The monograph is devoted to the development of the capacitive method of measuring the radial runout of cylindrical shaft surfaces in high-power hydroelectric generators by creating new runout meters and methods for modeling the sensors of radial runout of cylindrical shaft surfaces in high-power hydroelectric generators of Ukrainian HPPs and PHES, taking into account the design features of the diagnostic object in the Comsol Multiphysics environment. The relevance of developing methods for designing and researching sensors to create sensors for radial runout of cylindrical shaft surfaces of high-power hydroelectric generators with increased accuracy, noise immunity, and resolution is determined by the need to improve the assessment of the state of power plant equipment during operation. The main characteristics and types of powerful hydraulic units and features of control and diagnostics of their structural units are presented. The defects of hydraulic units’ components are analyzed to determine which data of the results of measuring the parameters of radial vibration of the shaft and the criteria for assessing the runout and vibration of shafts of high-power hydraulic units are used. The methods and means of controlling the parameters of shaft runout, as well as the systems for monitoring and diagnosing the technical condition of hydraulic units in which they are used, are described. It is shown that among the wide variety of methods and means of control, capacitive sensors are distinguished for measuring additional parameters in the systems of vibration control and diagnostics of hydraulic units. This is due to the relatively simple manufacturing technology of capacitive transducers, their high accuracy, resolution, reproducibility, and stability under conditions of various destabilizing factors. The monograph presents the results of the creation and research of multiphysical models of capacitive sensors, the justification of the choice of the optimal sensor topology depending on the design parameters of the diagnostic object, the assessment of the influence of sensor manufacturing technology on their transformation functions and the development of ways to minimize measurement errors, and the assessment of the main errors of capacitive sensors.
