding of the high-speed rotor behavior.

Finally, other typical turbomachinery tools and methodologies, such as

torsional vibrations, ODS, end winding modal testing, sound intensity,
and rotor balancing allowing to solve such problems are considered
and described.

ORBIGate, Turbomachinery vibration software Mobi Pack, the ruggedized system

> Diagnostics tools: Scalar > Portable and rugged

table, spectra; waterfall,
Bode, Polar, orbit, shaft > Datacare inside
centerline, etc… > Direct Multiphysics
> User friendly set-up: sensor connection
designed by users for users > Embedded SSD drive for
> Real-time acquisition of local time domain
scalars and continuous time recording
signal > Built in battery
> Post analysis and navigation

M002-195-1 1
 APPLICATION NOTE

Machine and plant description

The machine train, a 15MW turbine generator group built in 1991, is for dual use in a waste water
treatment plant. The organic materials issued from the treatment are burned to produce steam, and then
generate electricity for supplying heat to neighborhood housing.

Simplified process flowchart

- High speed rotor (7500 RPM): a 1.5 ton steam turbine rotor flanged coupled to the gear box
pinion shaft. The turning gear speed rotates the machine train at 180 RPM. No flexible
coupling is used.
- Low speed rotor (1500 RPM): Bull gear shaft flanged to the 4 poles generator rotor (25 Hz).

Online monitoring system and sensors

- The high speed rotor is equipped with
o 4 sets of radial proximity probes (eddy current sensors).
o 3 axial proximity probes are mounted at the thrust bearing. It is a “2 out of 3 ratings”
meaning that 2 of the 3 probes have to be above the trip conditions, avoiding
unjustified trips.

Turbine generator machine train configuration and condition monitoring setup

- The low speed rotor is equipped with accelerometers to capture horizontal bearing housing
(LB=Horizontal bearing housing). It is adapted to the low speeds and large masses of the
generator rotor.

M002-195-1 2
 APPLICATION NOTE

- The Keyphazor phase reference & rotating speed transducer is mounted on the high speed
shaft. The phase reference & speed determination on the low speed shaft is achieved based
on the gear ratio of the gear box.
- A single channel Torque sensor was used to investigate the torque fluctuations.
- Trip setpoint values are about 80 microns peak to peak (with time delay)

Events leading to the problem

- The steam turbine was a 20 year old machine and had operated during the entire time without
any major issues.
- About a year ago, the machine was dismounted, shipped and overhauled, for upgrade and
update purposes:
o Erosion on the blades was noticed
o Turbine controller was migrated and upgraded
o The rotor was high-speed balanced on a high-speed machine.
- Back from overhaul, the machine was started up again.

Vibration and failure description

- Over the next 8 months the machine experienced several trips due to plant reasons (not
necessarily for turbine reasons).
- After investigation, a crack was located on one of the blades in the exhaust region. This was
unexpected.
- The turbine was opened again, the failure fixed, some modifications were introduced on the
protection system and the machine was started again. From that stage, the machine ran
normally. A root cause investigation was carried out to determine what could have been the
reason for the initial blade failure.

Root cause investigation on the high speed shaft

The purpose of the test was to check that the turbine generator group was OK from a vibration
standpoint. Various tests were carried out to determine what could have been the reason for the blade
failure:
- Any Torsional vibrations? Consequently, the torque will be checked
- Is the speed regulator OK? Then the rotating speed stability will be checked.
- Is the Turbine NDE (Non drive end) average position OK? The shaft centerline position
evolution should be checked.

A diagnostic system brought in to capture vibration data

- An OROS portable analyzer was used to collect more data than the online condition
monitoring system and in order to perform thorough vibration diagnostics. The analysis carried
out allowed the following data to be captured: nX vectors, Orbits and Shaft centerline, Bode
plot, Polar diagram as shown in the figure below.

Typical tools and displays required for a thorough vibration diagnosis

- The OROS instrument acquires sensor signals through the buffered outputs of the online
monitoring system: simple cable connections from the outputs to the analyzer’s inputs. The
instrument’s +/- 40 volt inputs can accommodate normal sensor (eg, prox probe) voltages. The

M002-195-1 3
 APPLICATION NOTE

analyzer brings detailed vibration and torque diagnostic data that enables one to carry out a
thorough diagnosis of the vibration situation.
- The instrument software, ORBIGate, is configured with the machine train details as shown
below.

Machine configuration Instruments Inputs configuration

Speed stability
One Keyphasor, located on the high-speed shaft, allows capturing of the rotating speed’s evolution. The
speed of the low speed shaft is determined automatically based on the gear ratio (0.2) introduced in the
software. The speed profile has shown that the speed evolution was stable and controlled. The speed
instability doesn’t appear to be a reason for the damaged blade.

High speed rotor (7500 rpm) and low speed rotor (1500 rpm)

High vibration level during slow roll: turning gear excitation

A high vibration level with a peak was experienced during slow roll (180 RPM). At first glance, this could
be thought to be mechanical or electrical runout. But it is not. This is due to a relatively large eccentricity
between the turning gear and the turbine rotor. The vibration drops when the turning gear gets uncoupled
with a peak at that particular moment. The machine doesn’t trip thanks to a time delay set-up. The runout
was determined to be 5 to 7 microns peak to peak, which is considered to be standard.

M002-195-1 4
 APPLICATION NOTE

Low speed turning gear related vibrations on the high speed shaft

Full Shaft Motion of the pinion shaft rotor line: Gap and orbit measurement
The shaft centerline is a key feature dedicated to the display of the position and motion of the center of
the shaft at each bearing. This is achieved by collecting the DC component of the signal for each probe.
Adding the Orbit and the clearance circle to the display, the Full Shaft Motion is obtained.

