An operating turbine resonant blade monitor

Abstract: An operating turbine (14) monitor is described incorporating one or more acoustic sensors (76,77) positioned next to a blade row (25) of a rotor, an analog digital converter (90) a tachometer sensor(70) at the rotor shaft, a memory (92), a synchronous averaging circuit (100), a subtractor circuit (108), and a comparator (114). The invention overcomes the problem of monitoring an operating turbine for order-related turbine blade vibration and for non order-related turbine blade vibration as well as for other turbine conditions.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to monitoring the vibration of turbine blades in an operating turbine and more particular to detecting and locating resonantly vibrating turbine blades. Description of the Prior Art In U.S.A. Patent 4,422,333 by R.L. Leon, the inventor herein, and which issued on December 27, 1983, a method and apparatus was described for detecting and identifying one or more excessively vibrating blades of the rotating portion of a turbomachine. An acoustic sensor was positioned to receive a characteristic Doppler waveform that resulted when a blade or blade group vibrates resonately at an order of running speed. The method described in the '333 patent for constant speed turbines, involved synchronous averaging out the non order- related background noise followed by editing or blanking out the few order related components known to be contaminated with background error such as blade passing frequency and once-per-revolution and twice-per-revolution frequencies. The resulting signal is then displayed to reveal the characteristic Doppler waveform of the blade vibrations. An envelope detection technique was employed to accurately pick out the amplitude peak indicative of the location of the resonant blade. It was discovered that in some steam power turbines that the order related background error was not limited to just a few order-related components, but instead was spread broadly across all the order related components. Blanking all of the offending order-related background components would, of course, eliminate entirely the sought after Doppler waveform. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus is provided for detecting a resonantly vibrating blade, attached to the shaft of a rotating rotor in an operating turbine comprising an acoustic sensor positioned on a stationary member with respect to the rotor to receive sound waves emanating from the vibrating blade of the rotor as the blade rotates about its rotor axis and to provide an acoustic signal from the received sound waves, the acoustic sensor positioned with respect to the rotor so that the blade approaches and departs from the acoustic sensor in the course of one rotation of the rotor about the rotor axis thereby imparting a Doppler effect to the received sound waves, a sensor for obtaining a reference signal indicative of rotor position at least once each time the rotor completes a revolution about the rotor axis to provide an indication of angular velocity of the rotor for each revolution, an analog to digital converter for sampling the acoustic signal to obtain samples during each revolution of a plurality of revolutions of the rotor including at least some revolutions at a first and a second angular velocity of the rotor, a circuit or digital computer for averaging the amplitude and taking into account the polarity of the samples obtained at respective rotor positions within each revolution of the rotor revolving at the first angular velocity and for separate averaging the amplitude and taking into account the polarity of the samples within each revolution of the rotor revolving at the second angular velocity, a circuit or digital computer for subtracting the amplitudes and taking into account the polarity of averaged samples obtained at respective rotor positions of the rotor revolving at the first and at the second angular velocity to provide a difference Doppler signal at respective rotor positions of the rotor whereby order-related background noise due to other blades having nonuniformity in angular position on the rotor is removed, and a circuit for comparing the amplitude of the difference Doppler signal at respective rotor positions of the rotor with a threshold value whereby an amplitude above the threshold value are indicative of the resonantly vibrating blade. It is the object of the invention to use one acoustic sensor and at least two angular velocities of a nearly constant speed turbine to form a difference Doppler signal from averaged signals at each angular velocity. It is a further object of the invention to use a mathematical technique such as a Hilbert Transform to localize the maximum amplitude of the difference Doppler signal as well as the instantaneous frequency at the maximum amplitude of the difference Doppler signal indicative of the location and resonant frequency of the vibrating blade in the operating turbine. It is a further object of the invention to utilize synchronous time records where each record, consisting, for example, of 64 samples or points, would be tagged with a label indicating the exact speed or angular velocity of she rotor shaft at the time of capture. The angular velocity may be in increments of .125 RPM over a range of ±1 RPM for a power turbine operating at 3600 RPM. It is a further object of the invention to detect non order-related or fluttering turbine blades by processing the data obtained from many revolutions with the data obtained from a few revolutions. It is a further object of the invention to detect and measure order-related resonant torsional shaft vibration which projects out into large tangential blade vibration at the blade tips. