The All-Russian Thermal Engineering Institute has begun testing on a scaled-down model of a turbogenerator to check how various malfunctions manifest in equipment vibration. At the stand, which recreates the dynamics of the K-200-130 LMZ turbine on a 1:5 scale, VTI specialists will test 85 previously developed diagnostic indicators.
The model replicates the shaft line design of a real turbogenerator: it has three high, medium, and low-pressure rotors combined into one shaft and supported by five plain bearings.
Such a stand allows not just observing an existing malfunction, but reproducing various defects and recording the accompanying changes in vibration.
VTI plans to use the data obtained from the experiments to verify vibration diagnostics algorithms and subsequent predictive analytics. The developed indicators should help recognize technical malfunctions by the nature of vibration, and the test results will form the basis of methodological recommendations for diagnosing turbogenerators of various types and capacities.
The stand is simultaneously used for training specialists in vibration diagnostics. It can show in real-time how a specific defect affects equipment operation, and then analyze changes based on trend data. In addition, specialists will be able to practice balancing, troubleshooting, and choosing further actions on the model.