[317] Data analysis and fault finding case study of a 660 MW steam turbine generator set in a power station
Z A Malik
EDF Energy, UK
TG1 is a General Electric 660 MW steam turbine generator unit at Heysham 1 power station in the North West of England. The unit consists of a HP turbine, an IP turbine and three LP turbines coupled with an alternator and an exciter. The unit normally operates within Zone A/B of the ISO standards; however, the vibration levels unexpectedly increased during a recent run-up and were well within Zone D. The vibration levels were unacceptable and the unit was shut down in a controlled way and investigations started. Due to the current electricity market conditions in the UK, it was required to bring this unit back into service quickly.
This paper summarises the machinery fault analysis and the systematic approach used for the troubleshooting exercise. It is noted that the initial observations were confusing and were presenting conflicting symptoms. The totality of the data reviewed included absolute and relative vibration data recorded by online systems, process parameters recorded by the data historian system, machine parameters recorded by the turbine supervisory instrumentation, temperature measurements recorded by the thermography camera and the videos recorded by a motion-amplification camera system. Engineers applied technical rigour and followed a systematic and structured methodology for troubleshooting to avoid any misdiagnosis. This resulted in diagnosing the problem swiftly and prompt identification of the location for intrusive work with high confidence. Subsequent inspection of the machine confirmed the diagnosis and a successful run up of the unit was achieved after fixing the root cause.
This paper summarises the machinery fault analysis and the systematic approach used for the troubleshooting exercise. It is noted that the initial observations were confusing and were presenting conflicting symptoms. The totality of the data reviewed included absolute and relative vibration data recorded by online systems, process parameters recorded by the data historian system, machine parameters recorded by the turbine supervisory instrumentation, temperature measurements recorded by the thermography camera and the videos recorded by a motion-amplification camera system. Engineers applied technical rigour and followed a systematic and structured methodology for troubleshooting to avoid any misdiagnosis. This resulted in diagnosing the problem swiftly and prompt identification of the location for intrusive work with high confidence. Subsequent inspection of the machine confirmed the diagnosis and a successful run up of the unit was achieved after fixing the root cause.
