Generator Expert : DUNCAN WALKER

About Duncan Walker

• A successful and goal achieving mechanical engineer with experience in solving difficult rotating machinery problems. Ten years experience in the Rolls-Royce Aircraft Engine Business and 28 years experience in GE Power Generation Business.
• Internationally recognized authority in rotating machinery vibration and rotor dynamics.
• BSME (Summa Cum Laude) – Southampton University England, 1965.
• Immigrated to US in 1971 (US citizenship 1985), exiting Rolls-Royce as a Technical Leader in Blade Vibration Research.
• GE Technical Leader Assignment 1972-1974. Variety of Management Positions 1975-1999 dealing with large generator mechanical design and development and Requisition Design.
• Frequent opportunities to present resolution of challenging technical issues to GE and Electrical Utility Executives.
• Certified GE Six Sigma Quality Engineering Green Belt – November 1999, with numerous other GE engineering and Management qualifications.
• Lecturer in training courses in generator vibration, rotor dynamics and rotor mechanical design.Recipient of GE Outstanding Technical Contributions Award in 1977 for developing improved understanding of turbine-generator and electrical transmission system torsional vibration and electrical power flow interactions and for development and implementation of state-of-art design tools for rotor system lateral and torsional vibration and rotor stresses.
• Author of over 30 Technical papers (IEEE, JPGC, CIGRE)
• Recipient of IEEE Outstanding Technical Paper Award.
• GE Program Manager on multi-million-dollar Projects with EPRI for development and application of sophisticated turbine generator torsional vibration monitors and for generator retaining ring material developments.
• From 1975 to 1999, active participant in ANSI and ISO Technical Committees for developing rotating machinery Standards for measurement and evaluation of vibration and balancing. Since 1981, participated in ISO working group meetings dealing with turbine-generator vibration and flexible rotor balancing.
• Vice Chairman of ANSI S2-76 Vibration Standards Committee for 15 years and primary technical contributor in ANSI S2-65 Balancing Committee for flexible rotor balancing.
• Recipient of 5 Patents dealing with vibration instrumentation and generator static starting provisions.Developed and presented EPRI Seminar on T/G Vibration Interaction with grid on 6/6/2007 and wrote Tutorial publication on same subject in 2006.
• Author of text book published by McGraw-Hill – “Torsional Vibration of Turbomachinery” – 2003. Author of Amazon E-Book in 2019 – “Rotor Dynamics of Turbomachinery” and paperback version in 2020. This second book expanded on first and covered also lateral vibration and balancing.
• Currently a Vibration Consultant on issues of interest.

General comments and observations

The main reason for this submission is to provide awareness of the following 2 books written by Duncan Walker dealing with T/G vibration and rotor dynamics – each focusing on mitigation of RECURRING generator and turbine rotor vibration failures. Case studies and failure history are described in detail. The first published by McGraw Hill in 2003 on “Torsional Vibration of Turbomachinery”; and the second in electronic and paperback form in 2020 on “Rotor Dynamics of Turbomachinery”. The second book expands on the first and covers lateral vibration and rotor balancing as well.

Due to loss of vibration authorities among OEM and user organizations due to reductions in forces and retirements and other, expertise has been lost and serious failures have recurred that never should have – as potential problems fully understood and mitigation strategies documented.

Generator Areas of Special Skill

• Field forgings
• Stator core and frame
• Vibration
• Metallurgy
• Failure root cause
• Inspection
• Testing
• Maintenance/Repairs
• Mis-operation
• Other – Technical Author

Availability

• Remote Assistance
• Now work from home only.

Contact

DUNCAN WALKER
duncan1943@aol.com
(518) 399-9534

Address

125 ASHDOWN ROAD
BALLSTON LAKE, NY 12019
United States