Turbine Speed Measurement

Turbine Speed
Measurement
A.C. Tachometer Generator
Electrical measurement of speed is obtained
by using a small AC generator driven from the
turbo-generator shaft as shown in Fig.
AC tachometer Generator
This small generator is excited by a permanent magnet field so
that its voltage is linear with speed.
The voltage is usually rectified and applied to an indicating
and a recording instrument.
The tachometer generator has rotating magnet which may be
either a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.
The coil is wound on the stator and therefore the problems
associated with commutator (as in DC tachometers) are
absent.
The rotation of the magnet causes an emf to be induced in the
stator coil.
The amplitude and frequency of this emf are both proportional
to the speed of rotation.
Thus either amplitude or frequency of induced voltage may be
used as a measure of rotational speed.
The output voltage of AC tachometer generation is rectified
and is measured with a permanent magnet moving coil
instrument.
Non Contact type Turbine Speed
Measurement Methods
1. Photo Electric Transducer
2. Toothed motor Tachometer
Generator
3. Stroboscopic method
4. Eccentricity Detectors
Photo-
electricTachometer
Fig. shows a photo-electric
tachometer.
It consists of a opaque disc mounted
on the shaft whose speed is to be
measured.
The disc has a number of equivalent
holes around the periphery.
On one side of the disc there is a
source of light (L) while on the other
side there is a light sensor (may be a
photosensitive device or photo-tube)
in line with it (light-source).
On the rotation of the disc, holes and opaque
portions of the disc come alternatory in
between the light source and the light sensor.
When a hole comes in between the two, light
passes through the holes and falls on the light
sensor, with the result that an output pulse is
generated.
But when the opaque portion of the disc comes
in between, the light from the source is blocked
and hence there is no pulse output.
Thus whenever a hole comes in line with the
light source and sensor, a pulse is generated.
These pulses are counted/measured through an
electronic counter.
Advantage
It is a digital instrument
Disadvantage.
It is required to replace the light
source periodically, and if the grating
period is small then errors might
creep in the output.
Toothed rotor variable reluctance tachometer
This tachometer generator consists of a
metallic toothed rotor mounted on the
shaft whose speed is to be measured.
A magnetic pick-up is placed near the
toothed rotor.
The magnetic pick-up consists of a
housing containing a small permanent
magnet with a coil wound around it.
When the rotor rotates, the reluctance of
the air-gap between the pick-up and the
toothed rotor changes, giving rise to an
induced emf in the pick-up coil.
This output is in the form of pulses, with a
variety of wave shapes.
Since the number of teeth is known, the
speed of rotation can be determined by
measuring the frequency of pulses with an
electronic counter.
Suppose a rotor has T teeth, the speed of
rotation is n rps (rotations per second) and
number of pulses per second is P.
Hence speed n = pulses per second/ number
of teeth = P/T rps = (P/T) x 60 rpm
If a typical rotor has 60 teeth, the number of
pulses per second will give the speed in rpm.
Advantages
1. Simple and rugged construction

2. Maintenance free
3. Easy to calibrate
4. Easily transmittable information
Stroboscopic Method
The stroboscope is a simple, portable manually
operated device which may be used for
measurement of periodic or rotary motions.
Basically, the instrument is a source of variable
frequency flashing brilliant light, the flashing
frequency being set by the operator.
The circuit is based upon variable frequency
oscillator which controls the flashing frequency.
The speed is measured by adjusting the
frequency so that the moving objects are visible
only at specific intervals of time.
The method of use of the stroboscope depends
upon imperfect dynamic response of the human
eye.
If a strong light is caused to flash on a moving
object which, at the time of each flash occurs,
occupies a given position, the object will appear
to be stationary.
The stroboscope consists of a source of flashing
light whose frequency can be varied and
controlled.
This source is called strobotron.
The Strobotron
It is possible to control the rate of
charge of a condenser and its
discharge through a glow-lamp so as
to produce comparatively large
amounts of light in short pulses of
predetermined duration and spacing.
A special tube for this purpose is
known as a strobotron.
As shown in Fig. , it contains a cold cathode
ofcesiumcompound (to assist in starting the arc) and an
anode, an inner grid of wires and an outer grid made of a
graphite ring.
The tube is usually filled withneongas at about 1.5 cms.
of mercury pressure.
Fig. A simple stroboscope circuit using a

