Case description: Blade failure at industrial plant
During planned on-site inspections at customer’s industrial plant, Fortum eNext experts discovered heavy absolute vibrations on the turbine. Our experts recommended shutting down the unit and performing a borescope inspection.
The inspection revealed a damaged turbine rotor blade, resulting in an unscheduled overhaul.
The turbine had comprehensive shaft vibration measurements, but no bearing vibration measurements. The customer had not detected exceeded vibration or any other problem.
Manufacturing new blades, balancing the rotor and reassembly took 10 weeks. In the worst case scenario, even more blades and other expensive parts could have been damaged.
Remote monitoring would have eliminated the need for the initial on-site inspection, calibrations, and travelling. Furthermore, installed bearing vibration sensors would have enabled identification of the damaging event earlier, making it possible for the operator to plan the overhaul and preparatory works based on the maintenance schedule of the entire facility.