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a pictorial and schematic diagram of a two flow tandem compound turbine. Fig. 2 is a cross section view along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 show one turbine blade of a blade row vibrating at a first and at a fourth resonant frequency respectively. Figs. 5 and 6 show one turbine blade of a blade row vibrating at first and fourth resonant frequencies shifted in phase respectively. Fig. 7 is one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 8 is a first alternate embodiment of the invention. Fig. 9 is a graph of a Campbell diagram showing natural blade vibration frequency and running speed frequencies Fig. 10 is a tenth alternate embodiment of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Fig. 1, a pictorial and schematic diagram of a two flow tandem compound turbine 14 is shown. Compound turbine 14, as shown in Fig. 1, has a high pressure turbine 16, an intermediate pressure turbine 17 and two low pressure turbines 18 and 19 having a common shaft 20 which is cylindrical in shape for receiving and transmitting to a load, for example an electrical generator, torsional load forces and power. Shaft 20 is supported and held in place by bearings 21-24. Bearings 21-24 are held in place by suitable support fixture for holding bearings 21-24 firmly in place and supporting the weight on shaft 20 as well as shaft 20. Attached or secured to shaft 20 in high pressure turbine 16 are blade rows 25-28. Each blade row, for example blade row 25, comprises a plurality of blades, for example, 100, extending radially from shaft 20. A housing 29 encloses blade rows 25-28 as well as providing support for turbine nozzles and vanes for controlling and directing high pressure steam through high pressure turbine 16. Similarly, intermediate pressure turbine 17 has blade rows 32-35 which are enclosed by housing 36. Steam from high pressure turbine 16 is coupled to intermediate pressure turbine 17 by duct 37. Steam from intermediate pressure turbine 17 is coupled to low pressure turbines 18 and 19 by way of duct 38. Low pressure turbine 18 has blade rows 42-47 enclosed by housing 54 and has an exhaust duct 55. Low pressure turbine 19 has blade rows 48-53 enclosed by housing 56 which has an exhaust duct 57. The number of blade rows in turbines 16-19 may vary depending upon the turbine as well as the number of fixed vanes and inlet nozzles for distributing and controlling the steam entering and passing through the respective turbine. A high pressure steam source 60 provides high pressure steam, for example, at 1000 degrees centigrade and at 155 pounds per square centimeter (1000 pounds per square inch (psi)) which may pass over duct 61 into an inlet nozzle not shown within housing 29 of turbine 16. The steam passes through turbine 16 over duct 37 through turbine 17 over duct 38 where it divides. A portion of the steam passes over duct 62 through turbine 18 and out exhaust 55. The other portion of steam passes over duct 63 through turbine 19 and out exhaust duct 57. Compound turbine 14 may operate in a power plant for producing electricity, for example, 60 hertz or 50 hertz alternating current by way of electrical generator 64. Shaft 20 may have an angular velocity of 3600 revolutions per minute or 1800 revolutions per minute (rpm) to produce 60 hertz alternating current from electrical generator 64. Alternately, shaft 20 may have an angular velocity of 3000 rpm or 1500 rpm to produce 50 hertz alternating current from electrical generator 64. The angular velocity of shaft 20 may be determined by a tachometer sensor 70 having an output over leads 71 and 72. Tachometer sensor 70 may be positioned close to shaft 20 having an optical coupling such as by light to detect each revolution made by shaft 20. Shaft 20 may have a strip of reflective tape thereon or some other suitable means to communicate the position of the shaft 20 as it completes a revolution. Tachometer sensor 70 may be supported by the same support fixture that supports bearing 21 so that the position of tachometer sensor 70 remains fixed in relation to longitudinal axis 73 of shaft 20 and of rotor 30. Referring to Fig. 2, a cross sectional view of high pressure turbine 16 is shown to illustrate blade row 25 and two acoustic sensors 76 and 77 mounted through housing 29 to be positioned downstream of blade row 25 in locations 87 and 130 respectively. As many as 150 blades may be in a blade row. The ends of the blades may be free or they may be attached to a shroud at the end of the blade by means of a tenon passing there through and riveted over to form a blade group. Alternately, wires may extend through the blades to allow movement of the blades relative to one another but