Application Note

Case study – Analysing sound and vibration on a

turbine-generator set
This case study illustrates the successful step-by-step approach followed in separating vibration
signals from sound signals suddenly emitted by a turbine–generator machine group in a power plant.
Using a vibration sensor and a microphone, a portable instrument and a PM software programme, the
source of the high-pitched sound and the cause of the apparent fault were identified.

Fig. 2: The bearing pedestal and coupling

Fig. 1: The troublesome turbine-generator
between turbine and generator
machine group

The background and analytical measurement

After many years of relatively trouble-free
approach
operation in the power plant, the generating set
suddenly began emitting a loud, high-pitched
A decision was made to carry out an urgent
sound from somewhere in the area of the
investigation into the cause of the loud whistling
coupling and bearing pedestal between the
noise in the area of the coupling and bearing
turbine and the generator. This caused some
pedestal between the turbine and generator,
alarm because of the apparent proximity
shown in figure 2 above, from where the noise
between the sound location and the bearing
seemed to emanate, because any delay in the
pedestal between the turbine and the generator.
investigation could have resulted in severe and
expensive damage and a protracted shutdown of
Clearly if the bearing was damaged it had to be
the set. Since there was no backup power
identified as quickly as possible so that the
generating set, the plant would have to rely on
shutdown of the set, organisation of the
purchased power, at much higher cost, for the
maintenance specialists, ordering of the
duration of the repair.
necessary spare parts and the repair could be
scheduled immediately.
Because the set was not equipped with a
permanent vibration monitoring system there
were no permanently-installed non-contacting
sensors to which the portable vibration analyser
could be connected. Therefore it was not
possible to be able to conduct an analysis of the
relative shaft vibrations of either the
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turbine or generator. An initial vibration
measurement had to be carried out at the
bearing pedestal between the generator and
turbine using an acceleration sensor to
investigate whether the noise was being caused
by damage to the journal bearing. Bearing Generator
pedestal housing
This type of damage can cause a loud high-
pitched noise because of possible damage to the
surface material of the bearing which can result
in the bearing running dry. Figure 3 below shows
the resulting vibration velocity spectrum which
reveals no apparent damage to the bearing. The
only significant components were at 50 and 100
Hz as can be expected from a machine group of
Fig. 4: Structure-borne vibration spectra from the
this type.
generator housing and bearing pedestal.

Note the interesting structure-borne vibration

component at approx. 9.6 kHz in the generator
housing spectrum in figure 4 above. This is the
only significant component in the high-frequency
audio range.

Generator
housing
Fig. 3: Initial structure-borne vibration
measurement from the bearing pedestal Bearing
pedestal

On the basis of this spectrum measurement, and

because of the high-frequency of the noise, it
was decided that air-borne sound measurements
would be acquired, using a microphone, at both
the bearing pedestal and the generator housing.
This because it is often extremely difficult to tell
the direction of the source of an air-borne sound,
especially in an industrial environment where the
signal may be reflected by the surrounding
machine housings and building walls and roof.
In addition because it is also common for an air-
borne sound signal to excite components of the
machine into mechanical vibrations, the decision
was made that structure-borne vibration
measurements, using an acceleration sensor
should also be acquired at the bearing pedestal
and generator housing.
Fig. 5: Air-borne sound spectra from the
generator housing and bearing pedestal areas.
In the air-borne sound spectra above, apart from
the low frequency turbine noise at 50 and 100
Hz only the components at 9.6 kHz and 10.2 kHz
are in the high-frequency audible range. The 9.6
kHz component coincided with the 9.6 kHz
component of structure-borne vibration in the
spectrum of figure 4 above, suggesting that the
air-borne sound signal was also exciting a
mechanical vibration of the generator housing.

A correlation of the air-borne sound and the

structure-borne vibrations signals would then be
made to see any relationship between them.

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Structure-
borne
vibration
Air-
borne
sound
Fig. 6: A composite of the structure-borne
vibration signal and air-borne sound signal from
the generator.
From the composite diagram in figure 6 it
became evident that the 9.6 kHz components
are congruent with the structure-borne sound
signal (acceleration) at the generator housing
and the air-borne sound signal at the generator
housing. This confirmed that the high-pitched
sound was being emitted by the generator.
Estimation of danger potential for the
machine
Although the 9.6 kHz component is clearly
visible as a structure-borne vibration component
from the generator, a mechanical rub of some
type between the generator rotor and stator,
which could cause a vibration and such a high-
frequency audible sound, was discounted since
there was no partial heating
Brüel & Kjær Vibro A/S Brüel & Kjær Vibro GmbH
2850 Nærum – Denmark 64293 Darmstadt – Germany
Tel.: +45 4580 0500 Tel.: +49 (0) 6151 428 1100
Fax: +45 4580 2937 Fax: +49 (0) 6151 428 1200
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taking place at any point on the generator
housing.
It was therefore presumed that this was a noise
caused by streaming taking place through the
cooling tubes of the generator. On the basis of
the measurement results and the assumptions
made, the customer decided it was not
necessary to effect an immediate shutdown and
made the decision to continue to run the
generating set until the next scheduled
shutdown.
The eventual finding
During the course of the maintenance at the next
planned shutdown the generator was dismantled
and the cooling system was examined. This
examination revealed that a sealing component
had loosened and caused a partial blockage of
three of the cooling tubes, restricting the
diameter of the tubes, thus acting like an organ
pipe and resulting in the sudden onset of the
high-frequency noise.
The analysis procedure which resulted in making
the correct decision concerning the criticality of
the problem emphasises that it is important, in
the case of an unusual problem such as this, to
draw upon the full range of measurement and
analysis options that are available to determine
the source of the fault.
A correlation of the two types of spectra –
vibration and sound – and thermal
measurements quickly and efficiently revealed
that the machine set was not in any apparent
danger and could continue to operate, thus
preventing an unnecessary panic shutdown and
resultant loss of production.
E-mail: info@bkvibro.com
Internet: www.bkvibro.com
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