Plant condition monitoring

The implementation of power apparatus condition monitoring is in its infancy in power utilities throughout the world. One possible exception is in vibration monitoring in rotating generation plant. The benefits which can be obtained from a well designed and implemented power apparatus condition monitoring system have been realised in several parts of the world but are still relatively unfamiliar in Europe as a whole. Here, the author describes how, in order to be effective, an online power apparatus condition monitoring system must carry out an intelligent preprocessing function and only output information when such an output is of significance. In this way such a system will permit the more efficient utilisation of an expensive resource and extend the useful service life of power apparatus