to dampen their vibration. Fig. 2 shows, for example, individual blades 78-81 and a blade group 82 of four blades 74, 75, 84 and 85 having a shroud 83 attached to the ends of the blades 74, 75, 84 and 85. Acoustic sensors 76 and 77 are positioned with respect to blade row 25 so that the individual blades 78-81 or blade group 82 approaches and departs from the acoustic sensors 76 and 77 in the course of one rotation of shaft 20 about shaft axis 73 thereby imparting a Doppler effect to the received sound waves. As blade row 25 shown in Fig. 2 rotates with shaft 20 as shaft 20 rotates as shown by arrow 69 acoustic sensors 76 and 77 record certain acoustic signals which are order related which are for the most part acoustic signals which are a function of the angular position of blade row 25 and reoccur each revolution of shaft 20. Examples of order-related signals are 1. blade row nonuniformity i.e. nonuniform blade wake caused by, for example, uneven spacing of the blades about shaft 20 and blade passing frequency and 2. an individual resonantly vibrating blade or blade group. The blades may be excited into resonance by the nozzle passing frequency which occurs when a plurality of nozzles discharge steam which impact on blade row 25 as blade row 25 is rotating at the operating or running speed, or by any integer multiple of running speed due to normal nonuniformities in the spacing between nozzle blades. Acoustic sensors 76 and 77 may have a separation angle with respect to the rotation of shaft 20 of about 9 degrees for good results. Order-related acoustic signals are a function of the rpm of shaft 20 and frequency harmonics of the running speed. Non order-related acoustic signals may be due to, for example, background noise of steam passing through turbine 16 or due to nonresonant vibrations of individual blades or blade groups for example at the natural vibration frequency of the blade. Fig. 3 shows an individual blade 78 on shaft 20 without vibration. Blade 78' is shown in Fig. 3 having a vibration at the natural frequency of the blade. Fig. 4 shows blade 78 on shaft 20 without vibration. Figure 78'' shows blade 78 vibrating a natural frequency four times that of Fig. 3. Now if the natural frequency of the blade corresponded to an integral number of running speed then the vibration shown in Figs. 3 and 4 would be order-related. Every time blade 78 passed sensor 77 and 76 the respective sensor would see the blade in exactly the same physical position (tangential deflection) with respect to the shaft position as shaft 20 rotates. If the vibration of blade 78 was not an integral number of times of the running speed then blade 78 would be in a different physical position each time it passed sensors 76 and 88 respectively. Fig. 5 shows blade 78 without vibration and blade 78''' with order-related vibration phase shifted (at a different rpm or sensor) as compared with blade 78' in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 shows blade 78 without vibration and blade 78'''' with order-related vibration phase shifted (at a different rpm or sensor) as compared with blade 78''. Fig. 7 shows one embodiment of the invention which may operate by using only one acoustic sensor 76. Acoustic sensor 76 is placed in location A on housing 29 to receive acoustic signals 88 as shown in Fig. 7. Acoustic sensor 76 functions to receive acoustic energy in a frequency range from 0-25 kilohertz providing a corresponding acoustic signal. The acoustic signal is coupled over lead 89 to an input of analog to digital converter 90 which converts the acoustic signal with an accuracy of 14 bits after suitable low pass filtering to a frequency at no more than half the sample rate to prevent aliasing. The output of analog to digital converter 90 is coupled over lead 91 to an input of memory 92. Memory 92 functions to store a record consisting of a plurality of samples obtained during each revolution of shaft 20 as a function of the shaft angular velocity (rpm) given at the beginning of a record wherein a record consists of, for example, 64 samples per revolution as a function of time. Tachometer sensor 70 shown in Figs. 1 and 7 is coupled over lines 71 and 72 to an input of shaft speed detector 94 which provides an output over line 95 to an input of address generator 96. Tachometer sensor 70 functions to provide a reference signal over leads 71 and 72 indicative of shaft 20 position and of rotor 30 position at least once each time shaft 20 completes a revolution about the shaft axis 73 to provide an indication of angular velocity (rpm) of shaft 20. Shaft speed detector 94 measures the time shaft 20 makes one complete revolution to determine the angular velocity in revolutions per minute (rpm) for the next revolution. In a typical operating turbine operating at 3600 rpm the rpm may vary plus or minus one rpm. The angular velocity of shaft 20 may be subdivided into sixteen increments between plus and minus one rpm to provide each increment of .125 rpm. An accurate measure of the current angular velocity of shaft 20 in rpm is essential so that data recorded per revolution which may comprise for example 64 to 128 samples is recorded as a function of the rpm in memory 92. Address generator 96 functions to