Shaft Eccentricity plays a very important role as part of a Turbine Supervisory Instrumentation (TSI) System on large steam turbines

and should be included in retro-fit plans when at all possible. Operators use eccentricity measurements to determine when a combination of slow roll and heating have reduced the rotor eccentricity to the point where the turbine can safely be brought up to speed without damage from e cessive vibration or rotor to stator contact. Eccentricity is the measurement of !otor "ow at rotor slow roll which may be caused by any or a combination of #. %. &. $i ed mechanical bow Temporary thermal bow 'ravity bow

In e treme cases of thermal(gravity bow) caused by a sudden trip of the unit and failure of the turning gear to engage) the rotor may be positioned and stopped #*+o out of phase (bow up) to allow gravity to wor, entirely on the bow and substantially shorten the time re-uired to reduce the bow. Eccentricity is measured while the turbine is on slow roll (# to %.+ !/0 below the speed at which the rotor becomes dynamic and rises in the bearing on the oil wedge) and re-uires special circuitry to detect the pea,- to-pea, motion of the shaft. This is accomplished using circuitry with long update times selectable between %+ seconds (1 & !/0) and % minutes (2& !/0). 3s the eccentricity measurement is not re-uired after a turbine is brought to speed and under load provisions are made to loc, the measurement to 4ero. This can be accomplished without e ternal contacts through the use of a speed measurement channel with underspeed or overspeed alarms. 3s it is impractical to mount Eddy /robe Transducers (5on-6ontacting /ic,ups) midspan on the rotor where the eccentricity measurement would be the highest the transducer(s) are mounted outside the pressure case as far from the bearing (5ode /oint) as practical. The bearing should be avoided as a mounting location because during slow roll operation the rotor is turning in the bottom of the 7ournal bearing and is not dynamic while the eccentricity measurements are being made. This effect forces the bearings to become nodal points.

3ssuming uniform stiffness and weight) the rotor mid- span eccentricity may be e pressed as the ratio of the transducer span from the bearing over the transducer measured eccentricity to #(% the bearing span over the midspan eccentricity or calculated using the following formula) (Tecc "span)(Tspan 8 0Secc. 9here Tecc 8 Transducer measured eccentricity "span8 "earing Span Tspan8 Transducer span from bearing 0Secc8 0idspan eccentricity OE0:s (Original E-uipment 0anufacturers) should be consulted for actual calculations.

Turbine owners who are retrofitting e isting eccentricity systems supplied by the OE0 or others will mount the eccentricity transducer at the same location as the original installation. In many cases only minor modifications to the e isting brac,et are re-uired. ;sing the same location has several advantages and simplifies installation. #. %. &. .. <. =. OE0:s original installation as a rule included an eccentricity collar or other good target for an Eddy /robe System. Eddy /robe eccentricity measurements will agree closely with the original OE0 supplied system as the measurements will be ta,en at the same location. Operators will need less training on how to interpret the new systems measurements as they will be basically the same. Eccentricity historical data will be valid. E isting brac,ets may be modified. 6ase or standard penetration for cable may be reused with minor modification.

Eccentricity is normally measured /(/ (/ea, to /ea,) to agree with previously established conventions. The actual e cursion from shaft centerline caused by bow would be one half that measurement or the +(/ (>ero to /ea,) measurement. The Turbine Supervisory Instrumentation may be calibrated in either fashion to suite the users re-uirements.

Theory of Operation

Eddy 6urrent Transducers wor, on the pro imity theory of operation. 3 system consists of a matched component system? a /robe) an E tension 6able and an Oscillator (@emodulator (driver). 3 high fre-uency !$ signal A% mB> is generated by the Oscillator(@emodulator) sent through the e tension cable and radiated from the /robe tip. Eddy currents are generated in the surface of the shaft. The driver demodulates the signal and provides a modulated @6 Coltage where the @6 portion is directly proportional to gap (distance) and the 36 portion is directly proportional to vibration. In this way) an Eddy 6urrent Transducer can be used for both !adial Cibration and distance measurements such as Thrust /osition and Shaft /osition.

Special Considerations Mounting Orientation

3ll vibration transducers measure motion in their mounted plane. In other words) motion either directly away from or towards the mounted Eddy /robe will be measured as eccentricity.

$or eccentricity measurements it is recommended that the transducer be mounted vertically. 3s most eccentricity sensors are internally mounted and are not visible from the outside of the machine whatever the angle of orientation is finally chosen it is very important that the mounting location be documented for future reference.

Linear Range

Several versions of Eddy /robe Transducers are available with a variety of Dinear !anges and body styles. In most cases) a sensor with a linear range of E+ mils (+.+E+F) is more than ade-uate for Eccentricity measurements. 0odel 60SS=< 60SS=* !ange E+ mils E+ mils Output %++ mC(mil %++ mC(mil Si4e #(.F %* ;5$ #F to <F Dength &(*F %. ;5$ #F to EF Dength

Target Material/Target Area

Eddy 6urrent transducers are calibrated at the factory for .#.+ Steel unless specified otherwise. 3s Eddy /robes are sensitive to the permeability and resistivity of the shaft material) any shaft material other than .+++ series steels must be specified at the time of order. In cases of e otic shaft material a sample may need to be supplied to the factory.

Mechanical Runout
Eddy 6urrent transducers are also sensitive to the shaft smoothness for Eccentricity. 3 smooth (=. micro-inch) area appro imately & times the diameter of the probe tip must be provided for a viewing area.

