Identification of Rub and Unbalance in a 320MW Turbogenerators

The paper presents two experiences of application of a model based fault identification method on real machines. The first case presented is an unbalance identification on a 320MW turbogenerator unit operating in a fossil power plant. In the second case, concerning a machine of the same size but of a different manufacturer, the LP turbine was affected by a rub in the sealings. This time, the fault is modeled by local bows. The identification of the faults is performed by means of a model based identification technique in frequency domain, suitably modified in order to take into account simultaneous faults. The theoretical background of the applied method is briefly illustrated and some considerations are presented also about the best choice of the rotating speed set of the run-down transient to be used for an effective identification and about the appropriate weighting of vibration measurements at the machine bearings.