Wavelet Analysis for Gas Turbine Fault Diagnostics

Abstract

The application of wavelet analysis to diagnosing faults in gas turbines is examined in the present paper. Applying the wavelet transform to time signals obtained from sensors placed on an engine gives information in correspondence to their Fourier transform. Diagnostic techniques based on Fourier analysis of signals can therefore be transposed to the wavelet analysis. In the paper the basic properties of wavelets, in relation to the nature of turbomachinery signals, are discussed. The possibilities for extracting diagnostic information by means of wavelets are examined, by studying the applicability to existing data from vibration, unsteady pressure, and acoustic measurements. Advantages offered, with respect to existing methods based on harmonic analysis, are discussed as well as particular requirements related to practical application.