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Sensors – LM6000 The unit has a linear frequency range from 5 Hz to 8 kHz.
Made of high grade inconel stainless steel, the CA303 can
Figure 2 illustrates the basic sensor suite for vibration operate within specification up to 455°C (850°F). An
monitoring of a 50 Hz LM6000 power generation train. integral, mineral insulated, cable ensures good signal
Owing to variations in purchasing policy, the exact model integrity for up to 2 meters (6 feet), to a locally mounted
and make of sensor installed by the OEM will have varied charge-amplifier, the IPC704.
slightly over the years.
The charge amplifier conditions the electrical charge output
SKF DYMAC and Vibro-Meter would recommend its latest of the accelerometer to a current modulated signal of
generation sensors for an instrumentation upgrade project,
typically 50 µA/g.
and these are listed in Figure 29. The diagram in Figure 3
illustrates the complete measurement component chain for In the application shown, galvanic separation is requested
a power generation application. Let us now consider each for electrical isolation, rather than prevention of explosive
of these measurement chains in turn: gas ignition. In this case, an optional model GSI-130
Engine Casing Vibration galvanic separator is used, with a Transfer Function of
1V/mA, providing a 50 mV/g output.
The vibration of the Gas Turbine itself is measured with two
piezo-electric accelerometers. Dynamic Pressure
The high temperature requirement necessitates the use of an Reduction of emissions requires pre- mixed lean fuel/air
externally charge amplified accelerometer, the model mixture, which in turn can lead to flame instability and
CA303 from Vibro-Meter. excessive dynamic pressures. The DLE version of the
“Protection and Condition Monitoring of the LM6000 Gas
Turbine” 4 www.skfreliability.com
Figure 4. CA303 Accelerometer. Figure 5. Dynamic Pressure Sensor. Figure 6. CE136 Accelerometer.
LM6000 uses two high temperature piezo-electric dynamic the sensor itself. This minimizes degradation of the charge
pressure sensors to measure “pressure pulsation” in the output and removes the need for a separate signal
annular combustion chamber. conditioner (required with the higher temperature models in
the gas generator). Once again, a current modulated output
The consequences of excessive pulsations can be signal is used, with conversion to mV/g at the separator.
catastrophic, buckling of the combustion chamber and leaks
reduce efficiency, and subsequent component failure can Relative Shaft Vibration
wreck the hot gas path components downstream. Hence the
ability to measure, warn, and protect against these pressures The vibration of the driven component is usually measured
is of vital importance. by means of non-contacting sensors, known as “eddy
current probes” or “proximity probes”. These sensors
The CP-series employs piezo-electric technology to provide provide a direct measurement of shaft radial displacement.
a direct measurement of pressure within the high
temperature environment of the combustion chamber itself. These are typically mounted through the bearing cap and
This offers a superior solution to indirect measurements targeted directly onto the shaft. The sensor system consists
utilizing industrial grade pressure sensors, which need to use of a probe, cable and an oscillator/demodulator (known as a
bleed gas, or water-cooling assemblies. “driver” or “proximitor”).
The GE-approved models for mounting on the LM6000 is A suitable model is the CMSS 68 series from SKF
now the model CP106 from Vibro-Meter, and can withstand DYMAC.
temperatures up to 650°C (1202°F). With a dynamic The probes have a linear frequency range from DC to 10
pressure signal, a current modulated output is once again kHz. The RYTON™ tip material allows the probe to
preferred, owing to the low amplitude of the generated withstand temperatures up to 177°C (350°F), and
signals. This is converted to a mV/bar signal by the transfer
function of the optional GSI-130 galvanic separator.
Gearbox Vibration
On an LM6000 package the temperature environment at the
reduction gearbox (if present) is much less demanding than
that at the gas generator (engine). Nevertheless, surface
temperatures may still rise well above the 120°C (248°F)
rating of general purpose industrial accelerometers.
The Vibro-Meter model CE136 offers a good compromise
between high temperature capability, cost, and the
frequency response (3 Hz to 7 kHz) needed to capture the
high vibration frequencies generated by the teeth meshes
within the gearbox.
The charge amplification electronics, rated to 100°C
(212°F), of the CE136 are built into the local sensor cable
assembly and hence mounted only a few metres away from Figure 7. CMSS 68 Eddy Current Probe System
“Protection and Condition Monitoring of the LM6000 Gas
Turbine” 5 www.skfreliability.com
Machine Protection –
LM6000
A GE IDM compliant machine
protection monitor system for
the LM6000 is the VM600.
The system uses a single MPC-
4 universal, digital protection
module. This module was
specifically designed for gas
turbine use, from transducer
input, through signal
conditioning and processing, to
shutdown relay contact
closure. Figure 9. Channel Input Set-up, FWD and AFT Accelerometers.
