Condition-based maintenance in hydroelectric plants: A systematic literature review

Industrial maintenance has become an essential strategic factor for profit and productivity in industrial systems. In the modern industrial context, condition-based maintenance guides the interventions and repairs according to the machine's health status, calculated from monitoring variables and using statistical and computational techniques. Although several literature reviews address condition-based maintenance, no study discusses the application of these techniques in the hydroelectric sector, a fundamental source of renewable energy. We conducted a systematic literature review of articles published in the area of condition-based maintenance in the last 10 years. This was followed by quantitative and thematic analyses of the most relevant categories that compose the phases of condition-based maintenance. We identified a research trend in the application of machine learning techniques, both in the diagnosis and the prognosis of the generating unit's assets, being vibration the most frequently discussed monitoring variable. Finally, there is a vast field to be explored regarding the application of statistical models to estimate the useful life, and hybrid models based on physical models and specialists' knowledge, of turbine-generators.

Automated summary

Industrial maintenance plays a crucial role in profitability and productivity, with condition-based maintenance guiding interventions and repairs based on machine health status. The application of machine learning techniques and statistical models in the hydroelectric sector for estimating useful life and prognosis of turbine-generators is a growing trend that requires further exploration.