Vibration monitoring system for gas turbine engines

A method for monitoring vibration amplitudes associated with a plurality of rotating components and establishing an alarm setting for each component, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) measuring an operating parameter for each of a plurality of rotating components;
• b) measuring a corresponding set of vibration amplitudes for each of the plurality of rotating components during a period of operation;
• c) selecting a rotating component from the plurality of rotating components to be monitored;
• d) conditioning the set of vibration amplitudes so as to eliminate vibration amplitudes corresponding to unselected components in the plurality of components and creating a set of remaining vibration amplitudes;
• e) normalizing the set of remaining vibration amplitudes based on established amplitude limits for the selected component so as to create a set of normalized amplitude data points, wherein the established amplitude limits are a function of the measured operating parameter for the selected rotating component;
• f) storing the set of normalized amplitude data points for each component into associated sets of parameter-based data blocks, each data block extending over a predetermined range of the measured operating parameter;
• g) estimating, for each data block, a time period remaining to reach the established amplitude limits based on changes in the normalized amplitude data points stored in the sets of parameter-based data blocks over the period of operation;
• and
• h) establishing an alarm setting for the selected component based on the estimate time period remaining to reach the established amplitude limits for each of data block.

A system for monitoring vibration levels associated with a plurality of rotating components and establishing an alarm setting for each component, the system comprising:

• a) means for measuring an operating parameter for each of a plurality of rotating components;
• b) means for measuring a corresponding set of vibration amplitudes for each of the plurality of rotating components during a period of operation;
• c) means for selecting from the plurality of rotating components a component to be monitored;
• d) means for conditioning the set of vibration amplitudes so as to eliminate vibration amplitudes corresponding to unselected components in the plurality of components and creating a set of remaining vibration amplitudes;
• e) means for normalizing the set of remaining vibration amplitudes based on established amplitude limits for the selected component so as to create a set of normalized amplitude data points, wherein the established amplitude limits are a function of the measured operating parameter for the selected rotating component;
• f) means for storing the set of normalized amplitude data points for each rotating component into associated sets of parameter-based data blocks, each data block extending over a predetermined range of the measured operating parameter;
• g) means for estimating, for each data block, a time period remaining to reach the established amplitude limits based on changes in the normalized amplitude data point stored in the data blocks over the period of operation;
• and
• h) means for establishing an alarm setting for the selected component based on the estimate time period remaining to reach the established amplitude limits for each of data block.