generate an address as a function of the rpm of shaft 20 which is coupled over lead 97 to memory 92 to store in memory 92 a record of a plurality of samples for one revolution of shaft 20 before a new address generated as a function of the angular velocity of shaft 20 is provided for the next record which may or not be the same angular velocity as the prior revolution of shaft 20. Address generator 96 also provides addresses over lead 97 for retrieving a record from memory 92 and coupling the record over lead 98 to an input of synchronous averaging circuit 100. Synchronous averaging circuit 100 also receives data from memory 102 over lead 104. Memory 102 may contain for example a running sum of the samples of records obtained at respective rotor positions of the rotor along with the number of times the running sum has had samples added thereto. Synchronous averaging circuit 100 may retrieve data from memory 102 on lead 104 and add the next record samples respectively received over line 98 as well as provide a count for the number of records added together which may be returned to memory 102 for storage over lead 105. A running average can be provided by also storing the average which may be obtained by dividing the running sum by the number of records added together at a respective rpm of shaft 20 and provide the average on lead 106 to an input of sample alignment 120. Synchronous averaging circuit 100 and memory 102 function to provide for averaging the amplitude and taking into account the polarity of the samples obtained at respective rotor positions within each revolution of shaft 20 revolving at a first angular velocity and a similar but separate averaging of the amplitude of the samples with shaft 20 revolving at a second angular velocity. Actually about 16 angular velocities in increments of .125 rpm are recorded or accumulatively summed in memory 102. Sample alignment 120 functions to curve fit the averaged samples at a particular rpm and resample the curve to provide averaged samples corresponding to common shaft positions at two shaft rpm's. Sample alignment 120 receives address signals generated as a function of the rpm shaft 20 at the time the record was captured over lead 99. The output of sample alignment 120 is coupled over lead 121 to an input of multiplexer 107. Address generator 96 provides addresses over lead 99 to memory 102 and address register 108. The addresses on lead 99 may correspond to respective rpm of shaft 20 and may be used for providing data to synchronous averaging circuit 100 for averaging synchronously a number of samples at respective rpm's or to provide two consecutive addresses representative of two angular velocities of shaft 20 to memory 102 for providing averaged data over lead 106 to sample alignment 120 which in turn provides the data by way of multiplexer 107 to subtractor 108. Data representative of a first angular velocity is coupled over lead 109 to an input of subtractor 108. Data representative of a second angular velocity is coupled over lead 110 to a second input of subtractor 108. Subtractor 108 functions to subtract the amplitudes and taking into the account the polarity of averaged samples obtained at respective rotor or shaft positions of shaft 20 revolving at the first and at the second angular velocity to provide a difference Doppler signal at respective rotor or shaft positions of the rotor whereby order- related background noise due to other blades having nonuniformity in angular position on the rotor is removed. The difference Doppler signal is provided at the output of subtractor 108 on lead 112 to an output terminal and to the input of comparator 114. A voltage potential representative of a voltage threshold (V TH ) is coupled over lead 115 to a second input of comparator 114. Comparator 114 functions to compare the voltage V TH with the potential on lead 112 containing the difference Doppler sample to provide an output over lead 116 at times the difference Doppler signal exceeds the threshold voltage indicating the presence of a resonantly vibrating blade or blade group within blade row 25 in high pressure turbine 16. In operation of difference Doppler circuit 86 as shown in Fig 7, shaft 20 may have an angular velocity of 3600 rpm or 60 revolutions per second with analog to digital converter 90 taking a record of 64 samples per revolution at 14 bits per sample which would result in a sampling rate of 3840 hertz. If data was accumulated for as long as 30 minutes, then 108,000 records would be obtained. If the 108,000 records were distributed over 16 angular velocity bins of .125 rpm each from 3599 to 3601 rpm then on the average 6750 records would be in each angular velocity bin. Address generator 96 would select two angular velocities based on the largest number or records and the largest separation of angular velocities prior to sending the averaged records at these two angular velocities of shaft 20 to subtractor 108 to form the difference Doppler signal. Since over a 6750 records will have been averaged, non order-related background noise and blade flutter (non order-related blade vibration) will be reduced by averaging wherein the order-related background noise and blade vibration will accumulate and be enhanced. When