strobotron tube
In the circuit of Fig. , the large condenser C (say
4 fd.) is filled through the comparatively low
resistanceR(a few hundred or thousand ohms).
It will then suddenly discharge through the
strobo-tron to produce a brilliant but very brief
flash of light provided the voltages on the grids
are such as to permit the arc to strike in the tube.
A pulse oscillator, whose frequency can be
altered, is connected to the inner grid and serves
to control the rate at which the flashes occur. In
one commercial form of the apparatus, called a
Strobotac, the flashing rate can be varied
throughout the range from 600 to 14,400 per
minute.
Although each flash lasts only a few (about 10)
micro-seconds, the currents through the
strobotron are so large (several hundred
amperes) that sufficient light is emitted to be
useful to illuminate objects in bright daylight.
The pulses of light are used to study vibrating
and rotating machinery by the well-known
stroboscopic principle and for high speed
motion-picture work. With single-flash circuits,
the tubes are used for short-stop photography
of objects moving at high speed.
Vibration Measurement
A repeated cyclic oscillation of a system is
termed as vibration.
If in a system the dynamic displacement to time
variation is continuous and repetitive in nature,
it is termed as vibration.
Generally, vibration occurs when the system is
subjected acceleration alternately in two
directions.
Rotating and reciprocating machines vibrate.
The vibrations of these machines are measured
to acquire information about probable problems
that may occur.
Vibration monitoring is done on turbines of power
plants to detect early problems.
Wear and tear of machine parts depend on the
level of vibration they are subjected to.
Hence vibration measurement is done on many
machines including turbines in order to take
preventive action for reducing vibration and thus
to control wear and tear of the machine.
Also vibration affects the accuracy of equipments.
Noise created due to vibration becomes a
disturbance.
Electrical Pick-up for Vibration Measurement
A cross sectional view of electro dynamometer
vibration pick up for measurement is shown in fig.
Fig. Electrical Pickup for absolute Vibration

In this system the seismic mass compromises
a pair of coils centered by two diaphragm
springs within two magnetic fields .
The right hand coil is the measuring coil in
which voltage is developed electro
dynamically this is being proportional to the
velocity .
The other coil is a hollow copper cylinder in
which eddy currents are induced the damping
ratio is g=1 .
Monitoring Equipment
As there are several bearings in the turbo-

generators set and vibrations possible in all
the three directions have to be monitored on
each bearing, several pickups have to be
employed.
The vibration pickups used work on the
electro dynamic principle and are mounted
on the bearing caps.
The electro dynamic vibration pickups type
of transducer is based on the movement of a
coil within the field of a permanent magnet.
The turns of the coil are perpendicular to the
intersecting lines of force and movement of the
coil induces a voltage which is at any moment
proportional to the velocity of the coil.
The various pickups are wired up to an
automatic selector switch.
The output of vibration pickup through an
automatic selector switch is fed to an
integrator.
The integration by means of an RC network
produces a voltage proportional to the
amplitude of the vibration, which is sub
sequentially amplified, rectified and smoothed.
Block diagram of Monitoring Equipment
Fig. Block diagram of Vibration Measuring

Equipment
The resulting Dc voltage, which is a measure of
the vibration level, is finally measured and
recorded on an automatic potentiometer
recorder, the scale of which is calibrated in
microns amplitude.
With the aid of an automatic selector switch
MS, up to 12 pickups can be connected for
sequential recording.
The recorder is also provided with control
amplifiers driving a relay which can be
employed for alarm purposes.

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What are the different methods discussed for measuring turbine speed?

How does a photo-electric tachometer work?

Turbine Speed

1. Simple and rugged construction

Fig. A simple stroboscope circuit using a

Fig. Electrical Pickup for absolute Vibration

As there are several bearings in the turbo-

Fig. Block diagram of Vibration Measuring

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