Torsional vibration analysis and turbine optimisation

Problems: Mechanical damage to the turbine, shaft breakage of the turbine and identification of resource areas.

Objective: Optimising the design of the turbines, preventing the superimposition of torsional vibrations due to frequency fluctuations in the grid.

The application of the measurement technology as well as on-site measurements, analyses and evaluations can be completely provided and carried outby ROTEC ENGINEERING.

Frequency spectra/spectrogram

Series of high-resolution frequency spectra; frequency resolution: 1/40 Hz, 1/100 Hz, ...

Individual speed measurement points (vibration angle and angular acceleration) and difference between two speed measurement points (torsion angle, dynamic torsion)

Also very small vibration angles (< 1/1000 degree) due to the 12.3 GHz counter on the ROTEC speed measurement card

Identification of ressonan areas during run-up and coasting

Torsional vibration analysis on turbines

Turbines for power generation can be designed as either gas or steam turbines. Technical development is increasingly moving in the direction of larger and more efficient rotating machines. Due to their enormous mass and speed, turbines have a very high kinetic energy during operation.

Speed and torsion measurement

Speed measurement on turbines is usually carried out using magnetoresistive sensors on gearwheels. Measured variables such as the oscillation angle and angular velocity are recorded.

It is also possible to measure the torsion angle between the start and end of the rotor during operation in order to analyse the dynamic torsion.

Long-term measurements provide valuable insights into the continuous running capability of the turbine under different load conditions resulting from the load from the energy grid.

Critical torsional vibrations and operating risks

Critical torsional vibrations can occur both during the planned ramp-up and ramp-down of the turbines as part of maintenance work ("outage season")
as well as during continuous operation, critical torsional vibrations can occur.

These vibrations can lead to:

mechanical damage

up to shaft breakage

and should therefore beavoided at all costs.

Grid frequency fluctuations in continuous operation in particular can favour torsional vibrations on the turbine.

A torsional vibration analysis makes it possible to identify and avoid critical operating points in order to ensure operational safety.
The aim is to minimise the superimposition of torsional vibrations by:

Frequency fluctuations of the grid

Feedback effects

Natural frequency of the system

to prevent feedback effects.

#FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Have Question? We are here to help

What does the ROTEC solution for rotation analysis look like and what does RAS mean?

The ROTEC Rotational Analysis System (RAS) has been used for more than 30 years by users in the mechanical engineering, automotive, power generation and motorsport industries to comprehensively analyse rotating components.

With its unique measurement method using a 12.3 GHz counter card and a strictly angle-based approach to rotational speed detection and analysis, the RAS system offers users an unrivalled advantage.

ROTEC offers not only optical and magnetic speed sensors including signal conditioning adapters, but also the modular measuring system RASdelta as well as specialised and user-friendly software for measurement and analysis. This enables a complete solution from a single source. The ROTEC measurement technology products are perfectly harmonised and deliver meaningful results within a very short time after the uncomplicated setup of the measurement chain.

Thanks to the angle-based approach to speed measurement, problems such as sensor vibrations can be recognised after the first measurement and rectified immediately. This effectively prevents costly incorrect measurements.

Our team of experts at ROTEC ENGINEERING, consisting of long-standing users, will be happy to assist you with challenging tasks.

Are there options for customising the measuring systems and software?

The ROTEC RASdelta front end is a versatile modular measurement system that can be customised with 8 or 16 measurement cards to meet your specific measurement requirements.

Our RAS software offers you a comprehensive modular system for analysing rotating components and complex systems. It is an effective tool for mechanical engineers and requires no programming knowledge to perform measurements or analyses.

If you have specific metrological questions, our experienced ROTEC ENGINEERING consulting team will be happy to support you.

Does ROTEC offer other services in addition to the measuring systems, e.g. customised consulting or project support?

ROTEC not only offers speed sensors, signal conditioning, measurement systems (DAQ) and measurement and evaluation software, but also engineering and consulting services.

Our services include the design of measuring points in CAD, the mechanical processing of components, the application and calibration of sensors, the execution of measurement tasks and the evaluation of measurements according to our customers' requirements, including the presentation of the results. The ROTEC ENGINEERING team can also realise sub-projects as part of project support.

Is there training or technical support for commissioning and integrating the measuring systems?

In addition to our annual ROTEC Training Week, which is held in both German and English, we also offer customised training courses for users. These training courses are specially tailored to your individual application of the ROTEC measuring system and include practical demo measurements in your environment in addition to the theoretical basics and a detailed presentation of the software. This ensures that future users are optimally prepared for your specific application.

Furthermore, we are happy to support you in the commissioning of new measuring systems to enable you to familiarise yourself with the settings and possibilities of the RAS software as quickly as possible.

How is support ensured and are there self-help options?

In addition to our sales and support team in Munich, which serves the Central European market directly from here, ROTEC also cooperates with local partners in many global markets. These partners support local users in all matters relating to ROTEC measurement technology, first-level support and sales enquiries with trained personnel.

Our customers around the world appreciate the proximity of our sales and support teams, as this enables us to guarantee effective support even for short-term questions.

In addition to personal contact, ROTEC also offers an extensive knowledge database for self-help. Please register for our knowledge database to obtain detailed information on measuring and analysing torsional vibrations, transmission errors and valve systems, among other things.

turbines