Turbine
Turbine condition monitoring with IoT records vibration, acoustics, magnetic field and temperature of a turbine during operation. Operators of distributed power generation plants detect defects early and maintain by condition rather than by calendar.
Turbine at a glance
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Turbine condition monitoring with sensor box, edge and cloud
In the solution example, an iCOMOX sensor box from Arrow is mounted on the plant. It contains sensors for vibration, magnetic field, acoustic data and temperature and takes measurements several times per second. To keep the raw data from overloading the connection, an on-site edge device filters and compresses the values and forwards only changes in readings to the cloud, where the analysis runs. The sensor box offers three transmission options: NB-IoT straight to the cloud, cable with Power over Ethernet, or a SmartMesh IP wireless network. The choice depends on the site and the local conditions.
The example belongs to acoustic, temperature and vibration monitoring within condition monitoring. An energy company runs wind power plants that operate unattended for long periods and are often hard to reach. Defects in the generator, turbine and pipework are critical: every unplanned shutdown stops power generation, on top of spare parts stock and staff for maintenance visits that find nothing wrong. The company commissioned Codestryke GmbH to build a condition-based monitoring solution that works across distributed sites and generates as little data traffic as possible. Codestryke combined the sensor box, an edge device and cloud analytics.
Turbine condition monitoring: frequently asked questions
How does turbine vibration monitoring detect damage early?
Turbine damage usually shows up in changing readings long before the plant fails. Sensors on the turbine continuously record vibration and temperature, and analysis in the cloud compares the values with their previous pattern. In Codestryke's solution example, a sensor box measures several times per second. If the values deviate, maintenance can step in before an unplanned shutdown interrupts power generation.
What does acoustic monitoring add for a turbine?
Acoustic monitoring adds the sounds of the running turbine to vibration and temperature data. Mechanical changes often alter the sound pattern of the plant as well. The iCOMOX sensor box used in the example captures acoustic data and the magnetic field alongside vibration and temperature. Analysed together, these measurements give a fuller picture of the turbine's condition without a technician having to be on site.
How is a turbine monitoring system set up?
Such a system has three layers: sensors on the turbine, an on-site edge device and analysis in the cloud. In Codestryke's example, a sensor box produces large volumes of raw data. The edge device filters and compresses it and forwards only changes in readings. This keeps data traffic low, which the energy company had explicitly required for cost reasons.
Which connection does a turbine sensor box use at remote sites?
The right connection depends on the site, so the sensors should support several options. The sensor box in the solution example transmits via NB-IoT directly over the cellular network to the cloud, by cable with Power over Ethernet, or through a SmartMesh IP wireless network. For each of the energy company's sites, Codestryke chose the option that local conditions allowed.
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