Gas turbine bearing vibration monitoring using potable vibrometer

This paper focuses on the use of potable vibrometer to undertake gas turbine condition monitoring and fault detection of an industrial gas turbine power plant in Ajaokuta, Nigeria. Validation of the potable vibro-meter readings is done by comparing results obtained using the potable vibrometer with results gotten from the plant vibrometer transducers. After comparing bearing vibration amplitude results at the gas turbine exciter and generator ends, results for the test case looked at indicate that very good correlation exist between the two readings (above 90%). Conclusion reached is that measurement accuracy of the potable vibrometer reading is highly dependent on the visibility of the component measured and their corresponding vibration measurement sensors (Accelerometers and velocity meters).