the two averaged order-related records are subtracted from one another, taken at different angular velocities of shaft 20, order-related signals due to blade row nonuniformity will be cancelled out whereas order-related resonantly vibrating blades will remain due to a difference in resonant blade phase at common rotor positions. The phase difference in blade vibration is a function of the difference in rpm of shaft 20. The signals or records retrieved from memory 102 on line 106 are synchronous averaged records which may be for example averaged over 2000 to 10,000 records within a respective angular velocity bin of shaft 20 in memory 102. Address register 108 may hold the address used to access memory 102 and sample alignment 120. The address may be an indication of the rpm of shaft 20 corresponding to the record retrieved from memory 102 on lead 106 or on lead 121. The output of address register 108 may provide not only the rpm of the two records subtracted but also of the sample number in the record indicative of the location on the blade row or the blade at times comparator 114 provides an output on line 116. The output of address register 108 as shown in Fig. 7 is on lead 118. If the sampling rate is independent of the rpm of shaft 20, then prior to subtracting the records obtained at two rpm's or angular velocities of shaft 20, one of the records will need to be shifted in order that the samples subtracted will correspond to the same physical location of the moving blade row 25 passed sensor 76. The records may be lined up by curve fitting the 64 samples to a 25 order curve fit formula followed by resampling the curve corresponding to obtaining two averaged samples at respective angular position of shaft 20. Sample alignment 120 performs this function and provides an output over lead 121 to multiplexer 107. Fig. 8 shows a first alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the location of the resonantly vibrating blade may be located and the frequency of its vibration determine from the difference Doppler signal on lead 112 from difference Doppler circuit 86 shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Referring to Fig. 8, lead 118 is coupled to a first input of Hilbert Transform 124 which contains the address indicative of rpm and data position with respect to shaft 20 of the data transferred over on lead 112 which is coupled to a second input of Hilbert Transform 124. By using the Hilbert Transform, the normal real valued time domain functions are made complex, which yield two useful properties, the envelope and the instantaneous frequency. The maximum amplitude determines the location of the vibrating blade since the amplitude of the vibrating blade will be maximum as it passes sensor 76. The instantaneous frequency at the time the vibrating blade passes 76 will be the resonant frequency of the vibrating blade since it will be moving laterally with respect to acoustic sensor 76. The Hilbert Transform is manifested by the fact that all the normal real-valued time domain function (correlation impulse response etc.) are in fact complex-valued functions because the imaginary part of a function is the Hilbert Transform of the real part. The time domain functions can be displayed similarly to the frequency domain functions in terms of their real part, imaginary part, magnitude, and phase versus time. The magnitude describes the envelope of a signal. The phase representation allows the detection of instantaneous frequency, which is of importance for signals sweeping in frequency with time i.e. a Doppler signal. While the Fourier Transform moves the independent variable of a signal from the time to the frequency domain or vice versa, the Hilbert Transform leaves the signal in the same domain. The Hilbert Transform of a time signal is another time signal and the Hilbert Transform of a frequency "signal" is another frequency signal. A nonmathematical way of describing the Hilbert Transform of a time signal is to say that it gives all the frequency components of a signal a minus 90 degree phase shift or in the time domain that it shifts each component by 1/4 wavelength. This effect is similar to the integration of the signal. As an example, the Hilbert Transform of a sinusoid, for example, cos 2 ft is sin 2 ft. The Hilbert Transform of sin 2 ft is -cos 2 ft. With but depends on the wavelength of frequency of the particular component. The Hilbert Transform of a real-valued time signal, a(t), is defined as: The Hilbert Transform is further described in a paper entitled "The Hilbert Transform" by N. Thrane, Technical Review, No. 3, 1984 published by A. Bruel & Kjaer publications, ISSN 007-2621. The steps in signal processing performed by Hilbert Transform 124 will now be described to provide the amplitude peak over lead 125 with the blade position or blade number provided over lead 127. Further processing will yield the instantaneous frequency at the blade position of an amplitude peak to provide the frequency of the resonating blade over lead 128. The first step taken in Hilbert Transform 124 is to record the amplitude and taking into account the polarity of the difference Doppler signal on lead 112 as a function of time or angular position of rotating shaft 20 on