Vibrations of Power Plant Machines: A Guide for Recognition of Problems and Troubleshooting

This book offers professionals working at power plants guidelines and best practices for vibration problems, in order to help them identify the respective problem, grasp it, and successfully solve it. The book provides very little theoretical information (which is readily available in the existing literature) and doesn’t assume that readers have an extensive mathematical background; rather, it presents a range of well-documented, real-world case studies and examples drawn from the authors’ 50 years of experience at jobsites. Vibration problems don’t crop up very often, thanks to good maintenance and support, but if and when they do, most power plants have very little experience in assessing and solving them. Accordingly, the case studies discussed here will equip power plant engineers to quickly evaluate the vibration problem at hand (by deciding whether the machine is at risk or can continue operating) and find a practical solution.

Rainer Nordmann was professor of mechatronics at TU Darmstadt, Germany. His research activities focused on the development of mechatronic systems with applications to rotating machinery, machine tools and automotive systems. After his retirement, he worked as manager for Rotor Dynamics at the international R&D Center of Alstom Power in Baden, Switzerland. Currently he serves as consultant at Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (Fraunhofer LBF) in Darmstadt, Germany. He is involved in other consulting activities for different companies in the area of rotor dynamics and mechatronics.