Monitoring Hydropower Generating Units

With demand for renewable energy growing, hydropower plants are working harder than ever. This makes monitoring and protecting ageing assets like hydro turbines and generators increasingly important. Keeping critical machinery working optimally and fixing faults before they grow helps avoid catastrophic crashes and expensive downtime further down the line.

This whitepaper from B&K Vibro, makers of SETPOINT®, explores how stator and rotor condition make a measurable difference to plant health and performance. It focuses on air gap and magnetic flux monitoring – subtle, yet crucial parameters for all operating conditions, hydropower configurations, and types of turbines.

Air gap monitoring focuses on the millimeters of space between a spinning rotor and stationary stator. This detects warping or misalignment that can cause dangerous wobbles, vibrations, and heavy stress on bearings. Monitoring this tiny tolerance spots damaged or shifting parts before they cause a costly crash, both from a condition monitoring and protection perspective.

Magnetic flux measurement is also critical for checking generator health. Short circuits in the rotor pole windings can create an unbalanced electromagnetic load and ultimately stress components. By detecting variations in the rotor pole magnetic field, these stress issues can be avoided.

B&K Vibro helps you stay ahead of rising stress with clearer, more connected insights. Using hydropower-specific strategies, spot early warning signs and take informed action before the smallest fluctuation becomes a major fault. The free whitepaper tells you how.