Multi-Variant Modal Analysis Approach for Large Industrial Machine

Power generation technologies are essential for modern economies. Modal Analysis (MA) is advanced but well-established method for monitoring of structural integrity of critical assets, including power ones. Apart from classical MA, the Operational Modal Analysis approach is widely used in the study of dynamic properties of technical objects. The principal reasons are its advantages over the classical approach, such as the lack of necessity to apply the excitation force to the object and isolate it from other excitation sources. However, for industrial facilities, the operational excitation rarely takes the form of white noise. Especially in the case of rotating machines, the presence of rotational speed harmonics in the response signals causes problems with the correct identification of the modal model. The article presents a hybrid approach where combination of results of two Operational Modal Analyses and Experimental Modal Analysis is performed to improve the models' quality. The proposed approach was tested on data obtained from a 215 MW turbogenerator operating in one of Polish power plants. With the proposed approach it was possible to diagnose the machine's excessive vibration level correctly.