The latest version of our TDMS turbine monitoring system is attached to turbine shafts via CD welded studs. This is by far the fastest, and most reliable method of attachment for long term installations, offering key advantages over epoxy bonding including:
- Better transference of physical vibration and strain to the sensor elements
- Greater attachment strength of telemetry to shaft
- Attachment is not vulnerable to high temperatures such as those seen on HP are or in the event of seal issues.
Occasionally, clients express concern about hardening and HAZ at the weld site. Our CD weld process involves less that 150W/s of energy at each weld site. We know this is not an issue through experience at several nuc, fossil and hydro plants, but we wanted to end the debate once and for all. Below are the results of micro-hardness and SEM testing on sample stud and shaft material.
Click to access Epri-TDMS-Stud-welding-hardness-map-results.pdf