Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: Optimizing Gas Turbine Rotor Shaft Fault Detection, Identification and Analysis for Effective Condition Monitoring
by Ezenwa A. Ogbonnaya and Kombo Theophilus-Johnson

Abstract:
Vibration analysis of rotating machinery can give warning of potential faults such as imbalance, bent shaft, shaft crack, misalignment, looseness and other malfunctions. This work considered the origin, causes and the effect of vibrations in rotor shaft and how they can be optimized to avert catastrophic downtime. The approach used in the research was vibration signature analysis. Data were taken from a gas turbine called GT18, GE Frame 9 on industrial duty for electricity generation in Ughelli Power station Delta State, Nigeria. The data collected after collation was used in a MATLAB computer program. The result shows that the engine should not be operated beyond 4.8 mm vibration displacement amplitude. A speed of 7860 rpm should also be avoided in order to prevent resonance. Furthermore, it enabled early detection of the various effects of vibration signature such as imbalance, misalignment, and crack that may lead to downtime.

Keywords: rotor shaft, resonance, vibration signature, shaft defects, fault identification, and downtime

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