Grout Replacement Reduces Vibration on Turbine Generator
- Epoxy grout application provides long-term solution
- Repairs successfully eliminated vibration
- Elevations were re-set to proper levels during re-grouting
Location
United States
Project Team
- Engineer: STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
- Specialty Contractor: STRUCTURAL
A power plant had a steam turbine generator that had experienced vibration issues since 2012 following a generator overhaul. Since then, the owner attempted to resolve the issue by aligning the rotor and housing, and installing shims on the soleplates, but vibration continued, possibly due to soft-foot issues confirmed by vibration analysis.
The owner contacted STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES for a site survey and repairs. STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES recommended replacing the old cementitious grout with epoxy grout which is better for vibration control, and re-machining and resetting ten soleplates at the proper elevations.
The repair process included lifting the generator up 4 ft. for sole plate grouting. A rail system was put in place to help remove the existing, heavy sole plates due to the limited vertical access. The concrete surface was prepared by STRUCTURAL, a Structural Technologies company, for grout and the sole plates were set in place to the agreed elevation levels. The grout was mixed and placed under and around the sole plates.
After completion of the job, vibration was eliminated, allowing for optimal generator performance.
