Laser alignment sets generators straight
January 2, 2010 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Maintenance, Test-Measurement
A laser aligning device lets maintenance crews align main shafts with generators for low vibration, thereby improving equipment reliability. Manufacturer Ludeca
The developer says the Optalign works on turbines regardless of OEM or coupling.
, Doral, Fla., says its Optalign Smart Wind comes with firmware features that ensure high measurement accuracy, and mounting hardware. The company adds that the unit works on turbines regardless of OEM or coupling.
The development features a continuous-sweep measurement mode which evaluates hundreds of readings during shaft rotation. This compares to shooting a movie versus a few pictures at intervals. The result is less shimming and horizontal moves to correct alignment, because of the more accurate measurements. Other features include:
- Alignment results after three easy steps: Dimension, measure, and evaluate results
- Minimum rotation required, 60° at sensor separation
- Graphical results (machines and centerlines)
- High resolution color backlit TFT screen
- Static measure mode allows up to 8 measurement positions for improved accuracy
- Save up to 500 measurement files
Windpower Engineering Editor Paul Dvorak is an experienced mechanical engineer. Paul has seven years of hands on mechanical engineering experience and 23 years of technical writing. Paul is constantly in correspondence with wind turbine manufacturers and wind power researchers. Thanks to this correspondence, he is able to write about wind engineering topics before any other editor in the wind space.
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