Advanced Oil Debris Monitoring for Pipeline Mechanical Drive Gas Turbines

Gas turbines are a critical component of many pipeline operations. Gas turbine component failures are very costly both in terms of unit down time as well as repair. These costs are significantly amplified in situations where the outage is unplanned and component failure causes secondary damage. This statement is particularly relevant for rotor bearing failures, which can rapidly lead to heavy damage to the turbomachinery components if not detected in time. This paper describes a new advanced technology online device, which is designed to monitor the lubrication oil system of the engine and detect the presence of metallic debris in real time. These particles are present in the oil only when there is damage occurring in the engine bearings or gear train. This monitor has recently been applied to engines in the pipeline, power generation, marine propulsion and aviation industries worldwide and has been proven to provide early warning of bearing failure allowing for repair during scheduled outages and before causing expensive secondary damage to the engine.