Device and method for measuring vibrations of a rotor

• US 9,869,579 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies (Alstom SA)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Renewable Technologies
• Inventors: Wehbe Spiridon, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Schmitt, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/807,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20160025552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 73 1201, 73570, 73579, 73584, 73593, 73662
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/006 of the rotor of turbo machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 13/00 Measuring resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 7/08 Shock-testing

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a measuring device for measuring vibrations of a rotor and to a method for measuring the vibrations of a rotor. Disclosed is a measuring device for measuring vibrations of a rotor of an electric machine having a guiding rod with a plate at one end of the guiding rod, the plate to abut at the rotor in operation, an actuator for inducing a shock to the rotor via the guiding rod and via the plate, and a monitor device for measuring the vibrations at the rotor caused by the induced shock.

Claims

1. A measuring device for measuring vibrations of a rotor of an electric machine comprising

a guiding rod with a plate at one end of the guiding rod, the plate configured to abut at the rotor in operation of the measuring device,

an actuator for inducing a shock to the rotor via the guiding rod and via the plate,

the actuator comprising a piston movable along the guiding rod,

a locking system that exerts a retaining force on the piston, wherein when a centrifugal force exerted on the piston from rotation of the rotor exceeds the retaining force, the piston moves along the guiding rod and impacts the plate, and

a monitor device disposed relative to the rotor to measure vibrations at the rotor caused by induced shock from the piston impacting the plate.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the locking system comprises a spring for providing the retaining force to the actuator.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor device comprises a frequency detector for determining the eigenfrequency of the rotor from the induced vibrations and a calculator for calculating a critical speed of the rotor from the determined eigenfrequency.

4. The measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the monitor device is attached to a bearing of the rotor.

5. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the guiding rod has a holding plate at an end thereof opposite from the plate configured to abut a wall to support and align the guiding rod.

6. A method for measuring the vibrations of a rotor of an electric machine using the measuring device of claim 1 comprising applying a shock to the rotor by the actuator and measuring the vibrations at the rotor induced by the shock.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising determining the eigenfrequency from the measured vibrations and calculating the critical speed of the rotor from the eigenfrequency.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising applying the retaining force to the actuator by a spring, rotating the rotor, and by centrifugal force at the actuator releasing the locking system of the spring and accelerating the actuator along the guiding rod to the plate, whereas the actuator exerts a shock to the plate and the rotor upon impacting the plate.