lead 118. The second step is to transform the time domain signal to the frequency domain as a function of the order of running speed or angular velocity of rotating shaft 20. The third step is to obtain the Hilbert Transform by shifting bask 90 degrees in phase every frequency component of the frequency domain curve formed in step 2 with the base line being the same as in step 2 i.e. a function of the order of running speed. The fourth step is to take the inverse Fourier transform of the data or of the curve formed in step 3 to provide data or a curve in the time domain as a function of one revolution of shaft 20 which is the same base line as used in step 1. The fifth step is to take the Hilbert magnitude of the Hilbert Transform in step 4 using the same base line as in step 4 i.e. a function of one revolution of shaft 20. The amplitude peak in the data or curve formed in step 5 is an indication of the position of a resonantly vibrating blade. In step 5, the Hilbert magnitude is determined by taking the square root of the sum of the amplitudes squared at each base line point of the original signal in step 1 plus the sum of the amplitudes in step 4 squared corresponding to the same base line points. In step 6 the function cos 2 ft. between plus one and minus 1 is plotted versus the same base line as used in step 5 and using the data from step 1 divided by the data from step 5. In other words, in step 6, the data point (ordinate) of step 1 as a function of the base line position (abscissa) is divided by the data point (ordinate) corresponding to the same base line position obtained in step 5. In step 7, the instantaneous phase cos⁻¹ (t) is determined or plotted by determining the inverse of the cosine function determined in step 6. The same base line or abscissa is used in step 7 as used in steps 1, 4, 5 and 6. In step 8, the instantaneous phase is (t) from step 7 is differentiated with respect to time (dt) and plotted as a function of the base line as used in Fig. 7, i.e. one revolution of shaft 20. The position on the base line or abscissa of the peak amplitude obtained in step 5 corresponds to the position to find the instantaneous frequency in step 8 and is the frequency of the resonantly vibrating blade causing the amplitude peak in step 5, for example, a blade in blade row 25 of high pressure turbine 16 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Referring to Fig. 9, a typical Campbell diagram for a low pressure turbine blade is shown. In Fig. 9, the ordinate represents frequency in hertz and the abscissa represents turbine speed N in revolutions per minute (rpm). In Fig. 9, the space between curves 268 and 269 represent a narrow zone where the first natural frequency of a turbine blade occurs. The space between curves 270 and 271 represent a narrow band of frequencies where the low pressure blade vibrates a twice its natural frequency. The space between curves 272 and 273 represent the narrow band of frequencies where the low pressure turbine blade vibrates at three times its natural frequency. In Fig. 9, curves 276-281 plot the first through sixth harmonic respectively of turbine speed. Frequency and cycles per second equals the order of harmonic times N (turbine speed) (rpm)/60. As shown in Fig. 9, high amplitude resonant vibrations can occur where an forcing frequency i.e. running speed closely matches a natural vibration frequency of a turbine blade. However, for the turbine blade vibration to be really severe, the forcing frequency and natural frequency must be extremely close, the damping for the effective mode must be very low, and the forcing mechanism must be such as to be able to drive the mode effectively. Where the forcing and natural frequencies do not exactly match, it is important to realize that the vibration takes place at the forcing frequency, not at the natural frequency of the blade. Forcing frequencies exist at all the integer multiples of running speed, but some of these are obviously more significant than others. One prevalent forcing component for turbine blades is at nozzle passing frequency. This arises from the impulse a blade receives as it passes each nozzle wake. Since these impulses are not perfectly sinusoidal in form, harmonics of nozzle passing frequency also will be present. In addition, any repetitious flow nonuniformities within the rotational cycle such as those arising from the horizontal split of the nozzle blocks and casing, from internal struts, inlet or exhaust openings, or any variation nozzle to nozzle, all cause forcing frequencies at once-per-rev and its harmonics. Even when nozzle spacings, strut spacings, or other spacings are not integer submultiples of a revolution, just as long as a pattern, no matter how unusual, repeats in every revolution, the excitation frequencies will be exact integer multiples of rotational speed. The amplification factor associated with a resonant vibration depends upon both the degree of frequency math between the driving frequency and the natural frequency and on the damping associated with that mode. The damping is often given in terms of the amplification factor for a perfect match. Here factors of several hundred are not uncommon for blade modes. But a mode with an amplification factor