Deformation Monitoring Systems for Hydroturbine Head-Cover Fastening Bolts in Hydroelectric Power Plants

Abstract

This study investigates the reliability of Francis turbines and highlights the critical need for an improved deformation monitoring system for bolts that fasten a hydroturbine head-cover to its casing. During different operational stages of the hydraulic unit, such as start-up, partial load, and full load, the hydroturbine head-cover and its fastening bolts are subjected to static and cyclic loads. The loads generate vibrations and different deformations that must be monitored. Although various measuring instruments, such as vibration sensors and accelerometers, have been developed to monitor hydroturbine vibrations, only two systems—KM-Delta-8-CM and PTK KM-Delta—are currently applied to measure fastening bolt deformation. Furthermore, only one system, SKDS-SISH, was found to monitor the forces inducing this deformation. After analysis, it is evident that the described systems for monitoring the deformation of the fastening bolts do not guarantee the trustworthiness of the measuring sensors and there is a need for their improvement. The implementation of a self-checking function (including metrological features), the development of a digital twin of the sensor, and the application of technologies based on artificial intelligence could solve this problem.

Keywords

• Francis turbine
• vibration
• deformation
• fastening bolts
• monitoring system