VM600 Monitor
Sensor Inputs
Figure 8 shows a VM600
layout for the LM6000
configuration shown in Figure Figure 10. Channel Input Set-up, High Pressure Spool Speed.
“Protection and Condition Monitoring of the LM6000 Gas
Turbine” 6 www.skfreliability.com
MPC-4 card. The raw signal outputs of the sensors in Slot generator. Figure 14 shows a typical set-up.
3 are routed as inputs to Channels 1 and 3 on Slot 4. The
set-up is shown in Figure 11, note it is identical to Figure 9 If a phase reference probe (“keyphasor”) is fitted, this would
with the exception that sensor power is disabled. be supported by the speed channel on this card, with a
“1/rev” field selected.
The tracking of the 0.8X harmonic of High Pressure spool
speed is achieved by producing a “dummy” High Pressure VM600 Signal Processing for Protection
speed, shown by the Speed Channel set-up in Figure 12.
The processing is defined by the GE IDM and is easily
The “true” High Pressure spool speed from Slot 3 is configured on an MPC-4 by the Microsoft Windows based
assigned to the rear bus “Tacho Channel 2” in Figure 10. MPS-1 configuration software. The processing used in each
Figure 12 shows the set- up for Speed Channel 1 in Slot 4. MPC-4 is illustrated by Figures 15 through 18.
The input is “Remote Channel 2” from the rear bus.
The “TACHO RATIO” fields
are then used to provide a
“dummy” speed signal at 0.8X
“true” speed.
The Multiplier/Divider and
Wheel Teeth fields are set to
produce a “Resulting Tacho
Ratio” of 56.25. This means
that the real raw speed signal is
divided by 56.25 teeth, instead
of 45. That is, a High Pressure
spool speed of 6000 RPM is
seen by this MPC-4 as (6000 x
45)/56.25 = 4800 RPM. Hence
any Narrow Band Processing
(e.g. 1X) using this speed
channel as a reference will in Figure 14. Radial Proximity Probe Set-up, Generator.
fact monitor 0.8X the true
speed. In this way the VM600
can be configured to track any
harmonic beyond the preset
Narrow Band tracking
harmonics of 1/3X, 1/2X, 1X,
2X, 3X and 4X.
Slot 5 – Dynamic Pressure
and Gearbox
The MPC-4 in Slot 5 supports
of the two Dynamic Pressure
sensors used on a DLE variant,
on Input Channels 1 and 2.
This is illustrated in Figure 13.
Input Channels 3 and 4 support
the gearbox accelerometers
and are set-up in a similar
manner to that in Figure 9.
Slot 6 – Generator Monitor
This final MPC-4 card is used
to monitor the dual X-Y
proximity probes used on the Figure 15. Slot 3 Processing. Figure 16. Slot 4 Processing.
“Protection and Condition Monitoring of the LM6000 Gas
Turbine” 8 www.skfreliability.com
Shutdown Relay
Output Logic
Machine shutdown based on
any processed variable is
actuated via a common or
individual relay output, using Figure 22. Broad Band Processing for Dynamic Pressure.
“Protection and Condition Monitoring of the LM6000 Gas
Turbine” 10 www.skfreliability.com
The Basic Functions 5, 6, 7 and 8 would be programmed in Machine Condition Monitoring – LM6000
the same manner for alert levels, with the exception that the
relays would be on the additional RLC-16 card as shown in
Fleet
Figure 26. The VM600 permits addition of parallel data acquisition for
“Protection and Condition Monitoring of the LM6000 Gas
Turbine” 12 www.skfreliability.com
condition monitoring in the same monitor chassis as that LAN or WAN is sufficient for operation of a centralized
provided for protection - hence ensuring high system server computer, Figure 27.
integrity without compromising the machine safeguarding
function. Any number of 16-channel CMC-16 cards may be During transient conditions, the FFT and bands would be
placed in any of the 12 available slots, see Figure 1. monitored closely in order to identify phenomena including:
Each channel can process and monitor up to 10 spectral • High vibration amplitudes
bands. The philosophy of condition monitoring of these • Combustion Chamber resonance
critical machines is Multi-Parameter Monitoring. That is,
the same input signal is processed in different ways in • External equipment stress/fretting
parallel, in order to determine different characteristic
vibration parameters. Each parameter may reveal • Spool nX harmonics
something different about deteriorating engine condition • Bearing defect frequencies
over time.
During normal running conditions, the FFT and bands
The CMS-1 software, Figure 28, is particularly suited to would be monitored periodically to watch for fluctuations in
monitoring multiple racks that could be only a few meters vibration levels, which can occur during low-, part-, or
apart, or located at remote sites hundreds of kilometers variable-load conditions.
away. The bandwidth typically available on an existing