of 400 for a perfect frequency match drops to an amplification of less than 50 for just a one percent mismatch. Therefore, a near perfect frequency match is required for severe high amplitude resonants of the turbine blade. Thus, with typical manufacturing variations, only a few of the blades or blade groups in a given row might be vibrating excessively at any one time, even in a problem situation. Finally, whether a particular mode can be efficiently driven depends on how the driving forces line up spacially and temporally with the mode shape. In short, are the forces on one part of the structure working with or against the forces on the other parts of the structure? In the case of the first bending mode of a blade corresponding to the first natural frequency of the blade, the whole blade moves in the same direction at the same time, and thus all the dynamic forces acting along the blade work together. However, for the second bending mode, or second natural frequency, the upper part of the blade moves one way while the lower part moves another. Thus, if the forces on the upper part of the blade are supporting the motion, the forces on the lower part are opposing it. Then, the result is that a reduced effective force acts to excite the mode. This description, though somewhat simplistic, explains why the higher order modes are less likely to be strongly excited. For blade group modes forces can work against each other at the different circumferential locations as well. Turbine manufactures, in designing low pressure blades and blade groups, attempt to avoid the possibility of forced resonant vibration. As illustrated in Fig. 9 by the Campbell diagram, the goal of the turbine blade designer is to avoid intersecting the harmonic lines, curves 276-281, with the first few lateral and torsional frequencies, when at operating speed i.e. the natural frequencies between curves 268-269, 270-271, and 272-273. In practice, this requires a sufficient margin between the forcing and natural frequencies so that statistical variations in blade attachments, material nonuniformities and manufacturing tolerances can be accommodated. As shown in Fig. 9, the natural frequencies of blade vibration changed slightly with rotation speed of shaft 20 or of rotor 30 as shown in Fig. 1. The change in natural frequency of the vibrating blade is due to centrifugal loading effects, and must be determined by testing. Despite careful design and testing, it is not practical to dynamically evaluate each blade under operating conditions. With the uncertainties in individual blade parameters and the fact that the higher modes are usually neglected, one or more turbine blades in a given low pressure turbine stage may be resonant at or close to one of the forcing frequencies. Such a blade may have a sufficiently high amplitude of vibration and steady stress level to cause fatigue cracking, especially if corrosion is also present. The turbine speed may be for example 3600 rpm which is shown in Fig. 9 by line 282. Fig. 10 shows an exciter 284 for inducing torsional vibrations into shaft 20 of a running turbine 14 for the purpose of determining a Campbell diagram under normal operating conditions. Exciter 284 may be coupled directly to shaft 20 as shown in Fig. 10 which may be a motor to induce torsional vibrations on shaft 20. Alternately, exciter 286 may be coupled to the rotating magnetic field of electric generator 64 to provide amplitude modulation to the magnetic field at frequencies at or near tangential vibration modes i.e. natural frequencies of the turbine blades. The power required for excitation by exciter 286 is limited to the maximum voltage variation allowable for on line conditions of electric generator. The power required from exciter 286 is relatively low if the excitation input is at the direct current field windings of electric generator 64. The power required from exciter 286 is limited by the inductance of electric generator 64 and limited by the hysteresis losses inherent in generator 64. The induced torsional vibrations may be for example in the range from 140 to 150 hertz. Torsional oscillation or vibration of shaft 20 should be sufficient to deflect the turbine blade at its end by about 0.00254 centimeters (.001 inches). In Fig. 10, exciter 286 may be coupled to alternator or electric generator 64 over leads 287 and 288. Leads 288 and 287 may be coupled to the field windings of electric generator 264. The power supplied over leads 287 and 288 to provide adequate torsional vibration has been found to be a few percent of the power generated by the electric generator 64. Exciter 286 may have a frequency control circuit within it to vary the frequency from 0-200 hertz for example. It is noted that in Fig. 9 the first natural frequency between curves 268 and 269 normally occur in the vicinity of 150 hertz. Individual axial vibration may be induced by a fixed coil mounted within a nozzle block blade or by a series of coils spaced around the block to provide excitation at the range of frequencies of interest. In operation, the Campbell diagram may be determined by varying the torsional vibration over a range of predetermined frequencies and at the same time monitoring non order-related blade vibration.

