condition monitoring

  • The Next Wave in Hydropower Condition Monitoring

    The hydropower industry stands at a critical juncture where traditional operation and maintenance are quickly becoming obsolete. As global energy demand surges and grid systems become increasingly dynamic, hydropower operators face unprecedented challenges in maintaining optimal machine performance under variable operating conditions while at the same time managing aging infrastructure and reduced staffing levels. Not […]

  • How Advanced Monitoring and Early Warning Tools Are Revolutionizing Power Plant Cooling Water Intake Management

    Thermal power plants, nuclear and fossil-fueled, rely on cooling water intake structures (CWIS) to withdraw water for rejecting waste heat. The CWIS serves as a critical interface between engineered systems and the natural environment, making it vulnerable to various external factors such as biological growth, water chemistry changes, hydraulic forces, drifting debris, and meteorologic events. […]

  • It’s Time to Listen to Transformers

    A transformer fire at Heathrow Airport earlier this year triggered cascading power outages, cutting electricity to more than 66,000 homes, grounding more than 1,300 flights, and causing losses of up to £100 million. According to a recent report, the fire started because of a fault in a 50-year-old asset that subsequently led to short circuiting […]

  • Digital Sensor Provides Greater Asset Management Capability for Transformers

    ABB Electrification Service recently launched a digital monitoring solution for power and distribution transformers that it says will enhance performance, reliability, and availability of equipment. The transformer sensor is reportedly quick and easy to fit, requiring no screws or tooling for installation. Instead, the sensor, called TRAFCOM, can be mounted magnetically to the transformer within […]

  • Enhancing the Potential of Condition Monitoring Using Vibration Information

    Condition monitoring can transform how power plants operate and maintain their assets. This article argues that to exploit the full potential of condition monitoring, it’s necessary to use data to acquire

  • Brüel & Kjær Vibro announces VCM-3/SETPOINT product enhancements

    DARMSTADT, Germany (May 4, 2022) – Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro), one of the leading worldwide independent suppliers of condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery, has delivered a range of product enhancements for its VCM-3/SETPOINT® offerings to deliver a single, integrated SETPOINT® condition monitoring system (CMS) solution. VCM-3 data can be fully integrated with VC-8000 data […]

  • How State-of-the-Art Monitoring Technology Will Be Used at a Turkish Nuclear Power Plant

    Turkey has considered adding nuclear power plants to its fleet of generators since at least 1970; yet, no commercial reactor units have ever been completed. That is likely to change soon. The country’s first nuclear power plant commenced construction in April 2018 at Akkuyu. When the planned four-unit facility is finished, about 10% of Turkey’s […]

  • Five Steps to Streamlined Asset Management and a Sustainable Network

    How do utility asset managers deal with risks and failures of assets in the long-term? How much should they be budgeting for maintenance, asset renewal, and investments? The answers are not always obvious for asset managers that are faced with increasingly severe weather and the need for strengthened electrical grids. Another layer of unpredictability is […]

  • Inline Oil Condition Analysis on Power Generation Engines

    Oil and lubricants play a critical role in the operation of natural gas and biogas power generation engines, for example, in combined cycle (CC) and combined heat and power (CHP) plants. The oil condition gives valuable insight in the running status of the engine and many critical failures can be flagged. Benefits of Real-time Monitoring […]

  • VIBSCANNER 2 The high-speed data collector sets new standards

    ISMANING – February 21th 2018 – VIBSCANNER 2, the new high-speed data collector, increases the efficiency of vibration-based condition monitoring of machines and plants. PRUFTECHNIK, the Bavarian manufacturer, has developed and produced the new device according to the motto “keep it smart and simple”. The result is a vibration measurement instrument on the pulse of […]

  • PRUFTECHNIK Establishes New Calibration Laboratory for Vibration Sensors

    Bavarian Expert for Condition Monitoring Systems Raises Quality to the Next Level ISMANING – January 29, 2018 – Worlds meet in the new calibration laboratory of PRUFTECHNIK Condition Monitoring in Ismaning: Seven tons of concrete and 600 kilograms of granite form the foundation for the calibration of vibration sensors with an average weight of just 50 grams each. […]

  • Brüel & Kjær Vibro wins monitoring order for British biomass power plant

    The Danish engineering and contracting company Aalborg Energie Technik (AET) has selected a Brüel & Kjær Vibro online condition monitoring solution for machine condition monitoring of the 40MW Tilbury Green Power biomass power plant in the London area. AET and its consortium partner are responsible for the design, supply, construction, and commissioning of the plant. […]

  • Weighing Costs and Benefits in Hydropower Maintenance and Upgrade Decisions

    Although other renewable sources of energy may be growing at a faster rate, more electricity continues to be generated in the U.S. by conventional hydropower than by wind, solar, and geothermal power combined