System and method for determining pole shift

A generator airgap monitoring system, comprising:

• a first proximity sensor disposed in a first location of a stator and configured to transmit a first signal representative of a first distance between the first proximity sensor and a plurality of rotor poles of a rotor;
• a controller communicatively coupled to the first proximity sensor, wherein the controller is configured to derive a first plurality of instantaneous airgaps based on the first signal and to determine a difference between a first instantaneous airgap of the first plurality of instantaneous airgaps and a second instantaneous airgap of the first plurality of instantaneous airgaps, wherein the first plurality of instantaneous airgaps comprises a first plurality of measurements of airgaps between the stator and the plurality of rotor poles when the rotor is rotating, the first instantaneous airgap comprises a first measurement, derived by using the first proximity sensor, of a first airgap between the stator and a first rotor pole of the plurality of rotor poles, and the second instantaneous airgap comprises a second measurement, derived by using the first proximity sensor, of a second airgap between the stator and a second rotor pole of the plurality of rotor poles.