Claims: An apparatus for detecting a vibrating blade (78) of a rotating rotor in an operating turbine (14) comprising: an acoustic sensor (76) positioned on a stationary member with respect to said rotor to receive sound waves emanating from said vibrating blade (78) of said rotor as said blade (78) rotates about said rotor axis (73) and to provide an acoustic signal (88) from said received sound waves, said acoustic sensor (76) positioned with respect to said rotor so that said blade (78) approaches and departs from said acoustic sensor (76) in the course of one rotation of said rotor about said rotor axis (73) thereby imparting a Doppler effect to said received sound waves, first means (70) for obtaining a reference signal indicative of rotor position at least once each time said rotor completes a revolution about said rotor axis (73) and for determining the angular velocity of said rotor, characterized by second means for sampling said acoustic signal to obtain samples as a function of rotor position as said rotor completes a plurality of revolutions at a first and at a second angular velocity of said rotor, third means (100) for averaging said samples obtained at respective rotor positions of said rotor revolving at said first angular velocity and revolving at said second angular velocity, fourth means (108) for subtracting the averaged samples obtained at respective rotor positions of said rotor revolving at said first and at said second angular velocity to provide a difference signal at respective rotor positions of said rotor whereby order-related background noise due to other blades having nonuniformity in angular position on the rotor is removed, and fifth means (114) for comparing the amplitude of said difference signal at respective rotor positions of said rotor with a threshold value whereby amplitudes above said threshold value are indicative of said vibrating blade. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fifth means (114) includes sixth means for determining the rotor position at the peak amplitude of said difference signal at times the difference signal exceeds the threshold value. A method for detecting a vibrating blade (78) of a rotating rotor in an operating turbine (14) having an acoustic sensor (76) positioned on a stationary meter with respect to said rotor to receive sound waves emanating from said vibrating blade (78) of said rotor as said blade (78) rotates about said rotor axis (73) and to provide an acoustic signal from said received sound waves, said acoustic sensor (76) positioned with respect to said rotor so that said blade (78) approaches and departs from said acoustic sensor (76) in the course of one rotation of said rotor about said rotor axis (73) thereby imparting a Doppler effect to said received sound waves comprising the step of obtaining a reference signal indicative of rotor position at least once each time said rotor completes a revolution about said rotor axis (73) and for determining the angular velocity of said rotor, characterized by the following steps; sampling said acoustic signal to obtain samples as a function of rotor position as said rotor completes a plurality of revolutions at a first and at a second angular velocity of said rotor, averaging said samples obtained at respective rotor positions of said rotor revolving at said first angular velocity and revolving at said second angular velocity, subtracting the averaged samples obtained at respective rotor positions of said rotor revolving at said first and at said second angular velocity to provide a difference signal at respective rotor positions of said rotor whereby order-related background noise due to other blades having nonuniformity in angular position on the rotor is removed, and comparing the amplitude of said difference signal at respective rotor positions of said rotor with a threshold value whereby amplitudes above said threshold value are indicative of said vibrating blade. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of comparing includes the first step of determining the rotor position at the peak amplitude of said difference signal at times the difference signal exceeds the threshold value.

Inventors: LEON ROBERT L, POWELL DAVID H, LEON, ROBERT L., POWELL, DAVID H.
Applicants: ELECTRIC POWER RES INST, ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G01H1
IPC codes: G01H1