Cooling Tower Vibration Monitoring

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Cooling Tower Vibration Monitoring
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Closed Loop Cooling Tower System
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Types of Mechanical Draft Towers
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Typical Power Plant
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Cooling Towers At Nuclear Plants
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Cooling Tower Critical Components

• Fans
• Gear Boxes
• Motors

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Cooling Tower Failures - Blades
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Cooling Tower Failures - Gearboxes
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Cooling Tower Application Issues

• Towers are very flexible
• High vibration values during startup.
• Complex gearbox (1800/120 RPM)
• Neighboring cells effect measurement
• Starting cell 2 can shut down cell 1
• Reversing fans in cold climates
• Water build up in blades
• Speeds are slow and based on diameter
• Distance to control room
• Corrosion from bad pH

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Existing Earthquake Sensors

• Calibrated by dropping sledgehammer
• Do not always trip
• Some use Ball and Pedestal
• Operators do not like climbing the tower
• Alarm value usually set to high to help
• No provision for Startup (Tx)
• No OK Circuit

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CMCP-500 Series Monitoring

• Transmitter or Monitor
• 24 VDC Powered
• Trip Multiply Standard
• OK Circuit
• ADC Option
• RF Link option
• Fiberglass or SS NEMA 4X Enclosures

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12 Cell Cooling Tower Monitoring System

• Typical Rotating Machinery and Sensors
• Circulating Water Pumps (2)
• 6 Accelerometers
• 4 Eddy Probe Systems
• 2 Phase
• Cooling Tower Pumps (2)
• 6 Accelerometers
• Gearbox and Fan (12)
• 12 Accelerometers or Velocity
• Motor and Jackshaft (12)
• 12 Accelerometers (Output Shaft)

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10 Cell Cooling Tower Monitoring System
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Dual Path Monitoring

• Displacement (mils)
• Running speed (1X)
• Blade passing
• Blade multiples
• Velocity (in/sec)
• Gear mesh
• Bearings

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Dual Path Monitoring System

• CMSS793V Transducer
• CMCP-602L-32-01-01 Cable
• CMCP-5302 Monitoring System w/
• CMCP-530-100V-02R-XXX-XXX
• 0 to 1.0 in/sec (0 to 25 mm/sec)
• CMCP-535-100V-03-XXX-XXX
• 0 to 15 mils (0 to 375 microns)

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Circulating Water Pumps
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Where are the Cooling Towers ?

• Power Generation
• Steam
• Nuclear
• Geothermal
• Hydrocarbon Processing (HPI)
• Refineries
• Chemical Plants
• Food Processing
• Tropicana
• Campbell Soup
• Large Buildings (HVAC)