Collecting AC and DC components to display the Full Shaft Motion

In the case of the studied rotor, the bearing clearance is 250 microns. This value is set in the software
to display the clearance circle.
The turbine rotor and gear box Non Drive End (NDE) proximity probe readings show a displacement of
the rotor. It is due to small loads and successive openings of several inlet valves.

M002-195-1 5
 APPLICATION NOTE

High speed rotor shaft centerline (Gap and Orbit)

One can see an evolution of the shaft centerline position. It is due to the sequence of the valve openings.
The orbit size could show that the vibration was not relevant. It is often an interesting display to follow
at the NDE of the pinion shaft. The shaft centerline was considered to move normally.

Full shaft motion (gap & orbit) at the turbine drive end
Resonance at critical speed
The machine was recently overhauled and balanced. Consequently it was checked that no critical or
resonance would be experienced. The vibration levels are pretty stable in their evolutions with the
rotating speed.
Subsynchronous instability
Oil whirl appears during a short time possibly due to the uncoupling of the generator. This can be
evaluated thanks to the SUB1X criteria that capture the RMS vibration value between the DC and the
1X order line.

M002-195-1 6
 APPLICATION NOTE

SUB 1X parameter to detect subharmonic oil instability

Rotordynamic calculations decrease the risk for subsynchronous instabilities. It can happen even with
wornout tiltpad bearings as it can prevent the pads to tilt properly.

Sub 1X indicator to locate subsynchronous instability

Torque measurements
Voltage output could be read on the analyzer and correlated
to the Torque. No special behavior was visible. Alternative
approaches exist for torque measurements: Telemetry
systems, Torquemeter dual tach probe. With the technique Torque sensor used during the test
used, and looking at the plots obtained, no Torsional
frequency could be detected.
Low speed shaft analysis: horizontal vibrations
An investigation was carried out as well on the generator low speed rotor. The result is shown in the
figure below.

M002-195-1 7
 APPLICATION NOTE

Acceleration acquisition on the low speed rotor

Blade failure conclusions

Based on the wealth of data from the OROS instruments, a number of tools such as SUB1X, shaft
centerline, and torque measurements were used to be able to confirm the root cause of the blade failure.
After investigations, the speed regulator shows no particular problems. No torsional resonance
frequency appears. At the end it was found out that the blade excitation and damage was most
probably due to an excessive steam extraction through the exhaust system. It can be linked
directly to the ventilation in the low pressure casing.

Other field measurement techiques applicable on turbine

generators
Other measurement techniques can be used on the field to investigate noise and vibration issues on
turbine generator machine trains. It was mentioned earlier that the OROS instrument can connect to the
sensors via the online monitoring system. In addition to that, it can, as well, connect directly to the
sensors (piezoelectric accelerometers, impact hammers, pressure sensors, strain gage, temperature,
microphones etc…) making it a versatile field diagnostic system.
End winding modal tests
Typically, generators experience high excitation at twice the network frequency. During each acceptance
test, typically after rewinding, a modal test is carried out to check that no resonance is existing at those
frequencies. For that test, 16 accelerometer channels are used as well as one hammer channel as
displayed on the figure below.

End winding impact hammer test

Thanks to ICP conditioning, both impact hammers and accelerometers can be connected directly to the
analyzer without any additional conditioning or cables required.
Torsion and torque measurements
During the above case study, an inductive torque sensor was used. Other techniques are used on the
field to measure torsional vibrations and torque. Each of them has advantages and drawbacks:

- Laser: Non contact technique so easy to setup. Typically used at fixed RPM
- Strain gauges and telemetry: It is adapted to low RPM because of the weight hooked up to the
shaft
- Torquemeter: Expensive and complicated to install
- Optical with striped tape: This technique requires a rigid mounting of the probes and an
accurate fixing of a striped target as shown in the figure below.

M002-195-1 8
 APPLICATION NOTE

Optical sensor and encoding tape field installation

Based on that technique, with one sensor, one can deduce the angular velocity, the angle (after time
integration) or the angular acceleration (after time derivation). If two sensors are used, the torque can
be evaluated.

Single channel torsion with optical sensor Optical sensor Dual Channel torque measurement

Noise source localization

An unexpected high noise level is often representative of a problem. It can also be a way to diagnose a
problem on the machine. In that case, sound intensity can be a way to quantify the sound power emitted
by the machine. And like thermography, it can also help locate the source of the problem.

Sound power measurement based on sound intensity testing

Two techniques are used to calculate sound power based on a sound intensity measurement. The
point by point technique (ISO 9614-1) takes more time but it allows to draw a sound map of the sound
emission and so to unable the user to localize noise sources. The scanning technique requires the
user just to scan the measurement surfaces with the probe in order to get one sound power evaluation
per faces.

M002-195-1 9
 APPLICATION NOTE

Single, Dual & Multiplane balancing

The balancing technique to be used has to be selected depending on the operation speed expected. If
the operating speed is above its first critical, a multiplane balancing will be required.

Balancing techniques applicable in the field or in the workshop

Operating Deflection Shapes (ODS)

Measuring vibrations with accelerometers or proximity probes at different points along the structure let
the vibration analyst visualize the deformation of the structures:
- Foundation and skid - Bearing housing
- Frame & Shaft - End winding
One of the investigated positions should be used as a reference.

Measuring ODS on a turbine generator machine train

BASF was founded in 1865.

The original specialty of the company was tar-derived dyes from which aniline dyes were
elaborated.

today BASF has expanded its activities (agriculture, dyes, plastics, pharmaceuticals,
biotechnology, basic petrochemicals, fertilizers, paints, gas and oil, construction products,
etc.) and is the largest chemical productor in the world.

M002-195-1 10
 APPLICATION NOTE

M002-195-1 11