Longer Maintenance Cycles from Accurate Monitoring
Blade height Condition monitoring is beginning to be an essential tool for the power plant operator and is starting to be installed on new turbines. Our CapaciSense ™ sensors measure the height of every blade in real time on the stages where they are installed. The electronics translate the capacitive signal from the sensor into a live blade height that can be remotely monitored.
As our capacitive sensors will survive in high temperatures to 1400ºC / 2552ºF , even the turbine stage blade clearance can be measured, an important factor as this means the whole engine can be monitored, not just the lower temperature compressor areas. This raises the possibility of controlling the various stages differentially and optimising the whole turbine rather than just one zone.
Our systems contain probes, turbine mounted electronics and remote electronics. The turbine mounted electronics are now ATEX approved for use in hazardous areas and this means that blade height can be monitored live for the first time on running engines. We plan to achieve hazardous rating for systems in the USA (FM) and Japan (TIIS) before December 2006.
Work has begun to make these systems suitable for retrofit by designing small diameter probes that can use existing holes in the frame to monitor clearances. These may be installed as a retrofit item during periodic outages, or used for inspection checks during running conditions.
