Beran and SSE Thermal: A collaborative approach to plant health monitoring
SSE Thermal and Beran worked together to improve machinery health monitoring across SSE Thermal's gas turbine fleet, combining continuous online monitoring, temporary sensor deployment and remote diagnostic support to move from reactive to proactive maintenance.
The challenge
SSE Thermal needed to adapt its machinery inspection processes to meet the demands of decarbonisation. As gas turbines were required to operate with greater flexibility to support the transition to renewable energy, traditional physical inspections became inadequate for detecting minor or intermittent issues, such as an occasional hum in generator noise.
The solution
Beran's PlantProtech™ range provided 24/7 monitoring of vibration signals across SSE Thermal's machinery. Temporary vibration sensors were installed on the generator casing for closer monitoring, with remote diagnostic specialists analysing data in real time and advising on corrective actions.
The results
The collaborative approach enabled SSE Thermal to detect minor changes before they could escalate. Alerts and alarms configured through the PlantProtech™ system provided early warning capability, while the integration of vibration data with process parameters gave engineers a comprehensive view of machinery conditions — leading to timely interventions, including correction of looseness within the generator stator frame.
The temporary sensors installed for close monitoring remained in place to ensure ongoing health checks, demonstrating the value of continuous monitoring alongside periodic inspection.
Read the full case study
Full technical details and findings from the SSE Thermal and Beran collaboration are available in the complete case study.
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Contact Beran to find out more about PlantProtech and the full range of condition monitoring and protection solutions.