Improving Turbine Reliability and Uptime at a Captive Power Plant

Customer: A sugar factory in South India

Frequent unplanned shutdowns of the turbine in a captive power plant at a sugar factory in South India led to significant production losses, as the full capacity of the plant could not be utilised. After thorough study of the turbine section, the cause of failure was identified by the Forbes Marshall team. The turbine frequently tripped due to shaft unbalance, while misalignments caused by wear and tear further exacerbated the issue. These recurring problems not only disrupted operations but also increased maintenance costs and the risk of prolonged downtime, affecting overall process efficiency.

The sugar plant implemented the VibAssist™ —a real-time analysis and diagnostic system for online vibration monitoring. The VibAssist™ is an advanced system comprising of both software and hardware components enabling early detection of abnormal vibration patterns, allowing for proactive maintenance and reducing the risks of unexpected shutdowns.

By providing detailed diagnostics of potential faults and anomalies, the system helped optimise maintenance practices, ultimately leading to savings in maintenance and running costs while improving energy conservation and process efficiency.