OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING OF INTAKE TRASH RACKS IN HYDROELECTRIC PLANTS.

This paper presents an optical system developed for the structural health monitoring of trash rack in the Tractebel Energia's Salto Osório Hydro Power Plant (HPP), located in the south of Brazil. Two sensor devices were built, using FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating), and attached to the two positions on the trash rack that calculations and computer simulations indicated would suffer the greatest displacement. After the sensors were attached to the trash rack, the operating conditions of the generator were monitored. The machine, which had been working under normal conditions and with minimal condition of power generation, was modified to operate as a synchronous compensator. The results obtained were satisfactory and proved to be ideal for monitoring the structural health of the trash rack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]