Electrical Runout

Since Eddy /robes are sensitive to the permeability and resistivity of the target material and the field of the transducer e tends into the surface area of the shaft by appro imately #< mils (+.+#<F)) care must be ta,en to avoid non homogeneous viewing area materials such as 6hrome. 3nother form of electrical runout can be caused by small magnetic fields such as those left by 0agnaflu ing without proper degaussing.

Perpendicular to shaft centerline

6are must be e ercised in all installations to insure that the Eddy /robe is mounted perpendicular to the shaft center-line. @eviation by more than #-% degrees will effect the output sensitivity of the /robe.

Transducer (Probe side clearances

The !$ $ield emitted from the probe tip of the transducer is appro imately a .< conical shape. 6learance must be provided on all sides of the /robe tip to prevent interference of the !$ $ield. 6are must also be ta,en to avoid collars or shoulders on the shaft that may thermally FgrowF out from under the /robe tip as the shaft e pands.

Eddy Probe tip to tip clearances

3lthough Eddy /robe tip to tip clearances are not normally an issue on most machines) it should be noted that the probes radiate an !$ $ield larger than the probe tip itself. 3s an e ample) SG$-60 60SS=< and =* Eddy /robes should never be installed with less than one (#) inch of /robe tip to tip clearance. Darger probes re-uire more clearance. $ailure to follow this rule will allow the driver to create a FbeatF fre-uency which will be the sum and difference of the two driver !$ fre-uencies.

Syste! Cable Length and "unction #o$es

Eddy /robe Systems are a FtunedF length) and several system lengths are available. System length is measured from the probe tip to the Oscillator(@emodulator) and is measured electrically which can be slightly different than the physical length. $or e ample) the 0odel .+& is available in E) %+) and &+ foot system lengths. 6are must be ta,en to insure that the proper system length is ordered to reach the re-uired Hunction "o .

%rounding and &oise

Electrical noise is a very serious consideration when installing any vibration transducer) and special care needs to be ta,en to prevent unnecessary amounts of noise. 3s most plant electrical noise is at =+ B>) and many machine running speeds are also =+ B>) it is difficult to separate noise from actual vibration signal. Therefore) noise must be ,ept to an absolute minimum.

'nstru!ent (ire
3 &-wire twisted shielded instrument wire (ieI "elden J*KK+) is used to connect each Oscillator(@emodulator to the Signal 6onditioner 6ard in the 0onitor. 9here possible) a single run of wire from the Oscillator(@emodulator (Hunction "o ) to the 0onitor location should be used. Splices should be avoided. The gauge of the selected wire depends on the length of the instrument wire run) and should be as follows to prevent loss of high fre-uency signals? ;p to %++ feet ;p to #+++ feet ;p to .+++ feet %% 39' %+ 39' #* 39'

The following wiring connection convention should be followed? !ed "lac, 9hite -%. C@6 /ower 6ommon Signal

Co!!on Point %rounding

To prevent 'round Doops from creating system noise) system common) ground and instrument wire shield must be connected to ground at one location only. In most cases) the recommendation is to connect commons) grounds and shields at the 0onitor location. This means that all commons) grounds and shields must be floated (not connected) at the machine. Occasionally due to installation methods instrument wire shields are connected to ground at the machine case and not at the monitor. In this case) all of the instrument wire shields must be floated (not connected) at the monitor.

Conduit

@edicated conduit should be provided in all installations for both mechanical and noise protection. $le ible metal conduit should be used from the Eddy /robe to the Oscillator (@emodulator 7unction bo ) and rigid bonded metal conduit from the 7unction bo to the monitor.

Calibration
3ll Eddy /robe systems (/robe) 6able and Oscillator @emodulator) should be calibrated prior to being installed. This can be done by using a SG$-60 /(5 60SS=+# Static 6alibrator) -%. C@6 /ower Supply and a @igital Colt 0eter. The Eddy /robe is installed in the tester with the target set against the Eddy /robe tip. The spindle micrometer with target attached is then rotated away from the Eddy /robe in +.++<F or < mil increments. The voltage reading is recorded and graphed at each increment. The SG$60 60SS=< and =* systems will produce a voltage change of #.+ C@6 +.+< C@6 for each < mils of gap change while the target is within the 56/;:s linear range.

%ap

9hen installed) Eddy /robes must be gapped properly. In most Eccentricity applications) gapping the

transducer to the center of the linear range is ade-uate. $or the 0odel .+& transducer gap should be set for -#%.+ C@6 using a @igital Colt 0eter (@C0)) this corresponds to an appro imate mechanical gap of +.+=+F or =+ mils. The voltage method of gapping the Eddy /robe is recommended over mechanical gapping because it is more accurate and easier to accomplish. In all cases) final Eddy /robe gap voltage should be documented and ,ept in a safe place.

Eccentricity 'nstallation Chec)list

#. %. &. .. <. =. K. *. E. #+. ##. #%. 0achine Slow !oll Speed Transducer Orientation @ocumented Target 0aterial) .#.+ Other Smooth Target 3rea Si4e of Target 3rea Hunction "o Docation(s) 0etal 6onduit (Hunction "o to 0onitor) $le ible 6onduit (Hunction "o to /robe) 6orrect Instrument 9ire Shielding 6onvention) 0onitor or 0achine 6alibration 'ap Set