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Article: Taming vibrations in turbines. (includes related article)
- Article from:
- Mechanical Engineering-CIME
- Article date:
- April 1, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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When it comes to troubleshooting the degrading.effects of.vibration., computer-aided analysis is a diagnostic engineer's major asset. This is especially true m steam turbines, where excitation forces from detrimental sources such as oil whip and steam whirl cost electric utilities millions of dollars per year in repair expenses.
The steam turbine shuddered vigorously as homes and businesses around Cumberland, Tenn., drew 900 megawatts from its electric generator. The output was 400 megawatts less than the capacity rated for the turbine, but vibrations required that the unit be run at the lower level. The turbine owner, the Tennessee Valley Authority, wanted to run ...