Hydro Monitoring Part 1

Michael Hastings has 30 years of experience in machine monitoring strategy and technique optimization, solution development and marketing analysis and promotion for a number machine condition monitoring applications, including hydro. In Part 1 of the series, Mike starts off by evaluating the actual need for condition monitoring a hydro unit. He then presents some of the relevant standards that are related to hydro unit monitoring and finishes off by providing steps for implementing a condition monitoring solution. The hydro unit monitoring webinar series is intended to help you improve the reliability of implementing an effective condition monitoring approach for hydro machines in your power station. In Part 1 we look at how hydro units are more stressed due to new operational regimes and why condition monitoring and diagnostics therefore play a much more important role in reducing downtime and the life-cycle costs of these machines, now more than ever. Even for hydropower stations that have legacy condition monitoring systems installed, these are sometimes no longer valid as a result of changing operating conditions or refurbishment of the units. There are a wide range of monitoring techniques used on hydro units that are not well understood or incorrectly implemented, and historically inadequately covered by standards. A new standard that has just been released, ISO 19283, that brings it altogether under one umbrella and this will be briefly presented as well.